I fell for my surf instructor in Morocco. We got married and turned an abandoned riad into a hotel.

Business Insider | 21-09-2026 06:54am |

Nina Ottevanger met her husband Ilyass during a surfing lesson while on vacation in Morocco. After a year and a half of living apart, they decided to split their time between two countries. Last year, they stopped splitting their time and renovated an abandoned traditional Moroccan house into a hotel and surf school called Ilyana Surfhouse in Rabat. The interview is based on a conversation with Ottevanger, 31, a surf instructor and co-owner of the business.

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