A riad is a traditional Moroccan house built around an open interior courtyard, often with a small fountain, with rooms lining every side and a staircase leading up to a rooftop terrace overlooking the city. These houses were traditionally the homes of wealthy families, and many have since been converted into small boutique guesthouses. Staying in a riad inside the old medina offers an authentic experience amid the bustling alleys, but it also means a longer walk with your luggage until a local porter — usually offered as a service — meets you, since cars can't enter most of the inner lanes. When choosing, pay attention to the riad's location (proximity to Jemaa el-Fnaa or a main gate) and whether it has a rooftop or small pool; some upscale riads offer a private hammam within the building itself, a feature worth seeking out if you want a complete experience without leaving your accommodation.
The hammam, Morocco's version of the Turkish bath, has been used by locals for centuries as a weekly public bathhouse, and today it comes in a more polished tourist version too. There are essentially three tiers: the public neighborhood hammam, the cheapest option (around 10–20 dirhams) but a raw, direct experience traditionally divided by gender (separate hours or sections for men and women); the private riad or boutique spa hammam, priced between 300 and 700 dirhams, offering a more comfortable experience with English- or French-speaking staff and cleaner changing rooms; and finally the luxury hotel spa, which blends traditional Moroccan rituals with international treatments like aromatherapy massages and jacuzzis.
The traditional ritual involves sitting in a hot steam room to open the pores, followed by a body massage with black "beldi" soap made from olive oil, then a vigorous scrub with a rough mitt known as a "kessa" to remove dead skin cells, sometimes a natural rhassoul clay mask, and finally a rinse. The scrub isn't always a gentle experience — it's designed for genuine deep cleansing, not pure relaxation, so if your skin is sensitive, tell the attendant before starting so they can ease the pressure. Financially, the hammam experience in Marrakesh is one of the best value-for-money experiences of the entire trip; for roughly €15–40 you get treatment that could cost three to five times as much in Europe. Book ahead during busy seasons, and make sure you understand the gender-separation policy before booking to avoid any awkwardness.
