Riad Dar Meryem

“Lovely and authentic”

I would agree with not being put off by some of the negative reviews. This place was absolutely a gem. You are very much in the neighborhood of Assouel, deep in the medina and near to local markets (the ones where the locals actually shop at). When we arrived it was so quiet from town we had the ... more

I would agree with not being put off by some of the negative reviews. This place was absolutely a gem. You are very much in the neighborhood of Assouel, deep in the medina and near to local markets (the ones where the locals actually shop at). When we arrived it was so quiet from town we had the feeling like the entire riad belonged to us. Abdul was also super lovely and drew me a couple of maps to show how to walk to town and even escorted us himself twice! Within a few hours we learned our way around and went back and forth to town easily enough. Our rooms were spacious and cleaned daily and we were served plenty of breakfast every morning.

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“Very cute riad in the heart of Medina! ”

Really pleasant stay for 3 nights while our visit in Morocco during Christmas holidays! Kristen and Shea, the American owners, are very helpful and they recommended us restaurants that aren’t touristic. Please make sure that you get some warm pajamas during winter, as the rooms are big and the ai... more

Really pleasant stay for 3 nights while our visit in Morocco during Christmas holidays! Kristen and Shea, the American owners, are very helpful and they recommended us restaurants that aren’t touristic. Please make sure that you get some warm pajamas during winter, as the rooms are big and the air conditioner is not enough to warm the rooms (and you!) The traditional breakfast was delicious! If you are using google maps or maps.me to find your way to the Riad it may be tricky, if you are not used to narrow roads. As the cars are not allowed to drive in the old city (Medina) the nearest parking is a the post office, which is not far away from the Riad. For the first time, I would recommend to ask them to pick you up from the post office, just to be sure. They would be glad to help you!

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“It pays to be nice.”

The Meryem is a modern(ish) hotel in the modern part of Marrakech and is a 15 to 20 minutes walk from the heart of the city. Our room was cleaned daily and towels were replaced whenever they had been used. Though the room was advertised as with mini bar, this turned out to be a small fridge which... more

The Meryem is a modern(ish) hotel in the modern part of Marrakech and is a 15 to 20 minutes walk from the heart of the city. Our room was cleaned daily and towels were replaced whenever they had been used. Though the room was advertised as with mini bar, this turned out to be a small fridge which was empty and turned off. We turned it on and filled it with bottled water and Sprite and it was OK for our stay. Bathroom was clean as was the separate toilet but here was no extraction fan for the toilet and so an aerosol spray is a good idea. Toilet rolls replaced frequently. The restaurant served a buffet type breakfast which though adequate was pretty uninspiring. We had one evening meal and that was pretty uninspiring too. The pool was spotless and was cleaned daily. The front desk had a cashier point and the exchange rate was on a par with the currency exchange shops that seem to be on every corner. The senior staff could be a little cold but I took this to be more efficient than standoffish and it certainly helps if you speak French, their first other language. Room staff and waiters speak French too, and a smile, a good word and a 10 dirham tip (70p) will get you best service and a a fresh coffee and an offer of fetching you more food, if you want it. Baggage on arrival was taken to our room and the only thing missing was the means to make a cuppa so perhaps a means of heating water and some teabags would not go amiss. Though the water is supposed to be drinkable we bought bottled water from any of the numerous small shops nearby. To walk to the centre exit the hotel, turn left and walk to the end of the small road on which the Meryem is situated. Turn left again and you will find yourself on a main road. Continue on the road to the the next main Junction where Rue Mohammed V intersects from at an angle. Turn right onto Rue Mohammed and you will see the Koutoubia Mosque in the distance. Continue down Rue Mohammed until you are in the vicinity of the mosque. The main square, Jmaa el Fnaa is to your left . You've made it, and without the need for a pestering taxi driver or the help of someone who only wants to extract money from you. Would I stay at the Meryem again. Definitely, does it need a bit of a boost, on the food front yes, otherwise nothing to complain about.

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“Nice place but beware!!!”

After making our reservation online, we got to the hotel and were presented with a terrible looking room, nothing like what we had seen on the hotel's website, the floor was dirty, the towels and the toilet really dirty, there was no wifi connection and the decoration was horrible!! We reflected ... more

After making our reservation online, we got to the hotel and were presented with a terrible looking room, nothing like what we had seen on the hotel's website, the floor was dirty, the towels and the toilet really dirty, there was no wifi connection and the decoration was horrible!! We reflected for a bit and at night decided we would not stand that room, we went down and talked to the receptionist, we told him all the things that were wrong with the room, asked to pay for the night and leave, he tried to change our rooms, he showed us one that was exactly like the first one and said that was the offered room when we reserved. We were very upset and said it was absolutely unaceptable, he finally called his manager who shouted at him in Arabic, I presume she was upset because him and the rest of the staff were scamming us from the beginning! He finally came back and showed us a new room, the one depicted in their website, with nice wooden floor, nice bed, clean, smelling like new and good taste, we accepted the room and upon check out we paid the same fee that we would've paid for the disgusting room! So beware with the room they show you and ask for the new, wooden floor bedrooms that are located to the right of the hotel once you get in the hotel. The breakfast was very poor, the swimming pool was very nice and the spa is clean. The staff was extra nice to us after the first day! So just be firm, and keep your eyes open, if you do that it's a great place to stay, with a decent price and in a great neighborhood at a nice distance from the chaotic city center

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