On arrival, we wondered what we had let ourselves in for as the Riad is situated at the end of an alleyway on the edge of town: however, the initial doubts soon turned into pleasures as started to appreciate both the Riad and it's location. It was quiet in this magical building, except for the Call to Prayers but then that is everywhere. Being situated on the edge of town meant about a 15minute walk through to the Place and what an education that was! Monique is great, helpful and fun. Thoroughly recommended.

We stayed in the Riad Zara in November 2012 for our honeymoon at least for about one week. I can only recommend the location. After all the excitement of our wedding we enjoyed the quiet, beautifull place and had a great romatic time.

People:
Monique, the owner of the riad is like a good friend for all the people staying there. She also booked a rental car for us and organised a guided city tour for us. Both for a real cheap price and best quality. You can always talk to her and she can tell you a lot about the city and knwos all the good places for dinner and visit. After all she was really like a mother to us, but never intrusive. If you prefer to stay on your own, it´s no problem. We also had the best marrokan dinner at the raid.

Riad:
The Riad Zara is a quit little oasis in the loud an full medina of marrakech. It has a really beautifull inner yard with a water basin an a plam tree in the middle. The rooms are sourrounding the yard on several floors and are all very beautifull. I guess monique furnished them all on her own and she did well. It really feels like an traditionall old marrokan riad. On the roof, there ist a lovely terrace with agrat view over the city where you can see all the towers of the mosques. There ist enough place for several people to enjoy romantic sunset without disturbing each other. All the furniture ist very beautifull.

Location:
The location in the city is... perfect, i can´t say anything else, it´s only a short walk to the center of the medina and also the bus-terminal can be reached by foot (or a taxi for little money) Ask monique for a city map, you will find your way easily if you follow her instructionjs. The riad is located in an really marrokan neighbourhood, and all the people on the street are very friendly. You have to except, that most of them want to sell you something or show you the way for a tip, but that´s the same everywehere in marrakech.

We really loved our time there. I can recommend the riad zara completely.

After carefully looking at tons of tripadvisor reviews and photos, my husband & I chose Riad Zara for our first Marrakech stay of 4 nights. We felt so welcome the second we set foot in Morocco! Through our gracious and warm hostess Monique, we had arranged to be picked up at the airport. After an absurdly long trip from the U.S. West Coast, the last thing we wanted to do was get lost first thing coming in. As you witness the driver expertly weaving through the insane chaotic traffic of cars, donkeys, scooters, bicycles, etc, with no apparent rules or right-of-way, that's when it hits you, you're not in San Francisco anymore!

The Riad's location is in the Bab Aylen section of the medina, on the eastern side. It is a residential and less touristy area, an authentic neighborhood. It's about a 15 minute walk to the Jmaa el Fnaa square, once you know the way. When you first arrive by car from the airport, from the medina gate, you go on foot a couple of short blocks for a moment to reach the riad, located on a quiet, narrow alley. We chose the Fadowa room, which doesn't have a.c., but being on the ground level, is naturally cooler. We preferred this, since we aren't big fans of air conditioning. The heat wasn't an issue for us, having visited in late May. Our room was a reasonable size, very comfortable and beautifully decorated, with its own bathroom. Everything was very clean, the mattress nice and firm. This room does open up to the lovely courtyard, where the dining tables are and people take their meals. I can see that if you want more privacy, perhaps the upper level may work better, but this wasn't an issue for us. A.C. or not, you will be woken up anywhere in Marrakech at 4:45AM by the many mosques call to prayer, which can be haunting or irritating, depending on your mood. Later in the morning, birds sounds fill up the courtyard. Breakfast was tasty and you can take it up on the roof, if you like. There are wonderful decorative details and personal touches throughout the riad, which make it feel like a home. We felt very safe our whole trip, but be mindful of scooter and donkey traffic at all times, it's easy to get distracted by all the attractions around you! If you've never been to Morocco, I recommend reading the tripadvisor forums for more details on money, what to wear (women), etc. I found long pants or jeans handy because the streets can be quite dusty or muddy at times.

Monique guided us with lots of info on navigating the medina and gave us essential tips on interacting with its people, useful Moroccan arabic phrases, shopping and restaurants. She even gave us a customized vegetarian cooking lesson on the basics of Moroccan cuisine. We felt very at home and enjoyed having her kitty Yallah around. Yallah may initially not seem like the friendliest kitty, but the longer you're there, she does warm up to you, in her own independent way.

You'll definitely want to have at least one dinner at the riad, the food is excellent and a true experience to dine in the beautiful courtyard at night, by candlelight and rose petals. Be sure to consult the price list posted outside the kitchen if you're trying to stick to a budget, as conveniences such as laundry, air conditioning, etc., are extra.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Riad Zara, with its rooftop terrace, wonderful food, and amazing hospitality. We couldn't have been happier with our stay. We only wish we could have stayed longer. Can't wait to go back and try one of the rural excursions. Merci, Monique!

Monique was the epitome of a gracious hostess - offering excellent meals, welcome advice about navigating and negotiating the medina, and a lovely tranquil setting. Only one caveat - you may not want to leave!