Karawan Riad is a boutique hotel created for and by travellers. The owners are two pilots and a former French diplomat, and their knowledge of the world and of the needs of travellers is apparent in every aspect of the riad.
Karawan’s building is from the 17th century, and it has been meticulously restored. Instead of the jumble of colour and pattern typical of most riads, Karawan’s design is subtle and its palate subdued. But it is far from monotonous.
Designed by the owners and by Stéphanie Lanskin, Karawan Riad is stunning (if you need a restaurant or hotel designer, I strongly recommend snapping up Stéphanie!). Karawan has the bookshelf of my dreams — two stories full of good reading, travel photography and mementos collected from around the world.
Each of Karawan’s seven suites is different, and each transports you to another place or era, and sometimes both. Mine, named Chergui, has a wood-carved mezzanine lounge which looks out over the suite, accessed from a beautiful staircase. My king bed faces one of three huge windows, though I could block the light easily to enjoy a lazy morning. The tiny lanterns, objets d’art and the portraits of Amazigh women make me feel like I’m staying at the flat of my coolest friend, rather than at a hotel.
Dining at Karawan Riad is exceptional. The kitchen provides both traditional and international dishes, and everything is delicious (several restaurants and riads in town want to steal pastry chef Mahmoud). Breakfast is served in a first floor salon, dinner in a spectacular dining room, there’s tea and lunch service too. Cocktails are best in the library. If the weather is pleasant, you can also eat and drink in the courtyard or up on the rooftop patio with its views over the vast Fès medina.
I only wish I’d been able to visit in the summer, when the courtyard is flooded with rainwater (from the ingenious reservoir hidden beneath). Most of the courtyard is turned into a vast reflecting pool and provides natural air conditioning when Fès heats up. You can even have your lunch with your feet cooled in the water if you like!
From US$210-470, inclusive of breakfast
– Stunning and unique design makes you almost forget you’re staying in a hotel
– Very talented kitchen
– On-site hammam and spa
– Wifi was unstable
Johanna Read
Contributing Editor
Tucked a kilometre away up a dirt track, Can Pujolet is a world away from the rest of Ibiza. A lovingly restored Finca, this 10 bedroomed retreat place is the real deal. Surrounded by orchards of fig, avocado and almond trees with miles of dense forest beyond, the hotel captures everything you’d want from a rustic hideaway. The added bonus is the impeccable service, where the owner genuinely cares about your stay and works with a team who are equally as delighted to make sure you love the place as much as they seem to.
The main house is a maze of rooms and annexes converted from stables and sheds and connected by cosy nooks and narrow staircases. Light floods into different rooms through windows set in traditional deep stone walls depending on the time of day. Nine of the ten rooms have terraces; one ‘room’ is in fact a large apartment with two bedrooms, a low beamed den and beautifully designed kitchen.
The raised terrace overlooks traditional stone walls and the sweeping countryside. It’s almost impossible to believe San Antonio is less than half an hour away. The restaurant is an outdoor kitchen and flower-decked patio, where you’ll breakfast on fresh juice and home-made baked goods. It’s here that we were welcomed with cake and wine, and 3 course dinners for 22 euros were all home-made, fresh and delicious. Don’t pass up on the lemon sorbet dessert or the vegetable lasagne!
The friendly dog who passes the time under your table, the abundant vegetable patch which is clearly a labour of love and the wonderful 20 minute hike to the soul-soothing viewpoint where the sun sets into the ocean all fit perfectly with the essence of this place. It feels authentic and genuine. The owner’s gift is that for however long you stay you will feel like your visit matters and that it is your home to enjoy too.
From US$180, inclusive of breakfast
– Plenty of thoughtful extras; homemade cake on arrival, in-room fridge stocked with water, a bowl of sliced fresh fruit brought to your door, the bottle of wine when you’d only expected a glass!
– Information and recommendations on arrival to help you get the most of the local area and island
– Anything can be adapted to your needs, no fuss, just let them know and they’ll do whatever they can to help.
– The track up to the house is narrow so not easy for 2 cars to pass
– It’s rustic, comfortable home-style; if you’re looking for high-end luxury this may not suit, but for an authentic country retreat, it fits the bill perfectly.
Chris & Hannah
Directors
Located in the historic Mitte district, Adina is one of the best located boutique hotels in Berlin. Its central location in Hackescher Markt is bustling with cute cafes and bakeries overflowing with locals. On one side you’re a stone’s throw away from the city history and on the other, you’ll find trendy hotspots.
