this is a superb riad with welcoming staff and good facilities. for its price it is excellent value. i would recommend riad karmela to anyone thinking of visiting marrakech!

riad karmela made our holiday. it´s an oasis in the middle of the medina.it´s a very sociable place and the staff were excellent. the rooms are built around a courtyard and the riad is near a mosque so it can be a little noisy but that was all part of the charm. you definitely need to arrange to be met at the airport as you would never find it otherwise.if you are girls travelling alone i would advise not getting back after the souks have closed otherwise its fine. if you get chance go to casa lalla for dinner - fantastic! overall we had a wonderful stay and would go back.

pros:phillipe and joel are very welcoming and helpful. the riad is beautiful and has lovely staff. our room was lovely and it is value for money. the riad organised airport transfers on request which were great. they can also provide lunch or dinner on request-this is convenient especially if you arrive around these times, food was good. cons:the riad advertised a pool, however there is no pool-they have 2 jacuzzi´s. also breakfast is not served upstairs with a view of the atlas mountains as it was ´too cold´; also the view was overrated. the ground floor room in which we stayed was quite noisy especially in the very early mornings as breakfast was set up and served (sometimes very early for guests who had early flights to catch). overall, my friend and i had a good stay at riad karmela and a nice time in marrakesh. however, do your homework before going to marrakesh. if you lose your way and a young boy offers to take you to the riad, be firm and agree a price, otherwise when they get to the riad, the original boy has multiplied to about 6 of them and they hassle you for more money. if you don´t want to be shown the way, be firm. be wise with bargaining too (oh yes, and be firm if you don´t want to buy) - you will be quoted ridiculous prices, especially if you say you are english. as days go by you will realise just how much you were swindled(!), however prices are extremely cheap when converted to the pound, so have some fun with your bargaining!! i would reccomend going with a male companion. my friend and i got extremely harrassed by the souks (it did´t help she is blonde and stunning!) and perved on by the men, but the perving on is not uncommon even to locals, so take it in your stride! marrakesh is lovely and the locals are very friendly in general. have fun!

this riad was just taken over by a new manager - phillip who does a great job to make you feel welcome. the riad is beautiful yet a few things weren´t as described: for instance, the pool in the courtyard was not working nor the jacuzzi upstairs. also, the breakfast is ok but not great although having it on the sunny roof terrace partly makes up for it. the food is ok but definitely overpriced. overall, this riad is great but in order to justify its prices it needs to provide better service and more sophisticated food.