4 Stars for a 4 Star Riad (Riad Amira Victoria (Marrakesh, Morocco))

Member Name: michellexv

Product:	Riad Amira Victoria (Marrakesh, Morocco)
Date:	12/07/09 (15 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cool, bright and beautiful

Disadvantages: Pricier than riads near the main square

My mum and I recently travelled to Marrakesh and stayed in Riad Amira Victoria for 2 nights. I booked a standard double room through lateroom.com and this cost 55 euros per night.

I had emailed the hotel owner, El Hassan Boukhcha, a couple of weeks earlier to arrange for a taxi to collect us from the airport. This cost 15 euros for the two of us- probably around 5 euros more expensive than if we'd hailed a cab at the airport. But we were grateful for the assistance and at least the fixed price meant that we wouldn't have to haggle down a taxi fare after our flight and long wait at passport control (1 and a half hours!) El Hassan speaks perfect English, is very helpful and great company if you get to see him at the Riad. Feel free to call him (00212 668219866) for any queries you may have about the Riad and he will also assist with booking sightseeing tours at a reasonabley price.

We got to drive in a 'Petit Taxi'- these are the smaller taxis (as opposed to the Grands Taxis which are old 1980's Mercedes cars that you'll often end up sharing with other passengers collected along the way. However, you can 'buy' an extra seat to avoid having a complete stranger near sat on your lap.) The drive to the riad was...well, interesting, to say the least. The taxi traversed the narrowest of alleyways- scarcely wide enough to fit the vehicle whilst dodging donkey carts, people, cats and motorbikes along the way. And just when we thought this was the craziest place we have ever visited, another vehicle would approach from the opposite direction and there would be colourful hand displays, animals darting in all directions and pedestrians loudly shoed along for minding their own business. Oh, and just to add to the confusion, there are no traffic lights or stop signs or any sort of road safety signage for that matter in Marrakesh. But back to talk of the riad itself...

Our driver dropped us off at the bottom of a deadend street. The riad turned out to be down a dark, back passage which seemed very intimidating at first. We would never have been able to find the riad without the help of the taxi driver. I had read that when booking direct through riads or hotels, they have designated drivers to whom they pay commission for the taxi service so they are familiar with the whereabouts of these places. Marrakesh is a complete maze and other drivers hailed off the street may not necessary know how to get you to the door of the riad. Our few extra Euros spent seemed well worth it now.

The riad entrance was exquisite. A huge, polished wooden brass adorned door and a couple of palm trees on either side of it were in stark contrast to the dilapidated houses in the rest of the street. Once we stepped inside it was like a different world altogether. Riad means 'little palace' and truly we had just entered one. Huge chandeliers lit the entrance hall which opened onto a central courtyard with lush plant growth and a mosaic-tile fountain. A small French-Arabic man called Moustafa (who doesn't speak a word of English but is a kind and gentle person) waited on us and brought us refreshing sweet, mint tea and biscuits. Afterwards we were shown to our room.

The room was furnished with a huge four-poster bed and Moroccan leather articles that would probably fetch a fortune in the UK. The room had a light and airy feel and we both had a comfortable stay here over the two days. The en-suite bathroom had a flushing toilet (you may laugh but believe me this is a luxury in Marrakesh which is best not to be taken for granted!) with gold-plated taps and basin. Throughout our stay fresh towels and linen were provided daily, as well as mineral water.

It was surprisingly quiet inside the riad compared to the hustle and bustle outside, except for a few birds tweeting away in the morning. Breakfast is served on the roof terrace or the restaurant area on the ground floor. The food is nothing to boast of. Sure the orange juice is freshly squeezed, but the rest consists of merely white bread, jam and butter, and pieces of what look like fried pastry and taste even less appealing than they sound. Although this type of breakfast is typical of Morocco I did expect a slightly higher standard from a 4-star riad.

On the second evening we really wanted to enjoy an orange juice on the terrace so we ordered one and were horrified to learn that these would set us back 20 dirhams each. This isn't a lot when converted back to British pounds (around £1.50) but considering they sell glasses of fresh orange juice for twice the size in the square for 3 dirhams, this was a complete rip off.

There were really only 2 staff around for most of our stay. Moustafa, and an Arabic lady who speaks some English and helped with out checkout. We were charged a government room tax (standard for all riads/ hotels in Morocco) of 5euros in addition to the total cost of our 2 night stay.

The location of the Riad was somewhat inconvenient. I think you can live in Marrakesh for an entire lifetime and still get lost in the labyrinthine alleys. All roads may lead to Rome elsewhere, but in Marrakesh, everyone is headed for the Djemaa el Fna (or main square). However, to get there from Riad Amira Victoria, you will need to navigate the Souqs (covered markets) first and although you're quoted a 10 minute walk to the square this is quite frankly impossible. Because for all the will and intention in the world, getting lost is part of the whole experience of Marrakesh. And the further you are from the square, the more likely it is that you will lose you way. As indeed we did- for 5 hours! This can be stressful to say the least and we ended up paying some kids to walk us back to the front door of the riad.

Although the main square is also the main attraction, we learnt that the accommodation is also cheaper around the square. We later stayed in a central Riad which set us back somewhat less than Riad Amira Victoria and which was far more conveniently located.

Overall I would recommend this riad if you have been to Marrakesh before and would like to be away from the busyness of the main square.

Summary: Not the best location but a lovely riad to stay in