Where to Stay in Marrakesh, Morocco
If you are looking for an authentic Moroccan experience, I recommend staying in a Riad. Tucked away in various alleys all throughout the Medina, Riads are defined as traditional Moroccan homes with a central courtyard. Price wise there are plenty of reasonable options starting as low as $50 a night, some even cheaper. Riad Al Loune was a top pick on booking.com and highly rated. Our 4 night stay was $97 a night and split between 2 people only cost me $48.50.
Taking in every detail from the columns to the tile to the lush greenery, you feel like you're stepping into a fantasy. Riad Al Loune was located near several markets and restaurants, a 5 minute walk from Madrasa Ben Youssef which is historic Islamic collage, and close to the famous Jamaâ El Fna Square just 8 minutes away by foot. When we finally arrived from our long, hectic travel experience (flight delays and my luggage somehow ended up on a later flight) we were greeted with freshly made Moroccan mint tea by our host. That sort of eased my worry about not having my luggage. Our hosts took such good care of us from preparing our breakfast to hiring a private driver when we needed it and even walked us down to the ATM machines when we had to pull out money late at night.
One thing to note is that we traveled around Ramadan, a holy month in the Muslim culture where they fast from sunrise to sunset. That meant most, if not all shops or restaurants, closed early for evening prayer and supper. We made sure to be home before it got too dark because the streets are eerily quite and deserted after a specific time. As females, it just felt safer to get home at a reasonable hour.
Overall it's easy to see why this was rated a 9.3: clean, central, attentive staff, lavish atmosphere. If you want luxury without paying the luxury price, check out booking Riad Al Loune or any of the Riads close to the Medina, I don't think you will be disappointed
