Riad La Porte Rouge By La Siredrah

A few days into our stay, my work phone went missing. It had been in our room, which had no safe for storing valuables. The location feature showed the phone still inside the riad. When we called it, a woman speaking Arabic answered several times, said it was hers, and refused to return it, even though it was a Dutch phone number. The hosts said they knew nothing and told me to go to the police. The police came back with me based on the live location, and the hosts seemed irritated. Officers searched the room and found nothing, then I went to the station to file an official report. Later, when we returned to collect things from the laundry basket, the phone was suddenly there. It had clearly been used before it reappeared, and my phone provider confirmed extra charges from its use abroad. We strongly suspected it had only been put back after the police got involved. We already had concerns about security: on the night we arrived, we briefly went out after locking the door and returned to find it unlocked. There was no safe in the room either. After the phone incident, the hosts became distant and unfriendly, stopped greeting us, and made the atmosphere uncomfortable. We no longer felt welcome or safe, with our belongings unsecured even when out of sight. We decided to leave early on January 1st, 2026 and book somewhere else. At checkout, the host demanded tourist tax for eight days although we’d stayed only three nights. We had already paid over €900 for a stay we couldn’t complete, so we refused to pay tax for days we weren’t there. He kept saying it was “absurd” that we’d involved the police and claimed this had never happened in 15 years, blaming us. I calmly explained that it wasn’t our choice to involve them, but the hosts’ decision in response to the phone’s live location. He stayed angry and accusatory. He threatened to lock the door if we didn’t pay, then actually locked it. My friend managed to get out, but I was trapped inside. When I tried to open the door, manager Abdou physically attacked me. He pretended to call the police but called someone else. The incident was recorded on video and audio, and an official police report was filed. After the phone disappeared, the hostile behavior, intimidation, being locked in, and the physical confrontation, it no longer felt safe to remain there. This was not a misunderstanding or a minor issue. It was a safety matter. After what happened, we checked the reviews more carefully and found one from four or five months earlier by another woman reporting a similar physical assault. I strongly advise future guests to think carefully before booking. I was attacked at this riad by manager Abdou.

It’s a great place to stay, with a very comfortable and quiet room on the second floor. The location is handy too: a fascinating walk through alleys, shops, and courtyards takes you to Jemaa el-Fnaa. It’s a little tricky to find the first time, tucked down a winding alley, but not a big problem. The impressive front door opens into a wonderful area beneath a huge clear roof that opens to the sky. There’s a small pool with a waterfall, and a rooftop bubble bath that’s lovely for relaxing. We stayed for three nights in 2019 and really can’t recommend it enough. A jewel of a place.

The staff deserve plenty of praise. They advised us on what to see and where to eat, and gave us a WhatsApp number in case we ran into problems and needed help. The terrace and jacuzzi are very well maintained, and the riad itself is nice and clean, with spacious rooms. It’s close to the tourist attractions, and the food was very good, with traditional Moroccan dishes. The wine served at the table was special. I warmly recommend this riad for a unique experience.

The night manager locked us in our hotel room and then in the building, nearly making us miss our taxi. He also pounded on our door until 3am when we had to get up for a 5am flight. I’m contacting the US embassy and authorities. Marrakech had some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, but this man was the worst person I’ve ever encountered. He physically assaulted me, ripped my phone out of my hands when I tried to record him, and became extremely violent. Booking.com messed up our reservation, so we waited four hours at a sister hotel. By the time we were finally brought to la Porte rouge, it was 3am and we missed breakfast. The host made us a two-dish lunch but gave us no prices or bill. I tipped him 100 Durham. After we’d spent the day buying things in Marrakech, I knew I was being ripped off when the manager later said I still owed 50 Euro for the dishes. I offered another 200 Durham, and he went ballistic. Be aware of this hotel. The sister hotel in the square was amazing, though.