Riad Hcekarram

After reading recent low reviews we considered not staying - but we were glad we did. We stayed for two nights and it served us well but I don't think this Riad is suitable for longer stays. There is no denying that it is basic, but it was clean, homely and we felt the owner was looking out for us; the main drawback was out of their control. We met the owner Simo on arrival - he speaks French and has limited English which made communicating slightly difficult, but we could tell he was really trying to help us. We arrived late and he offered to order us pizza and water - which was delicious. He gave us advice on not speaking to any of the Arab men outside and made sure we had the Riad's number in case we got lost - which we did. The room was basic but the sheets, towels, toilet and shower were all clean and the bed had been re-made after our first night. There is also Wifi. We stayed in early February, it was 22 degrees during the day but both nights we were cold in bed around 5am; there are blankets and heating in the room but we just layered our clothes. There is no safe in the room which is a drawback, so we kept all of our money on us as we were only staying for two days. The only real major drawback is that the Riad is very difficult to find and there is no name outside. Our taxi driver (I would recommend you pre-book, we did so via GetYourGuide.com) had arranged for one of his friends to show us the way on foot as it is not accesible by car - we had to pay this man 60dh but he was more trustworthy than the men hanging around the streets. There are many many men on the streets on the way to the Riad which is very unsettling; even my partner was scared and he is 6'3" and not easily unnerved. My partner and I both agreed that this Riad would not be suitable for solo travellers or all-female groups and is more suited for small groups with men. When trying to get back to the Riad from the souks the next day, we got completely lost when following Apple Maps and were followed and harassed by many Arab men/boys offering to "show us the way" and insisting that certain routes were closed - do not speak to, believe or trust these men. Firmly say no thank you and carry on walking - they generally leave you alone if you look confident. We eventually found the Riad but you WILL need mobile data and a GPS map to do so, so keep this in mind before your trip with regards to extortionate roaming charges etc. Our suggestion is to follow the map directions for the restaurant Dar Zellij and then follow the street round for a few minutes after the restaurant. The Riad is the first door on the left after the last of a series of tunnels/walkways, with a diagonal brass handle. We felt safe once we were in the Riad and it had a nice atmosphere. Everything that the Riad could do was done well, but the things out of their control let it down.

The hotel itself had a warm and welcoming atmosphere. I was so happy to find there was heating available as the riad gets cold at night/early morning. Simo was a lovely host and made me and my mum feel very welcome, he was very kind and attentive to our needs, as was the lovely maid Sanna who couldn’t have been warmer to us. The shower was nice and WiFi was available. The terrace is nice to catch some sun and have a cigarette. The review I give is purely for the hotel once you are inside... as for the location of the hotel... I wouldn’t recommend staying here if you are travelling alone as women. To get into the hotel you have to walk down some pretty dodgey passages in the riad. It feels extremely threatening for women alone as young men hang around in these passages all day and night and try to get you lost then ask for money, even if you refuse and know where you are going they are extremely persistent and will block your passage inside the hotel then hurdle insults at you when you refuse. I believe this would feel different for men or if you are travelling with a man but me and my mum felt threatened, pressurised and claustrophobic when leaving the hotel. This along with the constant motorbikes which fly down these alleys it is very dangerous walking to the hotel and there is no way a taxi can drop you outside as the passages are too narrow for cars for about a 10 min walk. Me and my mum were quite distressed at the thought of leaving and coming back to the hotel and even attempted to disguise ourselves as locals to avoid being pestered. Simo did all he could to help us out but there wasn’t much he could do aside from getting a man to assist us down the road. So yes, inside the hotel, and everything that the hotel can control was satisfactory, but the location was hellish for women travelling alone. The breakfast is nice and there is a communal area for watching tv which makes it feel quite homely, and there are windows to the inside of the hotel which people kept open so it felt quite communal. Overall I hve to say the stay here was average but the staff were lovely and make an effort to welcome you.

PLEASE DO NOT STAY HERE! Not only was the hotel room tremendously unclean, it was very very cold that my partner and myself slept fully clothed both nights we were there, including wearing my coat! They provided a blanket which had been kept next to toilet (plus it stank. The towel was rock hard, crusty and stained. After inspecting the bedding, it was dirty and stained and smelt like it hadn't been washed, they do not change bedding everyday like it is said when you book. The shower was extremely unclean there was dead flies in the tray and a matte of knotted hair (not ours) around the plug hole. We did not shower the whole time we were there as it was super unhygienic. The toilet was loose and not secured to the floor, the back of the toilet seat looked like it had dried urine and possibly even faeces around it. The tap was loose too, very unsteady felt like it was going to break. The electrics showed exposed wires which in any country would not be up to safety standards. Although, it states its a non smoking hotel there was an extremely strong smell of cigarettes. The lighting in the hotel was inadequate and you couldn't open the curtains as it opened to what seemed to be the owners lounge and it gave you no privacy. The host of the hotel could not speak any English, we had to use google translate which isn't ideal as it doesn't always translate what you're trying to say. The host lived above our room and he often woke up to pray at 5am which woke us up each morning, the walls were so thin that we could hear everything, including hearing the host urinating and taking a shower which was right above our bed. On top of this the location of the property is down a very dark alley. Every time we left the hotel, we were harassed by the locals trying to sell us things we didn't want and offer us guidance to places we didn't want to go, when we refused and tried to walk away we were stopped in our tracks and in one situation, one of the locals grabbed my partners arm, which made us feel very threated and scared and as you can imagine, we felt extremely unsafe. We were scared to leave the hotel