Breakfast, lunch, dinner served; Moroccan cuisine, pool views

Reviews of Riad & Spa Esprit du Maroc

5 out of 5
Riad & Spa Esprit du Maroc
Zaouit Lhardar 12 /17 derb Belbekkar, Medina, Marrakech, Marrakesh-Safi

Reviews

7.6

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 46 out of 123 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 34 out of 123 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 20 out of 123 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 15 out of 123 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 8 out of 123 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Staff & service

6.2/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

Yordanos

Traveled with group
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
Ancient 12 century property - from the main road you walk thru narrow tunnel to get to the “guest house” No access to a car or door to door service - someone has to drag your luggage to the place, which can be long….
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2023
Response from sylvie on Apr 28, 2023
dear thank for your review. We receive more 2000 guests by year and our hotel is access. Parking de diour Saboub 2 minuttes. Unfortunatly you book with your agence a private transfert not with our driver of hotel who pick up you at airport and bring you at door riad. Our street is perfect because when you arrive you discover a wondefull riad of 18 e siecle and i think you appreciatehope next time you will order the private transfert with our driver for 250 dhs by transfert king regards

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2022
Response from sylvie on Nov 19, 2022
Thank a lot for your nice review

10/10 Excellent

simone

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This riad was beautiful and quiet in a very busy town. Although it’s hard to find down small alleys it is well worth it !
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022
Response from sylvie on Oct 10, 2022
thank a lot for your comment . so happy you spend a nice holiday at the riad.Thank to recommend all guest to order by mail the private transfert with the hotel resa.espritdumaroc@gmail.comhope you will come backking regards

10/10 Excellent

Jianqing

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
It is a beautiful raid , nice service , room is so exotic. We will come back again Wendy
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2022
Response from sylvie on May 1, 2022
thank you so much for your nice review and you will come back so happy to meet you and my staff

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Response from sylvie on Feb 28, 2020
Merci vivement pour votre superbe avis passez d heureuses vacances au riad Esprit du Maroc sincèrement

6/10 Okay

Kevin, London

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Amenities
The smell of Mould and aromatic candles / perfume was very strong in our room and spoilt our stay. We opened the doors and windows as soon as we entered the room but this did little to dissipate the odour. We also found the music in the communal areas annoying. We would highly recommend that you use the car service provided by the hotel. The tunnel is intimidating on arriving but you soon get use to it and this adds to the experience. The breakfast was really nice. The rooms are beautiful and clean and the roof terrace is great. If you book with Expedia they do not make it clear that there is a tourist tax to be paid in cash on checking out.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2020
Response from sylvie on Mar 4, 2020
Dear Kevin, we do not understand your note 3/5 your opinion is positive, Peti dejeuner really tp you write. The big problem with you and it is your fault on your reservation voucher it is well noted that tourist taxes are payable the day of the departure hotel. You didn’t want to read or understand, we didn’t have anything to do with paying tourist taxes. In addition, for all arrivals we put essential oil with orange blossom. All our customers compliment us on this. You do not like that we could do nothing. You have not taken our private airport transfers to private riad everything is well organized for our customers. Your opinion is really naughty and bad and can not accept the non-payment of anything when everything is mentioned on your voucher. You must take it out on yourself dear Kevin .. and stop writing anything on our Expedia page..20 years we exist and we work with passion for our dear customers who are all happy to Spirit of Morocco.. Good continuation

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Very poor service, Had the impression that the manager wanted to take advantage from us. Dissapointing
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020
Response from sylvie on Feb 6, 2020
normal chère madame les taxes de séjours sont a payer sur place c est noté sur votre voucher, vous n'avez pas voulu payer et pire vous vous cacher derriere votre ordinateur anonyme. inadmissible votre comportement.La gérante n a pas a payer les taxes de séjours et touristiques a votre place alors n écrivez pas . n importe quoi svp bonne continuation

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best Riad
The best Road I've stayed at. In top top condition and staff was very hospitable. Walking there was interesting, need to know the path. Food was excellent and service was unsurpassed!
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020
Response from sylvie on Jan 20, 2020
Dear Michael thank you so much for your nice review and for my staff. I wish you a butifull holidays at riad Esprit du Maroc King regards

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The owner was very rude and disrespectful. She also overcharged us.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020
Response from sylvie on Jan 16, 2020
cher monsieur on a découvert que vous avez vole deux bougeoires dans le restaurant et on les a retrouve dans votre chambre. De plus votre chambre etait trop sale vous n avez pas respecte le riad ni personne megot de cigarettes cannettes de bières alors que vous avez introduit au riad etc le reste sans commentaires.. Ne remettez pas sur les autres svp ce que vous vous êtes. vous avez eu un comportement irrespectueux et je ne me suis pas gêné de vous en faire part . La vérité de ce que VOUS vous êtes. Nos chers clients respectent ce bel endroit et j en suis fière. bonne continuation

