Loved Riad Yasmine - highly recommended

We stayed at Riad Yasmine for 6 nights, and it more than exceeded our expectations! On request, the riad arranged our transfer from the airport. The entrance to the riad is on a busy street, and on first arrival we almost missed it, such is its unassuming nature. Immediately upon entry, we were struck by the remarkable contrast between the hustle and bustle of the outside streets, and the calm, tranquil ambience of the riad.

We were invited to sit in the beautiful courtyard, centred around a small pool at the heart of the riad, and we had berber whiskey (mint tea) and sweet patisseries brought to us. It was the perfect welcome after our early flight! The staff were very helpful, providing us with a map of the area, and pointing out the main tourist sites. The riad is conveniently located - about 5 minutes' walk away from the Souqs, and about 25 minutes from the main square, Jemaa el Fna. There is also a taxi rank round the corner (which we failed to use!).

The room was clean, spacious and comfortable (with both heating and air con), and nicely decorated with warm Moroccan colours. The huge bath was especially impressive! The rooms were cleaned daily. There is a lovely roof terrace - perfect for viewing the sunset - and we enjoyed relaxing in the peaceful courtyard, and spending evenings by the cosy fireplace.

There were two things that made Riad Yasmine really special for us. The first was the personal, friendly atmosphere: the owner often chatted to us, asking us how our day went, and the staff were always extremely attentive. We were also able to arrange day trips through the riad, choosing to visit the Ourika Valley and Essaouira.

The second was the amazing food. We were so impressed with the cooking that we ended up dining at the riad every evening! From monkfish tagine to couscous to samosas, everything was absolutely delicious! The portions were incredibly generous too, and all for a very reasonable price (20 euros for a 3 course meal, topped off with mint tea and patisseries). Breakfast was also very good - with pancakes and omlettes, plus fresh pastries and bread.

Choosing Riad Yasmine really made a huge difference to our stay in Morocco. It has a central location, yet possesses an idyllic atmosphere, perfect for those wanting a relaxing and romantic break.

Lovely place to stay, great staff

My first visit to Morocco..

We stayed at Riad Yasmine, Marrakech for 3 nights between 4-7 Feb 07 and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Riad is beautifully decorated and very well looked after. When we arrived we were welcomed by the best Mint tea I've ever had!

Its located in the lively/hectic Medina and offers a tranquil retreat from the hussle and bustle of the medina streets (which i loved). Take a look at my pictures of the Riad -beautiful.

It's true, the staff are great and nothing is too much for them. I only met the owner once and he was very frendly. I formed a good friendship with the night porter Aisa who was great, spoke good english and was always willing to help. If I go back to Marrakech I would return to Riad Yasmine if not only to meet him.

The rooms are clean and pleasantly decorated. I love the moroccan style so it was particularly nice for me. Breakfast was nice with fresh croissants and orange juice and more.

The Athan (call to prayer) can be heard in the early morning and during the day which is great (I and my wife being Muslims particularly appreciated this)

The only minus I can point out is that there were no tea or coffee making facilities in the room but this may be normal for moroccan hotels and didn't bother me.

The Main square (Jamaee al Fna) is about 15 mins walk but its a great walk which you will without doubt get lost the first few times you try it. There's a taxi rank about 30 second walk to the left. A taxi to the square will set you back around 10 MAD but they will try to charge more -dont pay more than that unless you are desparate. The souqs are a great experience, always haggle with the shopkeepers and offer about half of the asking price.

Tips for Marrakech:

-Take a UK plug adapter as I couldn't find one anywhere!

-Must Do: Horse & Cart, Bus Tour, Jamaee al Fna, Al Bahia Palace and Madrasa Ben Yousef.

-Language was a bit of a barrier for us as we dont speak French or Arabic and very few in Marrakech speak English

-Check out the new town as well as the old town, which is more developed and shows you a completely different side of the town and the difference in the people.

