Essaouira is a real charmer. The minute you arrive from the bus into the city you can tell that it's a special place. Its whitewashed walls contrasting with the sea, and its laid-back charm are a welcome respite from Marrakech. We arrived at the bus station and were whisked away to Lunetoile through the narrow, charming streets. As ever with Moroccan buildings, you can't tell anything about what's inside by the doorway or the façade, but what a surprise to enter Lunetoile to see a house that was meticulously cared for and beautifully furnished that just felt warm and inviting from the first instance. My first impression on entering the room was that I didn't want to leave, and seriously thought about extending our stay. Then we met Sue and it was hard to imagine wanting to leave the place. Sue very clearly is passionate about her business, and also about getting to know her clients and making them feel completely comfortable with their surroundings. I also was impressed by her handling of our specific needs, and the discretion and good humor by which she approached them was something I remember fondly. There have been some complaints about the staff being only French speaking but come on, people! This is Morocco and French is the locals' second language--and most speak it fluently so why not make an effort too? Sue is a native English speaker and will facilitate anything you...Essaouira is a real charmer. The minute you arrive from the bus into the city you can tell that it's a special place. Its whitewashed walls contrasting with the sea, and its laid-back charm are a welcome respite from Marrakech. We arrived at the bus station and were whisked away to Lunetoile through the narrow, charming streets. As ever with Moroccan buildings, you can't tell anything about what's inside by the doorway or the façade, but what a surprise to enter Lunetoile to see a house that was meticulously cared for and beautifully furnished that just felt warm and inviting from the first instance.

My first impression on entering the room was that I didn't want to leave, and seriously thought about extending our stay. Then we met Sue and it was hard to imagine wanting to leave the place. Sue very clearly is passionate about her business, and also about getting to know her clients and making them feel completely comfortable with their surroundings. I also was impressed by her handling of our specific needs, and the discretion and good humor by which she approached them was something I remember fondly.

There have been some complaints about the staff being only French speaking but come on, people! This is Morocco and French is the locals' second language--and most speak it fluently so why not make an effort too? Sue is a native English speaker and will facilitate anything you may need with her staff--never to fear!

So it was a brief stay but it left us with a strong desire to come back and stay again someday, and it would be a mistake if you visit Essaouira and don't get to know Sue's wonderful home.More