Dar Ayniwen is not like most riads in Marrakech that makes it into Condé Nast Traveller Hot List and attracts reclusive celebrities like Monica Bellucci and Juliette Binoche. Built on two hectares of parkland in the Palmeraie, the main house has a Romanesque grandeur redolent of an 18th-century palace, even though it was constructed as a family house as recently as the late 1970s and only opened to the public in the 1990s ago. The five suites in the house look out onto lush gardens, which enclose a heated pool and three additional private villas (also suites) have private gardens. The décor at Dar Ayniwen is deliberately old-fashioned, with an emphasis on local materials and lots of impressive imported antiques, which overwhelm all the mod-cons. Rooms and bathrooms are often huge and have a welcoming, lived-in feel. Intimacy and privacy are ensured at all times and there’s a hammam and sauna. International and Moroccan cuisine are available on request, as is a free shuttle to and from town and airport transfers.