Riad Turquoise

The look of the hotel was nice, nice design and cool looking furniture.

The staff were not very helpful. The Manager was ment to meet on the first day and discuss tour options in person, but we never saw him and only every spoke via Whatsapp message and we were told we could not have an early breakfast only if we booked tours through him. And the television didn't work the whole time we were there and noone fixed it despite asking many times.

Winter sun for 6 days Been here three times now with this Riad being the best Great host and fab girls who did the daily cooking and room clean We opted not to change linen daily but got water on way every day Breakfast was cake, fresh baguettes, pancakes, home made jams, butter, yoghurt and the most amazing freshly squeezed OJ Will even offer u an omelette too Room was at the top of the building and lucky enough to be given the best of them. Pure chance or seeing as I booked 5 nights Very hot water for shower, with good water pressure Safe in room, with AC or heat for February as nights get cool Wear a hoodie for breakfast too Very traditional and authentic in design Wi-Fi for the most was stable other than 1 night which we have up on Location was great, with most roads running into the Medina Local restaurants were very good. Please see other TA RV's Lastly....ensure you have the Riad number on your phone as getting in on the first day as delayed No biggie. Local Orange shop to get a cheaper sim than at the airport

Traditional Location to restaurants Hearty breakfast Quiet at night, but woken up in morning with local builders

Swimming pool not warm enough in Feb

Riad Turquoise – uninspired, unsafe guesthouse that could be so much better. We have spent some time composing our views on this accommodation. We have decided to group them in sections. Good. The location, whilst initially surprising because it’s down a narrow alley and not very disability friendly is within walking distance of much of the south and centre of Marrakesh – the bits people want to experience. There are several good restaurants nearby. Room cleanliness and care – outstanding. The cleaning lady was exceptional. The room itself was en suite but open plan so if one person goes to the loo the other might want to step outside for 5 minutes. The air conditioning in the room was superb. Hot and cold water were always available. There is lots of cupboard and drawer space – although one cupboard needed a hinge repairing. The room is traditionally Moroccan in its décor, and space was reasonable, although we thought calling it a suite was pushing the definition a bit. Complimentary internet was mostly good but struggled when there were a couple of sets of guests. Dangerous. There are no signs or information in the room about actions in case of fire or other disaster and no fire extinguishers in the guest room. After extensive searching one extinguisher was found behind a door in the kitchen. One sign for an emergency exit was found over a door not available to guests but there were no others. Three large gas bottles are stored in the premises without any warning signs. We found a metal teapot boiling, unattended, on the gas stove more than once. Some electrical sockets are loose in the walls. There was an electrical socket right next to the handbasin in the bathroom area of our room. There was no way of contacting anyone if the workers weren’t there. Disappointing. The riad has to be measured against its promises in its advertising; we didn’t consider it luxurious or 4 star. The TV in the room was festooned with loose untidy wires but didn’t actually produce a watchable picture. The only power socket available in the room for guest use was on the extension lead for the TV and its tuner. The riad was tired, rather battered and dirty - this may have been because there were two building sites close by which also created quite a lot of noise. The loungers on the roof should have been lovely to sit and catch some sun on but were not nice when stained and dusty. Breakfast is provided, served in various parts of the riad (there is no dedicated restaurant) but is exactly the same every day – except the days when they forgot. We had omelette 3 days out of seven, yoghurt twice, no bread appeared on one occasion and while it’s lovely to try local pancakes and waffles there really should be a choice. Madeira cake is an odd thing to have for breakfast anyway and surely there is other cheese available than foil covered rectangles of processed cheese? There were three people working – the cook, the cleaner and a man who never explained what his role was, although I gleaned he was some sort of undermanager (he told me his boss was away in Switzerland); he was only in the riad occasionally and could not be relied upon to be available at any given time. Although Marrakesh felt remarkably safe, security was reliant on guests remembering to lock the door. There is no CCTV we could find. Although it is to be expected as we visited at the end of January, the riad (apart from our room which we could heat with the air conditioning) was extremely cold. There was a sliding roof but it was never shut. A fire was lit one evening in one of the sitting rooms but this small room was monopolised by a group who smoked constantly; this filled the whole riad (even though it’s an uncovered space) so we, as non-smokers, were rather trapped in our room until they left, but the fire never got lit again. There are two tiny pools – footbaths, really. They looked quite pretty but were not really functional and certainly can’t be called swimming pools. Neither was heated so perhaps unsurprisingly we tried neither. While there is an extensive section on wellness and massages in the advertising there was no sign of it in reality. Unacceptable but not dangerous. We were contacted by the riad beforehand offering to book us a taxi from the airport and provide an evening meal for our first night. We agreed to this and it was confirmed. No taxi appeared. Nobody answered the phone when I rang to find out what was happening. It’s not acceptable to leave foreigners stranded at the airport; fortunately, I speak French and equally fortunately there is an excellent taxi booking system at the airport but it was an hour wasted. When we arrived at the riad (Marrakesh doesn’t really do signposts, so we had to walk down an alley to find an anonymous door (AND it’s in the wrong place on the Booking.com website, which is not helpful) there was no real greeting; a mystified cook let us in and wordlessly plonked registration documents down in front of us. No explanation of what was on offer was forthcoming. It’s not the cook’s job to greet people, and she obviously felt uncomfortable even trying her best. The riad was empty on the first night; there was no sign of the promised dinner and nobody to ask. We went out and found a restaurant instead. We had to arrange trips out. We still don’t know whether it is supposed to be more like a hotel with staff available or more like a house to rent. What could they do to improve the guest experience? Provide what they promise. Sort out the very serious fire and electrical safety issues. Think about how dangerous it is to leave a lit gas hob unattended, for example. Clean, repair and paint throughout. Adjust the satellite dish so TVs actually produce a picture. Have someone to greet guests, make them feel welcome and help them to understand Marrakesh – it’s quite a culture shock to people who haven’t visited the Middle East or north Africa before. Get Booking.com to put your riad in the right place in the map. Communicate – explain how to get help in an emergency or simply if something doesn’t work. Make sure people know when you will be there. Don’t expect the guest to make all the running. If you do provide breakfast, have some options available.

