Join Riad Mena founder Philomena Schurer Merckoll for DESIGN MARRAKECH, and experience contemporary Marrakech through her design-focused lens from 15 to 19 September 2024.
Marrakech has for decades inspired many creatives the world over, who come here to tap into the sights, sounds and sensory inspiration this city brings. The level of artisanry Marrakech offers is unbound — traditional hand painting techniques, brass and leather work and ceramics — inspiring all those who come. The last years have seen traditional techniques combined with contemporary design, with international designers and creatives coming here to create and source pieces from one-off vintage to working with local artisans on bespoke designs.
In this journey, you will stay at Riad Mena, a serene retreat in the middle of the Medina, where Philomena will show you the best of the old alongside the best of the new, with a particular focus on the wide array of design and artisanry on offer in the exotic creative hub of Marrakech.
Your itinerary:
Day 1
- Arrival at Riad Mena. Check in at 3pm
- Welcome drinks and dinner with Philomena and some local creatives
Day 2
- Breakfast to birdsong in the courtyard of Riad Mena
- A tour of the Souk. Just a seven minute walk from Riad Mena is the Jemaa el Fna, the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the pulsating heart of the Marrakech Medina and the gateway to the Souk. Wander through its labyrinthine corridors and go to Philomena's favourite spots, from the ultimate purveyor of classic Moroccan clothing from softest suede babouche to perfectly simple cotton kaftans, her favourite vintage carpet dealer, the rattan sellers, a haven of embroidered homewares at Corinne Bensimon and many little gems tucked away.
- Lunch at NOMAD restaurant, the view from the terrace onto the Souk is wonderful.
- Return to Mena to freshen up.
- Chauffeur-driven cars to Dinner at Sahbi Sahbi in the new town of Gueliz. Designed by famed architects Studio KO, the new restaurant celebrates Moroccan cuisines and the women who cook it. The entire restaurant is female run and its chefs - normally tucked away in the kitchen - are at its heart in the central open kitchen of the restaurant.
Day 3
- A Morning Tour of the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and Majorelle Gardens next door. Around the corner is MORO, a new concept store, gallery and cafe in a 1950s style bungalow. This is where contemporary Marrakech meets traditional techniques, with the collection designed and made in Marrakech to a very modern point of view.
- Lunch at +61, everyone's canteen for the last years for delicious, fresh lunches in a buzzy environment.
- An afternoon at Soufiane, who's multi floored emporium houses a vast array of rugs and own design furniture and vintage objects. This is the destination from where many of the COMO Hotel interiors were sourced from. Around the corner is Moustapha Blaoui, a veritable Aladdin's Cave with all the best the Souk has to offer.
- Return to Riad Mena to freshen up. A private dinner hosted on the rooftop of Riad Rosemary by a local creative. Each detail is a veritable showcase of all the artisanry on offer in Marrakech.
Day 4
- A Day out of town to Tamloth, just 45 minutes but a world away from Marrakech. Visit the local women cooperative, have a tour of the Beni Rugs showroom and see the weavers, followed by lunch in the garden of tranquility of our sister property Berber Lodge.
- Return to Riad Mena for a last dinner.
Day 5
- Departure
This trip includes staying at Riad Mena on a B&B basis, city tax, 1 arrival and departure airport transfer per room, welcome cocktail and dinner at Riad Mena, all transport and meals as quoted in the itinerary, as well as guided days by Philomena. Kindly note that prices do not include alcoholic beverages.
Pricing will be determined by the room type you select:
- The Writer's Den - EUR 3600 single occupancy | EUR 4800 2 pax
- The India Room - EUR EUR 3900 single occupancy | EUR 5300 2 pax
- The Gysin - EUR 4100 single occupancy | EUR 5500 2 pax
- The Traveller - EUR 4100 single occupancy | EUR 5500 2 pax
- The Eileen Gray Suite - EUR 4300 single occupancy | EUR 5700
- The Grand Suite - EUR 4500 single occupancy | EUR 5900 2 pax
- The Studio - EUR 4800 single occupancy | EUR 6200 2 pax
This experience requires a minimum of 5 rooms booked to go ahead.
