Disclaimer: When describing this hostel, there is more than one "house" that was converted into a hostel. This information pertains to "House #1." Take the Navette Airport Shuttle Bus to stop #8 (Jemaa El Fna). Go straight through the square and bear right into the Souks. Make your first left after Le Marrakchi Restaurant. After that left, make your first right. Ensure you print the map that will accompany your confirmation. These directions will lead you to the Riad where you check-in and consume breakfast. Someone from the Riad will walk you to the hostel which is only 2 minutes away. The location is central to many tourist attractions. You will be in the heart of the Souks. The dorm rooms can be booked with 2, 3, or 5 beds. The beds are very narrow and made for only one person. To compare these beds with bunk beds, a bunk bed is much wider if you can at all imagine. If you are traveling with a group which is sharing the room, you may want to ask for the key to the room. If not, it may not be possible to receive a key. There are no lockers and storage areas. Some rooms have closets while others do not. As for linens, they are free and consists of one she per bed. On cold nights, you may receive a blanket; however, there are no pillow cases. A fan is provided in the room! There is an American style toilet on the first floor of the hostel and Asian style toilets on the second and third floors. There are no shower curtains in any of the bathrooms and the hot water does not work on the second floor. The bathrooms are cleaned daily but still there were sightings of roaches. There are knobs on the back of the bathroom door to hang your clothing and shower essentials. Toilet paper is provided. Although the site says that towels are provided for free that are not available. There are no outlets in the bathrooms, so think of alternatives to using your hair dryer. The common area that was shown to us was the rooftop. There was not furniture atop the roof. We never saw anyone go up there to "hang out." There is a common/dining area in the Riad where you take your breakfast. Breakfast is from 0800-1200 and consists of bread, butter, marmalade, orange juice, and tea or coffee. You are more than welcomed to use that area to relax and pictures are available on the website. The WI-FI does not always work and is slow. If you are thinking of staying at this hostel, we think it is safe and a good value for the money. We would advise you to book on-line as the in person rates are higher. The staff speaks Arabic, French, Spanish, and some English. They are very helpful and will recommend and take you to travel agents if requested. Caution - there IS a CURFEW. We understand that the site says otherwise but there is a 0100 curfew in effect.

It may be cliche, but as soon as I arrived in Marrakech, I wanted to start singing Aladdin songs.  "One jump--ahead of the bread line...one swing, ahead of the sword...." I was in for some major culture shock.  I had never been to Africa before, so I was very excited, if a little apprehensive.

Liz, Mary, and I flew from Paris to Casablanca and then over to Marrakech.  We took a cab into the Old City where we were dropped off a couple "blocks" away from our riad.  The streets were so small that the cab couldn't take us to the door!  The riad owner, Peter, came out to meet us and walk us to his place.

The riad (Dar Zaman) was like a little paradise, with open ceilings, a homey dining room, snuggly beds, and a sunny rooftop terrace.  Since we arrived so late in the evening, we washed up and hit the hay.  Early the next morning, though, we had lunch on the roof.  Croissants, jam, yogurt, and tea.  The mint tea is to die for!  We spent the day wandering around the city, exploring and shopping.  It's easy to get lost, but small boys are always running up to you offering directions.  Usually you're not supposed to offhandedly listen to them, because sometimes they lie, but other times it's helpful...just so you can get your bearings.

It's amazing to see these little kids running around the city as though they own it...if you do "hire" one (or three! they like to travel in groups) as your guide, you'll be amazed at how knowledgeable they are about the twisting alleys and confusing streets.  It's important to tip them if they help you, but don't overdo it.  They'll try to get you to give them more...they're pretty much happy to accept any currency.  I think we tipped in euros, dirhams, and U.S dollars.  Also expect people to ask for money if you take their picture...it's probably a good idea to ask their permission before you do. 

