Dar Rania

Thank you Sanah and Hyatt. A sanctuary from the 'full on' pace, sounds and smells of Marrakesh. The rooms were clean and tidy. Breakfast was nice and filling. The showers were hand help only and the hot water was sporadic but in 40 degree+ heat a cold shower was very welcome. There are padlocks for the bolts on the room doors but they have not been used for a long time. Steve (Birthday Boy) arranged a taxi for us from the airport (Pricey at 40 euros, yep they take them) but once we had gone as far as possible in a car the driver did walk us to the door. We know now that he took us around the houses a bit but we'd have never made it otherwise. The return journey was 150 DH. Without Hyatt (an English speaking rep for a number of Riads) showing us the way to the main square, Jemaa el-Fnaa, we'd have been completely lost in the hustle and bustle of the Marrakesh Souks. When you leave the Riad do not turn left, down there trouble be,.....not sure what exactly as we did as we were told, the locals were always trying to send us either back to "Big Square" or the Tannery (which seemed to have a auction every day). When we said we were going to our Riad they wished us look. Interesting!. It's a 10-15 minute exhaust fueled single file walk to Jemaa el-Fnaa. If you fancy cooling off with a tour of the Tombs, don't. They're above ground. We recommend the two hour carriage tour, very entertaining. Cars, mopeds, carriages, carts and pedestrians - the one who has right of way is simply the one that is moving. No other rules seam to apply. Amazingly, we never witnessed an accident. The Grand Hotel Tazi at the end of Rue Bab Agnaou not far from Jemaa el-Fnaa sells beer and wine with no assumption that you will eat there. Restaurants in Jemaa el-Fnaa provide a good vantage point for all evening entertainment. A sight to behold. Cobras can't strike upwards and Monkeys smell.

We stayed for 4 nights in this Road, and slept very well. The riad is a lovely escape from the frenetic environment of the Medina and souks, and the rooms were clean and the beds comfortable. The hot water is, as reported by everyone, sporadic, but you soon learn to shower quickly!
Our host spoke no English, and so we dragged out the best school french we could to get the basic conversations across. For us, the only main problem was that no one was at the riad during the day time, and only occasionally in the evening (if other guests were having dinner there). This meant that because we ordered breakfast for 9on the first morning, that was what time it was given for the rest of the stay - which would have been fine if we weren't going on an excursion one day and needed it earlier. Because no one was there to say otherwise, we got cold breakfast one day when were were up late, and no breakfast one day when we needed to be out by 8. But then you can always pick something up on the little stalls in the streets.
She did go out of her way on our first evening to show us the way to Jamar El'Fna so that we didn't get lost, which was kind. From then on though, we were on our own! She did however provide us with a little heater on day 2 as the rooms stay so cool - but in February cool turns to cold! Lovely stay though, simple, clean and good for the price.