As described by countless other reviewers, Dar Charkia is simply a cut above the rest. On arriving in Marrakech, to the uninitiated, it is at first a wonderfully different place complete with a new culture to understand and explore, and that's not to mention the chaos of the streets. Dar Charkia is simply a haven from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech, with wonderfully kind and thoughtful staff who simply enhance the experience. The owners, Michael and Lisa are also amazingly helpful. They were able to organise a brilliant local guide (Najib) to show us around the city (worth doing early on in your stay to help you get your bearings), as well as book any tours or restaurants and even provided a guide to take you to the more distant (and hidden away) restaurants. The rooms are beautifully decorated and clean. I would also recommend eating in the Dar at least once, as it is a peaceful setting for an evening meal and the food is exceptional. We already miss having breakfast sat in the courtyard. I've been fortunate enough in my life to visit many fine hotels, and the overall ambience and service at Dar Charkia surpasses even the best Four Seasons hotels. It's basically a wonderful hotel with concierge level service!

All the excellent reviews are true , Dar Charkia is a very special place. We have just returned from a weeks stay and feel so grateful that thanks to the reviews on tripadvisor we were staying in such a perfect place for our first visit to Morocco. The surroundings are peaceful and beautiful. Our room ( sahara) was excellent, lovely furnishings and huge bathroom. Lisa and Michael the owners could not be more charming or helpful. All of the staff are friendly and gracious, nothing is too much trouble. We had dinner at Dar Charkia on our first night and it was so delicious and the surroundings so relaxing that we decided to do the same on our last night. Being able to have breakfast at any time you like is fantastic. The location is unbeatable , near great places to eat, near the souks, only a few minutes walk from the square and an easy spot to get taxis from and to. Lisa and Michael made life so easy for us, arranged all our trips, booked restaurants and gave us great tips and advice. Its like a deluxe concierge service but with inside knowledge that you normally only get if you stay with friends . We went on a balloon trip with ciel afrique and it was unforgettable, totally worth the money. Can also heartily recommend a tour with Najib who is a first class guide, interesting, humorous and gracious. We did this on our first day and it was great as it helped us to get orientated. If you have time try to get to the Atlas mountains, the scenery is breathtaking. Marrakech is a
great city and we would love to return. If we do we would not stay anywhere else but Dar Charkia.

I chose Dar Charkia based on the high ratings on Trip Advisor, and the kind of comments that people were leaving, and I have to say they were all absolutely accurate. I was our first time in Morocco, we stayed for 10 days over Christmas and are still basking in the golden memories of that holiday.
From the moment of booking, the owners, Lisa and Michael, took a personal interest in making sure that we would have a wonderful time, tailored to our preferences. They made excellent suggestions and booked everything from guides, spas and restaurants that we requested, so that all would be seamless when we arrived, at one of the busiest times of the year.
The team of Morrocan Riad staff were without exception fabulous, looking after us beautifully and making us feel throughout that we were staying at the home of a dear friend rather than a hotel. The location is excellent, and a short walk from Dar El Bacha, which felt safe to walk at any time.
Lisa and Michael had to return to England for a couple of days over Christmas itself, but made sure that we were lavished with small kindnesses during their absence, which was very capably managed by the excellent 'Little' Samira and her colleagues. We were left small gifts and cards, invited to champagne and canapes with the other guests, and found that we were offered an aperitif of spiced mulled wine at our restaurant courtesy of Lisa and Michael. This was just the perfect level of sociability and celebration for those escaping to Marrakech over the Christmas period.

The roof terrace has a lovely view of the Atlas mountains in the distance, and as the weather was a perfect 70 degrees each day we sat up there reading and enjoying a delicious breakfast each morning with home cooked pastries, or a mint tea in the afternoon, and getting thoroughly relaxed.

For Guides, I would thoroughly recommend Najib, who was great at getting us orientated and answering all sorts of questions we had, and Abdu, who drove us all over the Atlas mountains on one magical journey through so many different and spectacular landscapes.

We went to quite a few hammams and restaurants (see my other reviews) but the outstanding experience was the El Miria, and the very experienced masseur Khamesa, a bargain with delicious lunch and jacuzzi included. Dar Charkia doesn't have a spa itself, but it was fun to visit other Riads and hotels to try these out and see more extraordinary interiors. ( Riad Idra and HotelJardins de Koutoubia). We visited several restaurants, Pepe Nero, Le Fondouk, Jardins de Bala, Lotus Privilege, Brasserie Flore, Cafe Arabe and Al Fassia, but I have to say some of the most delicious food was cooked up at Dar Charkia itself.

Normally I can find something that I could suggest to improve, but in this case it's really a case of just 'please keep on doing what you're doing!' and 'when can I come back?"

I just joined Tripadvisor so I could write this review! This was probably the best winter holiday I've ever had. We stayed over Christmas, to get some winter warmth, and we certainly did. Lisa and Michael are an ideal bridge for European travellers into a city which is truly great, but can require a bit of guidance. They are well-connected with the town, and they made very good recommendations for us. We were looking for a pampering kind of break, but with good food, too. We had several superb Hamman and massage experiences in nearby hotels suggested by them, and wonderful food at restaurants in the city, and from the superb kitchen of Dar Charkia itself. I'd go back tomorrow, if I could.

Their staff are absolutely excellent, helpful and genuinely friendly, without the obsequious, and often insincere "have a nice day" style of the chain hotels. I believe they are happy working there, and it really helps to create the "home from home" experience everyone is writing about in the reviews. So big thanks to Little Samira, who ran things so perfectly when Lisa and Michael were away, and to Zahira, Nedya, Fati and Big Samira for preparing and serving great food, for helping to look for the phone we lost ( and found in our room), thanks too, to Rashid, who looks after the night duties, for lighting candles in the room, when we asked, and for being a cheerful presence when we decided to stay in, and enjoy the comfortable courtyard, or the roof.

Some highlights for me were: breakfast (which can be ordered anytime) on the roof, with the Atlas Mountains in the distance. Evening meals in the riad I've already mentioned. They don't brag about their own food as much as they could. It's a really good, simple menu, the quality of which challenges some much posher places we visited. Also good: guided walk through the Medina from Najib, who told us stories of the '60s in Marrakech, and took us to a good place for buying teas and spices. An outstanding drive into the mountains to the village followed, with driver/guide Abdu, a really nice bloke who seemed to enjoy showing us the absolutely STUNNING scenery around the High Atlas. Highly recommended. Conversations with Abdu, who is of Berber descent, and the sights of this trip, made the Berber museum in the Majorelle Gardens make more sense too. (Also recommended).

We also had some great spa/Hamman treatments, notably at Jardins de Koutoubia, Emira Hotel, and Riad Idra which I'll review elsewhere on Tripadvisor, as well as the places where we dined out.

Morocco has a big gap between rich and poor, which is a shock for affluent Europeans, unless you have a heart of stone. Marrakech needs tourism, and people like Lisa and Michael are bringing business into the city, and reliably employing good local people, who reward them by generously and warmly helping their guests to have a comfortable and relaxed holiday.