Riad Dar al Kounouz

Inside, Riad Dar al Kounouz feels peaceful and beautiful, a little oasis in the middle of Marrakech. The manager was especially helpful, sorting out local activities and arranging a memorable trip to the Agafi desert. Staff were attentive and friendly throughout, and the riad has a lovely, authentic feel. Getting there means following a narrow, dark lane, and there was sometimes a smell of cat pee, but those small drawbacks faded once we were inside.

Zakaria deserves a special mention for being so kind and helpful throughout our stay. The staff in general were friendly and ready to lend a hand. We found the rooms spacious and the rooftop a great place to relax in the evening. It’s tucked into the middle of Marrakesh's Medina quarter (old city), and felt like a hidden gem for the price.

As a solo woman, I didn’t feel at ease walking along the long, quiet, dark street to this otherwise beautiful and peaceful riad. My room had a slight sewer smell until I aired it out, and the sheets felt and sounded like paper. Breakfast didn’t really work for me as someone who can’t eat gluten. All I could have was grapes and yoghurt. When I needed to print my boarding pass, they couldn’t do it and weren’t helpful about finding another option. I was told to look somewhere outside, then had to rush from shop to shop asking for a printer. The man arranged to carry my bags to the taxi was awful. When I could have shared a taxi with someone, he grabbed my arm and pushed me toward a different one. I had to tell him not to touch me.

Zakaria and his team were attentive, friendly, and quick to help with whatever we needed, and we had a very good stay overall. Still, having visited Marrakech for years and tried several riads, I felt this place could do more to make the staff and experience feel distinctive. Some things in the rooms need updating too, especially the bedding, mattresses, and blankets. Certain extra services that a good riad might include for free, at least on a longer stay, were also missing. We own tourist properties ourselves, so this comes from our day-to-day experience. With a little more effort from management, this already good stay could be even better.