San Jose Mercury News (CA) 
August 13, 2006

Travelers looking for luxury have never set their sights on the dusky labyrinthine streets of the old cities of Morocco. But those who venture there are discovering the riad, the North African equivalent of a bed-and-breakfast, with stylish contemporary decor, superb local cuisine and the kind of impeccable service you can only hope for at the finest of hotels.

These inns, mostly old homes rebuilt by European entrepreneurs, are part of a revitalization that has helped transform the medinas -- the old walled cities at the core of most Moroccan cities -- into so much more than a place to shop for carpets, leather and exotic trinkets.

The medinas of Marrakech and Fez, in particular, are becoming popular destinations for travelers who want a taste of an exotic, almost third-world culture, but feel like ending each day in first-world comfort.

Morocco battled a reputation as a slightly dicey, potentially unsafe destination for years, says Amine Britel, president of Gateway2Discovery, a Newport Beach travel agency. Morocco's King Mohammed VI provided the law enforcement and cleanup services necessary to turn streets that were once crowded with beggars and touts into clean, welcoming places to explore.

And visitors were finally ready to try staying in the medinas, instead of taking day trips in from big-name hotels in the modern neighborhoods. 'You're not going to go all the way to Morocco to stay at the Hilton,' says Britel, who books a variety of package tours that use riads (it translates as 'courtyards') whenever possible.

Our clients love them; it shows up in the feedback regularly. The riads are typically run by a couple who go way beyond the usual to make you feel at home.' And the Moroccan people welcome Americans as graciously as visitors from anywhere else in the world. No need to stick 'We're from Canada' patches onto your suitcase; this is one Muslim country where you'll never need to hide your heritage or defend U.S. foreign policy. A proclamation that you're from the States almost always is met with, 'Americans? Big welcome,' and a friendly offer to help you find a good restaurant or sightseeing stop.

The Sept. 11 attacks dealt a severe blow to what had been a 10-year government plan to boost tourism, which accounts for 20 percent of the Moroccan economy. About 2 million people -- including more than 100,000 Americans -- visited the country in the year 2000, when the king declared his goal of attracting 10 million tourists by the year 2010. After the attacks, tourism dropped dramatically all over the world, but especially in Arab countries. By 2003, however, the plan was back on pace, with an expectation that the king's goal would be met, according to Inan el-Merini of the Moroccan National Tourism Office. The heart of Morocco is in the medina, a little slice of the Middle Ages, made up of twisting alleys packed as they have been for centuries with mule carts, food vendors and artisans. Weaving through the controlled chaos are Moroccan men and women in the traditional djellaba (robe) and kids sporting Nikes and jeans.

Outside the medinas, in the new cities, are wide, modern streets and gleaming glass buildings, great if you need to cash a travelers' check, but a bore other than that.
The two most active and interesting medinas are in Fez and Marrakech, cities that also have other great attractions within the distance of short taxi rides.
The medina streets are mostly narrow, dark and dusky, and it takes a day or two to get used to finding your way around. But almost every nondescript doorway is the gateway to a sunny riad, mosque or school built with breathtakingly colorful tile and wood carving, even old palaces now used as sites to display pop art. The streets are teeming with women offering henna skin-painting and stands cooking up spicy steamed garbanzos, lamb kebabs and freshly fried doughnuts. You'll sometimes need a couple of hours to cover the equivalent of two U.S. city blocks, there is so much to see.

Most visitors enter the country through Casablanca, a magical place in the memory of Humphrey Bogart devotees, but a city nearly devoid of interest to tourists. Your best bet is to get on a train and head immediately to one of the more flavorful cities. The train system is cheap, clean and prompt, and you can be in Fez in four hours. Car rentals are available, and the nation's highway system is pretty modern, but once you hit the medinas, you'll have no need for the car and nowhere to park it. To really appreciate Morocco's tourism growth spurt, you have to stay at a riad. The owners have banded together and formed a few online reservation services, so it's easy to get a good look at your choices and make arrangements at your computer. Check www.riadsmorocco.com for accommodations in Fez, Marrakech or the seaside city of Essaouira or www.ilove-marrakesh.com for listings that also include Rabat, Meknes and Agadir. Fez and Marrakech have far more choices for great riads, and are also the most well-located cities for day trips into the Atlas Mountains. You'll have choices ranging from $55 to $350 a night, and the less expensive ones are not automatically less stylish, clean or well-staffed. The high-end riads almost always have fabulous food if you choose to dine there and often provide television or other extras. But almost all the riads include a great breakfast in the price and the online peek you'll get means you're not likely to be unpleasantly surprised at your choice.

