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Riad a la Belle Etoile – reviews, photos

4.0 of 5
14 saniat Sabounji | Médina, Sale 11001, Morocco
Hotel amenities
Riad a la Belle Etoile
Ranked #1 of 7 Sale B&B and Inns
4.5 of 5 stars 65 Reviews
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65 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    38
    18
    3
    3
    3
Date Rating
Westside
1 review
“Rip off Riad”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 February 2011

Though the staff at this Riad were wonderful and made our stay bearable, we left feeling that our accomodation over the 9 days we stayed there was one big rip off. The pictures on the website do not do justice to the rather dark and gloomy rooms, the overflowing shower facilities, the lack of hot waters for showers (daily). There is no real privacy in the riad, you can hear all the other guests conversations through the latticed walls.

After staying for a night, we wanted to cancel our 9 day stay there but the owner, who did not live onsite, said he would have to charge our credit card anyway.

We ordered dinner there twice thinking it was the advertised 20Euro.

Upon checking out, we were charged 40Euro, charged for water at dinner, charged for wine we had brought in and put in their refridgerator, charged for taxi service we had already paid for, charged double for the bed tax.

We had to call the owner direct (the staff did not speak English) and haggle to justify our expenses. This is not the fault of the staff, they are very sweet and caring women; we felt the owner's policies were at fault.

All in all, we felt that the 95 Euro per night room rate was exhorbitant for the value of the riad. Be aware if you stay at this riad, and make sure you know what the charges are. The taxi service they provide is at least double what other local taxis charge.

  • Stayed January 2011, travelled with friends
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Portugal
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“A beautiful house, well renovated and tastefully decorated”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 December 2010

We enjoyed out 2 night stay at this guesthouse. We had great difficulty finding the house, not helped by a day of terrible rain but when we finally arrived the housekeeper/cook had done everything possible to make us feel comfortable and welcome. The building itself is unique and the renovation has been tastefully completed. There is heating in the bedrooms which is important for out of season travellers but even in the main part of the house, we never felt cold despite the bad weather outside. We enjoyed a lovely, but in our opinion expensive (€18 per person) meal ( be prepared to pay almost €20 a bottle if you choose to have wine) the first evening, cooked by the housekeeper who also served breakfast each morning.

We communicated with the owners by email in English but did not meet them during our stay. As the housekeeper did not speak English we were not able to get information from her about the area. If you speak French my guess is that she would be only too happy to help and advise. For us not being able to speak French was a real disadvantage and we had mistakenly assumed that the owners would be in the house to meet us.

Our car was parked on the road at the back of the house and guarded by a local man to whom we paid a small fee at the end of our stay. We felt it was safe as every time we passed by he seemed to be there!

There is not a great deal to do in Sale itself but we enjoyed the medina and exploring the town. We choose not to go into Rabat as it was the end of our trip and we really did not have enough time to explore it. However there seemed to be a regular bus service if we had wanted to go there, also of course taxis. There did not seem to be a good restaurant in Sale or maybe we just missed it so we ate at a local pizza house on our second night.
Definitely worth a night or two just to experience this wonderful house but probably not a great location for a very long stay.

  • Stayed November 2010, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask sputnikPortugal about Riad a la Belle Etoile
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Washington DC
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
18 helpful votes 18 helpful votes
“Charming and comfortable riad- would definitely return!!”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 November 2009
1
person found this review helpful

We had a very brief occasion to stay at this riad while passing through Rabat. Communication for our booking over email was perfect. The riad is located in the area of Sale, across the water, and has marvelous views of the medina and ocean from the rooftop terrace lounge area. We arrived late in the evening and checked out the next morning. While we didn't have a chance to meet the owners of the riad, the young lady working there who greeted us was absolutely lovely. She was kind enough to arrange our breakfast on the highest rooftop the following morning which we enjoyed immensely. We did not have a chance to eat dinner there the night we arrived but the smells from the dining area made us wish we did. We stayed in the Essaouira room which is located on the rooftop (quite high up with narrow steps but if you're careful, it is just fine). The room itself was very welcoming, clean and nicely decorated with a space heater in the bathroom which made it nice and warm early in the morning. The toilet/shower area was comfortable, and only thing we did notice was the shower drain was not working properly so there was an accumulation of water (which was not a huge deal as there were raised wooden slats in the shower area). Overall, we would definitely return, and recommend this riad as a great place to stay in Rabat/Sale for a very reasonable price.

  • Stayed November 2009, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask LadyEsqDC about Riad a la Belle Etoile
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
London, United Kingdom
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“GORGEOUS, ROMANTIC, CLEAN, LOVELY!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 October 2009
1
person found this review helpful

Entering this Riad took my breath away, its so beautiful. The food was delicious, the bed very comfortable, the staff incredibly polite and friendly. An oasis of quiet and calm in the Rabat medina. My only advice is to get a suite upstairs----away from the living space and so a little more private.

Stayed October 2009, travelled as a couple
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Ask moroccogirl about Riad a la Belle Etoile
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
New York
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“A wonderful introduction to Morocco”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 November 2008
1
person found this review helpful

Rabat was our first encounter with Morocco. After much online searching, we stumbled onto this lovely Riad.
From the onset we had a good feeling about the place. We received an immediate and professional response from owners Sophie and Stephane. They sent us a customized confirmation complete with a detailed map to give to our taxi driver upon arrival at the train station.
Once we arrived at the Riad we received a warm welcome from our hosts who immediately offered us a traditional mint tea on the roof terrace which offers a panoramic view of Rabat.
The Riad's decor is true to Moroccan style with a French flare, not to mention the fabulous traditional in house hamman. An experience not to be missed!
Besides offering comfortable accomodations, great cuisine, and convenience to the historical center of the city, the best thing was the hospitality and kindness of our hosts Sophie and Stephane.
Highly recommended to anyone visiting Rabat.
Lydia and Sergio Tuve'

  • Liked — The hospitality and the beauty of the place
  • Disliked — N/A
  • Stayed September 2008, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
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Additional Information about Riad a la Belle Etoile

14 saniat Sabounji | Médina, Sale 11001, Morocco
Price range (per night):* INR3,579 - 6,710

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