Riad Dar Zitouna Marrakesh – entire house in exclusivity

Riad Dar Zitouna Marrakesh – entire house in exclusivity Overview

You know what really gets me about staying in riads? Most of them feel like museums where you’re afraid to touch anything. But Riad Dar Zitouna is different – it’s actually lived-in and welcoming in a way that makes you want to kick off your shoes and stay awhile. The whole place is yours when you book it, which honestly feels like discovering some wealthy friend’s family home tucked away in the medina’s maze.

The location on Derb Ihihane is pretty genius, actually. You’re deep enough in Sidi Ben Slimane to feel like you’ve found something secret, but close enough to the main souks that you won’t get completely lost trying to find your way back after dinner. I mean, you’ll still get lost – it’s Marrakech – but not hopelessly so. The alley itself is narrow and winding like they all are, but there’s something about this particular stretch that feels more residential, less touristy. You’ll hear the call to prayer echoing off the walls at dawn, and honestly, even if you’re not religious, it’s kind of magical how it bounces around the old stone corridors.

What really sold me on this place was the morning routine. You wake up and climb to the rooftop terrace – which, by the way, has views that’ll make you understand why people write poetry about this city – and you can see the Atlas Mountains on clear days while sipping mint tea. The traditional breakfast spread they arrange is ridiculous in the best way: fresh bread, local honey, olives, and that amazing Moroccan orange juice that tastes nothing like what you get back home. The staff (and I use that term loosely because it feels more like extended family) will set it all up on the rooftop, and you’ll find yourself lingering way longer than planned, watching the medina wake up below.

The rooms themselves have that perfect balance of authentic detail and actual comfort – carved plaster walls, traditional textiles, but also proper bathrooms and air conditioning that actually works. The central courtyard has this fountain that creates just enough ambient sound to drown out the occasional motorbike puttering through the alleys outside. During the day, the light filters down through the opening above and creates these shifting patterns on the mosaic floors that honestly had me taking way too many photos.

Look, I’ll be straight with you – this isn’t a place for people who want a standard hotel experience with room service and a concierge desk. But if you want to feel like you’re actually living in Marrakech for a few days, not just visiting it, this is your spot. The fact that you get the entire riad to yourself means you can spread out, invite locals over for tea, or just enjoy the silence when the medina settles down at night. It’s expensive for what you might expect from Morocco, but when you consider you’re getting an entire traditional house in one of the world’s most atmospheric neighborhoods, it starts to make sense. Plus, that 9.1 rating isn’t just numbers on a screen – you can feel why people keep coming back to this particular corner of the medina.

Riad Dar Zitouna Marrakesh – entire house in exclusivity Accommodations

Reviews of Riad Dar Zitouna Marrakesh – entire house in exclusivity

• Ottima esperienza!! – Elisa from Italy – 20 May 2025 (10/10)

  La struttura si trova nel cuore della Medina ed è distante 15/20 min a piedi da piazza jamaa el fna.
  Ogni mattina la tifa ci preparava la colazione che era buonissima e tutti i giorni diversa. Il personale ci ha anche aiutato a prenotare un taxi da e per l’aeroporto.
  Consiglio!

• Wonderful Riad with great management. – Emma from United Kingdom – 22 April 2025 (10/10)

  Great stay in a lovely old traditional Riad. The Riad is a cool, quiet haven away from the bustling streets outside. As a family of 6 (4 teenagers aged between 14 to 18) we felt the Riad suited us perfectly. We all had plenty of space & liked there were numerous areas to sit & lounge.
  
  Communication with Elvir, the Riad owner, was great. Quick to respond & messaged to check everything was ok during and after the stay. Hicham the property manager was fantastic. He was able to recommend & book local restaurants & taxis to various places. He also arranged airport transfers. Nothing was to much trouble.
  
  Latifa the lovely housekeeper met us at the taxi drop off and walked us to the Riad where she gave us mint tea & biscuits. She also prepared a traditional breakfast every morning, made our beds everyday and changed towels when required.
  
  Overall a great stay in a wonderful Riad with great management.

• Superb – Pascal from France – 8 April 2025 (9/10)

  Super

• Just perfect. – Imane from France – 29 March 2025 (10/10)

  It is the second time I go there. The place is beautiful and perfectly located in a quiet neighborhood yet steps away from the hustle and bustle of touristy Marrakech. And the cook prepares lovely meals!

