Villa Maroc

4.9/5
Excellent (6 reviews)
10 Rue Abdellah Ben Yassine, Medina, 44000 Essaouira, Morocco.
From:499,00$ /night
4.9
(6 reviews)
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About this hotel

Essaouira’s original, 18th-century riad hotel with 21 shabby-chic rooms, a Carita-endorsed spa and a front-row, ocean-view location in the Unesco-protected medina. There is also now a countryside retreat 12km outside of town, complete with pool, barbecue and a farmhouse with three rooms.

Hotel/Riad Location

Located at the southern end of the old city in between Place Moulay Hassan and Place Orson Welles. This is a great place to be situated, right between the beach, harbour and the heart of the old city with a roof terrace encompassing all three. Taxis can be picked up at Place Orson Welles.

Accomodation’s Design

Going strong now for 26 years, Villa Maroc practically invented Essaouira’s shabby-chic style with its white-washed walls and white linens contrasted against bright blue balustrades and shutters. The fascinating jigsaw of internal courtyards, cosy sitting rooms and sunny, flower-filled terraces is actually four historic homes smartly reworked as a whole.

The restoration has been highly sensitive, respecting the past character of the architecture while creating a comfortable and intimate small hotel. The décor is similarly thoughtful: a pared back selection of Moroccan and African antiques, art and crafts that showcase the great taste of Swiss-Moroccan owners Cornelia and Abderahim.

Services and Amenities

Service is highly professional. In the warren of rooms you’ll find quiet reading patios, numerous lounges (most with cosy fires when it’s cold) and dining rooms, a shop, bar, bijou spa, and spectacular roof terrace scattered with cacti and candy-coloured geraniums. The front desk can arrange a broad array of activities from cookery courses to hiking, horse riding and market-hopping in the vicinity.

New to the mix is a countryside villa – Les Jardins de Villa Maroc – complete with pool, barbecue deck and three double rooms. There’s a shuttle between the two for guests who want to spend time there.

Suites and Rooms

Given the historic nature of the house, bedrooms come in all shapes and sizes, from 12 snug doubles to seven larger suites with sitting areas, and two family-friendly apartments. All of them sport the same beachy vibe with gauzy curtains, white bed linens, cane furniture and cool terracotta or zellij tiled floors. Bathrooms are similarly bespoke, but tend toward the small side. Suite 30 is a winner with great views over the harbour.

Hospitality and Cuisine

The kitchen serves up great dinners, reniced without being pretentious, based on Abderahim’s classic family recipes. Dinners must be ordered in the morning and consist of three courses, including unusual dishes such as trid (spiced chicken perched on a layered pancake and lentil base). Light lunches and breakfast are usually taken on the glorious terrace. Or, guests can opt for a barbecue lunch and day by the pool at Les Jardins for 250 Moroccan Dirham (£18) per person.

Special Needs Access

No.

Is this place family-friendly?

Yes. There are two family-friendly apartments and cots (£10 per night) and extra beds (£21 per night) can be provided. However, beware; the villa is riddled with stairs.

Hotel Facilities

Bar
Laundry
Parking
Pool
Restaurant
Room Service
Spa
Steam room/hammam
Wi-Fi

Reviews

4.9/5
Excellent
(6 reviews)
Sleep
4.7/5
Location
5/5
Service
5/5
Clearness
5/5
Rooms
4.7/5
6 reviews on this Hotel - Showing 1 to 6
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Patrick Moulaï
09/30/2024

Charmant Séjour

Superbe séjour à la Villa Maroc : l'hôtel a énormément de charme et est très bien situé au sein de la vieille ville. Le service y est top et le personnel au petit soin ainsi que la direction. Le petit déjeuner ainsi que le dîner sont à ne pas manquer : Hayat la cuisinière est au petit soin. Enfin le spa avec le soin hammam/massage était excellent. Merci à Fatima, Hassan, Lasen et tous les membres du personnel pour leur gentillesse et énergie afin que notre semaine soit merveilleuse. Objectif atteind.
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Matthew Kenreich
06/19/2024

Wonderful Experience

Very pleased with my decision to stay at Villa Maroc. The location, decor, the property itself, the quality of the room, and the food were all wonderful. As is often the case though, it was the staff who truly made my stay enjoyable. They were friendly, cordial, welcoming, and gave some excellent recommendations for meals, activities, sites and more. Essaouira in general is a wonderful place to visit and my experience there was made more enjoyable thanks to my decision to stay at Villa Marco. Should I be lucky enough to return to Essaouira, I will absolutely stay here again, Inshallah.
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Christophe LARATTE
03/15/2024

Cuisine Marocaine Exceptionnelle

Restaurant ouvert uniquement sur réservation. 1 seul menu qui change tous les jours. Les plats sont sans chichi, copieux et permettent de déguster une cuisine marocaine «comme à la maison» dans un cadre magnifique, intimiste, avec, lorsque la température le nécessite, la chaleur provenant de l'âtre d'une cheminée. Un agréable souvenir que nous espérons reproduire.
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Christine Emms
02/10/2024

Beautiful Place

Beautiful place to stay. The bedroom was chilly. Wonderful position with an amazing roof terrace for breakfast. Essaouira is a beautiful place to visit and the Villa is a perfect place to stay.
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Maggie & Jeff
08/20/2023

Incredible Staff

Excellent location, though it can get loud at nights. And with no AC, the windows should probably stay open, which means it's loud with club music, street performers, and Gnaoua Festival soundchecks (although that was pretty neat). Right inside the medina walls and quite close to the port, beach, and bastion. The staff was incredible. We mentioned at breakfast offhandedly that the seagulls kept us up at night, and they offered to move us to a different room where we could sleep better. The breakfast was probably the best we had in Morocco, with easily the best view. Huge building with lots of little nooks and crannies to hang out in. Super chill place for a super chill time in Essaouira.
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A A
05/15/2023

Fantastic Place

What a fantastic place to stay while enjoying a few days in Essaouira. Breakfast was the best I’ve had in Morocco. Location was superb, so close to everything. Staff was so wonderful and helpful. Will definitely come back.

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