Dunes Suite — 32 m² in the medina
The Dunes Suite is one of three 32 m² suites at Riad Dar Alhambra and the most colour-led room on the property. Where the Royal Suite is red and the Chaouen Suite is blue, the Dunes Suite works in deep teal, emerald and gold — the palette of a Moroccan oasis rather than a desert. It sits on the upper floor, has a hand-painted zouaq ceiling like the Royal Suite, and its cedarwood wardrobes are painted by hand rather than bought in.
Suite space, and a bath you can actually soak in
All three suites include a spa bath and a separate seating area, which the four standard rooms do not. That is the practical difference between a suite and a room here: somewhere to sit that is not the bed, and a bathroom you spend time in rather than pass through. After a day walking the souks, the bath is the part guests mention.
The same footprint as the Royal Suite
At 32 m² the Dunes Suite is exactly as large as the Royal Suite and the same nightly rate. The only meaningful difference is that the Royal Suite has the fireplace and archways onto the gallery, and this room has the stronger colour scheme and the painted cedar. If the fireplace does not matter to you, this is the same amount of room.
Specification
| Room size | 32 m² |
|---|---|
| Category | Suite |
| Floor | Upper floor |
| Beds | One double bed |
| Sleeps | 2 guests (a child counts as one of the two) |
| Bathroom | Private en-suite with spa bath |
| Outlook | Inward, over the courtyard |
| Climate | Air conditioning and heating |
| Terrace | Shared rooftop terrace, plunge pool in warmer months |
| Lift | None — the riad is an old medina house |
| Rate | From €170 per night, breakfast included |
Who this room is for
A good fit if you are…
- Couples wanting suite space and a spa bath
- Guests who prefer strong colour and pattern
- Anyone booking late — it is often free when the Royal Suite is not
Book something else if…
- Groups of three — the suite takes two guests
- Guests who want a fireplace: that is the Royal Suite
- Anyone who cannot manage stairs — upper floor, and the riad has no lift
Inside the Dunes Suite
What is included, and how you reach the room
Included in the rate
- Moroccan breakfast, made in the riad each morning
- Air conditioning and heating — both matter here; medina walls are cold in winter
- Fast free WiFi throughout the riad
- Spa bath and a separate seating area — included with all three suites, not with the standard rooms
- Private en-suite bathroom with free toiletries and a hairdryer
- Mini bar, flat-screen TV and a wardrobe
- Rooftop terrace, shared by all guests, with a small plunge pool open in the warmer months
- Daily housekeeping, and help arranging an airport transfer on request
Finding the suite, and getting to the riad
This room is on the riad’s single upper floor, reached by the main staircase from the courtyard — there is no lift, and like most old medina houses the stairs are steeper and narrower than you would find in a hotel. If that is a problem, the Chaouen Suite is the one room on the ground floor.
Worth knowing before you arrive: the medina’s lanes are pedestrian, so a taxi cannot reach the door and the last stretch is on foot. Tell us your arrival time and we can arrange an airport transfer and help you in with luggage.
What is around you
Riad Dar Alhambra is inside the medina, the walled old city — which is the reason to stay in a riad rather than a hotel in Guéliz. The Ben Youssef Madrasa, the 14th-century Quranic school with the courtyard everyone photographs, is a two-minute walk from the door. The souks, the tanners’ quarter and Jemaa el-Fna are all walkable, and you come back through the lanes to a house where the noise simply stops at the entrance.
That is the trade a riad asks you to make: no car to the door, and in exchange a quiet courtyard house in the middle of the old city. Most guests decide it is the right one. More about the riad.
Comfort, as standard
The rooftop plunge pool is small and open in the warmer months — we would rather tell you that now than have you arrive expecting a swimming pool.
Dunes Suite — questions
How is this different from the Royal Suite at the same price?
What is the difference between a suite and a room here?
Is there a bath or a shower?
Compare it with the others
What else the riad does
Your arrival transfer is included — the concierge meets you at the drop-off point and walks you in.