United Kingdom

Diane

The property is a traditional riad which has been well restored. It has all the facilities that you could want and a lovely garden with small pool. In addition there are sun terraces on the roof and second floors so there is sun all day. The maid service is great and everything kept very clean, the beds are very comfortable with very good bed linen. We took advantage of breakfast each morning which saved us shopping and got us out of bed in the morning! The riad is in the medina so only a couple of minutes walk to shops, restaurants and the super beach. Please do use the text service recommended by Diane the owner as Abdul was excellent value and prompt even at 0600 for our return. I really can't think of anything negative to say!

Riad des Palmiers, Essaouira

Family from St Ives, United Kingdom

I stayed at Riad des Palmiers with my family - we were a group of 6 people and rented the whole house. It was a wonderful place, bright, spacious and beautifully designed and decorated. The rooms are spacious with good beds and comfortable en suit bathrooms. The garden is a gem with the little swimmingpool, that made my granddaughter very happy. We had all our breakfasts in the garden and some dinners as well. The garden is sunny during the day and very romantic in the evening with nice lighting. The sun terrace on the third floor is a good addition to the outdoor facilities for sitting together in the afternoon for an aperitif.
the location of the house is very nice, quiet as it lies up to the city wall. It gives a view over the ocean and you can easily smell the ocean which is very nice.
The maid did a good job, making the beds every day and cleaning the house. She was very discreat and polite. I cannot recommend this house well enough and I would like to come back, maybe with a group of friends or my family. 
Thank you Diane for a perfect house with good atmosphere.
Sigridur

Iceland

Large Group from Reykjavik, Iceland

We had a lovely family holiday at Dianes lovely Riad. The riad is very big with many bedrooms all with en suite toilet and shower/bath. The rooms are comfy. The garden is a lovely place to chill out in the sun and have a splash in the pool. The roof terraces are also very nice. Communication with Diane was easy and she replied quickly to any queries I had. This place is highly recomended to family or couple or friends.

Family from London, United Kingdom

This Riad is beautifully situated and very comfortable. Saida, the housekeeper works extremely hard and is a very good cook. Her husband Abdul is very helpful when hes around. There are an awful lot of stairs but the views from the terrace are spectacular although a few comfortable loungers would be a great bonus. As we rented the entire Riad with two families, it was perfect. We had no water for two days which was boring but no fault of the Riads and just very typical of Morocco.

Riad de la Mer, Essaouira

 From Marlborough, United Kingdom

Riad de la Mer is the perfect base for exploring the Medina, the souks and the harbour area of Essaouira. The views of the port from the roof terrace at breakfast were stunning. The Riad itself is a lovely balance of original features and  local furnishings. The maid was unobtrusively efficient and the concierge was very helpful with our late arrival and on the one occasion when we needed his help he arrived promptly and solved our problem quickly. If ever we visit Essaouira again we will certainly hope to rebook.

 From Birmingham, United Kingdom

The Riad was definitely good value for money. I have paid much more to stay in hotels that were nowhere near as nice!

It exceeded all of our expectations. We looked all over the internet for photos of the rooms and we found when we got there that the photos do not do them justice at all! The rooms look smaller from the phots than they actually are. They are all more than adequately sized and beautifully decorated. One negative point, (if you could even call it that) is that there are lots of steps! They were also quite steep I found. This would not make a difference if just hiring one or two rooms but we hired the whole riad and were on the bottom floor so it was a long way to our friends on the top! Definitely not suitable for the disabled. 

The descriptions I found were accurate, I defintely got everything I was excepting and more. 

I would recommend this Riad to anyone. It is superbly located right in the middle of the medina, seconds from the beach, shops, restaurants etc.

We were more than adequately looked after during our stay, Saide and Adbul brought us a lovely breakfast every morning and seemed to make our beds without us ever noticing they were there! We hardly saw them during the day so never felt pressured to leave our rooms or anything, yet the beds were always perfectly made when we returned!