Haggling and shopping in the Souks is stressful (especially for me...I'm not much of a bargainer) but definitely part of the experience.  You can always get a decent price, even if it takes walking away...but it's absolutely mandatory to bargain.  They expect it.  I bought a pair of sunglasses on my first day and DIDN'T bargain, and the shop owner looked at me like I was a prime idiot!  It's quite beautiful to walk through the alleys with the sun streaming down between the wooden slats of the homemade roofs...there are brightly colored beads and rugs and scarves just about everywhere you turn.

Most people spoke French and Arabic, so I was doing lots of translating for our group.  Only the shop owners spoke English, and sometimes not even then!  Liz wanted to see the old Jewish part of the city, so we went over there to check out the old Mosque...one of the only left in Marrakech.  We also paid a visit to the cemetary...extremely old and quite moving.  Another day we took a ride up to the Atlas Mountains to explore a Berber village and see a Kasbah.  The road was very narrow and very steep.  It was all I could do not to puke.  Despite it being only one lane, large trucks, motorcycles, and cars would whiz past you in their hurry up or down.  Stressful! 

The weather was beautiful...at night, if we ate dinner in the Square, we'd be able to watch the street performers and people selling their wares.  There were snake charmers, henna artists, musicians, spices for sale, and all sorts of exciting and enticing knick-knacks.  During the day, there are only a few vendors, but around 4pm more and more begin to set up their stands.  By 7pm, the entire square is jam packed with people..it's one big party, every night!  One night we ate dinner at the riad...a delicious three course meal cooked by the housemaid Fatima (who was sweet as pie). 

On our last day, we went to a hammam for spa treatment that ripped off a layer of skin and rubbed us raw...it was worth it, and fairly cheap, but...invigorating...to say the least!  It was a trial trying to find the place...thank goodness our days were warm and sunny! 

We flew back to Paris via Casablanca again...unfortunately we had a 7 hour layover!  We met a handsome, friendly Australian boy who also had a long layover and we hung out with him in the airport.  He worked on oil rigs, and had been so many places that the embossing on his passport had worn completely off.  He told us about places like Saudi Arabia that very few people get to visit, and it passed the time nicely.  We teased him about actually being a spy...he might have thought we were a little bit nuts, but waking up at 4am to catch a plane will do that to you!

I was happy to be back in Paris...but Marrakech was amazing.  I'm so glad Liz thought to go there!  She and Mary had one more half day in Paris til they flew back to the U.S...it was sad to see them go, but I had to rest up for my next visitor who was arriving in a week!

I have to agree with the other reviews of this hamlet in bustling Marrakech...it's a cozy, quiet, friendly place with excellent food and great hospitality. Peter, the owner, makes sure you feel like you're at home. He'll chat with you about your day, help you make plans, give you helpful hints about getting around and things to see. After a long day, it's so relaxing to come home to this haven and lounge on the rooftop terrace (alone or with fellow guests) or in your cozy room. Peter mentioned that he'd like to see more Americans visit Morocco, so you guys, get over there! It's a really cool place, and while you're enjoying all Marrakech has to offer, make sure you set down your suitcases at Dar Zaman!

Fantastic traditional riad in the heart of the Medina. Excellent food and wine. Friendly service. Lots of character. Antoine and Angela are great hosts. www.riad-clementine.com

we used the riad clementine as a base for a week in morocco. we came and went and came back again , staying six nights in total.utilising three different rooms . all of which were of an excellent standard, very clean ,superbly furnished and decorated with taste. we eat at the riad on five of the six nights and the food was wonderfull, my partner is vegetarian and was extremely happy with the variety of dishes.the traditional terrine dishes were particularly good.as is the selection of wines. there is a small swimming pool that has the sun most of the day,what a welcoming sight after a day in the souks or on returning from an excursion from the mountains. The riad is situated in the north of the medina district, one block from the grand taxi area, so transport is no problem.it is down a quiet alley way ,a real oasis in a city of mayhem.only a 20 min stroll (or 20 dhirum cab ride) from the madness of the main square and the never ending souks. The hospitality of our hosts Angela and Antoine was second to none. every expectation was surpassed. I can not recomend the place highly enough. we will return again and again. Tips for marrakesh; use the smaller taxis, airport to marrakesh 100-200 dhirams always negotiate hard for taxi rides or insist that the meter to be put on. an aveage ride from a-b in town is 20-40 dhirums £2-3 bargain hard in the souks, the traders usually ask two to three times the value as a start point. expect to be hassled a little but its not anywhere near as bad as i was expecting. never accept help or directions from the multitude of people offering it , they all want paying, the most common scam is ...i work at your hotel , i will show you ..... take and use antibacterial hand wash. Change money in marrakesh airport ,better rates, change back money in airport before going through to departures,not many of the stores in duty free accept dhirums. allow plenty of time to get through depatures , enjoy

