After booking a short stay at Dar Les Cigones approximately 3 years ago and having to cancel 3 times due to Covid restrictions we eventually made it in April 2022 thanks to the hotel honouring our stay. It was a little hard to find but once we walked in the door Hayat and the team were so welcoming and made us feel at home straight away offering mint tea served inthe enclosed garden. iWe were made to feel like family and the information and advice she offered was so helpful. Our room was delightful and gave us a true feeling of a Moroccan Riad. The bed was decorated with rose petals and there was a bowl of fresh fruit, vase of roses as well as towelling robes, slippers and toiletries for our use. The hotel was lightly scented with incense sticks which will always remind us of our stay. The roof terrace was decorated in true style of Marrakech and we rested on the sun lounges with views of the Palais de El Badi. We booked an early dinner at the hotel as we had been travelling since 2.30am and the team couldn’t have been more charming serving it as the sun went down…lovely! We also had a traditional Moroccan breakfast served on the terrace the following morning which included a platter of fresh fruit, delicious pastries and bread, preserves, fresh honey, yoghurt and a pot of coffee. Whilst travelling my rucksack strap was ripped and Hayat arranged to get it repaired at a local tailor close by and it was returned within 30 mins. Great service. Definitely give this hotel a visit.…
I can't say enough good things about this hotel and the people who work there. I've been running photography and travel tours around the world (32 countries) for 20 years. Most of the places I've stayed, I can barely remember. But a few have marked me. This place will always have a warm place in my heart -- mostly because of the staff but also some of their amenities. For starters, most rooms have fireplaces and they put a hot water bottle in your bed sheets on cold nights. If you're going in March/April like we did, this was an amazingly-welcomed treat. Then, there's the food. Breakfast is the most abundant display of fresh food you can imagine -- fresh, sliced fruit, breads of at least 3 varieties, homemade yogurt (soooo good), eggs, fresh coffee -- al served in a cozy little room by a roaring fireplace (again, a blessing when it's cold). We left Marrakech and traveled throughout Morocco staying in at least 4 other properties then returning here for our last night and my what a stark contrast other places are to this one. Other riads look good on Instagram (and it's true they're beautiful) but they lack a sense of warmth, charm and hospitality. When we returned to this one on our final night (after 5 days of traveling elsewhere) I felt like we were returning to a real home. I couldn't wait to crawl into my warm bed sheets again, shower in my great shower, wash my hair with their shampoo, find my way through the labyrinth of stairs and come down in the morning to warm smiles and hugs from the staff. We also did hammams here and it was PERFECT. I wanted one every day (though I know they're not best done every day). The massage afterwards is a must as well. Two things to note: If you have trouble with stairs, it's best to notify them when booking to ensure you get a room close to the entrance. You don't have to carry your bags up the stairs or anything like that. It's just that the rooms are a labyrinth inside -- sometimes up and then down stairs to get to your room which I think leads to the charm but I could see someone with bad knees preferring a closer room and it is possible to request that if you tell them in advance. And two, the riad runs a bit cold. This is likely AMAZING in the warmer months. I can imagine this might be the only place you want to be during that time and I quite enjoyed it during these colder months too because then they light all the fires and warm your bed sheets which helped me sleep like a baby. Just noting it here in case you're traveling during a warm month and you wonder if it'd be good and I think: yes because it runs a bit cooler than other places which I imagine is a good thing.…
The Riad lies perfectly with just a short stroll into the Medina. A magical place with beautiful interior decor transferring one into another world. The staff are all very kind, helpful and happy to make ones stay the perfect experience. The rooftop is the perfect place to relax after the busy day, drink a Moroccan tea and look over to the Palace at the storks nesting. We enjoyed a delicious authentic dinner with candlelight. On a cold evening when I slipped into bed I was pleasantly surprised to find a hot water bottle to make the bed even more cosy. The Hamam is a treat both to the eye and treatment, followed by a fantastic massage. Yes, it sounds like the perfect stay ..... and it really is! Looking forward to return!
I’ve never experienced such INCREDIBLE service in my 20+ years of travel. The staff at Dar Les Cignones went above and beyond to make us comfortable and ensure we had the very best experience in Marrakech. Hayat especially took great care of us during our stay. The hotel itself was a gorgeous oasis of tranquility within the heart of Marrakech. The rooftop terrace is stunning, as is the Moroccan architecture throughout the building. We stayed for 2 nights and found that almost all the main sights in Marrakech were within walking distance, including the palaces, souks, djema al fnaa, and the photography museum. The hotel spa offers excellent massages. We left wishing we could extend our stay! Highly recommend this wonderful hotel.
