She falls in love with her Moroccan surf instructor, and together they turn an abandoned riad into a hotel

The story began in 2015. Nina Ottevanger was traveling in Morocco with two friends when they decided to take a surf lesson in Rabat. The group had already left, but an instructor, Ilyass Gougali, offered them a private session.

A long-distance relationship developed between the young Dutchwoman and the Moroccan. Nina regularly returned to Rabat during her university holidays. In 2016, Ilyass went to manage a surf camp on the Atlantic coast while she secured an internship at a nearby establishment. This first experience of living together confirmed their plans.

After studying tourism, Nina worked for a travel agency in The Hague. Ilyass joined her in the Netherlands, and the couple married in 2021. But the Moroccan found Dutch winters difficult to endure. They therefore decided to work in the Netherlands during the summer and spend the winter in Morocco.

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In Rabat, they started a surf school and accommodated their clients in local residents’ homes. For three years, they thus shared their lives between the two countries, before the constant travel became too burdensome.

“It was difficult to build a life when we stayed in the same place for only half the year,” Nina explains in a testimony published this Sunday, September 21, by Business Insider.

A riad abandoned for more than twenty years

In 2024, the couple looked for a riad in the part of Rabat’s medina closest to the ocean, so that their future clients could easily reach the beach with their boards. They eventually found a severely deteriorated traditional house, without bathrooms and abandoned for more than twenty years.

The building had nevertheless retained several old features, notably its traditional tiles. Its price was higher than that of other riads in the medina, precisely because of these architectural details. The purchase price was not disclosed.

Nina and Ilyass bought the house using their savings to cover 40% of the price. The remaining 60% came from loans provided by their families and relatives. Work began in April 2025.

The couple managed the construction themselves and hired local plumbers, electricians and craftsmen. Nina’s father, who had experience with this type of project, helped them design the rooms and draw up the plans. After five months of renovations and approximately 75,000 euros in expenses, the riad welcomed its first guests in October 2025.

The establishment has five rooms and can accommodate up to 16 people. Overnight stays start at 500 dirhams, including breakfast and dinner. The project also provides work for Ilyass’s family: his mother prepares the evening meals, his sister takes care of breakfast and reception, while his brother helps with the surf lessons.

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The couple hopes to fully repay their investment through the establishment’s profits within eight years. Their choice also reflects Rabat’s rise as a tourist destination compared with Marrakech, offering a combination of medina, beach and surfing.

Nina and Ilyass are not, however, seeking to present Rabat as a new overcrowded surf resort. Instead, they emphasize that visitor numbers are still limited, with sometimes only ten to twenty people in the water, as well as a quieter daily life than the one they led in the Netherlands.