Riad Samsara

Breakfast was great, a lot of local products. Beautiful building. Lovely cat!

Nothing really.

Very tastefully decorated, felt really cosy. A great experience. I liked the attention to details. And we looooved Luna, the aristocratic cat. She is the real host of the house and she makes sure you are not feeling lonely. :)) The manager of the Riad, even thought we didn’t meet in person, was really helpful via watsapp making sure we are well taken care of. I don’t remember the name of the two women from the staff but they were extremely kind. There are only three bedrooms in the riad and that makes it comfy and homely. And there isn’t any staff there from 8 pm till 8 am and you are given a key of the riad so that you can go in and out when you want to.

It’s not that we didn’t like it, it was just a bit unusual for us, but the rooms had no keys. There was a lock on the outside and on the inside but anyone could’ve opened it. But it was weird just for a few minutes because afterwards it did feel really safe and I kind of like that feeling of trusting the people and not locking your door It was a feeling I didn’t realize I missed. The other thing that I didn’t like but it has nothing to do with the riad, was the 5 am call to prayer in the Medina. It was loud…but if you stay in a riad in the Medina, it’s a thing that needs to grow on you because you cannot escape it.

Loooooved this property, the welcome, the staff, the privacy. Absolutely will come back. So thoughtful and stylish.

The riad itself was lovely and the staff were very warm and welcoming throughout our stay. It did feel tranquil compared to the busy medina and offered a more local, authentic Marrakech experience. You can walk to the main square from the riad, and there was also a safe in the room for valuables.

I do feel the current reviews and photos don’t fully reflect the overall experience. The riad is located in a much more local part of the medina and we often felt uncomfortable walking around the area, especially at night. Ubers/taxis won’t collect or drop you directly outside, so you have to walk to a nearby pickup point which didn’t always feel particularly safe. While the riad could feel peaceful at times, it was also surprisingly noisy at night with shouting outside. Communication could also be difficult as most staff didn’t speak English and the English-speaking house manager was rarely there. The room doors couldn’t be locked from the outside when leaving, which felt unsettling despite there being a safe. The riad also didn’t quite match the photos online and felt more worn in person. The rooms were also very dark, and the air conditioning leaked during our stay which caused a puddle on the floor. A smaller point, but there was only one mirror in the bathroom and nowhere comfortable to properly get ready, which may matter to some guests. Another thing to be aware of is that bottled water is charged separately and any extras must be paid in cash only. We were only informed of this the evening before leaving, by which point we had very little cash left.