Arriving at Marrakech — Riad Viva (Hotel)

Ursula and I took a side trip on a recent visit to Lisbon. On 8 November 2024 we flew down to Morocco for a three-night stay in Marrakech before returning to Lisbon and hoping a cruise ship back across “The Pond.” We’d both been to Morocco before, and Ursula visited Marrakech back in the late ’80s or early ’90s, but this was a first-time trip for me. So, imagine my surprise when we took a taxi to our hotel, only to be dropped off at the entrance to a nondescript side alleyway that allowed bicycles, scooters, and pedestrian traffic, but no cars, and given vague directions on how to traverse the remaining distance to our hotel.

It seemed to me a case of, “You can’t get there from here. You have to go elsewhere first.” Four winding turns later, after hauling our luggage some 280 meters/920 feet, we found ourselves standing in a narrow, dusty street alive with playing children and friendly cats. Before us was a door and a call button to summon someone to unlock it and allow us entry. By now I was wondering what Ursula had gotten us into. It turned out that she had gotten us into a very pleasant surprise, for upon our entry we found ourselves standing in a luxurious 5-start hotel that looked to be ½-star at most on the outside.

As you can see above, the area just past reception is quite the contradiction to the description I gave you of our first, street-side impression. The courtyard came with a comfortable seating area and a tranquility-inducing fountain:

Our room was on the first floor. Indeed, it was the first room on the left as you step into the courtyard. Here are photos of the sleeping quarters and the bathroom:

Riad Viva also has an incredible restaurant that serves traditional Moroccan food with a set menu that changes daily. I’ll be reviewing that little delight in this week’s Fun Food Friday. For now I’ll leave with a taste of Marrakech to whet your appetite for what’s to come this week and next:

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)