I came to be at Riad Lunetoile off the back of the reviews on here and I have to say that the hype is justified.

It's located on one of the two main streets running through the medina and would have been easy to find. However I did not need to as one of the local ladies working there came to meet me at the bus stop.

I was originally booked into one of the ground floor rooms with shared bathroom. However, on arrival I was offered a room on the 1st floor (number 3) at a lower rate as the ground floor room was double booked. I decided to take it.

The room spanned the front of the riad. It was nicely decorated and had a wardrobe, corner couch/seat and lots of shelving. I was given local snacks, oranges and a bottle of water which I thought were nice touches. This being January the room got quite cold at night but with the heater provided I survived without much of a problem. A slight annoyance was the pool hall/amusement arcade just down the street. The local youth made a lot of noise. The screaming and shouting continued until at least 00.30 when I put my earplugs in.

The private bathroom was pleasant. A heated towel rail, decent supply of toilet paper. More nice touches like petals spread on the floor towel next to the shower and soap provided. The only negative was an occasional unpleasant odour. This must have come from the pipes rather than being down to any cleanliness issue.

There's a kitchen at your disposal but with so many restaurants to try I didn't go near it. A laptop is provided for internet access for those who do not have their own device. The wifi itself was not the best. The connection was not very strong and worked about 80% of the time. I feel bad mentioning it as I did not come to Morocco to check f.b but this could be an issue for anyone planning to work online during their stay. The roof terrace was a nice place to relax (there's also an indoor section for those particularly windy days.) Although the wifi signal did not reach it.

A basic breakfast was included in the price - a croissant, baguette, jam, butter, yoghurt, hot drink and juice. You could eat downstairs, in your room or on the roof terrace (you might have to share with the seagulls if the choose the latter option.)

The best thing about this hotel in my opinion was the local ladies working there - Kabira and Latifa. They were so friendly and made my stay a pleasure. Not a lot of English was spoken but this pushed me to practice my limited French. Latifa could also speak some basic Spanish.

If I was to return to Essaouira I would definitely come back to Riad Lunetoile.

Having looked at lots of riads online in Essaouira to ensure we had a good stay over the Christmas holidays, we were delighted with this gem of a Riad! Riad Lunetoile has a beautiful interior and the staff were wonderful. We stayed in a double room with ensuite (Room 3 I think) which had it's own lounge area, perfect for chilling out inbetween the busy streets and beach trips. The owner, Sue, gave us a great review of local restaurants and bars so we had lots of delicious dinners (tummy bug free!) in the town. Breakfast on the terrace is a must - croissants and home-made yoghourt each morning with coffee and fresh orange juice. The view of the sea and the town is fantastic plus it's a great place to sunbathe.The other staff, particularly Kabira, are friendly and welcoming and helped us arrange transport and even a sunset camel ride on Christmas day. I was worried about how cold it would be at night in December but they provide electric heaters and hot water bottles (which we didn't need in the end) but was a huge comfort after a very cold stay in a damp riad in Marrakech unfortunately. I would highly recommend Riad Lunetoile and look forward to returning one day!

I stayed here for a few days during a 6 week trip through Morocco. Essaouira is a wonderful little city and Lunetoile is a terrific place to explore it all from in comfort. Very helpful staff and the owner Sue was there to welcome me and get me oriented with everything I needed - directions, restaurants, etc. The rooms were all beautiful and genuinely decorated not to mention comfortable and quiet. The roof deck was also a terrific place to relax and look out over the city and the ocean. The Riad is located within an easy walk to the most traveled areas but also accessible to the less traveled areas as well which are great for walking and exploring. Super clean, friendly and relaxing. I would definitely stay here again on a return trip.

Me and my friend went to Essaouira for 3 days before I left Morroco. This is the best riad I've ever stayed. Sue (the owner) was warm and very helpful. She briefed us about the recommended restaurants, hamam, and spas. She also informed us about the normal price for camel riding or any other activities that we can do. Rooms are very clean, thoughtful, and beautiful. They provides a complimentary snack, water, and extra heater in the room. You can even ask for more! They served a great breakfast too! :)

The only downside is that the staff cannot speak English. They are very very helpful though. I cannot speak french but I still can communicate with the staffs during my stay! So it's not really a downside :)

This is definitely something that I will gladly recommend to anyone. You should try!