Whole house: €170-210/night BB*

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The Djemaa el Fna square in Marrakech is an open-air theatre. By day it sports clusters of stalls selling fresh orange juice, plants, dried fruit and nuts. By night, it fills up with snake charmers, storytellers, belly dancers, musicians and crowds of onlookers. On one side are open air BBQs, which waft delectable meat scents across the square; on the other are rooftop cafes from which you can watch the night unfold. And all around are the souks: an overwhelming array of stalls which wind their way down narrow paths, selling a fabulous selection of leather slippers, ceramics, beautiful cowhide lamps, traditional rugs and wood carvings.

Opened in January 2008, Riad Dar 'Rabia is a short stroll from this magical arena, close enough to wander in for shopping or people-watching, yet just far enough to be wonderfully tranquil. You're outside the souks but within the old walled city, close to King Mohammed VI's palace; and, with the Mamounia Gardens just over the wall, you're more likely to be troubled by birdsong than by the call of the muezzin. Best of all, the contemporary design makes a refreshing change from the (literally) hundreds of traditional riad rentals. Overseen by French architect Jean-Bernard Doucet-Bon, it’s a bold blend of Oriental and western: an interior courtyard, tadelakt walls, mosaicked bathrooms and Moroccan silks combined with modern comforts like satellite TV, queensize beds and slick wicker sunbeds on the spacious roof terrace.

HIGHS

• A stylish bolthole for 6 friends or a large family, and a great way to dip in and out of hectic Marrakech life

• Surrounded by the orangery and olive groves of the Mamounia Gardens

• The privacy of a house mixed with the conveniences of a hotel - daily cleaning and an English-speaking manager on call

• Breakfasts are included but the rest of the time you're self-catering; perfect if you’re wary of spicy Moroccan food (although you shouldn’t be, it’s delicious)

• Extremely good value, considering the size and décor

• A cool alternative to all those central medina riads, some of which can be a bit cramped and noisy

• You might feel you're missing out on the whole medina experience - wandering down a maze of pedestrian alleys, with neighbouring kids playing on your doorstep etc

• There's no pool, but to be honest most medina pools are more ornamental than functional

• If you're coming with friends, be aware that 2 of the bedrooms have double beds

• If you're coming with family, be aware that they only accept children over 5

The house has a clever and unusual layout: bedrooms at the bottom (cool and dark), an open-plan living area in the middle (airy and bright) and a sun terrace on top (sunny and spacious).

There are 3 bedrooms (2 doubles, 1 twin/double), each with an ensuite shower room, whose low level keeps them really quiet and cool. Wander up the beijmatt and zellige staircase and you’re in an open-plan living/dining area with a glass roof which slides open. There are big comfy sofas to stretch out on, a home entertainment system for relaxed evenings and 2 magnificent Moroccan-style fireplaces, one of which has been designed for BBQs. Turn left and you’re in the kitchen, go up more stairs through glass doors and you're out on the terrace. This is the heart of the house, with slick wicker sunloungers, potted olive trees, a shaded eating area and a waterfall fountain down below.

L'Orientale is the master bedroom, decorated in art-deco style with dove grey and beige walls, and a silk bedspread adding a dramatic splash of scarlet. As in all bedrooms, the wardrobe has wonderful zouak doors of hand-painted wood. The shower room is decked out with black and white ‘zellige’ mosaics from Fes - it’s theatrical stuff (right).

Noir Balthazar (photo 5 above) has been decorated in African hues, with ebony and lilac tadelakt walls and caramel and chocolate mosaics in the shower room. Air con keeps it cool in the summer and it’s centrally heated in the winter months.

Next door is Le Sultan Bleu (left), with its oriental spice decor. The tadelakt walls are apricot and blue-grey, the bathroom a blend of chocolate and azure tiles; the bed - which can be set up as a twin or double - is satinny gold.

EATING

The kitchen is fully equipped for self catering. Basic ingredients are provided (sugar, salt, pepper, oil, washing up liquid etc), and there’s a full complement of gear (saucepans, frying pans, tagine dishes, sharp knives, a grater, a juice squeezer, microwave, salad bowls, crockery, cutlery, glasses etc). ed market of the mellah is just a 5-minute walk; great for fresh meat and veg. If you want to buy alcohol you'll need to take a taxi to the Hypermarket Marjane.

Breakfast is included in the price: Samira will come in and prepare fresh orange juice, tea, coffee, croissants, Moroccan pancakes, eggs, fresh bread, butter, jams and honey. Timings are flexible. She can also conjure up a range of traditional Moroccan meal should you want to be lazy for a couple of evenings. Think spicy vegetable salad, chicken tagine with ginger and coriander, slow-cooked lamb tagine with prunes and almonds and Moroccan pastries to finish.

We’d definitely recommend eating out a few times. The open-air BBQs in Djemaa El Fna are a must: both a fantastic experience and very tasty. You can choose from a range of meats, kebabs and fish, and they’re sizzled up for you there and then, and served with a selection of bread, hot sauces and salads.

If you’re feeling less adventurous, there are several great restaurants to try out. El Tobsil, Yacout and Dar Marjana are all located in the medina, serving up sumptuous Moroccan feasts. You’ll be fed an exotic selection of salads, sauces, tagines, couscous and desserts – and if you’re lucky, you’ll be entertained by belly dancers and musicians as you lounge, Moroccan style, on cushions.

The new town offers more varied culinary options, and some places serve alcohol too. Le Jacaranda is a chic French eatery, while Bo-Zin serves the city’s best Thai food.

ACTIVITIES

• Hit the souks. Spend at least a day trailing your way through the labyrinthine souks leading from Djemaa el Fna, where you can buy food, fabulous textiles, leather goods, homeware and ceramics. The vendors are more canny than they once were, so you’ll have to barter hard, but it’s worth the effort

• Visit a public hammam and have the most thorough scrubbing down of your life! The on-call manager, Martyn, can arrange a visit, along with massages and spa treatments

• Enjoy a sunset horse-drawn caleche ride around the famously pink city walls

• Need to cool off? Spend a day at the artificial Nikki Beach (right) - seriously hip with pumping music and a great restaurant or head for the slides at Oasiria Water Park

• Take a city tour; Martyn can arrange an excellent guide, who will lead you down myriad streets to show you mosques, beautiful shops and famous historical buildings. It’s a good way to get under the skin of this amazing place, although you’ll probably be taken to a couple of ‘friend’s shops’ en route...

• Hang out on your roof terrace and soak up the sun, then head indoors for a siesta. In the evening, chill out in front of a DVD: English DVDs are sold very cheaply in the market