Riad Zara

The room was beautiful, really big, comfortable and clean!! The breakfast was lovely especially having it on the rooftop. Overall the experience in Riad Zara was really nice. The staff are really friendly and Monique was great with answering questions and giving advice in person and over text.

Just as a side note, the location is a 15-20 minute walk away from the main square/ areas.

Host went above and beyond all my expectations! She even borrowed us some dirhams when we showed up late without any cash for dinner. Riad is exceptionally clean and well kept. Everything we wanted or needed was always taken care of! Highly recommend!

It was beautifully decorated, comfortable and clean. The owner and staff were very personable and friendly.

The riad looks amazing. The decorations and furniture are tasteful, and showcase Moroccan charm. The inner courtyard (the central part of the riad) is serene and tranquil, with birds chirping away in the shades of the trees above a small pond. All this gives you a splendid place to return to and recharge after a day of exploring the Medina, which is easy to do as the main square is a 15 minute walk away (sometimes more due to the throng of people slowly moving through the streets). It's also easy to access the perimeter wall gates to catch a taxi or a bus to the new part of the city. The rooms look onto the courtyard, which is a staple of the riad, but should be something to consider as you may find yourself shutting your windows to block the chatter from the shared sitting area, which can hinder ventilation and make the room air feel a bit stale. The rooms themselves are cleaned and tidied up every day. They also do not come with a locking mechanism by default (you can ask the hosts for a padlock, which we didn't do as we weren't leaving a lot of valuables in the room - none of our things were touched except to tidy). Monique and Coco were our hosts, and they supported us with great advice and recommendations about what to do and see. As they are both European (but have been living abroad for a long time), they can help explain and navigate the local culture. They are very pleasant, and our talks with them will remain one of the hallmarks of our trip. When it comes to food and drink, the riad serves breakfast and dinner - we did not try the dinner, but we opted for having the breakfast during the whole of our stay. The breakfast is nicely balanced - some fresh juice, yogurt, butter, cheese, a selection of sweet spreads and preserves, bread and/or pastries, and some fresh fruit. You can also choose between local tea and coffee.

The breakfast is very nice, but it is mostly sweet (as it is in most places around Marrakech from what we've seen). There are savory options, like eggs, but they cannot be bought on their own, and are charged as extras (a plain omelette is 3 EUR for instance). This can be problematic if you have a diabetic condition, insulin resistance, or just don't like a sweet breakfast. While I am aware of the extra prep work, I feel that offering a mostly savory alternative would make it even better and more accessible to all guests. It would also be great if the option for breakfast could be booked directly via Booking (this was not available in our case) - just as a convenience to not have to pay the breakfast tally at the end of the stay.

a tiny bit further out, but everywhere is in walking distance

amazing roof terrace and very welcoming staff, we had a great stay.

notre séjour chez Monique à était excellent voyage pour mes 60 ans j'ai eu droit a une bougie au petit déjeuner 😍 Monique nous conseille et nous guide au mieux pour notre semaine et un petit coucou à coralie très sympathique riad au calme et tout proche de la place jemaa el fna je recommande cet établissement

Monique has a beautiful and peaceful riad and was a perfect host. Her tajine is the best of the city :)

We did not feel particularly welcome right from the start both before and after our arrival. You have a very specific arrival window and if you don't meet it then you have to pay extra. Everything above and beyond the absolute basic costs extra at this Riad and by extra I mean significantly higher than average prices in Marrakesh. This was very disappointing as we had stayed in another Riad by the main square a week or so earlier which was run by a Moroccan family and everything was included in the price such as water, tea, snacks, and breakfast. The family also went out of their way to esure we had an amazing experience which you certainly do not get at Riad Zara. Whilst the Riad is very clean and nicely furnished, I would suggest staying at a different one if you want to receive a proper Riad experience.