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This place is really hard to find and around the area is not so safe I booked it 4 nights and I stayed there 1 night I wanted to leave the place but the owner lady refused to give me my refund thank god I bought insurance through Expedia don’t go there that owner lady sylvi is not nice at all
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2019
Response from gerante on Dec 5, 2019
Chere madame vous avez reservee dans un riad avant nous et pareil il y a eu soucis. A votre arrivee on a ete acceuillant comme a notre habitude et vous etiez contente. le lendemain vous avez vu des amis qui vous ont demande de reste chez eux. cest votre droit de quitter le riad pour retrouver vos amis mais pas de mettre des avis sans explication. votre resa est non remboursable et écrire n'importe quoi ur notre page expedia n est pas correcte.et mensonger .. quitter le riad pour séjourner chez vos amis est votre responsabilité. et vous le savez trés bien avant de diffamer un établissement dites la vraie histoire et la vérité .. bone continuation

6/10 Okay

Nicholas

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Average
We stayed for 3 nights and the look of the Riad was great except for the tunnel you have to go through to get there but we used Nadir House hotel as a way to always find the tunnel to get to the Riad as that can be very difficult. Service from the waiter who works at the Riad was great throughout our stay and he helped us whenever needed which was a plus. Positives - within 5 - 15 mins walk to the main souks and Jem Al Fna Negatives - Restaurant was ridiculously overpriced and dinner was not cooked on the inside so wouldn't recommend at all. Pool really needs a clean, since it had a terrible smell when we were there. All in all it was fine for our stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2019
Response from sylvie on Aug 29, 2019
Dear Sir, thank you for your time for your opinion on our riad. We do not understand your opinion, nor do we know which client we looked for who are you? Nicholas customer of expedia and impossible to know which resa all our last customers have only compliments. This opinion is really amazing and iréel. Our riad is among the first in excellence in Marrakesh and of a cleanliness orreprochable Everything is clean look riad _et_ spa_esprit_du_maroc on instagram our future customers will see beautiful pictures that are taken by our dear customers on the spot so they love Riad Spirit of Morocco ..la Pool is more than clean what you dare to write is amazing. We have a chef and two cooks everything is done at the riad in the kitchen, you mention under contract it is serious what you dare to write, Moroccan and international cuisine. There is a card for all budgets you prefer to eat on the spot, it is your right, but do not tell us anything please on our expedia page. In addition all our customers are more than happy and as you indicate a trained staff for the welfare of customers and impeccable service. Maybe you made a mistake and you prefer an all inclusive hotel in the new city. I wish you good luck.

6/10 Okay

Nicholas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Gorgeous Hotel, lovely staff, careful of vicinity
This is a really lovely Riad, with a decent spa and lovely staff. It’s a gorgeous hidden away gem really and the room and bathroom were really excellent. Good aircon, and plenty of towels. The swimming pool is very small and not very private but the roof terrace is heaven for sun worshippers. The main issue is safety in the surrounding area. I was surrounded by 5 young men one of whom had a knife and they wanted money. I screamed for help and a local shopkeeper scared them away. I strongly suggest not being white and blonde and going out there alone. I eventually managed to get out with a guide then the City was of course much safer and beautiful. I can’t blame the hotel for this, but you need to know how to look after yourself in this area. The hotel were marvellous when I told them and called for police reinforcements which were highly visible. I don’t blame them for these people’s awful behaviour, and I still think that the hotel is fabulous and fantastic value for money and safe if you know what you’re doing, which I probably didn’t!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019
Response from sylvie on Jul 5, 2019
Dear Nicolas Thank you for your great review of our hotel. We had a good time with you. Sorry for what happened to you this can happen anywhere in New York or Paris. For your information these people have been arrested by the police and will not act anymore, just for your information surveillance cameras are everywhere in the streets of Marrakech and in our street, so these two people were filmed but did not have a knife, in any case the police acted immediately after you informed me. We have private drivers that our customers always take who pick you up at the riad and accompany you> know that our quqrtier is the safest, morocco is the safest country in Africa and the apolice is very effective. I hope you will come back with your companion as you promised me> My entire team and I were delighted to receive you and appreciate your hotel and service and the restaurant. Welcome back and soon with your companion Daniel I promised to take care of you and we did it with our heart> sincerely

