Riad Meriem

The location is handy for the souks and main attractions, and the place is generally quiet despite being in the medina. There is a nice rooftop terrace, breakfast is included, and Youssef was kind. WiFi works in the main garden area, though it barely reaches beyond the courtyard. The rooms were extremely dark, with weak or broken lighting, very hard beds, and high humidity on the walls and ceilings. We found a clogged sink, poor shower pressure, and a dirty shower floor, along with generally poor attention to cleanliness. There was no bathroom door or full-length mirror, and the safe was broken. The pool was always very cold and not really usable. The riad was difficult to find on our first visit, and the online photos seemed misleading and outdated. Maintenance and renovation felt lacking, and staff and management were hard to contact. No one was there at check-in, so we waited about 45 minutes. Unfortunately, Riad Meriem didn't live up to its online presentation. Despite the good location and rooftop, the poor maintenance, uncomfortable rooms, and weak management made it feel overpriced compared with other Marrakech riads offering much better quality. It needs serious improvements to meet expectations.

Adel was a huge help all week and seemed available at every hour for the guests. That service alone made this a five star stay for me, and I'd absolutely stay again if we return. The riad is beautiful and everything is close enough to pop out and come back easily. We stayed in the Matisse room, which I believe is the only option on the first floor, so these room comments are specific to it. We couldn't get the four shower knobs to make sense, even after a week, as their purpose seemed to change every day. We could hear every conversation from the first floor and balconies as though our door was open. I usually didn't mind, but I'm a light sleeper, so if you're like me, ear plugs might help. Marrakesh comes alive at night, and guests return at odd hours, so a quiet night isn't guaranteed. The rooms were beautiful and somehow always the perfect temperature, so we never needed the AC. The orange blossom shower amenities were so good I almost pocketed them, though I didn't. The cook deserves her own restaurant: the food at the riad was sometimes much better than the random places we tried out and about. Breakfast was included, a whole spread to set us up for the day, and dinner on arrival was a superb traditional Moroccan feast. Inside, you couldn't hear the street chaos. When guests were out for the day, it was peaceful and quiet, with only birds to hear. It was cold outside and the pool was cold too, so we couldn't use it. That's just a heads up for future visitors, nothing against the riad.

Youssef was such a friendly, flexible host and there whenever we needed him. He made our trip special, and we'll definitely come back. Everything was clean, thoughtfully designed, and in a great location. One tip for late sleepers: the Matisse room is on the ground floor by the entrance, so it may not suit you.

The room looked as if nobody had changed anything in six years, and the walls were coming apart from the humidity. The whole building and walls were covered with mold. We had to leave because my boyfriend has asthma. The pictures on booking and google are old, and the place looks nothing like them. This feels like a total scam. They take your payment, but there is no way to contact the people in charge, and booking offered no way to help with this reservation. The young guy working there was really helpful, but don't book this riad. You will regret it.