Homely riad with 5 star service

Stayed at Riad Yasmine for 6 nights and cannot rate it highly enough. Rooms are great, the roof terrace lovely, the price is excellent value, but the highlight for me was the service. Michel & Annane (sp?) run a tight ship. Nothing is too much for them & their staff, and everything is done with a genuine friendliness and humour that many a luxury hotel chain could learn from. A special mention for Aissa (sp? again), the night porter, who is a charming host for fireside chats on the colder nights.

The food was very good, lovely pastries at breakfast, and beautifully cooked set menu of Moroccan food available for lunch or dinner, again very resonably priced.

The Riad is very close to some of the best tourist sites, the Museum and the Ben Yousef Medersa (Islaamic School) and a 15 minute walk to the square through the main souks. Its reasurring that if you get lost (and I bet you a fiver you will!), there's a taxi station just 50m from the Riad so wherever you are in town you can be back in your calm oasis after a 5 minute cab ride.

Personally, I loved chatting to the owners, staff and other guests. However the layout of the Riad is such that its easy to find a quiet corner if you're after a real retreat.

Thanks Yasmine for a great stay.

Simon

Riad Retreat

We booked our trip Marrakech a bit last minute (as usual). We based our choice on reviews from Trip Advisor and we weren't dissapointed!

Riad Yasmine is an oasis in the sea of complete madness that is the Medina of Marrakech! The staff and service were absoulutely faultless and we couldn't possibly have asked for a more friendly and attentive standard of service whilst staying there. If you have never visited Marrakech (or indeed Morocco) before, you must base yourself within the old city.

The Riad itself was very nicely presented and you could tell that the owners had made a big effort in creating a lovely place in which to stay. On more than one occasion we found that the lure of a relaxing night in front of the roaring log fire (it's cold in January) was more than we could resist. All of the people we met there were similarly impressed an we will surely be returning. Clare & Stu Jan 2007

Perfect Place to Stay

What a fantastic trip and what a perfect place to stay!!

I can't fault Riad Yasmine at all. Everything about it was perfect for us. I took my partner away for a four night birthday surprise and booked the Yasmine Suite. To say that she was blown away is an understatement! Well done me!

We arrived in the early evening and were welcomed with Berber Whisky (mint tea). I had requested an evening meal that didn't contain meat. We had a monkfish tajine that had been lovingly prepared by the owner's mother in law, Mamazouina. She is an excellent cook. The food was so good that we ate in on the second night too. Whilst there we had breakfast each day and one lunch. Everything was freshly bought on the day and there was always plenty to eat.

The owners, Michel and Hanane, and their staff couldn't have done more for us. They organised taxis, guides, restaurant reservations and everything else that we asked for. Nothing was too much trouble and it was obvious to me that they all genuinely enjoyed having people to stay, particularly the staff who practiced their English at every opportunity.

Whilst we were there the weather was very good and this gave us the chance to spend some time on the spacious roof terrace. The rooftop view of the Medina is excellent and hearing the call to prayer from the mosques is something I'll never forget.

Riad Yasmine is a two minute walk from a taxi rank and a fifteen minute walk to the square via the souks. If you require directions then the staff will help and wish you luck as you walk out of the door! You might need the luck on your first walk down! We did.

Go to Marrakech if you can because it is an amazing place. If you want to stay in a place where you will be looked after then go to Riad Yasmine. We loved it and will definitely return.

Merci Michel et Hanane x

Great little Riad oasis from the hustle and bustle outside

The riad Yasmin is a lovely riad the owner and staff ( There are lots of them ) can not do enough to make your stay comfortable.It is in the BabTaghzout area of the medina which is about 10min walk to the souks and you do get to see the real marrakesh.Good value at 100euro per night b&b.

