We have just returned from a four night stay in Marrakech and a wonderful stay in Riad Monika. I don't think I have ever researched as much on any place we have visited as I did with Marrakech and in choosing a Riad. There is a staggering amount of information out there which at times made me a little nervous in travelling. BUT I should not have had any worries as we had a truely wonderful trip and had made all the right choices.

The Riad is perfectly located. You can wander through the narrow streets, through the souks and arrive at Jamaa el Naa in about 20 mins. During this walk we did not get hassled or tugged at, and once we memorized landmarks, we found our way back no problem.

Very important plus with Riad Monika is that Zouhair (such a gentleman!) will call a petite taxi for you which will pull up directly outside the Riad's door and take you anywhere (we travelled to La Mamounia Hotel, Le Grand Cafe de la Poste, and Dar Rhizlane (very disappointing food). The driver would return and collect us when we wanted him to and he would bring us back to the Riad where we would then pay him for entire trip. Faultless!

The Riad itself is beautiful but this has been said in many reviews. The entire staff are friendly and helpful. Zouhair is there to help you and nothing is too much trouble for him.

Our room was the Suite Hayat and it was beautiful. It was located up the short stairs directly inside the Riad's door so it could be a little noisy at times but we got used to it. The 5am call to prayer was loud in itself.... but if you want the full medina experience, I don't think you can avoid this. Now that we are home, I am so glad we stayed within the walls.

We did the Atlas Mountain, Berber Village, Waterfall trip with Abdulah who was a super guide with excellent knowledge and English.

The rest of our trip was simply enjoying the Marrakech experience. There is no need to be any way more cautious than you would be when visiting another other large city. It was wonderful! It is not full of flies or local people dragging you or trying to scam you, it is alive and exciting and I am so glad we visited it. Would love to return again and would stay at Riad Monika again when we do,

We spent two nights at the Riad Monika and thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. It was the start of our honeymoon and we were so pleased that we had chosen such a lovely riad. Zouhair and his staff were very helpful and Zouhair came on foot to meet us as there is no access by car in the small roads of the medina. Zouhair recommended a good restaurant for us to eat on the first night and another member of staff escorted us to the restaurant through the maze of alleyways of the medina. After the meal we called the riad and someone came to meet us and take us back to the riad. Zouhair also arranged an excellent guide to take us by car around the main sites of Marrakech which was well worth doing. Nothing was too much trouble for Zouhair and his staff. On the second night of our trip we chose to have a meal at the Riad. Zouhair's wife cooked an amazing meal which was delicious and beautiful and was one of the best meals we had in our 2 week trip. One afternoon we sunbathed on the terrace and then had a refreshing dip in the plunge pool. Breakfast was served on the stunning roof terrace and was delicious, particularly the pancakes. The riad is also truly stunning with ornate decoration everywhere and beautiful objects. It is a haven of tranquillity away from the hectic medina. I would definitely recommend Riad Monika and would love to go and stay there again some time.

We had the pleasure of staying at the Riad Monika for 4 nights and would thoroughly recommend to any traveler wanting an authentic Moroccan experience in their own little palace. Zouhair, his wife and all the staff were welcoming and accomodating to our needs, recommended some excellent restaurants and places to visit and were fantastic hosts, always happy to talk and chat and made our stay an enjoyable experience. The Riad itself is enormous with loads of day beds and quiet corners to hide way in and an incredible roof terrace that provides some fantastic views over the Medina. We chose to stay in one of the suites which was lavishly decorated, full of incredibly ornate furniture but still quite homely and charming. The bathroom was huge and like stepping back in time. I miss showering in a bath the size of a small pool! The Riad itself was quiet, tranquil and a welcome place to escape to after a day or sightseeing and shopping in Marrakech. We took advantage of chilling out more than once on one of the massive day beds on the roof terrace. Location wise, it's about a 20 minute walk to the Jemaa el Fna (main square) and the walk itself is relatively straight forward taking you through the souks and past plenty of places to eat. It's also a 5 min walk away from 'La Foundouk' which is by far the best restaurant we ate at and Zouhair kindly booked for us the night we arrived. It's 5 minutes the other direction to one of the old gates to the Medina where there's plenty of taxis. Breakfast is provided daily up to 11am on the roof terrace. Masses of food and perfect for people who enjoy a carb overload. We'd definitely recommend to anyone looking for first class accomodation and service with the traditional experiences of a Riad.

My boyfriend and I spent 2 weeks in Morocco, and decided to splash out on the last night by staying in a luxury riad, and I must say this was really the perfect place to be. The riad is gigantic yet has a very peaceful, elegant and intimate feel. It is full of detail, warm colours and the ever so beautiful tadelakt I fell in love with in Marrakech. There are so many place to sit in and enjoy, to start with I felt somewhat overwhelmed, having so much to enjoy in so little time! We were offered a welcome tea and biscuits by our hosts in their beautiful cosy lounge upon our arrival, played chess sprawled out on white canopies on a balcony ornamented with white curtains (out of a movie), enjoyed mint tea and sweet treats tucked away in the back court by the little pond with roses floating on the surface, cooled down in the huge pool, and ate breakfast the next morning on the sprawling terrace full of plants, trees, flowers and birds – the breakfast, by the way, was so plentiful I could have spent all morning sat up there. We were even offered unusual homemade jams, which tasted absolutely delicious!
Our bedroom was the size of our living room back in London (fairly big by London standards), and even included a fireplace! (Which we however didn’t use as this was in July) very elegantly decorated with embroidered bed linen, and beautiful red walls ornamented with book cases. When we arrived fresh bottled water and fruit were waiting for us, and in the bathroom pure ghassoul and black soap which we enjoyed the next morning. The bathroom and the bath were absolutely huge, all made of marble, including pillars supporting a traditional hammam dome with tinted glass.
Our hosts looked after us with the greatest care, attentive to our every need, and made us feel right at home. I could not have asked for a more perfect last night in Morocco, and were we not travelling on the cheap, I would have loved to spend more time there. I can only recommend this riad, I cannot imagine how one could not enjoy every minute there.