Riad Hôtel Essaouira

Riad Hôtel Essaouira Overview

Look, I’ll be honest – when I first walked into Riad Hôtel Essaouira, I was a bit confused by the name since we’re actually in Marrakech, not Essaouira. But you know what? That quirky detail sort of sets the tone for this place. It’s tucked away on Derb Sidi Bouloukate in the heart of the medina, and I mean really tucked away – you’ll probably walk past the entrance twice before you spot it. The address says Riad Zitoune Kedim, which is actually one of the main arteries through the old city, so you’re right in the thick of things without being on the crazy tourist highway that some riads end up on.

The whole setup is classic riad architecture done right – that gorgeous central courtyard with the fountain that actually works (trust me, not all of them do), and rooms that wrap around it on different levels. What I really appreciated was how they’ve managed to keep the authentic feel while making sure the WiFi actually reaches your room and the hot water doesn’t run out after five minutes. The tiles are beautiful, obviously, but they’ve also figured out how to make the spaces feel lived-in rather than like a museum. During the day, you get this amazing filtered light coming through, and honestly, it’s one of those places where you’ll find yourself just sitting in the courtyard with mint tea longer than you planned to. The staff seems to know everyone in the neighborhood – which comes in handy when you’re trying to navigate the medina’s maze of streets or find that specific spice vendor someone told you about.

Here’s the thing about the location though – yes, you’re walking distance from Jemaa el-Fnaa and all the main souks, but you’re also on a quiet enough street that you can actually sleep at night. I mean, the call to prayer will still wake you up if you’re not used to it, but you won’t have tourists chattering under your window until 2 AM. The 8.6 rating feels about right to me – it’s not perfect (the stairs are pretty steep if you end up on the upper floors, and good luck getting a taxi to find this exact spot), but it nails what most people actually want from a medina experience. The breakfast spread is solid, they can arrange the hammam visits and day trips without being pushy about it, and the whole place has that authentic Marrakech feeling without making you feel like you’re roughing it. If you’re looking for a place that gets the balance right between character and comfort, and you don’t mind navigating some narrow streets to get there, this is a pretty solid choice.

Riad Hôtel Essaouira Accommodations

Reviews of Riad Hôtel Essaouira

• Stayed for 3 nights. Will return. – Michele from Australia – 29 June 2025 (10/10)

  Great location. Rooms comfortable and clean. Liked the courtyard and terrace to sit at. Breakfast service good.

• Exceptional – Louiza from Cyprus – 22 June 2025 (10/10)

  Our stay was very pleasant.
  The staff was excellent and very helpful! The room was quite comfortable, always clean, and in an excellent location—just a 1-minute walk from the main square

• Perfection – Zara from United Kingdom – 18 June 2025 (10/10)

  Everything about this small road is spot on. Comfortable rooms. Air con. Traditional breakfast. Very very friendly staff.
  
  What could be improved: Everything was perfect

• Excellent little riad at the most affordable prices – Muhammad from United Kingdom – 12 June 2025 (10/10)

  Only a 5min walk to jemaa al fnaa. Stunning detail to the design. Rooms immaculately clean. AC was great. This isn’t always available in some raids. Breakfast simple yet more than enough to start your day. Hassan let me leave my bag there and go exploring. It was a really hot day so I came back to the riad with some drinks and Hassan let me relax upstairs on the roof in the shade and use the facilities until I was ready to leave. Great place and host.
  
  What could be improved: Nothing

• Beautiful riad in a perfect location, lovely staff, comfortable rooms with pretty much everything we needed. – Joely from United Kingdom – 8 June 2025 (9/10)

  Location, decor, staff, breakfast, cleanliness, amazingly quiet location considering its proximity to the souks and square. And as two female travellers we felt safe.
  
  What could be improved: A couple more coat hangers would have been useful (I had three). The bed was a little hard for me but that’s just personal taste.

• Lovely, friendly Riad in the heart of Marrakech – Kathryn from United Kingdom – 31 May 2025 (10/10)

  We absolutely loved this friendly riad in the heart of Marrakech. The staff have all been wonderfully friendly, the Riad and rooms are super clean and the breakfasts on the terrace have been lovely.
  
  What could be improved: Nothing. Everything has been lovely

• Superb – Syed from Singapore – 28 May 2025 (9/10)

  The riad itself is beautiful and Abdel Latif and the other staffs were very professional and helpful.
  
  What could be improved: I took a desert tour to Fes from the Riad. Throughout the tour, Abdel Latif was helpful when I encountered an issue.
  
  My only advise is, to indicate the stay (hotel) for the tour so we know if that is a hotel we would like to stay in. The location as compared to others in the bus doing the tour was not the best.
  
  Unfortunately, I cannot rate the tour seperately.

• Exceptional – Ojooniyun from United Kingdom – 13 May 2025 (10/10)

  the staffs are incredibly nice, so kind and welcoming. May Almighty reward them greatly

• Highly recommend this little haven to escape the madness of Marrakech – Imelda from Ireland – 4 May 2025 (10/10)

  Amazing location. Staff were super friendly. Breakfast was simple but really delicious. Gorgeous decor. Lovely terrace for chilling on. Great value for money. Fab shower. Lovely and quiet at night.
  
  What could be improved: Nothing, everything was perfect.

• Superb – Samuel from Switzerland – 2 May 2025 (9/10)

  Beautiful riad very centrally located. Friendly staff

Surroundings

Facilities