Riads of Marrakech

Today's Marrakech is a thriving and trendy destination. Tourists are pouring into the city - Europeans, Americans and Australians thirsting for an exotic getaway. Five-star hotels (Raffles, Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons) are currently under development in the sands around the city. The Medina, the central traditional core of Marrakech, is thriving like never before. Armies of artisans, handcrafters, architects and designers, concentrating on preserving the city's heritage, are contributing to a cultural renaissance that is reinventing the city. 'The Riads of the Medina' (the traditional guesthouses) epitomise this new creativity and have become as much of a Marrakech attraction as the Souks themselves. These Riads showcase what visitors find inspiring about Marrakech; an oasis of tranquillity with refreshing dipping pools and luxury hammams; excellent kitchens serving gourmet couscous and tagines; courtyards of fountains and chirping birds; rooftop terraces offering private sunbathing with panoramic views of the snowy peaks of the Atlas mountains. The Riads in Marrakech are something between boutique design hotels and historic private preservation museums. Astonishingly, to date there exists no book that showcases the very best of the original Riads in Marrakech. For the first time, twelve of the very best of the Medina Riads have been thoroughly photographed, documented, compared and contrasted. Peppered between the Riad pages are photographic essays on the various facets of Marrakech life: sights, people, food, surroundings, and nightlife. In total, 'The Riads of Marrakech' is not only a comprehensive study of these fascinating and luxuriously detailed residences but also a fine souvenir of the city itself, an irresistible reminder of this magical city. AUTHOR: Elan Fleisher is an accomplished travel and hotel/resort photographer for over ten years. He has had two books of drawings published with St Martin's Press NYC ('Unpleasant Ways to Die' and 'Good Morning, Egypt') and his travel photography appears regularly in Time Out Travel Guides, Conde Nast Traveller, GEO, DuMont Bildatlas, Merian and Rough Guides. He is a member of LOOK photo agency (Munich) since 2004. His resort photography can be seen at elanhotelpix.com and his travel photography can be seen at elantravelpix.com. SELLING POINTS: ? Presents twelve of the most prestigious, original and striking Riads of Marrakech, each one illustrated with sumptuous photographs, capturing their beauty and exotic charm ? Superb book, printed to a high standard to show off the quality of the design and the rich flavour of Marrakech 300 colour illustrations