Riad Douja

It’s right in the middle of the city center, and the place is clean, with a cozy rooftop balcony for breakfast. The rooms are too small and not very comfortable, though, and need urgent repairs.

This was one of the worst rooms I’ve ever stayed in. It was tiny, dusty, and smelled like dirty toilets. The blankets seemed as if they hadn’t been washed in ages, and I found dirt, hair, and all sorts of disgusting things on them. There was one toilet for around 15 rooms, maybe 20-30 people, and it was disgusting. There was blood and piss everywhere, and we had no toilet paper the whole time. Honestly, I couldn’t sleep all night. I’ve never stayed anywhere so terrible.

Very hospitable, and a beautiful place to stay. A double room was €25-30, which felt very affordable.

The bed was clean and comfortable, and although the room got cold at this time of year, there were thick blankets and a plug-in heater. Breakfast was tasty, with a great staff member serving it. The room was a good size for the price, and the location is great. Front desk staff were friendly, spoke great English, and gave me useful pointers for the city. The breakfast and location were real positives. My private bathroom was disappointing. There was mould around most of the shower, and the handle was covered in dirt and rust. Paint was peeling and bubbling in several places, and a lamp with just one screw had exposed wires and cut out if nudged. There was almost no soundproofing either. People sometimes talked in the Riad center or watched videos on their phones until 1am, and even though I usually sleep easily, I struggled here. I also needed to print my boarding pass. Riad Douja couldn’t print it, but the front desk sent me to a man who took me to a hotel about 30 seconds away. They charged 10 Dirhams for the paper, and the man who led me there also demanded money, saying, "no no that is nothing" when I tried to give him some change. The change I had was euros, so I gave him a small note worth less instead. Beggars can't be choosers. There are quite a few local shops in Marrakech that print boarding passes, and I’d look for one of those because it should be cheaper and easier. For the price, it’s reasonable, and probably would have been much better with earplugs and some work on the private bathroom.