Dar Housnia

“A Calm and Welcoming Oasis”

We spent five nights at Dar Housnia at the end of August and couldn’t recommend staying here enough. The riad looks exactly like the photos and is truly an oasis in the middle of the medina. All of the staff were so kind and attentive, but we mainly dealt with Abdu, the evening manager, due to th… more

We spent five nights at Dar Housnia at the end of August and couldn’t recommend staying here enough. The riad looks exactly like the photos and is truly an oasis in the middle of the medina. All of the staff were so kind and attentive, but we mainly dealt with Abdu, the evening manager, due to the time of day we were at the riad. He was a fantastic host, giving us excellent restaurant recommendations and organising a last minute hot air balloon ride for us. It was lovely to return each evening to his hospitality! Lamya was so friendly and assisted us during the day, and we had the most delicious breakfasts and dinners prepared by Zineb. The food at the riad was the best we had during our trip, so thank you Zineb for some truly incredible meals. We stayed in the Mogador suite which was clean, comfortable, and beautifully decorated. Every day we ate on the gorgeous roof terrace and cooled off in the beautiful pool. An unforgettable trip, and we will recommend Dar Housnia to everyone we know! Thank you all!

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“A lovely oasis of calm!”

We took the whole 4 bedroom Riad, even though there were only 4 of us. Still great value. We got a cab from the airport and were dropped off a short walk from the Riad (through the busiest and craziest little alleyways - but it all added to the experience!) When the door opened into the Riad, we w… more

We took the whole 4 bedroom Riad, even though there were only 4 of us. Still great value. We got a cab from the airport and were dropped off a short walk from the Riad (through the busiest and craziest little alleyways - but it all added to the experience!) When the door opened into the Riad, we were bowled over by how peaceful and beautiful it is inside. There's a central courtyard with a huge palm tree in it and a sitting area. All the bedrooms are full of character and very comfortable. There's a small swimming pool and a lovely roof terrace where we had breakfast every day. We had 2 evening meals in the Riad and 2 others at local restaurants (La Terrace des Epices and +61 - both excellent and very different feel to each other. Try both - you won't be disappointed!). The Riad meals were delicious - fantastic fresh salads and bread with chicken and lemon tagline one night and lamb tagline the other. Followed by dessert. All cooked by the lovely Zineb. At a cost of around €30 euros a head, they were really Good value. The Riad is beautiful but the staff just make the whole experience wonderful. Abdu and Hamza are both charming and helpful and always on hand for whatever you need. All the housekeeping staff are smiley and keep the place spotlessly clean. You should be aware that the Riad does not have a licence to sell alcohol - something we were not aware of prior to arriving. Not a massive issue in the scheme of things really but worth knowing. Overall we had a fabulous time here and would highly recommend it, especially if you're looking for an authentic Moroccan experience.

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“Lovely romantic place with a great terrace”

I’ve been coming here both with friends and my wife and this place always delivers. Everything is good. Every detail is thought through. The furniture and the decorations in the rooms are top notch. Both the terraces are a haven of tranquility with views overlooking the Medina and mosques. The smal… more

I’ve been coming here both with friends and my wife and this place always delivers. Everything is good. Every detail is thought through. The furniture and the decorations in the rooms are top notch. Both the terraces are a haven of tranquility with views overlooking the Medina and mosques. The small pool is lovely, when the temperature permits. Food and staff is great. Recommend for couples that celebrate something extra.

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“An oasis of calm in a very busy locality”

Our first visit to Marrakesh and we booked Dar Housnia after extensive research. The initial arrival at Marrakesh’s very smart airport is impressive. Into a taxi (arranged by Dar Housnia) into town. I discovered all Riads in the Medina are inaccessible by car and involve some walking for the last … more

Our first visit to Marrakesh and we booked Dar Housnia after extensive research. The initial arrival at Marrakesh’s very smart airport is impressive. Into a taxi (arranged by Dar Housnia) into town. I discovered all Riads in the Medina are inaccessible by car and involve some walking for the last part. The last 200 yards to Dar Housnia are along a very busy narrow street with motorbikes going in both directions and lots of people rushing backwards and forwards. However once navigated you turn down a small alley and a couple of turns later you are at the door of the riad. The door opens to a different world, beautifully restored merchants house over 3 floors, with a roof terrace and a pool. Abdul looked after us really well, the breakfast is delicious and my wife had a hamman in the hotel. The rooms are well decorated lots of hot water and lovely sheets and towels. Navigating round the locality does take some practice, it’s easy to become disorientated. Our first couple of hours was spent exploring the local area and we fell prey to a gentleman who offered to show us the tannery (definitely not recommended) then onto his friends leather shop for some pressure selling we escaped lightly with a belt! The area is a bit daunting at night but I felt quite safe there are two very good restaurants locally Le Foundouk and Le Slimana. I used le Foundouk as a reference point when getting back to the riad using google maps. If you want to but a locally woven scarf opposite Le Foundouk are 2 hand weavers the one furthest away is the best, good quality and nice colours. If you decide to eat out in another part of town be careful getting back as the souks shut at 9.30 ish and you can get locked in. Lots of places to go and see all itemised in many guidebooks. Half a day with a guide is well worth it.

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