This is a really nice place. The rooms and courtyard are delightful. Not polished and overdone, it looks and feels authentic. We were lucky to be upgraded to a superior room with a terrace outside and woke to the sounds of the birds in the tops of the courtyard trees. The staff were lovely and very helpful. Our evening meal at the riad gave us probably the best and most subtle tajine meal we ate in Morroco during our 5 day stay, however, the same could not be said for breakfast. Apart from the very nice fresh orange juice the rest was disappointingly dull.

We are not ones to normally go against the trend but we didn't like Riad Catalina. The courtyard is lovely, especially at night when they make a huge effort placing candles and lamps around, creating a lovely atmosphere and the proximity to the Jemaa El Fna square and souk is just an easy, interesting 5 to 10 minute walk away. Our room, which was only just OK, was reached via a flight of dimly lit, steep, narrow, twisting steps with a hand rail which kept swapping from side to side due to the twists. Our bathroom was an obstacle course, with a step into it, another step to the toilet and two steep steps up to the shower followed by a very steep step down into the shower tub with no grab handles. The tub itself was made of a material and colour which resembled the old walls of Marrakech. The marble basin was chipped and looked grubby, the tap was loose which made altering the water temperature difficult. The only window opening to the outside was high up on the bathroom wall and reached by standing on the top step leading to the shower. Fortunatly although aged 65 and 75, we are fit.
Breakfast and the one evening meal we had there, was taken in a beautiful room off the courtyard (it was too cold to sit outside), but there are only coffee tables in this room which makes eating a meal uncomfortable, however we did see one couple sitting at a proper table in the courtyard one evening under a gas heater.
We decided not to complain or ask for another room, we were there for only 4 nights, it had been our choice to stay in a Riad, maybe they are all the same and when you see beggars in the square with hungry children or missing limbs, things are put into perspective. The last straw came on our last morning just as we about to leave for the airport when we were presented with a bill for 240 dirhams (about £18) for city tax. We tried to explain to the young man at the desk that this bill would have been paid by our tour operator but he didn't understand so he put me on the phone to his boss. I was greeted with ''I am the Manageress, why are you making all this trouble for us?'' I tried to explain but she kept talking over me and wouldn't let me speak. In the end we gave the young man the last of our Dirhams, kept for buyng coffee and snacks at the airport, we just wanted to leave Riad Catalina and Marrakech and go home.
The Riad has since apologised to our tour operator, admitted their mistake and refunded the money. Anyone can make a mistake but there was no reason for the manager to be so rude, we wil not be returning, our trip to Marrakech doesn't leave us with happy memories

If you don't like birds or you want a clinical first class place to stay this will not be for you.It just sums up Morrocco .The breakfast room was wonderful.The staff amazing ,particularly the waiter in the evening .Some tips from the rep-don't go into the northern part after dark when the souks end leave after 6pm.Always offer at least half of what they suggest the price is.We much preffered Morrocco to Turkey and Tunisia the hagglers are not rude at all.
Some tips from us.Take a phone with GPS as there are no signs and you can't ask people as you will end up in their relatives shop.The police don't know where anywhere is either and we gave up trying to find one of the museums.
We ate at the Riad a couple of times and it was good and three courses the red wine was ok but the white tasted like sherry.
On our last day.Gutted we found a really good place to eat la porte Du Marrakech on the Toulet Kennaria It was great and only £8 for two meals and drinks.The food was really well presented as well not just dumped on a plate.We ate at one of the recommended ones on the square and found the service bad and they didn't give us change .The Riad was really central and we found some short cuts .We loved this place and would def go back.

We visited Marrakech for a week-end to celebrate a significant birthday, and wanted to stay in a riad for a truly Moroccan experience. Riad Catalina ticked all the boxes for us. From the moment we stepped from the narrow alleys of the medina through that sturdy door into the beautiful courtyard, we were enchanted. The interior was peaceful and leafy, full of birdsong by day and lit by lanterns at night. We have happy memories of tiled floors and walls, a marble fountain centrepiece, orange and fig trees, doves and tortoises, and a very friendly atmosphere. Our room was comfortable and quiet with traditional charm. The city beyond those sheltering pink walls was as weird and wonderful as expected. We enjoyed Jemaa el-Fna by day and night, bartered in the souks, and just wandered around hither and thither to relish all the unfamiliar scents, sights and sounds. Then we returned to nearby Riad Catalina to relax in very pretty surroundings and eat delicious home cooked food away from the melée. Highly recommended.