Riad Les Bougainvilliers

“Great to relax in the heart of the medina”

+ Great location in the Medina, very close do the Jemaa ElFna Square and major attractions. Spacious rooms, very comfortable and very clean. The staff is friendly and helpful. The small swimming pool is great to refresh in the heat of Marrakech. - A welcome drink would be nice. It can be hard to... more

+ Great location in the Medina, very close do the Jemaa ElFna Square and major attractions. Spacious rooms, very comfortable and very clean. The staff is friendly and helpful. The small swimming pool is great to refresh in the heat of Marrakech. - A welcome drink would be nice. It can be hard to find by yourself. It's best to ask the hotel to provide someone to meet you outside the medina.

less

“Perfect!”

The staff are amazing! warm, friendly, professional and always available. The meals were amazing. There was so much, we had to steal them away to finish later. The rooms were more than adequate. We had a bathroom with a view! The swimming pool was really a welcomed treat in the 40 degree weather.

“Nice Riad in a perfect location”

Riad Les Bougainvilliers is situated in a very good location in the heart of the medina and is easy to reach. It's a quiet and peaceful place with comfortable beds and spacious rooms. The service at the reception deserves additional praise. Monssef is the real gem of this place. Always smiling an... more

Riad Les Bougainvilliers is situated in a very good location in the heart of the medina and is easy to reach. It's a quiet and peaceful place with comfortable beds and spacious rooms. The service at the reception deserves additional praise. Monssef is the real gem of this place. Always smiling and helpful. It would be nice to have bathrobes and slippers in the rooms - it's so normal now and they were missing here. Breakfast is also a weak point. It's not about the type of breakfast itself, because it was typically Moroccan and we knew it. I mean too greasy omelettes and msemen as well as fruit cut in an unappetizing way. On the plus side, always fresh and delicious orange juice. Breakfast service could be better too.

less

“Functional Little Riad in an ideal location for all the sights”

Situated about 25-30 minutes from Marrakech main airport (RAK) the hotel is a convenient location both in terms of distance from the airport and the busy downtown old Medina area. We booked a return journey whilst at home which was less than £50/60Euros/$62 in total. One tip, is that your driver ... more