Beautiful Riad

We've just returned from a 3 night stay at the Riad Yasmine. It's a really beautiful Riad hidden away in the back streets on the Medina. The owner and all of the staff were incredibly friendly and all of the guests we spoke to were similarly impressed. The streets outside the Riad are mad and have a medieval feel to them (apart from all the crazy mopeds and cars). To enter the Riad you walk through a small but decorative doorway and it's like entering another world. It's really peaceful and calm inside and all you can hear are the birds singing. In terms of location it is about a 5 minute walk to the Marrakech museum and main Souks. Expect to get lost nearly every time you leave the door on foot. From the Museum it's another 10 mins walk through the Souks to the main square. We tended to explore on foot but usually took the lazy option of a taxi back to the Riad. It's only about 50m from a Taxi rank which is very handy. Nearly every taxi we used cost us 20 Dirham (less than £1.50) and we over paid massively but 'Vingt' was the limit to my french. The owner of the Riad was very helpful in helping us choose and book some good restaurants. On the final night we ate in the Riad and had a fantastic meal cooked by his mother in law. We had the dining area/lounge with to ourselves and the full attention of the waiter. It was a special end to a really nice short break. Roger & Jules from Milton Keynes

Outstanding

Perfect relaxing retreat. There's only 6 rooms so my girlfiend and I practically had the place to ourselves. The roof terrace was great for sunbathing. The Riad is about 15 mins walk to the main square but very close to the Souks. It's run by a charming French couple and the mother in law is the cook - former chef to royalty. The breakfast is fine, great orange juice and the evening meal is really good - they set up tables around the pool and the food is great and not intrusive only if there are the 2 of you.

Rooms are spacious and the bed is comfy and the air conditioning is much appreciated. Staff are also helpful and can tell you how much you should pay for cabs etc. A cab booked through him to Essaouira cost half as much as a cab booked through a hotel in Essaouira to come back again.

3 nights in Marrakech is probably enough as you get tired of ignoring beggars after that. Tip is not to look them in the eye or react. They give up very quickly if you ignore them.

Riad Yasmine

How fortunate were we! We booked to stay at the Riad Yasmine, although we could find no feedback from any previous guests. The Riad is a true Oasis in the Bab Taghzoute region of Marrakesh, to the north of the Medina, about 20 minutes walk from through the Souks to the Jemaa el Fna. We discovered the Cafe D'epices on the Rhaba Kdima, a well placed watering hole on our journeys back and forth to the Riad. One of the many briliant places to sit and watch the world go by.

We stayed in early July, the hottest and therefore quietest time of year and enjoyed the whole Riad to ourselves throughout our stay. The rooms were comfortable, well furnished and most importantly, air conditioned. The plunge pool was fantastic after a few hours haggling in the Souks.

A friendly and personal service was provided by Jouaud and Aissa, who were always happy to help with advice and directions on where to go. Their English is very good, although we enjoyed speaking French with them as much as we could.

We mainly ate out at;

Le Fondouk, when you make a reservation, either ask for the terrace or the first floor dining area. The menu was a mix of traditional Morrocan and regional French. Staff were attentive, polite and willing to explain the menu.

Jad Mahal; A modern restaurant with musical entertainment. Service here was not good, despite having made a resrvation it took an hour and a half to get one of the many empty tables, and only then because we helped ourselves. The meal was tasty, but given the overall service, not worth the expensive prices they charge.

Our short stay in Marrakesh has left us wanting more, we would definitely return to Morroco and would certainly stay at the Riad Yasmine.

A Delightful Place To Stay

We spent 4 nights at the Riad Yasmine in June 2006 staying in the Yasmine Suite. The accomodation is a traditional Moroccan riad, with a dining area, seating around the courtyard and a fine roof terrace. The staff were very helpful and friendly and they have a new English-speaking member of staff who is keen to learn more and enjoyed speaking with us. The French owners were very accomodating and their dog is very sweet! The riad is situated to the north of the Medina about a 20 minute walk to La Place and, bearing in mind the mayhem going on just around the corner is a very quiet and serene place to enjoy Marrakesh from. I would recommend Riad Yasmine to anyone.