8/10 Good
Todd, Surrey, BC
Nov 12, 2009
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A great experience
The riad is located inside the Medina near a busy gate leading to Gueliz.
With the help of someone familiar with the riad, we found our way through the chaos down the windowless cobblestone street (alley way) to the front door.
Inside was a refreshing oasis: a striking contrast to what we had seen on the outside. The riad staff were very hospitable, serving us mint tea while our room was being made up. The room was clean and decorated traditionally (see the photos here or on the riad website). The bed was the most comfortable of all the places we stayed on this trip.
The language of Marrakech is Berber Arabic and French. The hotel staff spoke both languages, the manager and house attendant spoke some English also. Our Canadian high school French also serves us well. The riad catered mostly to French and people of French-speaking countries. We were told we were the first Canadian guests. When we were not sightseeing, we very much enjoyed trying to carry on conversations with the staff, and the French-speaking guests. By the end of the trip we were speaking Frenglish.
On a final note, the food was excellent. Morocco, in general, has great food and we sampled plenty. No visit to this riad would be complete without sampling at least one evening meal in the beautiful courtyard. Fatima is an excellent cook.
Happy travels, Marilyn and Todd