Situated about 25-30 minutes from Marrakech main airport (RAK) the hotel is a convenient location both in terms of distance from the airport and the busy downtown old Medina area. We booked a return journey whilst at home which was less than £50/60Euros/$62 in total. One tip, is that your driver will actually be outside the main entrance as you exit into the arrivals hall – and you cannot return once you have exited. There are some pick ups inside, but these were the minority. An additional point of note is that the Hotel/Riad is not accessible by vehicle. Your driver will probably drop you off at the end of the nearest street which is about 200m from the turning to enter the Riad. Your driver will be able to call a street porter to take your bags to the door for a 20 Dirham tip (£1.80/2Euros/$2). Alternatively you can walk if you prefer. The Riad itself is quite indistinct and down a quiet lane. There is a round plaque on the outside door, but no other identifying features. If unsure just as a local, as they are all quite friendly. You have to press the buzzer to gain entry and there is a 24hr member of staff to greet you upon arrival. There are no forms or paperwork to fill in, nor do you need to hand over a credit card for the city room taxes – as you pay these at the end of your stay in cash. For 4 of us for 5 nights it was 520Dhs. You enter a small entrance lobby and your room will either be on the ground or upper floors. The family rooms are on the ground level. We stayed in the ‘Orchidee’ room, which comprised 2 rooms, one with a double bed and the other had 2 single beds. The rooms are clean and functional with a full size bath and shower room with hairdryer and heated towel rail. If you are expecting all mod cons then these traditional riads are not for you. There are no TVs, tea or coffee facilities or fancy toiletries. Sure there are some nice smelling shower gels and shampoo, but they are tiny and will last you one wash. The double room has a large wardrobe area with small writing desk, chair and small separate table, with a collapsible luggage rack. The double bed is on the firm side, but the bedding was of good quality, clean and fresh. The air conditioning was fully functional and much needed. The wifi is free, and although not the fastest, was enough for us all to check our emails and make whatsapp calls when needed. There is also a nice roof terrace where you can sunbathe or have breakfast, but does get quite hot There is also a small rectangular plunge pool on the ground floor to cool off in, which seemed to get regular use. It was clean and well maintained. There are also no room cards to use, just an optional key and padlock if you wish, although the building is very secure and each room has a functioning safe. You can close yourself in at night via a bar across the door. Breakfast is just off the centre court yard (or in it if you wish), which is a very basic and simple affair. It is served between 8am and 10am and comprises tea/coffee, orange juice and traditional flatbreads/bread with jam, honey and butter. That’s it. It was nice for the first day but we opted to buy local pastries from the nice bakery around the corner for the rest of our stay. Perhaps a suggestion for management would be to come to an arrangement with the bakery to provide even some fresh pain au chocolat, which we could buy for 2Dhs each – and am sure they could get for less. Sleep quality was excellent. We slept like babies. It was quiet, cool and tranquil, even though it is quite close to the hustle and bustle of Jamaal El Fnaa Square. The staff were very friendly and accommodating, and they even have an option to dine with them if you request in advance. It is also quite a simple affair with a set meal for everyone who participates. Location wise, it is within walking distance of many attractions. The main square and souks are literally a 5 minutes walk, and you have multiple food options nearby. The only word of warning I’d give is that you can expect to be badgered every 50yds by someone trying to sell their wares, but if they are not of interest just walk confidently and say a firm no thanks or non merci. There is also a bit of scam going on with some of the street food sellers in the adjacent main Square. I class myself as being quite streetwise, but still got caught. There are a large number of stalls set up at night to cater for the large crowds that throng the square every evening. They look very enticing and most have bench seating for you to sit and have your food brought to you. They also have prices lists shown so you are lulled into a false sense of security as to your ultimate bill. The scam is that you order your main course – the price of which you know – but then they intimate that you have the option of cous cous or salad with it. What they don’t tell you is that the small saucer sized serving of cous cous or vegetables isn’t free but will actually cost you more than the main course! So beware. Overall, we had a lovely stay at Riad Les Bougainvilliers. It is a clean, secure and friendly location within walking distance of all you really need to enjoy Marrakech. Sure there are probably more luxurious options that you could choose from, but this is good value and ticks all the basics. Key points: 1. Remember that the Riad has no vehicular access – but you can get your taxi driver to find you a porter 2. You don’t have TV, high speed wifi or tea and coffee facilities 3. Breakfast is basic, but you can always opt for the local bakery in the next street 4. Bring your own shampoo and soap if you like more than ne shower or bath a day Tips: All of the rooms seemed nice so pick what suits your needs. Don’t bother bringing loads of cash, just have a debit card that allows withdrawal of foreign currency (Like the Revolut Card). Its cheaper and more convenient to just draw it out from the cash machine directly in front of you as you enter the arrivals hall. The max you can withdraw at a time is 2000 Dhs, although you can do that twice per day (or consecutively). The transaction fee at the airport is 35Dhs (£3/3.5Euro/$3) but that is regardless of the amount withdrawn so always take the maximum – as that is the most cost effective way to get cash. The smaller banks in places away from the city or airport only charge 22Dhs. If eating out and looking for the authentic cuisine, you don’t need to head for the big restaurants, some of the little side alley shops are better for a fraction of the price. Don’t be put off by the lack of sophistication, they are clean and sanitary and the food is fresh. There are also frequent little kiosks on most of the alleyways that sell snacks, drinks and even cold milk to have with your bakery items. They are literally no wider than 6-8ft wide and are open most of the day. They can be a useful little facility if you don’t fancy popping back to the bustle of the main crowded areas.

less