Riad Dar One — Hotel in Marrakesh Prefecture

This is easily the most unique property I have visited. It is a Mr. and Mrs. Smith property - part of the Hyatt portfolio. I cannot start this review without acknowledging Abdelhak and Hakim. They are incredible hosts, friendly, patient and so helpful! I had great email correspondence with this Abdelhak before arriving. Any questions I asked where promptly answered. In addition, the emails were informative on what to expect. I arranged for an airport transfer ( I would recommend this!!!) and I was met by Hakim at the car stop. I'm not sure I would have found the riad the first time on my own. There are many turns and alleys for all riads - and it was a help to have someone show me the way. The riad courtyard is definitely a photo opportunity. I was met with the customary cookies and Moroccan welcome mint tea. I was shown to my room - on the terrace of this 6 room riad. All riads have a very "local" feel. It was nice to get away from a chain hotel and feel part of the culture. The room was very basic and I would say extremely clean. Towels and bed linens were a good quality and the bed was very comfortable. My only two surprises were no in-room safe and no TV (although I understand other raids did not have a wide variety of channels in English.) The room had a heated floor in the toilet area - which was a nice feature. The room was a concrete-style floor with an area rug. Hint - bring slippers. It was also a bit dark and could have used more light. The room had wood shutters to cover the glass and a cool curtain that covered the wood entry door to keep drafts away. Breakfast was included with the room and kindly served in the courtyard each morning. It consisted primarily of breads and condiments - basically a continental breakfast. It also included tea or coffee, along with the best fresh-squeezed orange juice I have ever had. The only time I ever saw other guests were at breakfast. Everyone whispered during breakfast and I never heard doors slamming or loud guests - this is an adult only property. I enjoyed...

The staff who work here are all incredibly friendly and helpful. They helped give us directions of places we wanted to go, made reservations for meals and spa treatments, and were always around to help out in general. The place itself is just as nice (though tucked away in a very twisty alleyway, that, if arriving at night which we did, seems a little dodgy - but it’s not!! It’s actually based in a very homely, familiar area where people all seem to know each other). It’s hard to find, but they came out to meet us where our taxi dropped us off to ensure we found our way without trouble. The surrounding area is only a short walk from the main attractions (souks, mosques, gardens etc.) and gives off a very secure impression. We walked almost everywhere, with the exception of some gardens outside the city walls). They serve breakfast as and when you are woken up (an array of food, that even I - a very picky eater - found enough to eat) by gentle bird songs. There’s a fire that you can sit by, which is very homey, and a rooftop terrace with plenty of seating space, and a jacuzzi. I ordered a drink from downstairs and they even bought it up for me. The rooms themselves are relatively basic, with just the essentials, but they’re also very aesthetically pleasing. One thing I feel necessary to mention is that the baths they have here are so massive and amazing. Just honestly. The best baths. They make your beds, give you olives and nuts with every drink you order, offer advice on where to eat and what to visit. They go beyond what is necessary to make your visit to Marrakesh really very wonderful. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to friends visiting, and if and when we come back, will...

The place looks just like the pictures. It is very designed in a very relaxing earth tone and the place is generally relaxing. The staff are amazing and the best part of the stay. They are attentive, competent and do what they tell you they would do. The design is very similar to other riads I saw online and they seem to look very similar to each other.

I had some problems with my stay however. One was that there was a mouse that ran into my room the first day I was there. The room doors had a gap big enough the house could enter. The second thing was the drain of the shower in my second room was very slow that I had to take showers standIng in water, and it didn't change after I had requested them to fix it. And the third problem was that this second room, on the second floor, has windows that don't close very well, that I could hear all the conversations of people talking in the main courtyard downstairs. It was a problem for me because I like to sleep in late, but others that get up early, might not have a problem. The Internet is slow and spotty, and intermittent, which seems to be generally a problem in Marrakesh and not only to this riad. I was working during my stay so that was a bit of a problem for me but I realize that many are just on holidays there so that might not be a...