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
I have no words. It is in deep dangers and harassing environment. Pls don’t stay in old city, you will get harassed, abused and insulted by every locals. Safe your money and stay outside old town in big high end resort. First of all,good luck finding this place. The Taxis will drop you far away and you need a Miracle to find place bu going thru dark allies and lots locals try to milk you, if you don’t get miss guided by locals to dark ally and ask for money. When i explain that to owner . She simply replyed, sorry there is no police in Morroco!! When you stay in this Reid, get ready to order lunch and dinner and drink, if they found out you eat outside food or bring any food and drink, they simply make u uncomfortable and tell you we have lincence for food and drink and she will give you a book of all the Policy laws. Where is the Police while i was getting fiscally abused by locals???? I had to canceled my last 4 days and move out this place. Pls , for your safety avoid this place and just go maybe for a half day experience. I hope this gives you guys enough heads up. And who ever said Morroco is safe, it is absolutely wrong. Lots of theifs, avoid just for ur safty and i am sure you worked hard to save Money. Don’t wasted. Lets get government to fix this issues. And make sure you update you ambassy of your government about unsafe Morroca. If you rich enough to have a 24/7 guid and driver and stay in expensive Resort than you will be fine. Godbless you all
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2019
Response from s on Jun 23, 2019
Dear Sir Habib, it is very sad what you dare to write about Morocco.You have spent qq perfect days in our hotel, and I say hotel because Riad Esprit du Maroc is not a rental furniture. In Morocco in hotels it is forbidden to introduce food and alcohol bottles in hotels and rooms. We are one of the few establishments to have the liquor license and it is important to respect the law of the country. Thing that you have not respected.De plus you do not reserve private transfer with our drivers while all our customers have done for 19 years.Vous are therefore alone and people have had the goodness to take you to the riad and help you. Unfortunately as it is customary for you to refuse to give them a small tip and you have and malicious towards the people, it is sad to do so. Our neighborhood is superb and well secured by security. You write anything Mr. Habih. Morocco is the safest country in Africa receiving millions of tourists and medina Marrakech. You have been uncomfortable because you do not like this country and the medina, you asked to leave earlier I told you no worries because that's what you were looking for and we are very kind and fair play as m confirms Expedia you n had A goal to go to a hotel in the new city and I made you happy by paying you back the three nights. And Expedia and we hotel we discover your opinion which is really shameful of you. Your comments are defamatory towards Morocco and it is inadmissible, sir what you write and expedia does not accept your comments this opinion. We receive all the year tourists more than happy and feel safe in Morocco and this country is more than welcoming. To visit a Mr. Habib apay you have to respect the people the customs and the laws things that you did not do nor respect our staff of the hotel. Good continuation

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Beautiful accommodations, but difficult to locate. Very delightful and friendly staff. Hammam was wonderful and restful. Food could have been better for the price.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019
Response from sylvie on Jun 8, 2019
Dear thank a lot for your nice review. For next time please order us our private transfert to pick up you at airport direct airport like that it is good. Happy you enjoy the massage and spa thank a lot. Hope you will come back sincerely

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Stayed 3 nights in May 2019
Response from sylvie on Jun 19, 2019
Thank a lot for your review dear it was a wonderfull to receive you thank a lot from me and all my staff

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely helpful staff. Nothing was to much bother. A hairdryer in the room would be nice.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019
Response from sylvie on May 3, 2019
Hie my dear wellcome happy you are so happy. we are going to give you the airdryer naw in your room dont be worry. I wish you a wonderfull holidays at Esprit du Maroc

2/10 Terrible

JoJo

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The hotel is located in a dark alley and I was terrified at night. Rooms are cold and there was no heating (other Riads have heaters) what was worse was lack of hot water which was just awful. For the way to the hotel see my IG traveljojostyle28 in my Morocco story
Stayed 8 nights in Nov 2018
Response from rachida on Dec 12, 2018
dear you put a picture of a street in building this week all medina is restaure and it is wonderfull point. our riad is sold by all the best Tour operating in the world since 18 years. during the night you didn t wanted to take our driver it is you choice. exepia sell us since many year and we are the best selling. sorry for you, you dont like the old town class by UNESCO historicall town, it will be better for you to book a hotel all included we prefer to receive positive person like all our guest who like typical and history riad and palais . the guest who were this week with you write wonderfull review have a good continuation dear

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
The staff was great. The owner is very overbearing.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2018
Response from sylvie on Oct 30, 2018
Dear sir Mininger andy thank a lot for your opinion . Dont report your agressivity on the manager because your credit car was non valid for your check out dear. thank a lot for your compliment . a team proud of her formation by Sylvie the gerante and proud to work at Esprit du Maroc. If your credit card at time of your check out are no money it is not my fault an invoice must be paid you know that good luck dear and be quiet your personnality are very agressive my staf was so chocked good contnuation

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful Riad
The Riad itself is very nice. Beautiful property. Seems more fitting for couples than single travels. Only downside was getting to the location. There are small, short tunnels to go through and we kept getting followed when we would walk back at night time.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018
Response from sylvie on Oct 12, 2018
Dear thank a lot for your nice review. You booked in the old town medina, the tunel like you write is a thing positive a little street and you discover the riad quiet a palais . you dont order the private tranfert with Esprit du Maroc and unfortunatly you dont see our recommadation, we do all private transfert and you dont have to walk in medina . for your depart you will order me the private tranfert. i wish you a wonderfull stay at riad esprit du Maroc it is your home enjoy.. king regards dear

