Marrakech is one busy, noisy city.. and so we were pleasantly surprised at just how quiet Riad Azzar was despite only being minutes from the main square in the city. From the moment you step through the door and away, you instantly relax.

There are only 4 rooms in the hotel, and so you get a very personal service as well. All of the staff were very friendly, and the Dutch owners were also extremely helpful in giving tips and advice for what to do & see in Marrakech.

The only one drawback was the access to the hotel - you have to go down a side alley which, if you don't know where you're going in the dark, is a bit intimidating (but once you get used to Marrakech, you realise its not that bad in the grand scheme of things!) and we had one night where we couldn't get to sleep because of kids playing football outside, but other than that is was perfect. Would definitely return.

Location PERFECT
Service quality = PERSONALIZED & EXCELLENT
Cleanliness = SPOTLESS
Charm factor = REDEFINES CHARM
If you want subtle, well run, thoughtful riad experience in the heart of the medina (but deliciously quiet), this is it.

We stayed at Riad Azzar for two nights as part of our honeymoon - one night on the way to Essaouira and one night before flying home. It was absolutely perfect! We stayed in the Suite Zayan which was lovely - spacious, clean, cool, luxurious. The whole Riad is decorated beautifully - you can tell the owners, Maryk and Cees take a lot of pride in it. The plunge pool is a great thing to have as well - we spent a few happy hours in it cooling off from the heat and hustle and bustle of the medina.

Service from all the staff was wonderful - they were so friendly and helpful - right from being met in the main square and taught the main landmarks to navigate to the Riad, to making sure we were Ok getting back to the airport.

On our final night in Marrakech, and the final night of our honeymoon, we had dinner on the terrace. This was just perfect - we had mentioned that whilst we enjoyed tagines they were a little heavy for us, so the chef prepared some wonderful salads, a light, lemony tagine, and a light dessert. I think it was the best Moroccan food we ate all holiday!

Maryck and Cees were also great at helping us with recommendations - of restaurants and the best ways to get around.

My only tip would be that if you are going in summer you probably want to book one of the suites as I don't think the downstairs rooms have air conditioning which might get a little stifling in the summer, but it was over 45 C when we were there!

If you are looking to enjoy the Medina and be close to the action but have somewhere to get away from it all and relax, this is the place for you. They have done a fantastic job!

We stayed for four nights. The arrival was as strange and wondeful as we had read from a review on this site. Definitely have someone meet you at the airport--finding the riad the first time would be impossible on your own and Google maps was no help. The car that met us can only drive so far into the medina, was met by a man with a cart for luggage and we followed him through the el Fna square and then down alleys to the door. Opening the door was like stepping into Oz--beautiful garden pool that we immediately used as the temperature was 30 degrees Fahrenheit above normal for late April. Our room (Taznarth) was nicely appointed with fresh fruit every day. Breakfasts included served on the rooftop terrace were very adequate. Dinners were offered if desired. The staff was always very helpful--arranged two tours we had requested before arrival. One was a half-day walking tour of the medina and souks, second was an all day drive into the high Atlas mountains including lunch at a genuine Berber villager's home. Highly recommend this riad--location just 5 minutes from all the action in the medina (vs staying at a hotel outside the medina) gave a taste of the real city we wanted.
Bob and Janet Spiegel St. Petersburg, FL, USA