MARRAKECH BEST KEPT SECRET

Word is spreading fast, so don’t delay making your reservation at intimate Riad Star!

Gordon Gino & Fred: Road Trip

We were proud to host Gordon Gino and Fred on their recent Road Trip when Chef Ramsay cooked in our cookery school and the guys enjoyed a hilarious celebration meal in the Marrakech sunshine.  Everyone is a Star at Riad Star!

Conde Nast

In the words of Lisa Johnson writing in Conde Nast Traveler “When English couple Mike and Lucie Wood bought Riad Star in the Marrakech Medina, they has no idea that Josephine Baker – vaudeville sensation, civil rights activist and mother of an adopted ‘rainbow tribe’ – liver there in the 1940’s. The performer was a close friend (perhaps lover) of the Pasha of Marrakech we cared for her in his palace after a miscarriage. The royal residence is now the Musee de Marrakech: Baker’s riad, with its Art Deco woodwork and arches, has been restored as a seven room hotel with a hammam, dipping pool and roof terrace. Memorabilia includes a dress-up box stuffed with flapper dresses, Maurice Chevalier style hats and even a banana skirt.”

BBC Radio

Travel Guru Andy Mossack broadcast live from Riad Star for his BBC radio Where in the world is Andy?’feature.  In his Riad Star review Andy recalled ‘There was a moment during my stay at Riad Star in Marrakech when I thought I had literally died and gone to heaven.’

New York Times

In the words of  Elaine Glusac writing in the New York Times  ’In the teeming pedestrians-only center of the city, Riad Star offers a quiet and cosseting retreat. Its celebrity history provides a fascinating back story, while personal service manages to make the hotel feel like home.”

The Observer

In the words of Joanne O’Connor writing in The Observer  “This quirky riad was home to Josephine Baker in the 1940s. The seven guest rooms are kitted out in traditional Moroccan style with an Art Deco twist, and the British owners pay homage to Baker with displays of Parisian music-hall memorabilia and a dressing-up box of 1920s clothes. Don’t miss the candlelit massage in the hammam.”

Evening Standard

In the words of the London Evening Standard “Riad Star which was a one-time residence of vaudeville star Josephine Baker, brought a dash of glamour to the medina when it opened last month. Located in the historic Kaat Benahid district, there are seven suites including the Charleston, which channels the roaring Twenties and the Paris suite that celebrates the golden age of the Parisian Music Hall.  A ‘dressing up box features genuine memorabilia and trinkets for roaring twenties style parties up on the roof terrace with sunset views across to the Atlas mountains.

New York Daily News

In the words of Jason Sheftell of the New York Daily News “Certain New York scenes are not dead yet. There are still low-lit corners where the Madagascar ambassador can sit next to a 6-foot-4 transvestite draped in a red-sequined gown while a child star fresh from the Broadway stage can down French fries and chocolate milk near an aging actress sipping Kir Royale and chatting with an English innkeeper from Morocco.” We are eternally grateful for the friendship of the late Jean-Claude Baker of the legendary New York restaurant Chez Josephine.

Boe Magazine

Riad Star was reviewed Rebecca Milford of Best of Everything magazine. in January 2017: “A visit here is one that’s sure to stay in the memory for a long time to come. For me, it was the mornings – first thing, when the birds were chirping ecstatically, and the low, almost mournful sound of prayers had faded from echoing around each red stone. The Riad Star quickly established itself as a home away from home, and the sense of comfort we experienced is the highest complement I can give. For anyone thinking of making a trip to Marrakech who wants to stay somewhere unique, authentic, quirky and safe, then this is the place for you – I give it five glowing golden stars.”