10/10 Excellent

Joel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Riad to stay in.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2018
Response from sylvie on Sep 26, 2018
Dear Joel, thank you a lot for your nice review.. i wish you wonderfull holidays at the riad Esprit du Maroc king regards

10/10 Excellent

Peter

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Just lovely.
Such a lovely place to have found. Very close to the main area. Offers taxis right to the door and met by the great staff. Excellent introduction to the building and it’s facilities. Wonderful rooftop terrace where breakfast is served as well.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018
Response from sylvie on Aug 29, 2018
Thank a lot dear for your wonderfull review happy you had good holidays and good service in this lovely riad Esprit du Maroc sylvie the gerante

6/10 Okay

Alice

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Be aware of the location!
The riad itself is very nice on the inside, the rooms are extremely well-kept, clean and we have rose petals on our arrival. (Although this is romantic my trip was with a friend). The people who serve at the riad, meaning the ones who serve the breakfast and dinner are extremely friendly and nice, speak English and French and are very accommodating. The only two downsides to this place are: one the pool is not heated and is located in a shaded area, so no one can really use it, as the water is freezing cold. Second the location. In order to get to the riad you have to walk through an alley in the medina. For two girls walking alone this is not such a good idea. Be aware that to go in and out of the riad you will always have to go through this "underground" alley. If you are in a group of friends I think it's fine, but for women staying alone I dont recommend it.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018
Response from rachid on Jun 23, 2018
Dear Alice thank for your review, unfortunatly you never order our driver who pick up airport direct to the riad for 22 euros you could be quiet but you don t did. The street you spoke it is a very good thing because you find a riad quiet , all the quqrtier of medina is secure all peaple very friendly you know that . I dont undestand your review . sometimes it is better to spend some money to have a private driver and be at top, but you dont listen to our recommadation. Thank to riad my staff are good service and very kind, and your room at top with flower. we work with passion and you rreview is not fine about medina because you dont wanted to spend a lot money we can do nothing. This riad is always full all the day and all our guests come back, pushaps you will prefer a hotel in the new town and in this case we are not responsable of your choice, No swiming pool are warm in hotel and all my guest swim and are so happy. When you came at riad the weither ws cold a little and the ptio are very amazing when it is begining very hot . all my guest seem to be at home and this riad is success we work since 18 years with the best Tour operating we recomand to order the private transfert with Esprit du Maroc for all my guest not with the agency on internet .. have good continuation and dont say thank you because i up grade at your arrive with out know you we always do all for our guest . good continuation dear

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Self absorbed, unprofessional Riad manager
My boyfriend and I were kicked out of our room at 1:30 in the morning. Apparently another couple was booked for our room and they were actually registered on the hotel system. This was Hotel.com's mistake, as they didn't pass our details onto the Riad, even though we had already paid. While that may be forgivable, the blonde French lady running the place did not provide us with any assistance. Unfortunately her Riad was full and she was only eager to get back to her own bed. She sent us away in a taxi to another hotel which she claimed "is a big hotel and they'd have space" - when in fact we arrived and the other hotel was completely booked. She didn't have the courtesy to call up to ask in advance. She was in hysterics and only concerned about herself. She didn't even bother to call Hotels.com (which is apparently protocol in events like this). She was extremely unsympathetic and kept saying its not her fault and she can't find us on the system. She literally did not care where we went so long as it was out of her Riad. She even had the nerve to tell us to come back on the 4th to 6th nights of our stay, when she'd have available rooms. She was so self-absorbed and completely unhelpful. For the next several hours we went from hotel to hotel looking for a place to stay. We found out that there was a conference in Marrakech that weekend, explaining why most hotels we went to were booked. She was very unprofessional and lacked basic human decency.
Response from sylvie on May 19, 2018
chere madame, nous n avions pas de reservation pour vous, il etait normal de liberer la chambre pour un de nos client qui avait une resa a notre hotel et qui est arrive a 1 h 30 du matin.Nous etions la pour vous chere madame et je vous ai envoye un de nos taxis qui vous a mis dans un autre hotel. D autre part la dame francise comme vous dites est reste avec vous jusqu a votre depart du riad, et elle travaille 15 heures par jour et oui le riad est non stop complet. en tous les cas desolee pour vous mais vous l ecrivez erreur de resa de votre agence et vous vous vengez sur notre hotel merci beaucoup bonne continuation

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
very lovely and in the old city hard to get to and carrying luggage from main road was difficult
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2018
Response from sylvie on Apr 8, 2018
dear than a lot for your nice review.. It is well write to order the private transfert to resa.espritdumaroc@gmail.com direct to the hotel to pick up you at airport and the driver will arrive direct at riad for 2 euros for 2 persons hope you will come back king regards