This morning we had a walking tour with our guide, Mustafa, and visited a mosque, an old palace and a madras (school where they study the Koran) before heading in to one of the most liveliest souks in the world. The markets are located around the famous Djemma el Fna square, which is full of snake charmers, storytellers, acrobats, musicians, etc., and of course, SHOPPING.

We then headed to the souks and stopped at a shop which sold herbs and spices. While there we had a little class on the different spices and herbs in the shop. The gentleman who conducted the class explained the many different uses for the herbs, i.e. medicinal, cooking, etc. I myself bought some saffron for my mom, some eucalyptus oil, saffron lip balm, etc. While I was making my purchases, he insisted on making my eyes up with kohl and placing a Berber mark on my forehead with the kohl. I later asked Mustafa, what the mark was. Mustafa went on to explain that it was a mark that Berber women wore to show they were married, and to keep other men away. I was like okay. Needless to say Mustafa LIED!!! BAD MUSTAFA, BAD!!

We then went on to a carpet shop, where we were all invited to sit and have mint tea while they showed us the many different types of carpets they sold. After haggling with the store owner in another room upstairs, I, of course, ended up buying a small one. It's a beautiful terracotta colored thin weave carpet with beautiul designs on it (it's too nice to place on the floor, so I have it draped over my couch in the living room.)

After our tour, a few of us decided to stay and shop in the souks and have lunch at one of the rooftop terrace restaurants overlooking the square. Shopping was alot of fun, though because of that mark on my head, I kept getting called "Berber girl" and "Fatima" by the shop owners (so much for the mark keeping the men away). We met some interesting characters that day in the souks. Besides the carpet, I ended up buying a beautiful handwoven tote bag, which, of course, I haggled for. After a while, we all got pretty good at the bargaining game with the shop owners.

We proceeded to walk in the square and watch the snake charmers and acrobats perform. A snake charmer approached me with his snake, he kept telling me be careful, it's poisonous. I looked at him and told, "uh no, it's not". He was like "why do you say that, how do you know". I told him, "because it's a python and I should know, I used to own one". He just started laughing.  Bronwyn then took a picture of me, him and the snake. I did, however, stay away from the cobras.

Day 1:

We arrived at 10am, after a sleepless night and an uncomfortable, yet cheap, Ryanair flight we arrived at Marrakech airport, a red building like every other in the city.  A passport stamp later, we found our driver and we escorted to the car park and driven to our Riad, the Rose des Sables, in the Kasbah area of the Medina, the old walled city.  On arrival we had a well-earnt nap, after looking around every room and a cup of mint tea.  We then went out to explore the city and discovered some delicious ice-cream, the souks, initially stumbling into the mens' clothing area, where my friend bought herself some handmade flip flops.  We then went for a late lunch in a nice restaurant over looking the main square. After lunch we went to see the main mosque and had another stop for food at portofino, an excellent italien restauarant.  In the evening w went to the main square to expereince the life there, before heading back to the riad.

