Riad Marelia

Positives - Ibraham, the old caretaker is pleasant & helpful. - Location very near the Palaces and 15 minutes walk to Jemaa el Fnaa. - Secluded rooftop terrace and can just about see above the city. Recommend looking out at 8.30am North East. You'll see the hot air balloons in the distance. - Allowed check-in slightly earlier than planned. - Can leave luggage on day of leaving so you don't have to carry around the Medina if you have a later flight. Negatives - Ibrahim, the caretaker can only speak Darija or French. The latter I only found out after 10-15 minutes of translation issues and gestures. I know very basic French so managed to get by after realising he could speak French. - Breakfast can only be served from 8am. We only got this on the last day of 4 and it was just various bread and jam/honey. Not even an egg. - Entry can only be by knocking. Translation issues but I think access is up to midnight latest. We arrived back at 10.30pm one night and was fine. Room lock is only a small padlock but going round the Medina this seems to be the common type of lock everywhere on outer doors too. - Water pressure is non-existent when someone else is using water in the another room. We had the top floor room. - Wifi weak in room, only suitable in courtyard or roof terrace. - Arranged airport transfer on arrival didn't turn up so had to sort own taxi at the airport (cheaper anyway) In all, it is a basic budget Riad that suited me & my mum but won't be for everyone.

Location was tucked in a corner of a busy street. It's a walk to central markets but not too far. Perhaps it was after 20:00 but doorbell takes a while and a few rings to answer...had thought we couldn't get in a few times. And the phone rings out. The gentleman was nice enough. Communication was a little hard as we didn't speak French or Arabic but we didn't need much so not too much of an issue. Welcome tea was lovely. The room was okay (up steep flights of stairs) A bit dark and dated but relatively clean. No toiletries and the floor was wet/half flooded. Unfortunately we didn't stay for breakfast but I think it was the normal western pancakes and juice. It was an okay place to stay for the night, though there are similar pricing accommodation around that might be slightly better.

Don't walk away from this place: run. My buddy booked the single and I booked the suite on Expedia. We get there and the guy doesn't speak any English at all. No problem, I have Google translate. This dude REFUSED to communicate through Google translate. He would just look at me and say "speak French." What do you think I'm doing, my man? Then, we pay the room tax via euros. Again, no problem, except I gave him 30 euros for a 22 euro tax. He hands me back 2 euros in MAD. Then, he takes us up and tells me that the suite is booked and I have to stay with my friend. I tried relentlessly for almost an hour to communicate with this guy and just gave up. Booked a riad around the corner. When I go back to pick up my friend, my friend is yelling with him because the guy won't let him go out without paying the tax. We just paid the tax. I handed him 30 more euros to shut him up. I ended up paying 200 euros extra just for a last minute place near my friend. And, they're telling Expedia to not refund me. I'm tempted to call the police for this guy stealing from me. Don't stay here.

The host didn’t understand English so it was hard to communicate well with him. when I booked my stay I informed the host that I will be needing early breakfast as I had a tour planned. I was told that I will get that but on the day of the tour I was told that early breakfast was not possible. Basic amenities such as soap were missing. The only good thing about this riad was the location. Other than that I don’t see myself staying here again.

Premièrement, à notre arrivée, ce n’était pas la chambre que nous avions réservée. Ensuite, en entrant dans la chambre, nous avons constaté qu’elle était très sale (par exemple, l’oreiller présentait des taches). De plus, l’air climatisé ne fonctionnait pas, ce qui rendait la chambre extrêmement chaude. La fenêtre étant très petite, il n’y avait presque pas d’aération possible. Enfin, une forte odeur désagréable se dégageait de la chambre.

The man who runs it does not speak much English so I had to communicate with him in french (which he soeaks fluently and I dont!) but he was so sweet and friendly and always asked what time I would like breakfast and he was happy to do it whatever i asked for. You dont get a key for the entrance of the riad so you have to ring the bell but he always answered wirh a smile even when late (about midnight was the latest night i got back). The facilities in the room was basic but the riad has a vrry authentic and traditional feel and the comuunal areas are beautiful and peaceful including a rooftop terrace and a traditional open terrace on the ground floor, where breakfast was served, with a (mini) pool. You'll find riads with better more facilities but if would thouroughly recommend staying here, especially if you're on a budget.

