Alqaria Siyahiya

I had a really unpleasant encounter with a security guard in Marrakech’s Al Karia tourist area. He aggressively demanded our passports instead of asking politely, and his rude, unprofessional manner made an unnecessary situation uncomfortable. Visitors should feel safe and welcome in a tourist area. This kind of treatment gives a very bad impression and can spoil a trip. I hope management takes it seriously and trains staff to communicate respectfully. Nobody should be treated like that.

I spent nearly a week here in the first half of November 2025 and was glad I chose it over somewhere closer to the centre. The residence is green, with palm trees, birds, and cats during the day, children playing, and quiet at night. There’s less motorbike noise than downtown and no dust. It feels safe, with a high wall and guarded gates, but there are many privately owned apartments and no reception. Make sure you know exactly how to find your unit, especially if arriving at night. I had someone with me who knew where to go, but I might have got lost on my own. I saw a girl at the gate asking for help because she was lost. There are restaurants, small supermarkets, a drug store, barbershop, ATM, pool, and mosque, all at reasonable prices. Breakfast at local restaurants was usually around 50-60 MAD, and dinner 70-80 MAD. There’s no alcohol anywhere here. Everywhere takes cash only. I saw an ATM in the residence but didn’t check the fee, which I think is 20-50 MAD, and wouldn’t recommend using it. You can withdraw at the airport or Medina instead. I recommend Al Barid Bank, which doesn’t charge a fee. Don’t convert currency at the ATM. There’s also an Al Barid Bank machine in the airport departure area, so I’d get cash there. Be very careful with cash and always check your change. Twice, I paid restaurant bills with 200 MAD and got less change than I should have. The first time was within my first few hours at a restaurant in the residence, and I didn’t catch it until I got home and counted my money. It happened again at a restaurant in the Medina. They may say they counted wrong, but oddly, it seems to happen quite often with different vendors. The Medina is about 2 km away, usually a 30-minute walk for me. A taxi is around 40 MAD each way. I recommend the local app roby.taxi instead of using the taxi at the entrance. The airport ride took about 30 minutes and cost 150 MAD. When leaving, one driver quoted me 250 MAD to the main station, but I eventually found a car for 60 MAD.

The residence felt safe and had reasonably priced restaurants, shops, and a pharmacy. It’s well placed for getting around, about 15 minutes by taxi from the CTM coach station, Medina, and Souk. Our unit was clean, though one shower didn’t drain properly and one of the beds collapsed. Apart from that, it was okay.

It’s a huge tourist accommodation with no frills, and it feels very old and could be cleaner. There are grocery shops, four restaurants, and a pharmacy on site, with good access to the Medina.