Day 2:

After a lie in and a hearty breakfast we took a taxi to the stunning Jardins Majorelles and then had another lazy lunch.  We then decided that a day was too long to go without a drink and followed the guide book to the Chesterfield Pub, which turned out to be a lovely 5 star hotel bar with a gorgeous little pool.  We then stumbled across Moroccan Mcdonalds, which I insisted we went to, and then we wandered into a bar called Queens, after our favourite night club in Paris, where we watched the France-Italy game and had a drink.  Taxi-ed it back to the riad

Day 3:

Slept in late once again.  The joy of being the only guests at the riad being that breakfast was whenever we got up!!  Then lazed around the beautiful little pool and sunbathed, before wandering into town to cllect lunch from the bakery.  We then went to la palmerie to go camel riding, and mint tea drinking, whcih was great fun! On the way back to the riad, our guide drove us around all the clubs in Marrakech and told us that Theatro was the place to be, so that's the place we went that eveing, after dinner in the riad.  We partied til late.

Day 4:

After waking up at lunchtime, we ate our breakfast as lunch before grabbing a taxi to Pacha, the biggest club in Africa, where we enjoyed the pool for a tenner each.  It was gorgeous, and Im still tanned!! Definite bikini marks...  Aftrwards, we tried to pay the riad, who wanted to charge us 30 euros for transfers which the woman on the phone of the company we booked the riad with assured us were included.  We met half way and paid 15 euros but it put us off, as we were intending to go back 1 day!!  But the manager and his 'this isnt my problem' attitude annoyed us!!  We then went for dinner, which wasnt very good, but the view was and we bought plenty of souvenirs on our way back.

Day 5:

Flying home from a great rip in Marrakech

If you're tired of finding good restaurants, why not prepare your own dinner? I love Moroccan food and I joined my friend with a day cooking in Marrakech under the guidance of Gemma. It's a great opportunity to experience the Medina in a different way. We even got to pay local prices in the market! We didn't trust Gemma at first when she gave us our shoppinglist and a small wallet with an even smaller amount of money but we even had some spare change left when we finished our shopping. Perfect way to meet other travelers and share tips when you're having dinner together. One warning: Faisa, the help in the kitchen is very strict! She makes sure you prepare the food perfectly in the Moroccan way!

I stayed in this Riad in Marrakech in february 2008 with 3 friends. We arrived late at night and were welcomed by the nightguard Bzzzt (That's what his name sounded like). He could speak 3 words of English but made us feel welcome, gave us drinks (mint tea!) and the keys to our rooms. Only a smile and a twinkling in his eyes to make us feel comfortable. The next day we had breakfast on the roofterras and met a young Frenchman who was the manager of this Riad. During the next week Jean-Marie made sure we had a very pleasant stay and helped us out with finding cheap tours. It was quiet at the moment, not many guest, so we got a chance to get to know each other better. Turned out that Jean-Marie only worked for a couple of weeks in this Riad and found out that the Riad wasn't run well by the last manager. Back home I checked reviews and from what I read I thought that these were outdated. When we stayed in this Riad we felt taken care of by the personel: the girls were always friendly but shy, sometimes we had to look for them but when we found them they always came running. They couldn't speak English very well so they kept to the background. Jean-Marie was teaching them to get the service to the next level. He was even teaching one of the girls English so she could stay and work in this Riad. I think this Riad deserves a second chance. I don't know how the Riad is doing now. I hope Jean-Marie succeeded in turning this place in a "home" for tourists where they can unwind from the sounds and smells and experiences of a day in the Marrakech Medina. It certainly was a perfect base for me and my friends.

I stayed here back in November / December 2007 when I had to stay in Marrakech for about 2 weeks. All went well, the French owners are really nice and made me feel like home. The house is indeed impressive, with an interior patio with orange trees. It looks like a small palace inside the old city medina. The food is excelent, the price is really good comparing for what you get. You can get one single room for 65 euros per night, but if you're 2 persons, you pay 80 euros for the room breakfast included.

