Day 1: Afternoon flight arriving early evening in Marrakech on a Saturday, where a driver from the hotel met us to navigate through the city to our Riad, nestled just far enough away from the market crowds. A porter met the car to wheel our luggage the 5-minute walk to the Riad itself, as cars are not allowed in the medina. Dinner at Riad Monceau’s restaurant overlooking the central courtyard and pool.

Day 2: A delightful Marrakech Insiders tour of the city and outskirts by vintage motorcycle and sidecar in the morning. Then lunch in the gorgeous gardens of the Royal Mansour hotel. Finally, we explored some of the medina on the way to a sunset dinner on the rooftop of NOMAD.

Day 3: After a leisurely breakfast at the Riad, we checked out and hopped in a car arranged by Kasbah Bab Ourika for the 1-hour drive. Upon arrival, a staff member gave us a tour of the property and gardens. Afternoon and evening spent reading and relaxing.

Days 4-6: Our days were long and restful. An expansive breakfast buffet was served in the covered courtyard daily, while lunch was served outside on the verandah overlooking hills of red clay and the mountains beyond. Afternoons were spent reading, relaxing by the pool, or chatting with other guests. Dinner was served at candlelit tables in the main dining area. On Christmas Eve, the hotel offered a special dinner with live music and henna artists. We loved every meal, with menus changing daily, and the service was always exceptional.

Despite the wondrous array of excursions offered by the hotel, we opted for lounging around the property. We also followed a trail just past the property and met up with another trail we found on our AllTrails app, creating a circular route back to the hotel.

Day 7: We moved to another resort closer to Marrakech, but the food, service, and grounds were nowhere near the quality of Kasbah Bab Ourika. After a brief stay, we flew back to London. We’re already planning a return trip to the Kasbah!