chgoeditor

My mom, some of her closest friends, my aunt and I are planning a March-April trip back to Morocco. While we may return to some of the riads we've previously enjoyed, we're looking for new recommendations, too.

We will be in:
Essaouira
Marrakech
Fes
Chefchaouen (almost certainly staying in Casa Hassan, but would appreciate hearing from anyone who's stayed there since it was last renovated)
Tangier
Rabat

Three notes:
1. Not everyone is doing the full trip 25+ day trip. We'll probably have 4-8 people traveling together at any one time, double occupancy. So riads should have at least 2 rooms, preferably 4.

2. We're most interested in riads within the medina in each city (Fes al Bali, etc.).

3. One possible catch: The age range spans early 40s to late 80s. Some of the folks may be physically unable to stay in a riad that has a ton of stairs. Now, that wouldn't necessarily eliminate the riad from consideration (they'd probably just stay in a nearby hotel), but it would be nice to know if any of the suggestions have at least one ground-floor room or not-too-steep stairs.

prabelli

My family and I stayed at Riad Kheirredine in Marrakech back in April/May. We had a great time and wholeheartedly recommend it. It is a bit of a walk from Jemaa el-Fnaa, but is within the medina walls and we never felt it was too far to walk comfortably, even with our two year-old daughter on my shoulders. The neighborhood around the riad seemed to be made up almost entirely of locals, which we found a nice break from some of the more tourist-oriented areas. The service at the riad was likely best we've experienced anywhere we’ve been and the riad itself was beautiful, comfortable, and impeccably clean. I don’t think there were any rooms on the ground floor, but there were at least a couple of rooms up no more than five or six stairs, none of which were especially steep or tall. I have no doubt the staff would be happy to help anyone up or down the stairs as necessary.

uclabruin82

My girlfriend and I stayed at the Riad el-fenn in Marrakesh and I would highly recommend it. A free hammam message was included in our stay which was great. It is in the city center, about a 10 minute walk from the main square. Fantastic breakfast for room service.

chgoeditor

Wanted to bump this thread in hopes of getting some more recommendations...

justforfun

Riad L'Orangerie in Marrakech. Excellent.

OskiBear

I stayed at the Riad al Badia in Marrakech last November. The service and facilities were outstanding. It's in the Medina with a relatively straightforward walk to the main square.

I seem to recall it was also almost directly facing the palace (or at least the palace walls).

They have a good website, are well-reviewed on TripAdvisor and are extremely nice people.

SanDiego1K

Where have you chosen in Essaouira?

chgoeditor

Boo...I'm having to sit this trip out. Not sure where they decided to stay, but I'll double check and get back to you. Are you planning a trip there?

SanDiego1K

I'm trying to decide what to add to a Marrakesh visit. I've been to all the royal cities before and want somewhere new to me.

chgoeditor

I'd wholeheartedly recommend Chefchaouen, but they aren't particularly convenient to one another. How are you getting around?

SanDiego1K

We'll be driving.

Doc Savage

I can heartily recommend this riad in Marrakech:

http://www.riadmurakush.com/

SanDiego1K

That looks delightful.

Doc Savage

Very friendly, and about a 10-15 minute walk to Jemaa el-Fnaa. Wonderful breakfast, and you can arrange to have the chef prepare dinner at the riad.

There is a big mosque right across the street, so you definitely hear "the call."

chgoeditor

It's a ~6 hour drive from Marrakech to Chaouen. What city are you flying into/out of? Assuming you're flying out of Casa, the return would only be about 4 hours. But that's still a lot of driving.

I love Chaouen because it's a picturesque town in the Rif Mountains that's all blue. I think it has great appeal for photographers/artists and hikers, plus there are the expected shopping/wandering through the medina/people watching with a cup of mint tea options.