Riad Siwan

The stay has been magical so far. We were glad we chose Riad Siwan through Mr & Mrs Smith, despite my nerves about trusting reviews on trip advisor and the price. It isn't cheap, but it has surpassed what we expected. The presentation is beautiful, the staff are attentive and charming, and the location works well for exploring independently. The food is delicious too. For the practical bits, both the air con and wifi work perfectly.

We kept returning for Moroccan dinners on most nights, which isn't like us, because the food and service were so delicious and authentic. Breakfast was filling and tasty every morning too. The terrace sits a little higher than most of the surrounding buildings, so the view is hard to beat. Before we even got up there, the carefully designed, spotless riad had us swooning. It felt like our own little oasis in Marrakesh's historic Medina, straight out of a storybook. Khalid, the hotel manager, was incredibly hospitable and helped us get acquainted with Marrakesh. Amine also stood out. He looked after us so well that he quickly felt like a friend. We wish we could take him along wherever we travel!

The food was fantastic. We had the three course dinner on two nights and breakfast each morning, with different breakfast items each day and eggs made to order. Try to be back for sunset if you can, the terrace is a wonderful spot for evening drinks. Amine was especially kind, friendly and attentive whenever we needed something. He even brought chairs and a small table up to the very top of the terrace so we could enjoy rooftop mojitos more comfortably at sunset. We arrived shortly after midnight and were welcomed and shown to our room, then offered a chance to see the terrace view. The next morning we came out after breakfast hours had ended, but Khalid told us breakfast was ready and had kept it for us. We felt completely cared for from the start. We booked through Mr&Mrs Smith for our first visit to Morocco and our first riad, not knowing quite what to expect. I work in hospitality, and my brother, who stayed with me, had worked at a luxury hotel. We have both traveled widely, and our experience here was among the best hospitality we've had. I hope to stay again, and was truly impressed by the service.

We had a terrible time at Riad Siwan and strongly recommend avoiding it. There was no proper check-in, and the staff only spoke Arabic. On New Year's, there was a mandatory dinner with only one kind of Moroccan wine available, sold by the bottle rather than by the glass. People at our table were frustrated. The bathroom walls were damp and smelled, the dirty carpets were unpleasant, and there were no dark curtains, so morning light woke us. There was no full-length mirror, and the common sitting area was closed for a private massage. We raised these issues and were told the owner would speak to us, but she never did. It felt like she didn't care about the guest experience. We had already paid, so there was nothing we could do. In the owner's response, they said we were looking for a hotel experience. We'd stayed at four other riads during our 12 days in Morocco, and they were amazing. We were comparing Riad Siwan with riad experiences, not hotels. In other words, the issues we listed are accurate, and travelers should expect them because this is a Riad.