How private is a riad for a honeymoon couple?

In more detail

The design does most of the work. A riad is a traditional townhouse arranged around an interior courtyard, often with a fountain, orange trees or a plunge pool at its centre, and rooms on two or three gallery floors above. From the lane it is anonymous. Inside, the walls keep out the noise of the medina.

Privacy then comes down to size. The finest riads have only a handful of rooms, so you share the courtyard and roof terrace with very few other guests. That is why we suggest couples look for eight rooms or fewer, and ask for a suite with its own terrace, so breakfast and a quiet hour in the sun are yours alone.

Two trade-offs are worth knowing. Rooms open onto a shared courtyard, so voices can carry in a busy house. And smaller riads may not have lifts or large pools. The most exclusive houses can be taken on a whole-house basis, which removes the question entirely, and a private dinner can be laid in the courtyard or on the roof.