Riad Diwane

The hotel was under construction and the smell of cement took away a big part of the nice feeling. We were staying in the new part that was long away from the beautiful area in the original hotel. We were not showed the old area, and just by chance with found it and could have other dinner and breakfast in the beautiful courtyard. The price was quite high compared to the standard, why our expectations were bigger upon arrival and the whole stay was a little disappointment even if the owner tried to help.

We had a wonderful two nights here. We really enjoyed the evenings where we ate dinner with the other guests. The dinner is very tasty, would recommend opting for that (110 dh). Plus Radwan is a great host, he organised taxis and a hike for us. Overall would recommend if you want somewhere peaceful to stay.

Radwane and his family are dedicated to ensuring your stay is pleasant and that you have everything you need. His mothers food is as good as you will find anywhere in Morocco. They are caring and attentive people, helping me to discover the local villages with a guide, and organising transport to and from Marrakech. The cosy living room with fireplace is a perfect spot to kick back with a book and forget you had to spend time in Marrakech in a continuous tourist trap.

- Very close to the lake - Quiet neighbourhood - Host was lovely - Good food, huge breakfasts

- Felt lost as we saw the sign to the place (just an arrow to a collection of houses) but not sure where the actual reception was(there isn't one). Tried to contact the owner but as it was Friday, he was in mosque (we had no problem with it, just a bit worried if we were in the right place). A bit of waiting by the pool and he arrived. Wish we had been aware of the time when it's the best to arrive (for a second we thought we may have been scammed as *read my next point*) - Photos are old and misleading as we kept comparing the reality and photos all the time. The roof terrace doesn't excist as it's currently being built, lots of other building bits around. It felt like we were interrupting their makeover process for the whole place and we didn't feel it particularly relaxing (no workers, although it really was a building site). As it was just for one night, it was ok, although definitely as a 'quick stop during the holiday' rather than a relaxing stay. Just a bit disappointing as £49/night felt a bit too much for what we actually got compared to all the other 10 places we stayed in Morocco. I'm sure it will look lovely once all the upgrades are finished.

The food! We ate two meals at Riad Diwane and both of them - especially the chicken tanjine - was out of this world. Everything is cooked family style and traditionally, and the quality is better than any restaurant we went to in Morocco. The staff even found us late-night melon. A lovely place to relax in the mountains.

the view