Riad Yacout

Just inside the medina, this is an excellent riad with good rooms, a pleasant atrium, and very helpful staff. I’d ignore the poor reviews, it’s well worth staying here.

I’m very disappointed with Riad Yacout and want future guests to know what happened. I had written confirmation for two suites for seven nights, 16-23 December. It clearly said the booking was confirmed and payment was due on arrival, with no advance payment required. Even so, the riad tried to charge my card before I arrived, without my authorisation and against those terms. I replied in writing right away, politely explaining the agreement and asking them to honour the booking. Instead, they cancelled it. When I spoke with Asma at the front desk, she confirmed the cancellation and said rooms were now available for only five days, leaving me effectively stranded. Asma and Layla were rude and dismissive on the call and unwilling to help. There was no apology or meaningful solution. Cancelling a confirmed pay-on-arrival reservation because an unauthorised pre-charge failed, then treating the guest disrespectfully, is completely unacceptable and highly unprofessional. I strongly advise travellers to be cautious. If something goes wrong, don’t expect fairness, accountability, or basic courtesy.

It’s a charming, nicely decorated riad in a central location. The staff were very nice, and breakfast was excellent. Public parking is right in front and costs 20 drh per day, which seems very reasonable compared with Dutch prices. Our room, number 6, was probably the smallest, but it worked for us. I’d give the room three stars because there’s no door to the toilet or bathroom. Sometimes tourists get sick, and thank goodness we didn’t. The water pressure needs attention too. Try to shower first thing in the morning or in the afternoon. Our shower barely gave cold water, so it was far too hot. As with all riads, the windows face the open area in the middle, so keep them shut for privacy. The rooftop terrace is large and nice, though it was too hot to sit there at the time. The shallow little pool was nice for cooling off, but leaves and insects had gotten into it in the strong wind, and the circulation pump was off.

The team made a great stay even better. We got upgraded from a junior suite to a senior suite, and they even called the pool company to reopen the pool for my son, although it was supposed to have been closed for a week. The meals, including breakfast, were great, and the location was excellent. Many thanks to everyone!