Riad Zahra is a great choice because you get all the style of the Moroccan riad but without the noise/privacy problems that you might encounter in some smaller establishments. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the feel of a traditional riad, but this usually comes with added ‘bonuses’ such as knowing when your neighbours are taking a shower and being woken in the morning by sounds from the riad kitchen. Rest assured, the walls of Riad Zahra are of solid construction and coupled with the sea air you’re guaranteed a goods nights sleep! You won’t miss out on Moroccan style if you stay here; all rooms and common areas are done out in a very tasteful unfussy way.

The room: Our sea view room was VERY generously sized and had lovely Moroccan cushions and romantic lighting should you so choose. The view did not disappoint either. This place actually looks better than the photos on the various booking websites.

Food/drinks: Breakfast was good and included the freshest orange juice ever. We had several lunches and dinners in the pretty 2-roomed restaurant which was always good and very reasonably priced. Again, this is another area where Zahra scores highly; we found it very convenient to have somewhere to eat when we arrived at about 9pm after a long journey and also throughout our week’s stay when we were just too relaxed to go anywhere else! There is also a bar – another plus point over a normal riad as choices for places to have a drink without a meal in Morocco are very limited.

Other highlights:
The Terrace: a great spot for a drink at sunset or lunch
The owners: who couldn’t do enough to make your stay in Essaouira a good one
The pool: a decent size. You won’t get this in a normal riad. (we had a wander through the Sofitel down the road for comparison, but it’s such a characterless chain hotel and you won’t feel like you are in Morocco if you stay there)
Location: It’s right on the sea front and I enjoyed the 15 min walk down to the medina.
I am so glad we chose Riad Zahra. I can’t imagine having a better stay anywhere else and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone staying in Essaouira.

Wonderful riad that has everything: great location (especially if you want to surf etc.) close to the beach, great atmosphere, very helpful owners, nice swimming pool and good breakfast.
The beds were a bit too hard though.

We have stayed in Riad Zahra for almost a week and enjoyed every day of it. The whole building is really beautiful as are the pool and the rooms. The owner couple is very friendly and helpful and made our stay unforgettable.

I can only recommend this place to everyone visiting Essaouira as it is normally to windy to visit the beach and Riad Zahra has a pool!

The owners, Xavier and Edith Panades and their son belong to the kind of people which makes living on this earth more than worthwhile and reminds you that commerce and kindness can work very well together. But also their staff try their best in making you have a terrific stay. The relaxed atmosphere, the friendliness of everybody and the flexible attitude to the undersigned and his sons as regards to losing or forgetting keys and the immediate helping out with any problems that suddenly occurred such as a defective hire car and a son with an upset stomach make this hotel second to none.
Robert Beydals