Riad Elias

Lovely riad close to the Médina. The staff was wonderful and very helpful with recommendations. The hotel is surprisingly quite for being so close to the market and was very clean. The beds are pretty firm, but that is standard for Morocco. The breakfast was also delicious. We had a very short stay and it was just what we needed for the night.

The riad is exceptionally well put together. A real respite from the Marrakech chaos. Saiid is a great host brimming with energy and puts in a lot of extra effort to make your stay a special one.

If you do not have time to read the whole review, here is the main point: DEFINITELY stay here. This will be the best decision of your trip to Marrakesh. Accommodation: My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our time here at Riad Elias. The place is a beautiful combination of renovated and traditional that felt extremely safe. It is close to Jemma El-Fnaa (7 minute walk) but just far enough off the main road that you hear silence from the rooftop. Unless you’re leaving the area, you will not need a car. The staff: We only interacted with two people: Said (the owner) and Sana (the assistant). Said was very gracious, affable and went well above what anyone could have hoped for. When I explained to him that in was Valentine’s Day in the United States and that I wanted to do something special for my wife, he made it happen. Sana was very attentive and friendly. Tips: Ask for the Riad to organize transportation from the airport, your first night’s dinner for you and any tours you may want- It’s higher quality AND more cost effective. Also, ask Said to schedule a hammam and a massage for one of your first nights. Why? Because you’re going to want another one. Conclusion: Most people end their review stating whether or not they would stay at a certain place again. I’m ending mine by stating that while I LOVED Marrakesh, I would only go back to Marrakesh if I could stay at Riad Elias again. I’ve traveled on 4 continents and this was THE BEST accommodation I’ve ever stayed in.

First trip to Marrakesh for my family & I. We were received at the airport by a driver arranged by the Riad. Once in the area, the parked quite far & my family & I ended up carrying our luggage to the Riad. The walk was a good 15-20 minutes, needless to stay not happy from the get go. Next morning we were served a breakfast of pastries & local pancakes bought from the market just outside (we saw them as we toured the area). The bakeries has plenty of flies hovering around the food, luckily no one fell ill. Describing it as a continental breakfast is quite a stretch. The toiletries being described as designer in the hotel.com site are quite exaggerated, we had a tiny soap, with a shower gel & shampoo (both the same), not designer! Not sure how it’s rated 4+ The proprietor was quite interesting, one minute he was extremely inviting, next he was annoyed. He told us the city imposed local tax we needed to pay the night before checking out was to be 2.5 Euros for the 2 adults & my older child who is 11. When I reviewed my email it said no tax for those under 12. I showed him the email & was told by Said that the websites (he said bookings.com) kept changing the age, even though it’s a local tax. Once I questioned him he was not happy, he said don’t pay anything in quite a rood manner, I walked away. My husband spoke to him & said we would pay. He thought as is the last night, it’s best to go with the flow. He later apologizing to me for speaking the way he did.

We had a wonderful stay in this riad. It is deep in the medina. Although you may be able to find it using GPS, its better to ask them to meet you somewhere and guide you through the medina. There are signs to help navigate if you know to look for them. The riad owner, Sayyid, was extremely hospitable. He really enjoyed our 2 year son and played with him in the courtyard. They have a pet turtle roaming freely in the courtyard. This is what my son remembers most about our trip. We had friends staying in other riads meet up with us at ours. Sayyid greeted them with tea, wine, and olives on the house. The room was comfortable and stylish. It is a very small riad with only a few rooms. Sayyid let us choose the one we wanted. We did have issues getting hot water, but it was so hot outside, we didn't mind. The AC in our room worked really well. The location is great being right in the heart of medina. You can get to Jemma el Fnna fairly easily using GPS. Everything felt very safe.