Having, as a result of my own stupid behaviour, just become homeless it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take in a bit of sunshine, particularly apt given the utterly feeble excuse for a summer that were June, July and August 2007. Marrakech, just 3 hours from London, seemed the perfect location. Frankly, I was right: a rare occurrence. A brief stop in Casablanca and we were just about landed in Marrakech, I’m sure the pilot almost overshot the runway! Politely declining an invitation to join an Interpol conference whilst navigating passport control and welcome to Marrakech. It would not be long before we were to experience the first of our true Moroccan delights: being screwed over by taxi drivers. In a country where the average annual wage is $1520 (cheers lonely planet), paying 20 quid for a 15 minute taxi ride was excessive. However, there’s a time to haggle and a time to bend over: this was one of the latter. Despite being well dated, Riad Mogador represented excellent value for money, just a 15 minute walk (or roll) to the souks that form the heart of the Medina. Not the worst stroll in the world either, particularly given a temperature of 28c in the first week of November. Once at the Medina it was easy to get lost in the colours, noise and smells (not always pleasant) of the souks. They will try and sell you everything! However, with a strong head and an empty wallet temptation can be avoided. Whilst undoubtedly some bargains exist, the missionary position is once again more likely to be explored. The cafes situated around the edge of Djemaa-el-fna provide an excellent location for lunch, and as a kebab eating chav from Essex I was well catered for. Though being a Muslim country, the alcoholic tendencies were more difficult to accommodate. The second day of our trip included a trip to Seti Fatma, a small village in the Ourika valley, accessible by grand taxi from Bab er-Rob at a price of about 2 to 3 quid per person. Expect to share the 4 pasenger seats with half-a-dozen intimate friends. With the wheelchair providing a convenient excuse for the avoidance of such intimacy, a private return taxi was arranged. Our driver, undoubtedly not lacking in initiative, helpfully ensured my wheelchair WOULD fit in the back of his car. This initiative, however, extended to most literally taking us to the top of a mountain and then buggering off for a cup of tea with his mates, despite previous promises of a personal tour. Seti Fatma is undoubtedly naturally beautiful. However, like many such locations, it had become a dump. A combination of excessive tourism and locals who appeared to care little for the environment that earned their crust. I would not recommend it. The final day was undoubtedly the highlight, brought about by an enabler who actually reads the guidebooks and a guide (Aziz) with more rabbit than Sainsbury’s and an unsurpassable local knowledge. As a Berber, the local peoples of the Atlas mountains, Aziz provided an utterly genuine insight to the remote world of the Atlas mountains: a rarity for most tourists. Having decided to hire a taxi for the day to take us to the mountains, we wandered out of our hotel to be confronted by a gaggle of taxi drivers on the lookout for some unsuspecting tourist. Unknowingly, we got lucky. Having haggled the price down from 1200 to 1000 dhiram we set off on the 100km drive up the Tizi N’Test to Tin Mal, an unexpected, incredibly beautiful and remarkably isolated mosque in the mountains. En route we stopped at a café for mint tea, before heading on to a market to buy the meat that would ultimately make our lunch. As the highlight of my trip, the market was a windswept flatland in the high Atlas, you won’t find this in Lonely Planet. I’m used to a bit of extra attention being in a wheelchair, but I would suggest the complete apathy of all those around us to our presence demonstrated the normality of the place. Entrepreneurial spirit in this bleak and dusty market was far more important than the stupid foreigners. Being led round the back of a row of huts was mildly unnerving, but the local butcher appeared to be good friends with our guide. We had, however, previously been warned to keep quiet! Leaving the market, we finally arrived at Tin Mal, a mosque in the process of restoration, halfway up a picturesque valley. Met by the guardian of the mosque, we were provided with a tour of this stunning 10th century building, including resident owl. On leaving the mosque we headed back to the café at which we had previously had mint tea, where our meat was turned into delightful kebabs, shared with Aziz and the cook. The only charge was 80 Dh, which had been the cost of the meat (we were there on purchase). Arriving back to Marrakech, we parted with our 1000 Dh, plus a suitable 200 tip. It’s not all about the sex.

The night at Theatro was unforgettable. The club /disco itself is located beside the casino of Marrakech. We were brought to the club by a special Theatro-limousine, the club was already crowded when we arrived (about 1a.m.). You can either dance on a big dancefloor on the mainarea or stand on a second level above the DJ pult. The location / club is like the big clubs in Ibiza... there were show-dancers, the DJ of the night was playing Trance and Techno what was really good. Also the sound in the club was really good. Prices of the drinks are like in most clubs - average... Was a great night with a good DJ, good partycrowd in a cool location.