4/10 Poor

Peter, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
No taxi service to hotel or in immediate vicinity. Isolated from main attractions. Very poor breakfast - rationed one cup of coffee - no tea. No tea making facilities in room. Restaurant very expensive compared to others in area - ie double the cost. Receptionist was lovely
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2018
Response from george on Mar 31, 2018
Dear Peter, we discover your review and we dont undesstand all guest order taxi driver to pick up us at airport direct Riad> All breakfast are top, and all is do by our kitchen women.If you need more why you dont ask us or to waiter..What you write is not normal. the riad is full all the year and we recive a good price Best hotel world guest house... king regards

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A Clean hotel that smells mold.
The smell of mold is all over the place. They try to mask it with aromatic candles and perfumes. So either you will die from the perfume or the mold or you will freeze to death as you will have to keep the air conditioner on!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2017
Response from sylvie on Mar 6, 2020
Sehr geehrter Herr, Ihre Frau hat ihre zahnärztliche Ausrüstung verloren und sie gefunden, als Sie das Riad mit unserem Fahrer in ihrer Tasche verlassen haben. Ich kann den Skandal akzeptieren, den Sie verursacht haben, als Sie unsere Mitarbeiter beschuldigten, die seit Jahren bei uns sind. Wir haben mit Ihnen gesucht und Ihr Zimmer mit einem katastrophalen Zustand entdeckt und nichts gespeichert, was des Riads nicht würdig ist. Alle unsere lieben Kunden respektieren diesen Ort. Sie haben mich nicht geschätzt, weil Sie zu Unrecht versucht haben, uns mit negativen Meinungen zu drohen, als es Ihre Frau war, die Schuld daran, dass Ihr Verhalten unerträglich war. Ihre

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Enjoyed staying in this beautiful accommodation. Gives you a glimpse of real inner medina life.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2017
Response from sylvie on Jan 6, 2018
dear sir thank so much for your nice message review hope you are happy and enjoy the riad king regards sylvie manager

10/10 Excellent

Ali

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2017
dear sir thank a lot for your wonderfull notice king regards sylvie manager

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Great riad in not-so-great location.
The Riad itself is huge and comfortable and luxurious. The air conditioner in the room worked just moderately well, so it was still quite warm at night. Which wasn't ideal. The rooftop area was very cool, and was the highlight of the place, especially to hang out in the late evening. The location is right next to the mosque, and to get to the riad is a difficult, maze-like path. Very easy to get lost. In the streets surrounding the riad some insecurity and uneasiness are felt, at least for tourists. The narrow passage ways, bustling streets, noise, proximity to strangers, poor lighting, multiple accostings by said strangers, made me and my partner feel a bit uneasy going to and from the riad. At one point we were accosted to the point that someone tried to physically steal my backpack off my back. An unfortunate event, but it did taint our experience at the riad. The host seemed a bit flighty, in so much as to not have someone present to open the door to the riad when we first got there. We ended up waiting for over an hour. Finally a fellow patron came to the door to let us in. Apparently the host was understaffed that day, so that is why no one was there to let us in. If I came back to Marrakech again, I would not stay here, I should instead stay in the "new" city, and likely hire a guide to take us through the medina and into the old city. Guides provide education, security, and bargaining help. They are invaluable. Get one, even if just to tour the city tourist sites.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2017

10/10 Excellent

Anne, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Oasis of calm
This riad is converted from two houses and dates back to the 18th century. It has lots of interesting architectural details and each room is uniquely decorated. Because of the way it was originally built it is not suitable for anyone with mobility problems (several levels with steps between). Also note that the riad is about a five minute walk from the nearest taxi drop off point - call ahead to get help with luggage (and directions). These points aside this is a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the souk. There are two courtyards, one centered around a fountain and one around a large plunge pool. Both provided comfortable seating to escape the heat. For the more determined sun seeker there is a large roof top terrace. Hotel staff were very happy to help with all inquires and but were equally happy to let us sit and read. Both of our rooms had large ensuite (fabulous) bathrooms. There is a reasonable amount of storage for clothes. Both rooms had several power (standard European) sockets but none at bedside table height. Everything was kept spotlessly clean and was well maintained.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very nice hotel - everything smells like roses everywhere. The staff were incredibly helpful with anything you asked basically.
Response from sylvie on May 15, 2017
Thank a lot for your times and nice notice. Thank to confirm the staff receive a top formation for all guest and spend wonderful holidays hope you will come back

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice Riad
Me and my wife stayed in Riad it was excellent experience, staff were really friendly and helpful. 15 mins walk to the Square Market.
Response from sylvie on Aug 9, 2016
Dear thank a lot for your nice notice. Happy you spend a marvellous stay at my riad and my staff enjoy your holidays. Take care, i hope to see you soon together sylvie

