The Riad Ajebel was was the perfect welcoming to the fascinating city of Marrakesh. We had not given our time of arrival, but Christina had arranged to have her delightful English speaking friend, Corinne, there to translate. We started off with a wonderful tea ceremony performed by Fatima, with all the history and meaning explained to us. They carefully went over maps with us to show us directions, preferable sites, and traveling advice.

My wife and I both felt that this place was the most welcoming and embracing place we have ever stayed. Christina truly conveyed that this was our house to share for the three days we were there. Our room was beautiful. The upper terrace was a place of total comfort and peace. Fatima made wonderful breakfasts and moved so quietly and peacefully that we didn't even realize she was there setting up a meal beside us.

Unis(sp?) was there in the evenings to help with any need. He had such an energetic and warm personality that you felt you had just met a new friend. The location was great in the heart of the Kasbah, especially when you needed to get a cab at night or to the airport, since it was on the edge of the Medina through Bab Ighlis.

We are greatful for the warm welcome we received at Riad Ajebel, which set the stage for our total appreciation of the scenes and people of Morocco.

David & Susan, Charleston, SC, USA

I found the hotel Riad Ajebel as one of the biggest rip off in my 40 years of travelling. Overcrowded rooms with objects leaving barely enough space to move (and we took the second best room).. Situated in the farthest south corner of the Casbah meant long walks to and from the center throughout very small allies or a multitude of taxis. I could not believe that is rated with 5 stars ?!? The attention of the three staff people was the only appreciated part of the stay. and for this I want to thank them. Definitively over priced.

Riad Ajebel is everything I imagined Marrakesh to be-- friendly, inviting, relaxing, exotic, and the perfect get away. This small riad is tucked away in the Kasbah near the heart of the medina. The riad has a door that opens right out onto the main street--this was key to unloading luggage for our two week vacation and something that we wished the other riads we stayed in during our time in Fes and Rabat had. The accommodation are inside the medina but are on the outskirts near the tombs which means that the rooms are quite at night.

The location and the hotel were lovely, but the thing that makes this hotel really earn its 5 stars is the kindness and generosity of ILyas. We arrived in Marrakesh at 2 AM, not only did ILyas arrange transportation for us, but he showed us round the riad and offered us tea and snacks. The next morning, ILyas had a lovely breakfast waiting and he sat down when us and a map. He was able to help us get our bearings on city and able to tell us which historical cites were worth our time and which weren't. He also provided us with indispensable information about how much we should pay for things and gave us some interesting tidbits about the history and culture of the country. He walked us out to the main road of the medina on the first day to insure we didn't get lost, and then was waiting when we returned with a cool pool in the courtyard of the riad and mint tea. He was also able to give us an excellent food stall recommendation (it is stall 1 if you were wondering). ILyas speaks English fluently as well as French and Spanish.

We stayed in several other Riads after Riad Ajebel in our trip through Morocco, but all the others paled in comparison to the food, service and rooms of Riad Ajebel. My husband and I will most definitely stay here again.

Our recent stay here was one of the most pleasurable we have had anywhere and as well travelled people we know a good thing when we see it. Uma, the Spanish owner, is a charismatic and charming hostess, overflowing with enthusiasm for Morocco and Africa. Ilyass, her right hand man, manages to combine genuine care and thoughtfulness for the needs of guests with calm efficiency at all hours. Fatima works tirelessly producing fabulous food that satisfies the heartiest of appetites. Uma and Ilyass speak Spanish, French & Arabic, hence the majority of their guests do too. Ilyass also speaks excellent English.

In addition to the particular qualities of the staff, Riad Ajebel is full of beautiful furniture, colours and scents. There is considerable attention to detail in the decoration of the Riad and how scents are used in different areas to enhance the visitors’ experience. The Riad's website gives a flavour of what to expect - www.riadajebel.com - and is a very accurate representation.

