Photographs of riads are unusually flattering. Six things to establish before you book one.
A riad is a house built inward: rooms arranged around a courtyard, blank walls facing the street, all the light and life pointed at the middle. At their best they are among the most pleasant places to stay anywhere. At their worst they are dark, noisy, and forty minutes from your car.
The photographs rarely distinguish between the two, because a courtyard photographs beautifully in any condition. These are the things worth establishing first.
How far is the car
Most riads sit inside the medina, where cars cannot go. The distance from the nearest vehicle drop-off to the door is the single most underrated detail in Marrakech. Five minutes with a porter is charming. Fifteen minutes through crowded derbs with luggage, in August, is not. Ask for the number in minutes, not in reassurances.
Which way the courtyard faces
The courtyard is the whole point, and its orientation decides whether you use it. A courtyard that catches morning sun is usable at breakfast. One that bakes from noon is usable only after dark. In winter, a deep north-facing courtyard never warms up at all.
Whether the roof terrace is private
Most riads advertise a roof terrace. Fewer mention that it overlooks, or is overlooked by, the neighbours. If you have taken the house exclusively, establish whether the terrace comes with it.
Who is actually there
A staffed riad might mean a housekeeper who comes at nine, or a full team including a cook. Both are legitimate; they are very different holidays. Ask specifically what hours the staff are present and what a cook will and will not do.
Sound
Medina walls are thick, but courtyards are echo chambers, and a riad with four occupied rooms around a single open space has no acoustic privacy at all. If you are taking one room rather than the whole house, ask which rooms sit furthest from the courtyard.
Hot water and heating
Unromantic and important. Older riads can run out of hot water when several rooms shower at once, and stone houses are genuinely cold from December to February. Ask what the heating is, not whether there is any.