My only negative comments are about the holiday in general rather than the Riad. There are no bars, and sometimes the shop owners can be a little pressurizing when asking you to come into their shop. But this is no worse than being on a package holiday and being hassled by brits to enter a bar or club! The beach was a little too windy to sunbathe, and although there were things to do, it wouldnt suit someone seeking an action packed holiday. However, there are lots of sights to see, lots of culture, lovely food, very friendly people and the shops are full of amazing, super cheap things so save some weight in your suitcase! A brilliant, brilliant holiday! Would definitely go again.

 From Leeds

This house is really beautifully renovated, with due respect given to the lovely period features and an excellent eye for decoration. The finishes are really a class above those used in most of the other riads Ive seen in Essaouira (and Ive seen a few!) and the owner, Diane, has a really lovely aesthetic sense. Saida and Abdul Rahman, who take care of the house, are wonderful, patient, and helpful people. They took care of us incredibly well while we were there. I cant recommend this place highly enough! On top of all of that, the location is as good as it gets in Essaouira  right off the main square, with an amazing view of the port from the terrace. This place is lovely, well cared for, and feels like a home away from home. Ill be back as soon as I can. 
K.S.

“Completely gorgeous!”

After much research I decided to stay at Riad de la Mer and I definitely was not disappointed, when I saw our room I wanted to cry as it was so beautiful, I felt like I was in a photo shoot for Elle Decoration!

Diane (the owner) is from the UK, she was quick to respond to our booking enquiry and gave us plenty of useful information about the riad and Essouira in general. We arranged to meet Abdul the caretaker, who took us to the Riad which is near the front of the town down a dark alley/tunnel, I must admit that I felt a bit apprehensive as it was so dark, but once inside there is a colourful tiled court yard with several communal rooms such as a kitchen, salon and large dining room. Looking up to the sky there are 3 floors above you which have a separate beautiful apartment on each floor, filled with gorgeous antiques, and nicknacks such as vintage kaftans on the walls and huge gilt mirrors. Each apartment is completely different. We had asked for the salon on the rooftop, which is like a mini apartment separate from the main one, the stairs are very steep, but the climb is well worth it!

Our room was clean and bright in shades of cream and white, there was a cute tiled wet room off the bedroom and separate lounge area with a fireplace (I could imagine that it would be fab to be there in the winter when you could get cosy by the fire) there was a welcolme fridge and kettle in the room. The place was filled with unusual bits and pieces which I loved as it was so homely and very different to anywhere I have stayed before.



Saida the maid (and Aduls wife) made us gorgeous breakfasts every morning with freshly squeezed orange juice, lovely coffee and fresh bread with homemade jams etc

This place would be perfect for a large group of friends to stay together but at the same time having the privacy of individual apartments. It would be a great place for a party, or for New Year Eve for example, and the communal areas would be perfect to socialise and eat together.

In all, It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever stayed! I hope that I get to stay there again some day and at £47 a night for our room an absolute bargain. 

D.M., Manchester

This Riad is a gem. The owner, Diane, has restored the property to an excellent standard, keeping its essential character and adding touches of her own decor to make the place truly special. The place is more open and airy than most riads in the Medina, due to the very large light well and the beautiful garden behind the house. The garden is very private, and backs up to the city wall  a really gorgeous setting for sunbathing or having dinner under the palms. The little pool in the corner is just perfect for cooling down if you are lounging in the sun and feeling a bit too toasty. This is a really delightful house! I would recommend it highly, and hope I have the chance to stay there again. That garden makes me want to return! 
K.M., Illinois

“just perfect!”
 
We have visited Essouira many times and stayed in many different riads and hotels but this was just perfect. As a party of 8 we really apreciated having space to meet together on the wonderful roof and ground floor, but opportunity for privacy with personal facilities on each of the four other floors. This place has a wonderful atmosphere, it is peaceful, serene, calming and comfortable with enough authenticity to leave us in doubt that we were in an ancient medina, but without too much plush opulence - we could imbibe rich colours, tastes, smells and sights outside the doors of our haven! Clean, fresh, with historic tiles and woodwork, beautifully chosen Essaouiran artifacts and delightful and efficent staff, this is a riad I would recommend to everyone!

Diane

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