Turning to the practical aspects of our stay, Riad Ajebel has a particularly favourable location, being on the perimeter, and part of the actual wall, of the Medina. It therefore has two access doors, one of which is onto the Derb inside the Medina and the other which opens directly onto the road that passes the southern edge of the Medina, Bab Ighli. This greatly simplified access on arrival and departure as our taxis were able to stop outside the external door, avoiding a reliance on porters to navigate the Medina and reducing transfer times from the airport to a minimum, (15 minutes or so). The Riad had organized our transfer and the driver had waited in the arrivals area an hour longer than expected due to our flight being delayed. Despite this, he was courteous and welcoming, with no expectation of a tip despite carrying our bags from the terminal to the car park.

On arrival, Ilyass gave us a tour of the Riad and washed our hands with rose water before Fatima’s introductory lunch. We gave them a free hand in choosing the composition of all meals at the Riad and this lunch set the scene for a series of delightful and delicious meals during our 4 night stay. We were never disappointed or left hungry, and we simply felt it would be ridiculous to eat anywhere else for dinner after having been so impressed with lunch on the first day. Lunch and dinner, including bottled water, were charged at 18 euros each with wine being available as an extra if required. Marrakech food and accommodation prices we found generally to be good value compared to Western Europe, rather than bargain prices, and you would have to consider the street food options if you are on a very low budget.

The central courtyard of the Riad was covered when we first arrived but rapidly improving weather meant this was soon opened up. Our first floor room, (Suite Annar), was gorgeous and lived up to the excellent photography on Riad Ajebel’s website. Most noticeably, the scents of handmade toiletries permeated the room and the amazing ensuite bathroom. Moroccan plumbing made a small error in here and the cold / hot symbols on the bath taps had been reversed, plus they have yet to embrace thermostatic showers so be prepared to adjust the water flows yourself. We didn’t use the little courtyard pool or the room’s air conditioning as the weather was only just warming up.

Ilyass marked up the street map for us and explained how to navigate the Medina. He also gave us a card with address and telephone numbers should we get lost, we didn’t and we enjoyed walking through the Kasbah area populated by locals going about their everyday business rather than being in one of the more touristy areas. At no time did we feel threatened or uncomfortable, the area appeared safe even in quieter times of the day or night. The Riad Ajebel’s location also gave us the option of walking back by following the outside of the Medina wall, further reducing the chances of getting lost.

Breakfasts were generally taken on the attractive and comfortable rooftop terrace, which has clear views of the snow capped Atlas mountains due to the Riad’s Medina edge position. Breakfast was fresh fruit and orange juice, omelettes, two types of pancake and a lovely citrus cake plus coffee or mint tea. There is some traffic noise from the road outside when you are on the terrace but this soon becomes familiar background noise and it is more buzzy mopeds than heavy vehicles. These slow and sometimes ancient mopeds can be a bit smelly but traffic fumes are a regular feature of Marrakech as a whole so hard to escape wherever you are.

My wife and I both booked Hammams in the Riad, this being with some apprehension in my case. The favourable comments of our fellow, Belgian and French, guests encouraged me and I am very glad they did. The Hammam and subsequent massage were a great experience and left me completely relaxed, (I’m not known for achieving such states so it shows how good it is). It is a lovely space and again full of gorgeous scents.

Uma was keen to engage us in more genuine experiences and she arranged a special dinner for our last night with Gnawa musicians. All of the guests were consulted but we seemed to enjoy it rather more than the others, we attend World Music festivals so maybe it was a case of being more open minded. The lead musician has a kidney problem and is on dialysis so his performance was remarkable. Gnawa may not be everyone’s taste but it is an authentic sound of the region and worth hearing at least once.

We were travelling to Essaouira for the second part of our visit and the Riad arranged for our transfer at a cost of 110 euros. More expensive than using a Grand Taxi (circa 80 euros) or the bus but comfortable and with an English speaking driver who gave us a mini guided tour on the 3 hour drive. Before we left we bought some of the toiletries as gifts for friends and said a sad farewell to Uma, Ilyass and Fatima. Riad Ajebel has become a special place not only in our travel memories but in our hearts, we wish them well and hope many others will enjoy it as much as us. Tellingly, this Riad only has Excellent and Very Good scores in all of its reviews, so our very positive experience would seem to be consistent with all of the other reviewers.