First of all, I want to apologize for the English I'm Using in this review. English is not my native language, and I'm not that good in writing in foreign languages. Now the review of the Dar Touyir 'Riad' in Marrakesh. When we arrived at the airport just outside of Marrakesh, we had absolutely no idea where we could find the Dar Touyir Riad, but there was a taxi waiting for us (send by the hotel owners), to take us to the riad, in the middle of the Medina. When we arrived at the front door of the riad, we assumed we were brought to a wrong address. the street was dusty, there was no sign on the door, and it didn't look like a hotel at all. but when the taxi-driver knocked on the door, and it opened, we knew it was the right place after all: a beautifull white-plastered courtyard, flanked with flowers, and a small fountain in the middle! just amazing. we were welcomed by the staff and we were invited to have a cup of Moroccan Tea. our room was, just like the other 6 rooms in the riad, located along the courtyard. the room was very clean, and after a while the staff brought some fresh flowers and some maroccan cookies in. the bathroom was clean as well, but had no bath (just toilet and shower). the staff will provide new towels every day, and clean the sheets of your bed, when your out. and Every morning, Breakfast is served (at any time you want) on the roof-terrace. this terrace is fantastic: lots of beatiful plants, plenty of room to have your breakfast in the shade, but you can take a seat in the sun as well. finaly, the riad provides free bottles of water or soda, and when you pay €15 pp you can have a delicious maroccan diner! here a small summary of the pro's of Dar Touyir: -the staff is very friendly -everything is very clean -the place just looks beautifull -it's a perfect location (in the medina) to explore the beautiful 'red city' of Marrakesh some things that we can improve in Dar Touyir: -The staff doesn't speak English (most of them at least), so you have to speak French to them. The owner speaks fluently English, French, Dutch and a little bit of German/Arabic/Berber. -the doors of your room can not be locked from the outside, so when you leave the riad, your door stays open. seams a bit weird, but nevertheless the raid is a very safe place, and i can not imagine that anything will be stolen when you're out.

This is one of the most beautiful places in Morocco I got to see. Take the time - GO see it..

Wednesday, August 03, 2005 2:48 PM

My second roll of film got busted - probably the sand.  Yes, I did bring my digital camera - bummer, i brought the wrong adaptor.

The camel-back ride in the Sahara was spectacular! We lead the caravan w/ a white camel.  I was thirty and tired walking on the hot sand.  I think that was my problem. I was SO dehydraged that I had a panic attack. Next time, I'll bring salt with me.  Because drinking half a gallon of water didn't quench my thirst. We were siting on the orange sand for about 1 hour waiting for the sun to set.  We saw a very nice sunset.  We basically raced to the pit stop area and got a nice cold bottle of Sprite soda afterwards.

Yes, so many kasbahs and mosques to see. I thought the food was spicy but was not, too bad, I like türkish food better.  You know I kept singing the song 'Rock the Kasbah' most of the time.  Lizzette even got sick due to the food & alcohol drinking. 

On our way to Marrakesh, we were in Quarzazate. I think I paid too, much for my leather jacket in Fez, oh well.  Dang, my opening price was $90 but I ended up paying $140.  The Aussie gals (fellow tourist) told me that they wouldn't not pay more for $80 which they paid in Indosenia.  I should have listened to them.  We visited the famous site where they filmed 'Gladiator'.  It was the scene where Maximus was being trained to be one.  Loved that movie!  'Strength and honour, all for the glory of ROME!'

P.S. Lizzette is the 'queen' of grumpiness! She was really a 'beyatch' 90% of the trip.  I'm still having fun hanging-out w/ a Japanese tourist, Makiko - she's funny & talkative + loves talking pictures (a very Filipino trait).  Update, Makiko & Hal (fellow tourist from Delaware) hooked up.  After two years of international dating, Hal is moving to Tokyo.