The rooms are clean, nicely decorated, the roof terrace pretty and nicely situated for a 10/15 minute walk to the souks and Djemma Al Fna.

The swimming pool that we had hoped to use during our stay at Riad Yasmine was being ripped out and re-sealed on the morning of June 10th. The main reason that we chose this Riad over a hotel was because of the lovely courtyard and swimming pool. We were not told before we left England that the swimming pool would not be available throughout our trip and weren't offered any kind of discount.

Upon leaving Riad Yasmine, we were told that we would have to pay 27 Morrocan dirham per person, per night, for a 'tourist tax'!. This worked out at 208 dirham (£17)!! We asked why we should pay this mysterious tourist tax and weren't shown any document that looked official enough for it to be genuine (trust nobody in Marrakech!). It may have been easier to accept if we had been told by Expedia, or at the start of the holiday, but we were told at the end of the trip when we only had enough money for the airport taxi! Therefore, we had to borrow money from the travellers who had lent us clothes earlier in the trip due to our luggage not arriving at with us at the aiport.

I would like to say that my low rating is for the Riad and not for Marrakech as a whole, despite how it may appear. I should also say that I have met many great people, and travelled to a lot of countries all over the world during my adult life and so feel reasonably qualified to compare Marrakech to other cities.

Marrakech is a beautiful, mystical place, but the majority of it's people are lying, deceitful and aggressive if you aren't happy to let them rip you off. If you have money to waste, I am sure you will find the people charming and friendly, but whilst I am very mild-mannered, I don't like to be taken for a ride. Generally, people will try to charge you three times as much as something is actually worth.

Taxi drivers will try to rip you off, 'friendly' henna artists will grab your arm to give you a small tattoo, then demand the equivalent of £20 for something that you never wanted, and that will wash off after a day. Children and street bums will pounce on you at the first sign of a map (essential in the souks) and either try to take you to a shop to gain commission, or tell you that Djemma Al Fna is 'closed'. If you politely tell them that you don't wan't a guide, expect a volley of four-letter words directed at you.

I could go on all day about the people of Marrakech, but I'd go over my word allowance. Feel free to email me if you want some advice. I can honestly say that this is the only holiday where I've been more uptight when I got home than before I left!

Stayed here with my wife and a couple of mates (managed to leave kids back in Liverpool with nanna for a few days) to celebrate a 40th birthday. Riad is a place to chill in between the madness of getting lost in the souks, getting entranced in the square and getting sloshed in the new town. It is within a 5 minute walk to the souks and 15 minutes to the square (through the souks, so it's an exciting 15 minutes) and is managed by a very friendly and quite funny Michelle (male, said in a french accent) with all your needs provided by 3 or 4 really friendly local staff who know how to balance informality with professionalism.... Chalky, Hanna and Co were all top guys.

Rooms are very good (suite Achicha was our choice) but probably did not need to pay extra for a suite as the normal rooms were also very good. Architecture of whole place is amazing and all hand crafted. Whole style of the place is very Morrocan with a modern influence that gives a sense of calm and relaxation. However, step outside the front door and it becomes Marracheshy Mayhem, dodging bikes, cars and locals pedalling their goods or transporting them on either hand held or horse drawn carts. Take away the motors and you could be walking around in biblical times.

You'll be glad of the dip pool in between sun sessions on the roof terrace. Never ate in the night but lunch was decent enough. Breakfast was pancakes, cereal, eggs, yougurt, fruit and pastries etc, with OJ and coffee. More than enough to set you up for a few hours haggling

Many locals are always trying to make a couple of quid but are never threatening, probably showed more respect than you get in most English towns and cities. Just beware of the guys who try to be your 'free' guide but then demand money. We just learned how to say No Thanks etc in Arabic and were fine.

All in all, a great place to experience Morrocan life in a Riad and a much better choice than the fancy French hotels in the new town. Excellent rooms, good facilities, very clean, decent location and great staff meant it is a place we would return to. For a good meal out try Cafe Arabe in the Medina or for a special occasion Zenethitis (or something like that) in the new town. I'd like to reccomend the goats head stew from the street vendors but the other three were not game....!

Riad Yasmine is a wonderful place.
Amid the hustle and bustle of the Medina you need a sanctuary to relax and recharge the batteries and as soon as you step off the busy street outside and in through the ornate door it's as though you've been teleported to another world. Apart from the beautiful architecture, you have the sound of bird song and the quiet babble of water in the small central pool. The staff welcome you with a glass of sweet mint tea which seems both refreshing and calming. We were shown to our ground floor room which was charming and featured a fantastic morrocan bathroom suite. The staff were attentive, polite and fun. We ate at the Riad the first night and it was amazing. Despite several meals elsewhere during our stay, none reached the standard offered by the wonderful chef, who apparently cooked at one time for the Royal family.
I would recommend this Riad to anyone without hesitation. The owner will also teach you some essential phrases to help fend off the attentions of the local traders/hustlers and guides!
Enjoy
Mike Sutcliffe

The Riad Yasmine is as most previous reviews have stated, a clean, comfortable, friendly hotel. I found the dinners good, but not quite as outstanding as some previous guests. One problem was that the open plan around the courtyard meant that unless all guests were extremely careful you were constantly being disturbed. Every door opening and closing, early and late arrivals, and especially noisy children made for less than a peaceful atmosphere. I also found the location of the Riad problematic. It is really out of the way and the walk to the main square is at least 15-20 minutes, IF you don't get lost. The medina is a maze and even with the map provided by the hotel I never once made it either way without a problem and I have an excellent sense of direction. The instant you show any indication of being uncertain or lost, expect to be descended upon by "guides" who are eager to show you the way. All expect to be paid for their efforts and never once was one satisfied with what I offered; some became quite hostile and threatening. The folks at the hotel assured me I was if anything being overly generous, but that as rich foreigners the opportunity is always taken to try to get more. This occurred with taxis also. Once I was charged six times what the fare should have been and the driver was extremely rude and abruptly put me out short of my destination. Overall, you can probably sense I was not enthralled by Marrakech. The souks were mostly filled very tacky, shoddy merchandise and incredibly high pressure salesmen. Getting out of most stalls was like running a minefield. I definitely won't be returning to Marrakech.