Marrakech, the name in and by itself stirred up images of dreamy nights with exotic foods and drape-y, colorful surroundings, and the soulful sound of a mystical Moroccan singer. Yes, I am Egyptian and none of this is truly exotic to me, but Morocco always held a special place in my heart and a top place in the travel destinations list. The best bit is? It was not disappointing in the tiniest bit, despite the fact that I have set up a rather high bar for it to meet.

However, and that’s a big however right there, there are many, many things I did that I would have done a little differently had I known better. So this article is dedicated to just that: The beauties and wonders of Marrakech and the lessons learned so you be lucky and avoid them if you ever decide to take off to that dreamy land, and you should.

The Lodging:

We searched long and hard and decided not to stay at the more hip side of Marrakech, near Gueliz, the newer neighborhood where modern clubs, shops and restaurants are.

If you want modern, wide, clean streets and sidewalk cafes, you choose between Gueliz (the busier side of modern Marrakech) or the quieter, more residential Hivernage which is a walk to the heart of Gueliz anyway. Hotels there are big and luxurious, with pools and spas and the full work. There, you can see the posher side of town. You can also opt for the iconic Mamounia hotel, which is a staple of Marrakech, but if you don’t stay there, go have a look around anyway to get a feel of its rich history where many historical figures once stayed.

We opted to stay in the more authentic side of Marrakech, the Old Medina around Jamea Il Fna, which is rather similar to the Egyptian Khan El Khalili.

The perks of staying at the Old Medina: You’re a walking distant from almost all of the most important sight seeings. You’re staying in the historical side of Marrakech and you’re at the heart of the souqs (markets) and all the exotics the town has to offer. You’re experiencing the more authentic side of town where you can scroll down to a fruits stall to buy dry fruits and watch a monkey toying around with tourists. The Riads are  mostly in the Old Medina and they are a great change from generic hotels worldwide. You also get to know all the shopkeepers around and develop relationships with them — technically you’re neighbors.

The downfall: The area is a pedestrian one so you will have to walk a good 10-15 minutes to reach out of the square. The walk can sometimes be a bit stressful as it’s almost always bustling with people, shop keepers trying to hustle you into buying and almost always motorbikes going by. The Riads there are also tucked into the alleys and side streets so you have to walk through piles of garbage and stray cats messing around with it to get to your hotel. You also have to take a cab to go to the posher restaurants at Gueliz.

We wanted a Riad, which is a traditional Moroccan house that features a garden in the middle of the building, much like Beit El Soheimy in Al Moez Street. Many Riads in Morocco have been turned to very small hotels, with four or five rooms.

Riad Bab 54

We picked Riad Bab 54 ($100, or LE695, to $120, or LE835,  per night for a double room, breakfast included).

The road to the Riad is not a pleasant one, but this is is the case with most Riads and that’s what you need to brace yourself for if you opt to stay in the Old Medina. But once you reach there, it’s a quiet sanctuary. The hotel is made up of five rooms, three double ones, a triple and a quadruple room, a small pool, a common living room and a terrace where breakfast is served. We were greeted by Jamal who was very helpful throughout our stay and was the only staff member serving us there. He checked us in, served us breakfast, made the reservations for restaurants and even brought tea.

The rooms are clean and comfortable and are designed in a contemporary Moroccan fashion.  You get Wifi in your rooms but one particular room has rather weak Wifi signals and you have to stay by the window to be able to connect well.

The food: Breakfast is served daily on the roof, which is a good way to start the day in sunny Marrakech. It’s a set menu of homemade cakes, bread, freshly squeezed juice, a yum, luxuriously creamy homemade yoghurt and a selection of jams. The food is of good quality and attention has been given to every detail, but it  might not be awfully filling for everyone. We recommend, if you do stay at Riad Bab 54, that you buy your own bread from the neighboring bakery. Moroccan bread is delicious, especially when served right out of the oven and it costs as little as 1 Dirham.

If you will dine at the Riad you need to inform them 24 hours in advance and forget about it during the holidays when only one person is serving.

The service: Jamal was very helpful, he pointed us out to various restaurants and made reservations, he brought us tea even when we asked for it at 11pm when he was about to go to bed and made sure our stay was as comfortable as possible.

We loved: How the Riad balanced contemporary with traditional and had a cozy, quiet feel for the perfect ending note after a busy day in Marrakech. It was cosy and had a truly homey feel.

We hated:  The bathrooms had no bidet or bidet shower (shatafa).The other discomfort in the room is the fact that due to the Riad being rather small, you need to be carefully quiet as your voices will be heard by the pool area, which is situated in the middle of the rooms. We also hoped there could be the option of eating at other points than the morning for when we came home awfully tired and weren’t in the mood to go out and look for food.

Editor’s tip: You’re not staying in a a five-stars hotel so don’t expect the service of one, if you come in late and Jamal is out, you might wait a few minutes until he answers the door. Things as little as requiring to pay in US dollars as opposed to Euros might be a bit confusing for the staff so be prepared for a cozy, homey stay, but not a five-stars one.

Editor’s tip 2: Do buy some bread from the neighboring baker, it’s yum when fresh out of the oven.

Other articles in our Essential Guide to Marrakech:

Where to eat

What to do

Getting there