Riad El Fenns mix of Moroccon vibes and bohemian chic really sets you in the mood. An amazing haven of tranquility in the bustling city of Marrakech. I really enjoyed the excellent room (room 1) and having drinks by one of the fireplaces in one of the numerous hang-out places (there are many).

Also the rooftop terrace with great views on Marrakech is an excellent place to relax, day and night...also the outstanding breakfast is served here.

Upsides: the friendly staff(!), the fireplaces, swimmingpools, restaurant, rooftop terrace, hotel location (4 min. walk from El Fna Square and souk). No room keys, no signatures.
Downsides: it's hard to drag yourself out of the hotel and go do stuff:)

Next visit it's El Fenn again for sure...

Martijn van der Horst

Running a lodge of our own in the Southern Pantanal of Brazil makes us appreciate the dedication to detail and quality of service that we found at Riad el Fenn. The rooms and bathrooms are spacious and have a creative decor using a warm color scheme which reminds you of the dazzling colors of the Medina. The staff was very attentive and makes you feel at home from the moment you enter the Riad. There was a serene friendly atmosphere which had an apparent effect on the other guests staying there as they always had a smile on their faces. The charming relations managers Alessandra and Karima helped us in the setting up of our tours and introduced us to the lovely, knowledgeable guide Mustapha. They also directed us to some local, not touristy, gastronomic jewels. We visited some other well known Riads but found that El Fenn had all the elements one would look for: authenticity, excellent service, great accommodations and the Moroccan human warmth factor!

Some of the reviews for this hotel on Tripadvisor have complained about the manangement - they must have come from people who were either very unlucky or are very picky and are used to the big international hotels and not this sort of quirky 'boutique' hotel. We found the management and indeed all the staff to be extremely friendly, helpful and personable and exactly what you would hope and expect from a hotel such as this Riad. This hotel was very comfortable with very imaginative and individualistic bedrooms, lovely outdoor spaces with some lovely decorative touches to add to the ambience and a great roof terrace for relaxing / having breakfast etc. It was also very central and well located with the souk very near by and when we wanted to venture further afield, the management was able to lay on transport for us - thank you Hasan - great service. All in all a most enjoyable stay - only too short, so we didn't get a chance to try out the spa, massages etc. Next time .....

This is a small intimate hotel with lots of 'wow' factor ... each room has its own 'special individual character', whether raised shower cubicle or sunken bath, leather- upholstered floors, 5-metre ceilings ... whilst communal courtyards (I counted 4) are havens of delight, with cosy nooks, water features and pools (yes, there are 3) providing tempting surrounds for 'just hanging around' ..:-)

Elements I particularly appreciated were:
- gorgeous hanging gardens over the heated swimming pool;
- proliferation of scented roses decorating rooms and public areas .. (I counted 80 in my room alone); these, together with potpourri and scented woods, left a perpetual sense of 'pervading enchantment' in the air ...
- the scenic roof terrace - breakfast of fresh fruits, home-made marmalade, eggs of choice, and birdsong ...meditating among the herbs on the roofgarden, to the sound of running water ...
-the eclectic blend of 'old' and 'new' , East and West -- art and culture on the walls, and in the many 'delicious' coffeetable books scattered round...
- totally charming staff, maintaining excellent service levels throughout ...
- individual 'outside seating area' for each room, where morning tea/coffee is left for you, as an extra 'waking- up treat' ..

The list goes on .. there's an atmospheric restaurant serving good french-moroccan fusion food and wines ... fruit trees and indoor fountains emphasise the 'cooling factor' when it gets too hot, open hearth fires 'warm your cockles' as the evenings get cold ...

This riad is priced at a 'premium' - partly to discourage 'the wrong types', partly to maintain its standard of service (staff-to-room ratio of 2 : 1), and provide the sort of 'intimate luxury and privacy' much valued by certain types of travellers, especially media- and arts-types.. the layout, design and atmosphere make it great for a romantic wedding ...

This hotel is not 'ostentatious', it just tries to provide 'charming service and high aesthetic standards', which is what creative folks tend to appreciate... which is why it is a 'magnet' for 'creative folks' seeking a change from 'the big and the bland'..

I have to say, thinking back, it ' quite blew me' and left me with the 'nicest impressions' of what was a 'far too short sojourn' in this town , and this hotel ...

Thank you, Riad El Fenn, for a most 'magical' stay in Marrakech ..