Villa Grenadine

The swimming pool was beautiful and so inviting, and the whole Villa was comfortable, peaceful and spotlessly clean, with tasteful decor. It's a very nice Maison d'hôtes owned by the charming Les Abeillon family, who treat you like one of their own. Breakfast was delicious. Thank you, Khadija.

Thierry made us feel welcome, and we left with really good memories. The pool was clean, and breakfast was excellent, especially the fresh bread and incredible couscous. We’d happily come back, and I recommend staying here.

Ghazou, the little village where Villa Grenadine sits, is about 5 km from Essaouira. It took around 10 minutes by car or an hour and a half on foot. There’s a small grocery shop, a surprisingly good handicraft store selling things like baskets, and even a little tajine restaurant. For trips into Essaouira for shopping, restaurants or sightseeing, Thierry and Hakima can drive you in their big 4X4 for about 1,5 e per person. Thierry likes to have some rosé in the afternoons, so I’d ask Hakima to drive in the evenings. He could also be a little stubborn about suggestions for sights nearby, since he prefers doing things his own way. Longer trips and Marrakech airport pickups are available too, a 2.5-3 hour drive. We were seven adults and nine children sharing the villa with friends, and there was plenty of room. Once past the stone walls, the place looks even better than the photos. It’s fairly recently built and in good condition, with at least three bathrooms, fresh towels and sheets, and WiFi that mostly worked well in the main house. There’s no heating, but even in January it was warm enough to sleep. The maid made breakfast each morning with different breads and pancakes, jam, butter, coffee and hot chocolate for the kids. We usually asked for omelettes too, and sometimes brought our own yoghurt, cheese and avocados. They can also make a nice tagine dinner for a reasonable price, and local wine is available. The pool isn’t heated, but we swam anyway in January. On the sunniest afternoons the water was maybe +15. Thierry, Hakima and the kitchen maids were all very friendly. A couple of kids played in the yard, along with Chupi, the super friendly watchdog.

It’s a peaceful place, with comfortable beds and everything clean. The host is great, and there’s a very friendly dog. WiFi was strong enough for remote work, and a shuttle is available for people arriving from essaouira.