Riad Catalina

we were very impressed with the Riad Catalina. We had booked, without realising, in the Dar Catalina which has access to the Riad Catalina facilities but is further up the alleyway and with very small and slightly dim rooms, but with very friendly help from the staff we were able to upgrade to a suite in the Riad for 2 nights then stay in a Riad standard room for 2 more nights. The suites, with their own rooftop terrace, are simply gorgeous but the Riad standard rooms are also light and charming... this is a luxury hotel made out of an old building so nothing is perfect - hot water intermittent in the suite, showers spray water in eccentric directions, individual aircon can be noisy, steep windy stairs and so on - but everything is stylishly converted and charming. The heart of the Riad is the central courtyard with doves, sparrows, lightning fast tortoises and so on, and excellent food and drinks very well served by dedicated, friendly staff, under the orange tree and other foliage... The Riad is effectively in the Souk, not just in the Medina - at the end of the alleyway the shops start and in a few minutes you are inside the full Souk so very close, the main square is 5-10 mins walk, but with all the bustle nearby the hotel itself is peaceful and calm Overall if we want to combine a romantic, relaxing base with the excitement of Marrakech streets we would highly recommend the Riad Catalina.

Riad Catalina is a beautifull place to stay. The staff are friendly and helpfull, and the breakfast and dinner were truly scumptuous! Watch out for the family of tiny turtles scuttling(slowly) about the courtyard!

Riad Catalina is situated within easy walking distance of Jemaa-el-Fna (the central square) and the souks. It’s central courtyard is an oasis of trees and birds; a hidden gem amongst the hustle and bustle of Marrakesh.

Great service, location, and food, but the rooms are very small and the walls are thin so you can hear conversations in the hall / next room - I understand that most riads have this problem so take ear plugs and don't stay there if you have kids! Also the air condititioner / heater in our room made an annoying noise, even when switched off, which got louder throughout the night (and was silent in the day - grr!) Bathroom is pretty and ok facilities but again very small. The hotel seemed nicer than most similar hotels in the Medina, but I probably wouldn't stay there again as you can get much better value for money a little further from the centre. I'm not convinced it deserves the 5* Expedia give it (Thomson give it 4* which is more accurate). That said it is beautiful, with lovely people in a central location.

We found the hotel satisfactory regarding comfort and cleanliness but the room we were shown on arrival was the smallest I have ever seen with no windows and accessed by a small steep staircase with low ceiling. If we hadn't been able to change our room, I think we would have had a miserable stay. However, they were good about changing our room and the staff were generally very helpful and kind. The big plus is the location of the hotel, close to the main square and easy access to most of the sights in the city, once you realise that the location issued on the websites is wrong and the hotel is not where you think it is (we got hopelessly lost as we had plotted our position on our map from the website before we arrived!!) it is easy to find you way around.

It's hard to imagine a nicer hotel or a better location for such a reasonable price. The Catalina is an oasis of peace and quiet in this fascinating bustling city. Beautiful courtyard, great traditional style room (don't expect Holiday Inn but you will be very conmfortable) with small but gorgeous rooftop pool with great views. It does gourmet meals in the evening and a pleasant filling breakfasts (Moroccan pancakes are a bit unusual!) Very friendley and helpful staff and they booked a v good day trip for me to the Atlas Mtns (not cheap). The riad's location is wonderful, very traditional narrow alleys ( abit of a amaze so get a good map and remember the route!) just 10 mins from Jamaa el Fna which is THE SQUARE where it happens and from which you can find anything. Highly recommended.

We found the Riad Catalina conveniently close to the bustle of the Jemaa el Fna but a pleasant relief from the noise of the crowds. The rooms were fairly small, but comfortable and clean. Being a Riad, don't expect views from the room: the windows all overlook the central courtyard that forms the hub of the building. However, the roof terrace gives views over the city, especially the nearby Koutoubia Mosque, which is lit up at night. We were actually in the Dar Catalina, a smaller courtyard house just around the corner from the main hotel. It was very pleasant, but (being empty apart from us) lacked the character of the main riad. We ate out every evening, but the riad did offer a Moroccan style evening meal. Breakfast was served in the courtyard, surrounded by shade trees, with sparrows playing in the fountain. It's not too difficult to find Riad Catalina: take the bus from the airport (easy, and cheaper than a taxi) and get off at the Place Foucauld; the first main stop. Walk up the Rue Fatima Zohra and take the first turn on the right, through the arch. Take the first right through another arch into a narrow road, then follow the painted signs. NB The street sign on the road says "Derb Moulay Abdallah ben Hezzaien" - this is somewhat different from the way it is spelt in the riad's address! Look at the map on the Riad's website. The road is drawn on most of the guidebook maps we saw, but not normally labelled.

The Riad Catalina is a lovely place to escape from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech but i do not think it is close to a 5 star rating. More like a 3. The room we had was small, and bed very hard, but if you knwoing that its a good place to base your visit from.

A perfect oasis in the hustle and bustle of Marrakech, Riad Catalina is a beautiful and relaxing place to stay. The staff are wonderful - helpful and pleasant, any time of day or night, and the Riad's dog - Charlie - who wanders the courtyard is another friendly face. Only a few minutes walk from the souks and main square,Djemma el-Fna, Catalina is perfectly located, and also serves up fantastic food to rival many of the restaurants in Marrakech. We thoroughly enjoyed two weeks of sightseeing and relaxing at the Riad - the sun terrace and rooftop swimming pool are a pleasant retreat! Would visit again, without a doubt.

Even arriving at 0300 (cancelled flights etc!) we were still met at the airport and driven to the Riad . The staff were always welcoming and friendly and the evening meal (set dish) was exquisite - better than any of the restaurants we visited. Although tucked away down a series of small alleys on the edge of the souks, we always felt perfectly safe walking back late at night. The Riad Catalina only has a dozen rooms, some quite small but you don't go to Marrakech to stay in your room! Perfectposition for visiting the souks, the night market and many of the other attractions. Thoroughly recommended. (PS Charlie the dog is a star!!)