In short… The coolest guesthouse in the medina, with an incredibly welcoming and stylish host who creates a clubby, salon-like atmosphere that feels like you’re staying in someone’s home.
The surroundings… Riad Mena is down a little cobbled alley on the eastern edge of the old city, just a few minutes’ walk from the Jemaa el-Fna square and a stone’s throw from Place Douar Graoua, the closest taxi drop. It can be hard to find—the door, like a speakeasy, isn’t even labeled—but once inside the calm oasis filled with citrus trees and palms surrounding a traditional fountain, you feel miles from the bustle of the busy streets outside.
The backstory… Owner Philomena Schurer Merckoll, raised in London by German-Norwegian parents and shaped by years spent in Paris and Berlin, first visited the city in 2005 with her mother. They bought a 19th-century Arab-Andalusian-style residence as a family home, which Philomena spent the next decade painstakingly restoring alongside Franco-Swiss designer Romain Michel-Ménière. She opened it to guests in 2014; today it has seven individually designed, minimalist rooms, each with its own distinct character. Across the street, she has just opened Dar Mena, a more maximalist, 4-BR guesthouse, which has access to all the main riad’s services.
The vibe… Relaxed, chic, serene, intimate. Philomena is an influential collector (of beautiful things as well as of fascinating and creative people), and you feel this immediately upon entering the leafy white courtyard bedecked with green shutters, where there is usually a well-dressed visitor drinking mint tea or wine in the riad’s welcoming alcove. The décor is refreshingly minimalist in a city of sensory overload and overstuffed riad décor, reflecting Philomena’s impeccable taste, in which midcentury Saarinen tables and Verner Panton chairs coexist effortlessly with Moroccan tiles, poufs, rugs, and antique Berber wedding blankets—all sourced from flea markets in Marrakech. She is a longtime supporter and friend of local emerging artists and artisans, and you’re likely to find pieces like French artist Louis Barthélemy’s edgy reinterpretations of traditional Egyptian khayamiya textiles, or a canvas or ceramic by Laurence Leenaert, on various walls and surfaces.
The public spaces are equally inviting: a long living room with a fireplace, art and Arne Jacobsen Egg chair—a perfectly cozy place to sit on a crisp day and flip through one of the art books stacked on the table; a second-floor loggia with billowing curtains and Berber rug; and a roof terrace perfect for both morning yoga and sunset aperitifs. Sequestered in a second hidden courtyard is a glimmering pool big enough for laps, with ample privacy.
Moreover, the staff—led by Abdel, the riad’s wonderful GM who can magic up anything you need—has been at Mena for years; all of them interact with the guests in the most relaxed way, which removes any sense of formality and helps create a feeling of home.
The rooms… The seven guest rooms line the labyrinth of porticoes that surround the two courtyards. Each one is different—with names like The Grand Suite, The Eileen Gray, The Traveller, The India Room, and The Writer’s Den—but share the same nonchalant combination of midcentury Italian and Scandinavian furniture with locally handcrafted pieces, as well as Philippe Starck-designed minimalist bathrooms with tadelakt walls.
I stayed in The Gysin (named for the beat poet and painter), which had a dark masculine palette and charcoal tadelakt walls in the extremely spacious bathroom. The bath amenities are by local brand Nectarome, in a heavenly orange blossom scent.
The food & drink… The kitchen staff, Aicha and Jouhra, serve home-cooked Moroccan meals rooted in tradition, from spiced salads to seasonal vegetable couscous and classic tagines. Breakfast is served daily, consisting of Moroccan eggs, yogurt, crèpes and fruit. Lunch and dinner are available on request, and you can order food from outside the Riad, which Abdel can arrange. Drinks can be ordered too, including the Mena Martini, which is topped with the juice of the season from clementine in winter to watermelon in summer.
The wellness… They are launching a new spa area with a hammam and massage room later this year, and can organize yoga on the rooftop as well as massage therapists—notably Christine, who has come for many years and does an amazing intuitive massage, ending with a Himalayan gong bath.
The kid-friendly factor… Only kids over 12 are allowed to stay.
Keep in mind… The riad was originally conceived of as a family home so it has a great ambience for a group. There’s a 2-night minimum stay required over weekends and a 5-night minimum for a takeover (2 in the off-season).
Dates of stay… September 7-12, 2025
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