The location, whilst initially surprising because it’s down a narrow alley and not very disability friendly is within walking distance of much of the south and centre of Marrakesh – the bits people want to experience. There are several good restaurants nearby. Room cleanliness and care – outstanding. The cleaning lady was exceptional. The room itself was en suite but open plan so if one person goes to the loo the other might want to step outside for 5 minutes. The air conditioning in the room was superb and needed. Hot and cold water were always available. There is lots of cupboard and drawer space – although one cupboard needed a hinge repairing. The room is traditionally Moroccan in its décor, and space was reasonable, although we thought calling it a suite was pushing the definition a bit. Complimentary internet was mostly good but struggled when there were a couple of sets of guests.

Safety Concerns No fire safety information or extinguishers in guest rooms. Dangerous storage of gas bottles and unattended boiling teapots. Loose electrical sockets present in the room. Amenities and Services Riad did not meet advertised luxury or 4-star standards. TV had loose wires and poor picture quality. Breakfast was repetitive with limited options and occasionally forgotten. Staff and Communication Only three staff members present, with unclear roles. Lack of greeting or orientation for guests upon arrival. No reliable contact for assistance when staff were absent. Overall Experience Riad felt cold and unwelcoming, with inadequate heating. Small, unheated pools were not functional. Promised airport taxi service was not provided, causing inconvenience. A promised welcome meal never materialised. There is a lot more but space has gone. I suggest you read my comments on Tripadvisor.

Nice place in a convenient location, helpful friendly staff

It’s a very beautiful ria and my second time staying here. It sits right by the buzz of the medina, but in a much quieter quarter. Staff are very friendly and Soufiane is an excellent host, incredibly accommodating and gentle. Breakfast is hearty and rooms comfortable and spacious.

nothing

Everything was perfect and soufiane was outstanding help for us .

We thought the Riad was beautifully, the decor and serenity was amazing. The room we had Saffron, I think was on the first floor. All the staff were helpful

We didn't like the breakfast. It was very limited