I stay at Riad Badi with my friend for three nights. We received a warm welcome from Christian and Isabelle. Christian offered us to show the area and provide with all sort of necessary information. Riad is fully equipped with modern technology while offering you traditional Moroccan stay. Rooms, sitting area and in-suite bathrooms were cleaned and beating 5 star hotels quality. Our room linen, bath towels and toiletries were changed every day without being asked for it. We've offered different breakfast every day during our three nights stay. An airport transfer was also offered with a price of just 15€ hassle free.
We would definitely recommend this Riad to anyone who wish to make their stay fancy.

Well.. I can thoroughly reccommend this Riad.The Riad Badi was a last minute decision for a holiday and proved to be a very fortunate choice. It is only a few minutes walk from the main square and the souks , and we found we could pretty much walk to all the places we wanted to see . As it is right next to the walls of the Palace Badi there was an easy landmark to be able to find it again, which can be a huge advatage in Marrakech. There is an attracitve and comfortable roof terrace...a plunge pool ..although this wasn't filled as the weather had been chilly. The Riad wasnt too far away to return to if we needed a rest during the day. The owners , Isabelle and Christian , are a friendly French couple and REALLY helpful. Christian took us out for an orientation walk around the square shortly after we arrived , gave us a map , and showed us the main square and the souks, which was a big bonus , and they were full of useful information about shopping , taxi prices, food safety etc. and we were frequently plied with biscuits and mint tea.
Riad Badi is very attractively decorated ,the bedrooms are lovely , cleaned every day. there are two comfortable sitting areas one with a tv and some games and a roof terrace with sun beds ,tables and sofas and a cracking view of the storks.

On request they arranged taxis for us to and from the airport .We paid £15 euros each way for this which was good value.....finding the place would have been a bit of a mission otherwise. The taxi driver walked us down the alleyway to the door. If you had never been to Marrakech you wouldnt expect to be going down this sort of alleyway to your hotel so it was reassuring that isabelle and Christian had ordered the taxi..they also paid the driver , so our holiday did not begin with having to deal with taxi drivers ..which , for an English person ....can be infuraiting in Marrakech.
The breakfasts were very good..you could eat indoors or on the roof terrace...choice of teas or coffee..fruit of some sort every morning, different types of pancakes,different conserves and fresh bread and yoghourt actually made in the Riad , which was delicious.
Having read good reviews about the food here we also ate at the Riad in the evenings. My two daughters had been to Marrakech in November with their boyfriends, eaten in restaurants , and
all had come home and with bacterial gastroenteritis for a week....she was keen not to repeat the experience and being two women alone we preferred not to be out and about after dark.Isabelle employs a morrocan cook and we had some very good meals . thanks Christian and Isabelle....your kind attentions were much appreciated.

Marrakech is not easy to visit even for the seasoned traveler. It's a challenge for body and mind and your senses are working overtime. That is why it is even more important to have a place to retreat, to escape the buzz of the city for a little while, to re-group and reflect about what you have seen. The Riad Badi is perfect place for that. Almost everyone has sung its praise on these pages, which include, of course, how could it not,its charming owners, Isabelle and Christian who work very hard to run this oasis of peacefulness in the most gracious way possible.
There is really nothing much to add to it. Reviewers of these pages were right. It's a good place to be in Marrakech. We (a friend of mine and me) were there for six nights and as time was passing we appreciated the place even more. Marrakech takes time. You need a few days to get used to the pace and the people here. You will always be a tourist, a stranger, a source of discomfort and a source of income. There is no way to mingle in. Marrakech does not allow it. You can keep a bit of a romantic distance and there exists a whole industry to keep the romance going, but the moment the place gets inside of you, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain the tourist romanticism. You slowly comprehend the distinction between authenticity and staged authenticity and you keep your ambivalence which one you prefer.
That being said, it is even more important that your place in Marrakech makes you feel at "home." Isabelle and Christian do their very best to make you feel like that the moment you enter the door and leave the city behind. The moment you arrive (they arranged a pick up for us from the airport – I highly recommend this for first-comers, since it is almost impossible to find it if you're here the first time around), you leave the buzz and constant noise of the outside (including the constant humming of the motor-scooters) and enter into an interior which is generous in its dimension, has a beautiful court yard where you take your breakfast and have some afternoon tea and again, where you can – alas need – to relax in between outings. I recommend visiting the beautiful gardens of Marrakech in order to generate the same peacefulness (for instance the Jardin Majorelle).
After your arrival and check in, Christian takes you on a little tour of the Medina of Marrakech. It's difficult to take it all in the first time around, but you get your basic orientation. Listen carefully to his recommendations (like the wonderful Museum of Photography) and take in the different routes you can take back to the Riad. Maps are only helpful in a more general way and you need your own senses to get around (asking is sometimes more difficult than you think). Thus, Christian's orientation tour is important. You see how central the Riad is located and after a day or two you will find it in your sleep. It is right between one of the central squares (Place des Ferblantiers) – a good orientation point and the Palace Badi (both located on all the maps), not far from the Central Square Djamaa El Fna, but far enough to be a little bit away from it (10-15 minutes walk). We soon realized the great location of the Riad Badi. We even walked to the New City and to the Jardin Majorelle from there – a longish walk, but if you are a city walker, you can do it. Thus, staying at the Badi does not require any transportation for any of the sites in the city - if you don't like to take a taxi or a bus, which is, of course, always a possibility. The place is spotlessly clean, our room (called the Saphrane) was very large, and the bathroom was generously laid out. You are provided all you need for your shower. Every morning we received a very tasty and generous breakfast (varied every morning), which takes through large parts of the day. When you come back in the afternoons, Isabelle usually asks you if you need a cup of tea and you can sit at the court and do a bit of reading and writing (I recommend Elias Canetti, "Voices of Marrakech" and Orwell's essay on Marrakech. They were written in 1954 and 1939, but both capture the atmosphere and the strangeness of the city which can still be felt. Canetti's description of the Mellah just next door could have been written the day before yesterday and Orwell's sentiments about what he sees in the city and how he feels about it are as true as ever. We were there for six days, saw most of the recommended sites (including the synagogue and the Jewish cemetery at the Mellah) took our dinners mostly at the food stands at the Djama El Fna (try Chez Aicha – we enjoyed that), even watched Real Madrid against Manchester United at the Café de France with a lot of locals which in a strange way was maybe one of the few times we blended in with the locals at Marrakech.
In sum, if you plan to come to Marrakech, try to stay a little longer and for that the Riad Badi is a great place for your tired feet and soul.

There probably is'nt any thing to say that hasn't already been said, but Riad Badi realy is a wonderful place to stay. Christian and Isabell are the nicest people you could meet. Nothing is too much trouble for them, Isabell even managed to cater for my very difficult eating problems. We can recomend the Riad Badi and will definately stay there again when we go to Marrakech.

Rob and George Graves