Apartments are usually considered to be purely self catering but Adina Hotel and Apartments fitted the bill perfectly. Their motto is ‘Apartment space. Hotel service. Adina style’. We loved this concept of a mixed experience.
We stayed in a studio apartment but the special thing about Adina was the fact you could walk downstairs and suddenly you were in a hotel with attentive staff, a discreet spa and an adjoining bar. If there was anything you needed, you only had to ask. You could call room service and your room is serviced daily. This is definitely what makes Adina Apartments shine.
Our stunning apartment featured a contemporary European style you would expect in a buzzing city like Berlin. The interior was warm and inviting. Our studio overlooked the courtyards below where it seemed Berliners and hotel guests alike were basking in the sun. I had one of the best night’s sleep in a long time in the fluffiest of beds. Home comforts are a must for me when abroad, and Adina made me feel like I was in a home away from home.
You can cook your own delicious meals or head downstairs for dinner, drinks and atmosphere. The day before we were leaving they arranged a special BBQ in the courtyard for all guests. We feasted on fresh grilled meats and tasty Mediterranean vegetables. ‘Special themed dinner nights’ are something of a regularity at Adina. It was a much more intimate type of experience. Also, we had the luxury of ordering a delicious cooked breakfast of scrambled eggs and salmon which was delivered to our bed the next morning.
We had been wandering the back streets of Berlin for what felt like forever and as soon as we got back to Adina we hit the whirlpools and baked in the sauna. An apartment space that has relaxation facilities? Yes please. They also had a fitness room to make use of, if we weren’t so relaxed we would have used it.
The proximity to Berlin’s major hotspots makes Adina apartments a top notch place to stay. We felt nestled in the hustle and bustle of the local area. You can spot Adina a mile off because of the huge bright pink plant pots scattered outside the hotel. Adina was making a statement … and we loved it.
From US$130 including spa access (not including breakfast)
– The concept of apartment space with hotel service is a big thumbs up.
– A huge open shower. Seriously, you could fit 5 people in it.
– Informative staff who clearly know and love everything there is to offer in Berlin.
– We felt breakfast was expensive at EUR 19 per person.
Jess & Sean
Review Team
There was a soft knock on the door, and the butler came to ask me to choose the fragrances I would like for my suite, my pillows and for my soap. It was a very difficult choice, but I eventually chose two very Moroccan scents — orange blossom and verbena. This is just one example of the pure luxury at Villa Diyafa, where they’ve thought of just about everything.
Diyafa means hospitality in Arabic, and this luxurious boutique hotel is the epitome of hospitality. Moroccan diyafa mixes with Swiss (the managers / hosts are from Switzerland), resulting in a luxurious stay personalized to each guest. Inclusions are many — airport transfers, a massage and soak (with cocktail) in the spa, breakfast in your suite or in the dining room, in-room non-alcoholic drinks (Nespresso too), evening treats delivery, and the best wifi I found in the whole of Morocco. Your suite has every luxury you could imagine, including a 6-piece bathroom, spa-quality amenities, and the ability to connect your own music (or the hotel’s, or the tv) through the built-in bluetooth speaker system.
There are just ten suites here (and an incredible private villa with its own pool), all decorated sumptuously and elegantly in a mix of contemporary and Moroccan style. The design pedigree is strong: by the Paris firm Studio MHNA (Marc Hertrich and Nicolas Adnet) and construction by Bymaro (Bouygues). Everywhere there are treats for the eye, both big (the pool) and small (the spindles turned art). Take the time to learn about the fascinating contributions to the world of Adbu ”Ziryab” I-Hasan, a “Renaissance” man born in the year 789 and an inspiration for the hotel’s design.
The fitness room overlooks the 25 meter pool, and the spa has an abundance of services featuring Thémae and Les Bains de Marrakech products. Whether you’d like to relax on your own terrace, by the pool, in the garden, the library, the bar or the restaurant, you’ll be extremely comfortable and well-taken care of. The restaurant is exceptional, with a menu of Moroccan and contemporary international dishes, with a few Swiss favourites too.
Villa Diyafa, located in Rabat’s embassy district, caters to the most exclusive of guests, and they will not be disappointed.
From US$975 US with a very long list of inclusives
– Top-notch service, including from your own butler
– Stunning contemporary design with Moroccan flavour
– Bright lighting dims to romantic or darkness at the touch of a button
– My robe was perfected each time my room was tended to, meaning I had to take an extra three seconds and untie it
Johanna Read
Contributing Editor