Dar Alif

Khadija, the manager, made a special impression on us, and the rest of the staff were just as welcoming and ready to help. The souks are easy to reach from here, while the Riad stays peaceful. We had three lovely nights at Riad Dar Alif. Its beautiful, well-kept rooms were comfortable, and the calm atmosphere made us feel at home straight away. We'd happily come back and highly recommend it.

For a budget bed and breakfast in Marrakesh, this is a real gem. Khalija, de manager, cooks food that's out of this world. The place is cozy and clean, the rooms are nicely decorated, and the staff are super friendly. I'd definitely recommend it in the center of Marrakesh.

The rooftop evenings were a real highlight, with such a relaxing feel. I spent three nights at Riad Dar Alif and enjoyed every day. Breakfast and dinner were both delicious, and the hammam bath and body massage left me completely relaxed.

Dinner was the worst part of my stay. It cost us around 20€ per person, and the meal shown in my review was missing a photo of the two small birouwates and the other, identical “dessert.” We were told drinks were included, but at checkout they suddenly weren't, and the meal price had gone up. The chicken tagine was mostly oily French fries, with two pieces of chicken and bread, plus two birouwates to share between us. We ate the birouwates and chicken, left the fries that were “made with love,” then had to go out for another dinner because there wasn't enough food. We laughed at how absurd it was and expected them to make things right when we complained. Instead, there were excuses and deflections. The person I believe was the owner dismissed our concerns on the phone and kept gaslighting us until I lost my patience, which takes quite a lot as a Canadian. Their “discounted price” was simply the amount we'd originally been quoted. Please learn from our experience and do NOT dine at this Riad. The basic stay was fine. The Riad has the charm of an older building, and the rooms were comfortable enough. The facilities and infrastructure were nice, with only some minor, inconsistent water pressure issues, which weren't unexpected. The bed was relatively uncomfortable, but not terrible. About half the staff seemed genuine and sincere. There may be an insect or two, as can happen with older buildings. Other guests' noise and lack of privacy, mentioned in other reviews, are valid concerns, though they didn't affect our stay too much. One morning at 7:30 am, intermittent noise went on for a couple of hours, as if people were moving furniture. Khadija dismissed it as other “uneducated/impolite guests.” Breakfast cost 6.50€ and was very mediocre, though most Riads include a delicious breakfast. Parts of it would be “forgotten” unless we reminded them. Khadija is a top-notch grifter, and the supplementary services should absolutely be avoided. She calls you sister or brother as a front for her grifting. Other reviews mention the spa often enough that I suspect it's another “must skip,” but we didn't try it, so I can't confirm.