Dar Darma - Riad

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Maria, Hicham, and the entire staff for making our stay at Riad Dar Darma truly unforgettable. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with warmth, kindness, and exceptional hospitality that made us feel completely at home. The beauty of the riad is simply breathtaking. Every detail feels thoughtfully designed — from the stunning architecture and elegant décor to the peaceful courtyards and rich Moroccan charm throughout. It felt like stepping into another world where tradition, beauty, and comfort come together perfectly. The atmosphere was serene and magical, offering a peaceful escape while still capturing the vibrant spirit of Marrakech. What made it even more special was the genuine care and attention from everyone on staff, who made every moment feel personal and memorable. Thank you again for creating such a beautiful experience. We will leave with wonderful memories and hope to return again one day.

A beautiful riad in the Medina where the kindness, hospitality and professionalism of all the staff puts its guests at ease. Every morning a delicious Moroccan breakfast, with always different recipes, is served on the terrace overlooking the city. Even dinner with typical dishes is really delicious!!! A place to recommend!!

Dar Darma, we felt was an over hyped and over priced accomodation. Our most pressing concern was the lack of access at the front door. It can only be opened from the inside and guests are not given a key or a swipe to enter. Instead you are left ringing a doorbell whilst waiting on the street. While in most circumstances the door is opened inside a few minutes, a few times we waited over 5 minutes, generally in the dark. This left us with a significant vulnerability especially when local urinating tramps elected to sit (and not move) on the doorstep - see photo- taken at 844pm (the bouquet of filth and urine is not conveyed by the photo). We raised this with the manager, asking for a key to the front door who advised ‘we do not distribute keys to the main entrance of the Riad’ (quote from Laura Vida - head of sales and marketing at Dar Darma). I stay around 150 nights a year in hotels and have stayed at other Riads In Marrakech and have never not been given a key/swipe/code for the front door of the accomodation. To our face the manager appeared uninterested in this and told us to whatsapp the front desk when we arrived. Unfortunately the hotel wifi doesn’t stretch to the front door hence her suggestion was entirely unhelpful. I would never stay here again and not recommend anyone do either. I’d especially recommend against staying at Dar Darma if you are a lone female or simply interested in being able to escape the street rather than waiting like a tourist in the street. The manager did offer for us to leave the hotel and had Marrakesh not been sold out for the time we were there (and not having to move hotels when we were attending a conference), we would have. To be balanced, the breakfast was middling (far from outstanding) and served on the roof, a pretty area with lovely flowers surrounding it, the bed comfortable although very high up off the ground, and once inside the riad, it was quiet and relaxing and the pool was a welcome oasis. The staff (apart from the manager) were very pleasant,helpful and attentive. Other things to know was the lack of fridge in the room, lack of coffee/Nespresso machine and the Orange suite was not overly private with the sitting room not having any curtains. Given that the bedroom is up a winding set of stairs, unless you are Superman, the suitcases will likely remain downstairs. These things are forgivable, but the security issue I feel is not. If you are thinking of staying here please take a moment to re-look at the photo above. And book somewhere else.