Riad XO

Riad XO occupies twelve rooms and suites in the Medina of Marrakech, the contemporary minimalist design approach working with the traditional architecture of the building to produce interiors characterized by high ceilings, natural tones, wood accents, and woven textiles that provide warmth without visual complexity. Tadelakt bathrooms, some with seating areas, and rooms with fireplaces provide the material quality that distinguishes the property from the functional end of the boutique category. A pool, a rooftop terrace with seating, and a courtyard view from the guest rooms establish the outdoor and elevated positions that the Medina building type produces as a natural condition of its form. All rooms are air-conditioned with rainfall showers. Memory foam beds and patio views from the rooms contribute to the sense of a well-considered sleeping environment. The bright, airy spatial quality throughout Riad XO is the result of a brief that prioritized light and calm over ornamental richness, a design decision that suits a particular kind of guest: one for whom the experience of Marrakech is best processed from within a space of deliberate quiet rather than within a continuation of the city's visual intensity Riad XO belongs to the category of Medina boutique properties that have applied contemporary design thinking to the riad building type without producing an irresolvable tension: the tadelakt and courtyard geometry remain present and legible within an overall aesthetic of considered calm.