• We will be back – overall a home from home! – Marise from South Africa – 3 October 2024 (8/10)

  Well located, Latifa was warm and eager to help with anything – did some washing for us, made an extra bed for an ad-on friend and customised our breakfast to what we liked! Excellent service
  
  What could be improved: The seating area for breakfast is typical Moroccan but we would have preferred to have breakfast in the courtyard – less cramped and en plein aire.

• A perfect place to experience, feel and enjoy the Moroccan culture. – Jijy from United Kingdom – 31 May 2023 (10/10)

  Breakfast was prepared by Latifa everyday morning in the Riad and was a great spread of Moroccan breads with Dips/jams, eggs, freshly squeezed orange juice, croissants etc. The location was ideal with a short walk to Medina shops and about 15-20 mins walk to the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa square.
  
  We really enjoyed our stay and the hosts were spot on. Hicham, Latifa, and Elvir were always happy to help with anything we requested. The property itself was kept very well and we had the whole Riad to ourselves – 5 bedrooms with all attached bathrooms. The Riad really opens up once you enter and has a wow factor to it with a huge tree inside the courtyard and multiple lounge areas on each floor including a terrace lounge and sunbathing area.

• Very good – Sabri from United Kingdom – 5 May 2023 (8/10)

  We really enjoyed staying at Dar Zitouna,the property was nice traditional stay,the olive and orange tree are wonderful in the middle of the yard.
  The staff also were lovely and helpful,Hicham was polite and friendly,Latifa made a wonderful breakfast with a good variety.
  If I would book in the same place if I come back to Marrakech again.

• exceptional beauty – Yassine from Morocco – 29 April 2023 (10/10)

  Staying at Dar Zitouna was an absolute highlight of our trip to Morocco.
  A big, old olive tree in the middle of the patio, intertwined with another, orange tree welcomed us in all their glory. We had the riad to ourselves, giving us privacy and that instant “feel at home” vibe. Our stay was flawless – from the initial booking and responsiveness of Elvir, the host, on to his wonderful staff who was there to assist us – we were greeted at the nearby parking and accompanied on the way to the riad, which is just a short walk away. The woman of the house served us delicious breakfast, always friendly and with a big smile on her face. We also had a dinner which was great and was a wonderful way to unwind in the evening and enjoy the ambience. The place is impeccably clean, beds are super comfortable and the way the house is decorated provided a very harmonious feeling of simplicity and elegance. We also liked the location being very accessible and the overall feel of being part of medina life.
  We would recommend it to any travelers without any hesitation and will be looking forward to come back.

• We can recommend it without any hesitation and hope to be able to come back again! – Imane from France – 28 January 2023 (10/10)

  We had wonderful time staying at Dar Zitouna. The warm hospitality of Elvir, Hicham and Fatima exceeded our expectations.
  We were greeted at the parking area, which also has a taxi stand and from there it was less than a 3 minute-walk to the riad.
  Since the moment we entered we felt calm and a relaxing atmosphere. The riad is clean and spacious with 5 bedrooms, each with its own bathroom.
  The giant olive tree dominates the patio and it felt great waking up to the birds singing in the morning.
  Breakfast was absolutely great. We also highly recommend dinners we had in the riad – traditional Moroccan cuisine prepared with a lot of love.

• An Authentic, Safe and Peaceful Riad to relax in Marrakesh – Pedro from France – 10 January 2023 (10/10)

  Don't hesitate to book it. It is Safe, Beautiful and Authentic Riad!
  
  We had an absolutely amazing stay at Dar Zitouna!
  
  As the riad is rented in exclusivity, we enjoyed our family trip even more having the place just to ourselves.
  
  Elvir is a very hospitable host – responsive, easy to communicate with and his staff made sure that we felt at home from the moment we arrived. This is a high level service!
  
  We were greeted at the taxi stand which is less than 5 minutes walk from the riad.
  
  The place itself is a little piece of paradise – clean, quiet with an old olive tree in the central court and next to it a smaller, orange tree. There is a small fountain with a plunge pool in the patio area. A very relaxing atmosphere.
  
  The breakfast, served at the time of our choosing and overall cooking of Fatima (we ordered a dinner too) was the best one we had in Marrakech. Very kind and attentive, we felt taken care of.
  
  Also to mention that the airport transfer we arranged prior, worked out great.
  
  We will definitely recommend this riad to our friends and will come back again!
  
  What could be improved: Nothing, I had great time, I would love to stay 1 or 2 days more but the place was quickly booked. But I understand this is a fantastic Riad , great value so people can see it when they arrive. So I recommend to book in advance this superbe Riad.

Surroundings

Facilities