10/10 Excellent

Leonard, NY,NY

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hidden Gem
A gem hidden in the back streets of the Madina
Response from General Manager on Aug 9, 2016
thank for your notice dear for me and for all my staff. King regards Sylvie owner

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness
Charming Riad but run as a Hotel - hard to find
We stayed for four nights in total and found the Riad charming at first, all though it was very far from any main roads. Basically we found out that the only way taxi can drop you by or even near the Riad is if they have a permit. This made the journey a bit difficult as you are no always able to use the Riad's taxi service when you're out and about. All though I felt generally safe it was a bit stressful walking back with the labyrinth maze to find the Riad ahead of us. We got lost so many times. It is lovely to be in such old and ancient place but it can get too much. We really enjoyed Jalal and Hakeem's service the workers at the Riad, they were incredibly helpful and there to help at any time, however the owner (french lady) we found unhelpful giving us no tips where to go, where we can take cash out, how to find things, and her english wasn't to good standards. We really were disappointed how she lacked heart and passion for her city and her lack of know-how. Instead she often insisted we eat at the Riad, use the spa (which was not free) and showed annoyance when we said we booked restaurants elsewhere. When we stayed there the Riad was almost empty of guest and she forgot to book our taxi to the airport and instead of apologising told us she works long days and was very tired. This was incredibly unsatisfactory to us and often we felt she lacked humidity and care for us as her guest. We really love the staff but wish we had benefitted a more worthy owner with our stay.
Response from General Manager on Dec 14, 2016
Bonjour, Concernant les transports, nous proposons un service de taxi à la demi journée et à la journée pour votre confort, et qui est à votre entière disposition. Merci d'avoir apprécié le riad et son équipe, qui est formée par la propriétaire, la dame française que vous n'avez pas apprécié. On ne peut pas plaire à tout le monde, et de mémoire, vous étiez souvent en désaccord avec les choix de votre mari. Dans une telle situation, je préfère m'effacer, et vous laissez libre de vos décisions. Notre travail s'arréte à une proposition, à vous de décider. Au vues des commentaires sur Tripavisor, le riad & Spa Esprit du Maroc a un prix d'excellence, et chaque jour nous travaillons pour vous satisfaire. Cordialement

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The room was lovely, the staff were great. Breakfast adequate - lovely setting on the roof terrace. Just hated the access way in and would most definitely not have stayed there without my husband in tow. I've never been scared anywhere in the world about walking on my own, but I was there. They also pushed a lot for us to eat there, have spas there, we preferred to go in to the Medina where there was more life.
Response from Sylvie on Jul 9, 2016
Cher monsieur, Votre avis n'est pas conforme. Vous avez réservé un riad 5 étoiles et tous nos clients sont plus qu'heureux et satisfaits et nous reviennent tous que des clients positifs et de bonne humeur qui savent appréciés les beaux endroits !. Vous préférez les hôtels de la nouvelle ville tout simplement très acceptisés avec aucune chaleur humaine . Le riad est comme un château un lieu magique ou tout est détail service et calme. Vous avez passe votre temps à sortir c'est votre droit nous vous avons conseille de prendre nos taxis privatifs pour être tranquille et revenir de boites de nuit tard mais vous avez préférés pas écoutés nos conseils et maintenant vous écrivez un mauvais avis. J'espère juste que dans votre travail vos clients sont de bonne fois car ce n'est pas le cas pour vous.et cela est bien triste 18 ans nous existons travaillons avec les plus gros Tour opérateurs et agences qui pour rien au monde annulerons 18 ans de travail superbes car nous aimons notre métier. Nos clients sont chez eux au riad ce palais du XVIII vivent du bonheur et du rêve et cela notre récompense cher monsieur. Et sachez que tous nos futures clients savent lire et comprendre que votre avis n'a aucun sens juste de la jalousie derrière votre ordinateur c'est ainsi la vie notre époque. Je vous souhaite beaucoup de bonheur car oui nous sommes un 5 étoile et nous venons d'être reconfirmé comme un des meilleurs palais de la médina classe 1 catégorie!! Belle récompense pour ces 18 ans à développer cette entreprise mais malheureusement on ne peut pas plaire à tout le monde

10/10 Excellent

Jeff, London, England

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent Riad in the heart of the old town
Beautiful Riad with excellent facilities and staff and only11 rooms !! Good position for finding and seeing all the old palaces,museums and souks. Couldn't be bettered.
Response from La gérante du riad on Dec 14, 2016
Thank you so much for your nice noticen and we hope to receive you soon. Best regards

