After staying in a great Riad in Fes my girlfriend and I were looking forward to another nice Riad in Marrakech. We chose Riad Bahia Salam because of the good reviews on booking.com and tripadvisor.
Upon our arrival on 21st July in Marrakech it was extremely hot with an outside temperature of around 45 degrees centigrade! The location is 5 minutes walk to the Jamaâ El Fna Square however the street is very dirty and there is refuse laying along the street everywhere. We walked into Riad Bahia Salam and checked in for our six night stay.
We had booked a suite however the room size was not big. We were escorted to our room and immediately noticed there was a very bad mouldy and stale air smell coming from the air conditioner. The room temperature was not very cold and although you could adjust the temperature and fan on the remote the fan did not increase.
The bed was quite hard with hard pillows. There was two more pillows in the wardrobe however they were also quite firm. So okay if you like hard bed and hard pillow.
The fridge was adjusted to the coldest setting however the drinks inside were not cold.
After about 10 minutes we couldn't stay in the room any longer as the smell was so strong.
We moved to another room on the higher floor but it was very hot inside. Thinking the air conditioner would quickly cool the room we didn't worry. The air conditioner however was running on 18 degrees and although you could activate the different fan modes on the remote nothing happened. Trying to cool down I had a shower. It was a bath and not a walk in shower. The water pressure was really low and there was no where to put the shower head so you had to hold it with one hand. The mini bar had the same problem, it was already turned all the way up but drinks inside were not cold. After 30 minutes of sweating and the air conditioner not lowering the temperature in the room we had to move.
Our third room was back on the ground floor but they didn't have any other double beds so we had to take two singles.
Again there was the same problems with the air conditioning. The fan could not be adjusted and the room temperature was not cold. Unless you stood directly in front of the unit you would get hot and sticky. The mini bar was the same, not cold and the beds and pillows very firm. The shower was a walk in but the water pressure was also low.
In all the rooms they had a sign stating no outside food or drinks were permitted!
The following morning we went up to the Breakfast on roof. A female staff member behind bar had her feet up and was asleep. After waking her up she set up our table, when she put down the place matts numerous ants came out which then proceeded later to walk over our food and drink glasses.
We decided we could not stay in this place for the 6 nights with the extremely hot temperatures outside there was no way we could endure such hot rooms and other poor standards.
When we spoke with the lady at the front desk she informed us that booking.com had paid them already and that we had to contact them. This is clearly not true as booking.com clearly state on your reservation they "will never charge you card"
Later I checked my statement and Riad Bahia Salam had charged my Visa card the full 6 nights. Even though I was never presented with any bill or signed anything!
Cancellation policy:
• If cancelled or modified up to 2 days before date of arrival, no fee will be charged.If cancelled or modified later, 100 percent of the first night will be charged. In case of no-show, the total price of the reservation will be charged.

The above Cancellation/Amendment policy clearly states the Riad can only charge one night but it seems they just don't care and think they can do whatever they like. BEWARE!

When I opened the hotel front door after experiencing an extreme heat of Marrakech (48 degree), I felt as if I was transported into another world. The hotel interior is magnificent. There is a huge oriental lamp hanging from the ceiling and a staircase that leads you to the balcony with a view of Medina (the old city). The room is spacious with exotic design. But the most wonderful thing is the hotel's staff. Speaking both English and French fluently, they did try to make our stay enjoyable. When we had to leave early for our excursion, they went extra mile by waking us up and providing us excellent breakfast earlier than their usual breakfast hours.The chef is quite a character. With his friendly smile, he passionately explained what he served and taught us both Arabic and Berber terms for the food.
The slight discomfort was when the electricity was cut off for a few hours at night when it was very hot and we desperately needed an air conditioning. Apart from that, overall I will recommend others to stay at Riad Bahia Salam to experience a slice of Morocco.

Had a nice stay in (upgraded) room. Staff was helpful and very kind, vene teaching me some Arab in quite hours. Room was very clean although the airco unit was somewhat dusty. Rooftop terrace is nice with shade if you want it and some refreshind wind in the evening. Breakfast served there was quite ok. The spa is rather small but very clean and luxurious given the limited rooms. Location is just fine, near several interesting places but not right at the tourist hot spots.
Transfer from the airport is expensive compared to local taxiprices.

This was our second stay at Riad Bahia Salam. We stayed there previously for the Marrakech half-marathon. Both times were great experiences. We have stayed in both the normal double room as well as a small suite and found both to be quite comfortable for the two of us and our toddler.

The Riad is located just outside of the ancient Medina itself - a 5-10 minute walk to the J'maa al Fenaa square and we find that its location provides good separation from the pressure of the medina. In addition, there is a metered and guarded parking lot across the street from the Riad which makes parking a breeze.

Breakfast is served on the rooftop terrace (they have an enclosed seating area as well) and is very good. We have found the staff to be extremely nice and professional. Additionally, they have a very well equipped spa/hammam in the basement of the hotel which our friends have used.

We have only eaten dinner here once. The dinner was fine but not overwhelming and it was very off-season. In addition, I would recommend eating dinner outside of the Riad as there are so many good restaurants there in addition to the J'maa al Fenaa square.