This was my favorite city and B&B during our Morocco trip in April. At the last minute I had a hunch we were going to love it so I changed our visit from one night to two and I'm so happy that I did. I would recommend staying even longer, as I enjoyed the slower pace after enjoying the larger Moroccan cities.
The riad was lovely. It was so clean and it was nice to keep our doors open to enjoy the fresh air. We loved the town of Essaouira, but it was also tempting to stay in and enjoy the terraces (along with the riad's hosts - the cats and tortoise). The location was great as it was an easy walk from the bus stop and was also easy to navigate the town.
Allison, Anne (her mother), Halima and Hassan were all so kind and helpful. Allison and her mother gave us great recommendations for restaurants and even some shopping. There is a unique little shop down the street that is owned by a very nice French woman that I recommend visiting.
I hope this review expresses what a wonderful experience we had!

We spent quite a while planning a family Christmas properly away from home. Big, complicated family - eight of us in all. And I'm delighted we chose Chez Dar Ma. Nearly all of us run our own various businesses, so time away and relaxation is seriously precious. And we really got it here!

From the start, Allison looked after us. She sat us down with several pots of mint tea (perfect after the flight and trip from the airport) and told us all about Essaouira. We knew where the best places to eat were, what to see, when to see it, where the best quads were, what time the restaurants shut. If she gives up the day job there's a new career as a tour guide waiting.

Halima was fantastic. Like instant sunshine (and we got plenty of the real stuff too). Nothing ever seemed to be too much fuss, she cracked jokes (that we enjoyed hugely even with basic French), made sure everything was alright and cooked like an angel. There seemed to be a never-ending stream of coffee every morning. Vital.

Hassan was great too. He was around before we'd even surfaced most mornings, sorting out world-class fruit salads, fresh orange juice and pancakes. And he was always smiling too. Hardly surprising in such a beautiful place.

The riad is big enough to lose eight people across various floors, rooms, snugs and terraces. For the internet junkies there was wi-fi. For the history junkies there were enough museums, buildings and architecture to keep them happy for days. Shopping? Plenty. Foodie? Ask Halima to sort out one of her world-class tagines. Just lazing about in the sun reading? Which terrace do you fancy?

It's an unreserved "recommended" from us.

We spent Christmas at Chez Dar Ma after deciding to escape for a bit of winter sun. It seemed perfect for our party of 8, and we were absolutely delighted. Allison was a mine of information about the town - a walking guidebook in fact. She gave us tips on everything from restaurants to where to find the best quad bikes. Ever since we've got back we've been trying to work out how we can headhunt Halima to come to the UK - she's wonderful and looked after us so well. If you don't try the tagines and couscous you're missing out. And what a great sense of humour too. Hassan was brilliant as well, turning out every morning to sort out amazing breakfasts of fruit salads, pancakes, orange juice and still-warm fresh bread. All we had to do was sit in the sun on the terrace and enjoy it all - and the wonderful views across the Medina.

It's not a question of "if" we'll be back, more "when". And soon!

Just inside the little Bab Marrakech this was a fantastic place to stay We had, unfortunately, only allowed for one night in Essaouria, but the location meant that everything was on our cute little doorstep. Thanks to Alli and Hassan. Hope to see you again.