Most of the riads are small, from four to 10 rooms, allowing an attention to service and detail you might miss at a larger hotel. They all feature the courtyard that gives them their name, open to the sky and usually filled with fruit trees, fountains and pools. Most also have romantic, candle-lit dining rooms and a comfortable terrace with views over the medina. Meals are served in all three places, depending on the weather and your daily whim.

Most of the riads were refurbished by French, Spanish and Belgian owners. Riad Houdou in Marrakech was an old Moroccan home, run down to nearly nothing when Brigitte and Jean-Claude Ribera bought it in 2001. They commuted from their home near Marseilles to watch over the renovations, their goal to use only traditional materials to revive the 19th-century building. Window treatments and bed coverings make use of the spectacular array of Moroccan fabrics. Exquisitely carved wood and the trademark Moroccan tile work known as zellij adorn the walls and doors. The only complete concession to the modern is in the plumbing and fixtures, just where you'd want it.

The Riberas say that about 50 percent of their guests are Europeans taking advantage of the proximity, but that Australians, Japanese and Americans are becoming a larger share of their clientele every year.
While some of the riads will boast that they're near a particular city square or mosque, your riad's location within the medina is almost irrelevant. Sights are spread from edge to edge, and you can walk to anything you'll want to see. Finding your way to those sights can be another matter. The medina in Fez is the largest and it is nearly impossible to find an adequate map. Street signs are either absent or in Arabic only, so your best bet is to rely on a guide provided by your riad to help you get your bearings, or to just wander, which can be a great adventure. After a dizzying first day of exploring, it turned out to be no more difficult for me than navigating the streets of an old European city. A couple of recently published books even offer walking tours of the medinas in several languages.

Both the Fez and Marrakech medinas are home to spectacular mosques, medersas (religious schools) and the palaces of the once-rich and powerful. If you're not Muslim, you can't enter some of these sites, but each city has several that are open to people of all faiths, and they are well worth the visit. The Medersa Ben Youseff in Marrakech has been housing young men studying the Koran since the 13th century. More than 900 students lived at the school in its heyday, and you can walk along the rows of compact rooms where the students lived, a few of them furnished as they were hundreds of years ago. The courtyard features walls laced with staggeringly intricate cedar and stucco carving and religious artwork.

The highlight of the Marrakech medina is the Jemaa el-Fna, an open square not unlike an Italian piazza. During daylight hours it's a circus: snake-charmers, medicine men, even gymnastic troupes, all vying for your attention and spare change. It's not just a tourist haunt; most of the crowds surrounding these attractions are locals. When the sun goes down, elaborate food carts are rolled out and the square is turned into the city's largest restaurant, with sizzling lamb, eggplant and snails served up to visitors and Marrakechis elbow to elbow at huge tables. Snails from a street cart in the middle of Morocco might sound like a risky choice, but it all seemed clean and safe.

Restaurant options are somewhat limited in the medinas. While you can find French, Italian and Spanish food in the new cities, the medinas serve the same food they've been serving for centuries. The ubiquitous tagine, named for the clay dish it's cooked and served in, is a stew of lamb or chicken with vegetables. The other common choice is couscous in many varieties. Medina restaurants usually offer both as entrees, and always start with what they call salad, but what is more like an array of tapas. Some dinners come with as many as 10 plates: eggplant, carrots, beans and the like, some hot, some cold, all delicious. Most meals will set you back less than $15 a person.

Your daily itineraries in Morocco will vary. Some days you want to wander endlessly in the medina, others you'll want to visit the Berber villages in the nearby mountains. An hour from Fez are the well-kept ruins of the Roman city of Volubilis, nearly as intact as Pompeii. If you want to get even more exotic, you can spend summer afternoons riding camels in the desert or watching the native Berbers show off their equestrian skills. But your days can all end the same way and you'll never be bored: You retire to your riad and slip between sheets of Moroccan silk with a glass of cognac in your hand. Arabian nights have never felt this good.

Los Angeles Times Travel
Sunday November 30th, 2003

Readers Recommend: Morocco: Tour Experts

We're happy to sing the praises of this tour company that took great care of us throughout a journey in Morocco, a country of unparalleled natural beauty. Its historical, cultural and religious heritage makes it a unique place to visit. Gateway2Morocco made it easy, with reasonable prices and outstanding service. Ten-day tour, including air transportation from New York City, starts at $1,625 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $230). Henderson