A five star review is not enough for Dar Les Cigognes! After a day spent sightseeing or bargaining in the souk, we were welcomed back to the Riad with mint tea and a roof terrasse entirely to ourselves. During our 4 day stay, we had 2 dinners at the hotel and one at a highly recommended and expensive nearby restaurant, that wasn't nearly as tasty as the meals offered by Les Cigognes. We felt ridiculously looked after and catered to. Hayat is so warm and genuinely friendly, as are the rest of the staff. Our every need or request was met. Hayat arranged for spa treatments, cars and meals. It was lovely to breakfast on the roof, or in front of a fire before setting off on our daily adventure. The hotel car service was reliable and comfortable. We appreciated the hotel policy of leaving all tips until the end of our stay. We loved staying in this raid, in the medina, with its sights and sounds- the prayer calls, the nesting storks on the rooftops, the calèches clip-clopping by. Truly a magical trip.…
We were in Marrakech when all flights to and from Morocco were banned by the government. Hayat and her team were fantastic at helping us deal with the many services we needed to call, and kept us up to date on the news as it happened. While I don't think we got to enjoy the hotel as much as we would have in better circumstances, I can't say enough about the kindness and quality of the service at this lovely riad.
My husband organised my birthday trip to Marrakech and we stayed 4 nights at Les Cigognes in November 2019. It is a beautiful riyadh with 11 rooms and a gorgeous roof garden. It feels like home, as it is small but intimate, with fireplaces in the beautiful lounge and library which were welcome at this time of the year. They have a cooking school, and this is probably why the food we had at the riyadh was exceptional. The best tagine I've ever had, among other items. It s really worth having a few meals here. We were overwhelmed with the warmth and friendliness of the staff. A very warm thank you to the manager Hayat, who went out of her way to make sure we celebrated my birthday in style, and to Hajiba and all the other staff. Our couples hammam experience there was also wonderful. Thank you for a stay we won't forget, and all the best wishes to all the staff!…
I went to Marrakesh for a week to relax with my daughter and wanted to stay in a Riad Hayat and Hajiba couldn’t have been more helpful, they made us feel so welcome from the second I got there, they are genuine and warm and a level of service you would never get in the best hotels. Thank you for making our stay so special
Myself and my 12 year old son spent four nights at Dar Les Cigognes over this half term break. I wanted to stay in a Riad rather than a hotel so my son would get an authentic Moroccan experience, and I am so glad that I did. Firstly, if you are looking for power showers, full working wifi in all areas and 24 hour room service, then this is not the place for you (although wifi works well in the common areas). However, if you want genuine authentic charm, personal service, a stunning roof terrace, beautifully decorated rooms and common areas, as well as feeling as if you have been welcomed into a family, then stay at this Riad. The staff went out of their way to be helpful in every single way, everyone was utterly charming, from the manager to the cleaners. It is extremely well located,close to the Palaces and the Medina. The roof terrace is huge and just delightful, with stunning sunsets, and of course you can have your drinks/meals there. You can also watch the storks nesting and circling overhead. They also have a Hammam which you can book for a personal experience. The staff are probably the warmest and most accommodating of any I have met on extensive travels. The only thing I will say is that the dinners are nice but expensive. I had not quite got the hang of the exchange rate, and if I had, I might have eaten elsewhere in the evenings. Having said that, I cannot recommend Dar Les Cigognes highly enough to make your trip to Marrakech extra special.…
We were first-time travellers to Morocco and had read many dire warnings in old guide books. Our fears were completely unfounded! We felt cosseted and cared for from the moment we stepped through the anonymous-seeming door in the wall. We had a poor night’s sleep the first night because we were in a room overlooking the main street - a continuous cacophony of traffic noise. However, on learning this the staff were so totally obliging and we were moved to a delightful inner courtyard room. We enjoyed a guided tour of the souks, Which provided us with extra insights that one wouldn’t have had on a self-guided trip. The hamman was an experience! We were both delighted to have done a half day cookery course with the prior tour of the market and spice shop (the two packets of spices I bought were tremendously expensive I thought, however). Again, Pierre showed us aspects of the locale that we wouldn’t have seen on our own, so really worthwhile. We did get out and about on our own - and would like to heartily recommend the carpet museum over any of the palaces open to tourists; it was cool, calm and just as gorgeous as the palace nearby - with very few other visitors - and the displays were fascinating.…
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