About Us

For the owner of La Maison Blanche, Aziz Begdouri, restoring his riad hotel was a six-year labour of love.

Aziz oversaw the painstakingly reconstruction, with exquisite plasterwork and handmade ceramic tiles providing an authentic feel for this 14th century riad (traditional Moroccan house built around patio). It has an enviable location in the Kasbah, the fortified area at the highest point of Tangier’s historic medina (old town).

Aziz is a native Tangerino and speaks fluent English, Arabic, French and Spanish. He has worked as a guide to the city, as well as others parts of his native Morocco, for many years. An entertaining and highly professional tourist guide, Aziz offers a fascinating insight into Tangier’s history and culture. Respected American travel guru Rick Steves recommends Aziz’s services.

Aziz offers a vast amount of local knowledge and experience, enabling you to feel completely comfortable and looked-after in this beautiful hotel, as well as to experience this fascinating African city from a native’s perspective.

House and restoration

Aziz started the restoration work on his riad in 2005. The internal part of the building was completely rebuilt, with only the external wall remaining intact. The traditional Moroccan hotel, focused around a central covered patio with a beautiful star-shaped fountain, includes nine bedrooms, two reading areas, and a two-storey roof terrace. Fabrics are by renowned Parisian fabric house Pierre Frey, and most furniture and decorative pieces are handmade by Moroccan artisans.

The riad has eight double guest rooms and one twin. Guest rooms have an authentic, luxurious, European-Moorish feel: carved cedarwood entrances, antique wooden doors, white plasterwork horseshoe-shaped arches, and fitted or freestanding wooden wardrobes with carved wood doors, containing hanging space and shelves. Bathrooms feature marble from the nearby Rif Mountains; each bathroom has a tub. Modern facilities include flat-screen TVs with satellite channels and free WIFI.

All furniture is either antique or custom-made in Morocco for the hotel, from the bedside tables to the wardrobes. Every last detail has been carefully considered to make each guest’s experience as comfortable yet authentic as possible, from handmade tiles and beautiful glass bottles containing custom-made toiletries, to stunning Moroccan ceiling lamps and hand-beaten brass wall sconces designed for the hotel, painted ceramic jars, and key fobs covered with fabric swatches from each room. Floors are of parquet-patterned brick inlaid with traditional handmade mosaic tiles.

Original prints and paintings throughout the hotel show scenes of Tangier and the Kasbah down the ages.

Handmade tiles feature throughout the riad, from the intricately tiled green fountain in the entrance patio, to the staircases, where every step is edged in tiles, and the bathrooms, each of which has a colour theme to complement the décor of the bedroom. Mirrors and sinks are edged with tiles in the corresponding shade, providing a burst of Moroccan vibrancy.

The décor offers a harmonious blend of French sophistication and Moroccan craftmanship.

The riad is always full of fragrant fresh flowers: cala lilies, roses and agapanthus, while on the terrace there are brilliant vermillion-coloured bougainvillea, geraniums and jasmine, as well as hydrangea and sweet-scented lady of the night. Stems in vases, in bedrooms and bathrooms, bring a thoughtful touch and a delicious floral waft.

Riad for romance

The exotic blend of Moroccan architecture and luxurious French fabrics, together with the sumptuous yet cosy public spaces and breathtaking views, makes this a supremely romantic hotel in which to spend a few days with your significant other.

Tangier is an easy one-hour boat ride from Andalucia, southern Spain, or a short flight from many European airports. Wandering around the Kasbah here the hotel is located, with its ancient stone arches offering dramatic views to the sea beyond, followed by mint tea in a picturesque café, is the perfect afternoon for a lovers’ escape.