This was our first visit to Morocco and "WOW!!" what a Christmas break we had. On leaving a wet and cold England on the 22nd December we were a little apprehensive as we relied heavily on the reviews on Trip Advisor's website in making our decision to stay at Dar Anika. Not only did Dar Anika meet our expectations, they exceeded them!! Having organised our airport transfers with the most helpful and friendliest of drivers, we were subject to the most incredible welcome we have ever experienced! We were greeted in the traditional Moroccan way by the most wonderful staff who provided us with milk and dates followed by mint tea and pastries.
The riad is just wonderful; it's so quiet and peaceful inside even though it is well positioned close to the El Badi and Bahia Palaces and a short walk to the Jemaa-el-Fna Square. The decor is lovely, with plenty of comfortable seating areas inside and on the terrace. There is a pool and a hamman. Our rooms (1 double & 1 twin) were spotlessly clean and decorated with rose petals. Bottled mineral water, pastries, fruit, bathrobes and toiletries were provided. We have travelled extensively in Europe and we have never experienced such hospitality in our lives before. We were made to feel extremely welcome and special; in fact, truly spoilt! The hospitality was what you would expect of a 5* hotel, but without the high price tag.
All the staff at the Riad are helpful, kind, polite and friendly. The food is exceptional and plenty of it too. Breakfasts were served on the terrace and consisted of fruit, yoghurt, fresh orange juice, warm bread rolls, pancakes, condiments, cake, a variety of egg dishes and good coffee, even English tea! The 3 course meals offered in the evenings were freshly prepared daily and of the highest quality. The wine which was recommended by the waiters was extremely good too. The waiters are well trained, knowledgeable and couldn't do enough for us.
Samir, manages this impeccable riad. He is very friendly, approachable and helpful. He makes time to hold a meeting with you at the beginning of your stay to give advice and make suggestions on where to go, what to see, where to eat, arrange excursions, inform you to how much to pay for taxis or horse and carriage rides etc., and provide you with a packed lunch on the day of your return. We were really impressed that he provided us with his mobile telephone number in case we felt that we needed help or got lost - this was very reassuring. He organised a wonderful Christmas gala meal on Christmas Eve which included aperitifs, wine, water, wonderful food and traditional Moroccan & Berber entertainment as well as an Xmas tree! We also discovered some wonderful roses in our rooms with a note from the staff of the riad wishing us 'a merry Christmas'. His attention to detail and thoughtfulness was again a lovely touch. Samir also arranged a day trip to the Ourika valley to visit 3 Berber villages for us with the driver who collected us from the airport. The driver deserves a mention too as he made this trip a 'must do'. We felt in safe hands throughout. As well as being a good driver with a large comfortable air-con car, he was friendly, helpful and provided us with much information on the area and the villagers. He even surprised our sons by giving them the opportunity to get dressed up and have a camel ride (they thought they were only stopping for a photo shoot!).
We also met Abdul, the owner of Dar Anika. A lovely man, who should be very proud of Samir and all the staff. He has created a place to stay within the Medina, which is truly magnificent.
This was our first visit to Marrakesh and it has been such a fantastic experience and one we will remember always. We would love to return sometime in the future and will recommend Dar Anika to anyone wanting to visit Marrakesh.