Hotels Near Ourika River in Al Haouz

My partner and I booked this stay for 4 nights, the overall experience was poor to say the least but the average review is more for the landscape and food than anything else. If I saw an honest review on this place I probably wouldn't have booked. To give you and others fair warning here are a few flags to assure before booking; They charge in Euro's as their main market is French/European tourists, this makes everything severely overpriced. I suggest paying strictly in Moroccan dirhams unless you have the 1000's to spare. A single meal would cost you about 18-20 euros (roughly 200 dirhams) per person (excluding drinks and starters) where local restaurants for a three course meal would be 30 sometimes even less at the right place. We paid in cash as we were told there were no card machines YET when we left a visible working card machine in a corner. It is VERY isolated, suited for those who would want complete cut off from the city, restaurants etc. It is literally placed in the outskirts of a village that barely have roofs over their head. There are no uber or taxi app services that run in this area so a taxi would have to be booked directly from the hotel costing you about 30 euros (300 dirhams) EACH way - to the city and back. Make sure you buy a ready to go Sim from Orange when you land and not after, it's also much cheaper to buy online than in the country. The deals you see for the 'view' and 'luxury' is a mask. The only service that was wonderful were the housekeeping staff and night host, they were kind. We came for the culture and experience but it seemed to be placed like a rehab resort in another country. The colonisation is real. Honestly wish it was vetted properly in the reviews.

If I could give this place 7 stars out of 5, I would. This riad was a highlight of our trip - not only is the guesthouse itself perfect, but more importantly, the family running it are so kind, authentic and helpful, that you immediately feel it is a home away from home. The riad is fantastically located with panoramic views of the valley and the surrounding mountains including the Jebek Toubkal, the tallest mountain in North Africa. The rooms all have wonderful details like a few items of Berber clothing for you to try on either to keep warm or simply for fun and plaster decoration on the ceiling. They are quiet, clean and comfortable with showers with excellent water pressure and hot water. The food is excellent and served in a dining room draped with Berber rugs and surrounded by delictately carved wooden furniture, with the panoramic view of the mountains. We also enjoyed chatting with other guests here. Most importantly, the manager Rashid is a kind and energetic soul who will go above and beyond to ensure you have a great trip. We arrived late on the first day, after a long drive, and he showed up in the village centre to help us navigate the rickety road to get to the guesthouse; he managed to sort out rooms for us when we booked super last minute and theoretically the guesthouse was all booked up (including arranging one at his uncle's place next door); he organized a guided trek up Toubkal for us with a great guide (Hassan) for a reasonable price; he lent us a sleeping bag and gloves for the trip, at no extra cost; and he spent time chatting with us, in a way that made us feel like friends, not clients, and gave us a great insight into local life. His niece, Bouchra (apologies if the spelling is wrong, I should have asked how to spell it!), who helps him run the guesthouse was also an absolute star - thanks to both of you! Staying with you was really special.