Are riads practical with a baby or toddler?

Riads — the traditional courtyard houses turned guesthouses — are the most atmospheric and characterful places to stay in Morocco, and many families adore them. But I'm always honest with parents of babies and toddlers: a riad's very architecture creates some hazards you need to plan around. The whole house is built inward around an open central courtyard, which usually means an unfenced plunge pool or fountain at the heart of the building, steep narrow tiled staircases winding up several floors, balconies overlooking the courtyard, and a rooftop terrace — often with low or gappy railings. For a crawler or a fast toddler, that's a lot to supervise.

None of this rules riads out — it just means choosing the right one and the right room. I steer families with very young children toward riads that have a ground-floor or first-floor family room (minimising stair-carrying with a baby), a fully enclosed or fenced pool, or no open pool at all, and solid balcony railings. Always ask the specific questions before booking: Do you have a cot/crib? Can you provide a stair gate? Is the pool fenced or coverable? Is there a family room or interconnecting rooms? Good riads are used to these questions and many are genuinely family-friendly; the staff are typically warm, hands-on and brilliant with children.

The upsides of a good riad with little ones are real. They're small, calm and intimate — often just a handful of rooms — so it feels more like staying in a friend's grand home than a hotel, and the enclosed, traffic-free courtyard can actually be a safe, contained space for a toddler to potter once you've scoped the pool. Many riads will cook simple, mild meals for children on request, do laundry (a godsend with a baby), and arrange whatever you need. The courtyard's shade and cool, the rooftop breakfast, the lanterns and the fountains are magical for kids too.

A few practical tips. Pack a portable travel cot if you want to be certain of sleeping arrangements, plus a couple of plug-in nightlights and outlet covers. Request a quieter interior room if the rooftop or courtyard echoes (sound carries in these open buildings). Factor that some riads are deep in the medina down lanes no car can reach, so you may walk the last stretch with luggage and a buggy — ask about porter help and how close the car can drop you. And remember a buggy is near-useless in the rough medina lanes anyway; a baby carrier serves you far better.

My honest verdict: riads can be a delightful base with a baby or toddler, but they reward careful selection. For the very smallest and most mobile, either choose a vetted family-friendly riad with an enclosed pool and a low-level room, or pick a regular family hotel with a fenced pool and lifts and save the riad romance for a future trip. Tell our team your children's ages and we'll match you to genuinely child-safe properties — including the family-friendly partners we work with.