4/10 Poor

Lady

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Location was Awful
We were dropped off by our taxi driver which was booked via Expedia and then he rang the hotel and we had to walk through some back alleys which took us approximately 25 minutes to arrive. The actual Riad was down some extremely dark alley, and as three young ladies we felt extremely unsafe. We very rarely left the Riad and when we did we had to ask a member of staff to accompany us. We were nearly assaulted by someone who we thought was being kind and taking us back to our hotel as we were lost only to be told we had to pay him. I would never again go to this hotel. This has most definately been the worst experience. We also booked a triple room and when we arrived was told that only a room for 2 was booked. I will be making a formal complaint about this. Regards Mrs Dawn Renwick Very Unsatisfied Customer
Response from riad on Dec 14, 2016
Bonjour, Merci pour votre commentaire. Notre riad date du 18 eme siècle, et se trouve au coeur de la médina de Marrakech. Pour le plus grand confort de nos clients, nous proposons un service de transfert privatif à commander directement au riad, comme indiqué sur la page du riad. Ce que vous n'avez pas fait. Il vous aurait suffit de nous réserver le transfert par mail à l'adresse suivante : resa.espritdumaroc@gmail.com Concernant votre réservation de 3 personnes, nous avons répondu immédiatement à votre attente en vous rajoutant un lit supplémentaire dans votre chambre. Espérant vous revoir bientôt

8/10 Good

Captainships, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent but needs better breakfast, wifi, and a
Excellent but needs better breakfast, better wifi signal, a mini bar, and a proper king size bed (we had two single beds put together). The riad itself is beautiful and clean and the people working there are lovely. The riad is very close to the Ben Yousef Mosque and only 15 mins walk (through the souks) to djemaa el fna. As with many riads, having lunch or dinner requires advance notice/order by about 2-3 hours- which isn't ideal. Overall a 4* Riad.
Response from General Manager on Dec 14, 2016
Bonjour, Merci pour votre commentaire. Depuis 2015, nous avons renforcé notre équipe avec 2 cuisin!ères à temps complet, vous proposant une gastronomie marocaine et internationale, et nos petits déjeuners sont servis avec des viennoiseries maison du jour,et sont trés copieux. Tout le système wifi est désormais accessible dans l'intégralité du riad, chambres, patios, restaurant. Espérant vous revoir trés vite

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
beautiful riad in the middle of the Medina madness
The riad is absolutely gorgeous. The staff amazingly helpful. The spa treatments were very good as well. I thought that staying right in the center of the Medina was very stressful and next time I would probably stay outside the Medina and just visit it for a few hours. But if you are looking for a place in the Medina this is definately a great recommendation.

4/10 Poor

Daniel, Brazil

Liked: Room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
How to spoil a nice riad
This is a beautiful property, with a lovely courtyard and pleasant rooms. The poor service, unfortunately, makes the overall experience well below the average, especially if one considers the high prices charged. Although always courteous and available, the staff do not seem to have received proper training and one feels they are constantly improvising in the various tasks they perform. The gym – one of the reasons we had chosen this riad – is not well maintained and the treadmill for instance is of such low quality that it is of no practical use. The worst part nonetheless was left for the end, when I requested the hotel manager to book a car for us. The rental agency he suggested left us waiting for two hours and when it finally arrived the vehicle was dirty and old, even though I had been specific about the required condition of the car. I cannot help but supposing the manager's criteria was the highest commission offered instead of reliability of the service. I would have appreciated an honest piece of information.

6/10 Okay

Chris, Singapore

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Nice riad, lacks service
The hotel itself is very nice, located near to sights such as Jemaá el-fna. The breakfast is served any place you want in the hotel, but to be honest it is nothing much to look forward to consisting of two small buns, two small pancakes and some jam. In addition you get a small fruit salad, in our case the apple still had the price tag. Be careful of asking for an extra juice or some eggs with the breakfast, they surely take paid for it - you pay the same for two eggs in this hotel as a full dinner in the city. Staff is also just average, not really helpful when we was followed by two men wanting money from us. We offered the men 25 dirham just to get rid of them, but they required 200 dirham. The receptionist supported them saying we should pay more - but why? We never asked them to follow us. Conclusion is it is a nice hotel in a nice part of the city, but pleas don't expect to much of the staff there.

2/10 Terrible

Elaine, New York, NY, USA

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Definately NOT 5 Star standard
Definitley not 5 star! its a complete rip off. There is no telephone or fridge in the room. Tv and air con were rubbish and not working. No laundry or ironing offered by the hotel. Room service is terrible and overpriced, as are the spa treatments. The swimming pool and gym are tiny. You have to go to reception to order and ask for anything and more often than not there was no one there. Location of riad is obscure and away from main attractions so transportation (and paying for it) is necessary. The decor of the riad is beautiful but you can tell it is not maintained very well upon closer inspection. The only positive were the two Hassan's that work there who were very helpful and accomodating. Otherwise it was the worst 5 star hotel i have ever seen. DO NOT STAY HERE.
Tiny pool
Smallish room, no phone or fridge. Beds were so uncomfortable
Response from riad on Dec 14, 2016
Bonjour, Merci pour votre commentaire. Pour une maison d'hôte, il n'est pas obligatoire d'avoir un réfrigérateur dans la chambre, et pour le téléphone dans la chambre, de nos jours, tout le monde à un smartphone ou une tablette, et en tant que maison d'hôte, l'accueil n'est pas loin de votre chambre, et notre équipe est à votre disposition 24H sur 24 des collations. Nous avons un service de blanchisserie et de repassage depuis 2 ans, service rapide sur demande. Un dernier point, tous nos climatiseurs sont neufs et révisés 2 fois par an, et nos télévisions fonctionnent parfaitement avec le satellite. Espérant vous revoir bientôt