This was the least hospitable riad we stayed at in Marrakesh. The room did not have working air conditioning, and the street our room faced was very busy so it was noisy at night with the window open. The bathroom was poorly designed because the shower was directly in front of the sink with no curtain to separate it, so we were standing in the wet shower when using the sink. The location is not far from the main square, but you have to walk through areas without sidewalks to access them. We also disliked that we were not given a key to the front door like we were at other riads and we had to ring the doorbell every time we came back to our room. We had much better experiences at other riads that charged the same price.

Staff and service are excellent . Area is walkable to medina and shopping places.

The property advertises as having a spa and pool which it did not have.that was the readon for me booking this place. False advetisement makes it really annoying. The host was overly friendly trying to hug which made me feel insecure. The facilities were alright

Sooo… the Riad in good location, walkable every where , 2 minutes Bahia Palace, 8-10 minutes to Koutoubia and El Jemma square, 5 minutes to Souk. Lots of dining places. As for Riad, old, rooms small, i had twin room just for myself it was small, there were 3 beds actually. Breakfast is bread pita, crepes, coffee,juice, olives. No fruits, no eggs- was a problem for me as I am more on eating healthy staff and was craving for normal breakfast. But 3 minutes walk there is a small like street place they make eggs over there. Also, if you need hair dryer need to ask, cause there was no inside the room. Btw, as for the owner Ibrahim, very nice old men, no speaking english (just French and Arabic), but very nice attentive. Would I stay there again, probably not, but more because it is noisy street, very noisy. And too much going on around there. Overall for that price it worth of it, cause I also was booking last minute. Also, no need to take tours around there, just explore everything by yourself, cause it is great location for it.

This riad is a nice traditional riad it has a very authentic moroccon feel to it. It is is a little dated, so dont expect luxury, but it is still good and a very charming riad. It is clean and we did not face any real issues with it. Breakfast is okay, but not much variety though. We also had to buy soap as the soap provided was very small. The surrounding area seems a little scary but is completely fine, locals are very friendly and amazing people!! Very close to Bahia palace, Koutubia and mosque other main attractions. There is parking nearby, but you have to pay. Please note that if you do not speak French it is a little hard to communicate with the Riad’s receptionist/housekeeper but you can use google translate, but he is very sweet and does his best. We had to leave for the airport at 6:30 and he accomodated and made breakfast early for us, which you would not get at big restaurants. The manager was also very helpful with any quieries or favours! Overall great stay

Amazing property and property management. Super peaceful and beautiful, caring staff who were all so lovely. Only downside is you have to wait for the property manager to open the door to the Riad everytime

This was a sweet Riad. The main courtyard was beautiful. It was clean and run by a lovely man. Although breakfast was lovingly presented, it was very small and there was no protein - Possibly normal for Morocco.

Ibrahim was an excellent host, who was friendly and helpful. The riad is in a great location, within walkable distance of the plaza but removed from the hustle and bustle. The room was clean and provided the essentials. Would recommend for the price 👍

We loved our stay at this charming Riad which is situated very close to the Bahia palace and the Medina. The gentleman taking care of the Riad is the sweetest man you’ll ever meet. We will definitely be coming back.

Wonderful Riad. Central location next to Bahia Palace. Charming and authentic. Ibrahim who manages riad is wonderful and friendly.

A real Moroccan experience with a traditional riad.Although quite basic it was very convenient for Marrakech s sights,was clean and Ibrahim the host was very welcoming.. Knowledge of some French made the stay a lot easier.Would certainly return there as great value for money.

Hi thanks to give me opportunity to inform you about the property. Please check the issues list below. 1, there was no English speaking receptionist we spend 1 hour to take the key because there was an old person on the reception and not understand anything he took Extra money from us and refused to give us receipt. 2, too cold room on the the request he give us electrical heater with is not comfortable for us. 3, the property was empty but still he didn’t give both rooms together and no light was in the property after 11pm also he didn’t allow us to go out after 11pm because he looked the door and no entry after 11pm. 4, Breakfast only a few things like Moroccan tea beard and jams. 5, no toiletries at all The bottom line not happy with this property Just waset of money.

Was not a pleasant experience overall.

Riad is fantastic, really beautiful, and people so kind and helpful. We arrived by night and had a little problem with our room, but they immediately found a very convenient solution for us. To be honest, it was not easy to find it in the dark, but keep in mind that from Palace Bahia is a few meters away (3minutes walking). Just follow the main road and do not enter into narrow streets. Our taxi driver was in hurry to go eating after Ramadan fastening and drop us off in front of the Palace. Google maps do not work very well due to narrow streets of the Medina, but Riad Marelia is on the main road. Thank you for everything and we hope to see you again at magic Riad.