6/10 Okay

Julie, Milan, Italy

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful but overall value for money is not ok
Esprit du Maroc is a very beautiful Riad with a good central location: close to the soukhs and to the center of the old Medina. The staff is very friendly and gives advice whenever they can. However, for the rate we paid I would have expected more comfort in the rooms and better food. Breakfast is ok but not overwhelming, and dinner is far too expensive considering the "just normal" quality and considering price levels in Marrakech (we had better dinner in places in which we paid less than half).

8/10 Good

Chris, Leicester, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Elegant Riad in Heart of the Medina
Exactly as expected, an elegant Riad in the heart of the Medina near the Merdesa Ben Yousef. Breakfast was served on the stunning roof terrace and was adequate. Dinner was taken in the dining room, which had an open fire. The meal was rather expensive compared with other restaurants. The bedroom was large and comfortable, the ensuite bathroom clean and spacious. The staff were attentive and friendly. I would use the riad again. One word of caution. The riad claims to have parking, it does not. it can only be accessed on foot. Overall it was very pleasant, one could find fault as others have but one would have to be very picky.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
Authentic Riad experience.
Nice place, definitely an authentic Riad experience in a good location for the Souks. But long wait for food and drinks, expensive and the hotel got our bill wrong (they did however correct the error). Hamam was good. Generally nice people and happy to help.

6/10 Okay

P & J, Sydney NSW, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely RIad but Poorly Located
This is a most beautiful Riad, with rooms and alcoves that display superb Moroccan architecture. My wife and I had a very pleasant time eating by the poolside or on the rooftop. However, its major negative is its location. Regular taxis told us that it was not accessible; we were therefore left with a lot of luggage that had to be dragged for about 0.5 Km. The beauty of the Riad contrasts with the narrow and sometimes filthy lanes nearby. The moment one stepped out of the Riad, the harassment started. In the end, we resorted to hiring the hotel taxi rather than go anywhere on foot. If we were coming back late from dinner, a prearranged taxi was a must. While we were told that wi-fi was available, there was no access in the room, and I had to sit in the courtyard next to the reception to access the internet. We also found communication difficult, as neither of us speaks French of Arabic. Instructions were therefore not always followed. Service was variable - some staff very extremely good, whereas others were not dependable. The breakfast was of poor quality, with no variation from day to day - we ended up ordering eggs, just to add some protein, and were charged extra for this. They did not have a printer for us to print our boarding passes. In the end, mainly because of the harassment we experienced as soon as we stepped outside the Riad, and the lack of internet in the room, we spent only 3 nights, although we had paid for 5.

10/10 Excellent

Alexandra

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Calm amidst the chaos
A great place to relax after the hustle of the souks. Large and comfortable room, plentiful breakfast, nice rooftop patio to take some sun or enjoy a meal. Definitely have a hamman and a massage.

8/10 Good

Rebecca, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great for couples
The Riad was absolutely superb with the only downfall being the price of hotel food and drink. Staff were very helpful and friendly. I would recommend this Riad to anyone who wants to stsy in a more authentic part of Marrakech.

8/10 Good

Sunny Dhaliwal, London, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very nice Raid and warm welcoming from staff 5 ***
Quality of the staff and their service - I had given them a 3 because of they need more english speaking staff rather then just one. all of them spoke French and Arab. But all staff where very warm and welcoming and do try their best in helping with all your enquires They said they have full breakfast but its only Moroccan breakfast (mainly bread) and not English style like sasauge etc... The hotel needs to provide a more range of pillows rather then just hard as i found some nights very hard to sleep with their pillows Their Harman was very nice and relaxing and its worth getting done we all enjoyed.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect Spring Break
The Riad & Spa Esprit du Maroc is a gem. If you're looking for an authentic experience within the Medina of Marrakech this is it. It's at the heart of everything but peaceful and quiet in the rooms, courtyards and on the fabulous roof terrace - where you can take any/all of your meals if you wish. The rooms are lovely, in typical Morrocan style, but with modern comforts. The staff are so friendly and helpful, the spa offers great massages and hammam, the food is simple, fresh, local and delicious. The hotel will arrange very good guides, tours and taxis. Final access to the Riad is down a narrow passageway and only small taxis can get to the nearest square, so ask the hotel to arrange pick-up from the airport. We had such a relaxing week and would go again.