Dar Darma

This small, boutique, hotel is in the Medina of Marrakesh. It seems to be, essentially, two homes amalgamated into one but parts of it look very old indeed and presumably is at it has been much altered over the years. Our room looked out onto a courtyard patio and small ornamental pool. The rooftop has a dining area and kitchen also there is a small swimming pool. This was ideal for breakfast. The hotel arranged a car to meet us at the airport which was most helpful. The car was able to take us to the edge of the Medina where a young man with a barrow took our luggage for the rest of the journey, into narrow streets.Tthe hotel doorway is easy to miss, set into an otherwise blank wall, a short corridor and some steps go down to the hotel reception area. The staff are all very helpful, Hashim, two Mohammed's, and Maria who with helpers, and by arrangement cooked two very good meals for us. We had a dinner on arrival and also lunch on the afternoon of our departure. Breakfast by the room, or better still on the rooftop. The hotel was able to arrange a taxi which would come and pick up close to the entrance. Taxis for a return journey were reluctant to go all the way to the door because of the narrowness of the streets. The situation is ideal, walking distance to the Medrasa Ben Youssef and not far on the Souk. Meals in the hotel can be taken by arrangement but there were good restaurants very close indeed.

Just...wow. This property took my breath away. In our experience, it's important to convey just how accommodating the staff is; the word 'no' simply does not exist here. If there's something you want or need, they will find a way to assist. My partner and I arrived at a parking lot, as directed by the hotel. At the insistence of the lot manager, a man with a luggage cart led us to the Dar Darma. Obviously we had the address, but the door to the property is so non-descript (as with so many other interesting places in the old city) you would almost certainly never find it without help from locals. After a hard knock on this very large door, you are greeted with a warm and welcoming member of the staff and porter eager to get you settled. Dar Darma has just 5 Suites, each designated by colour; we were in the Orange Suite for 4 nights. This was a duplex and was exactly as described on their website. While I would stay here again in a heartbeat, I would not recommend a duplex suite. Looking outward on the ground floor are views of the patio with a beautiful small water-feature pool and flowers in it. The ground level room is quite comfortable for lounging, reading, watching TV (though you probably won't be doing that), etc. One criticism I have of this space is the lack of curtains for the windows leaving the room exposed. The decor is consistent with what we felt (and appreciated) was authentic. The bed has a firm mattress (fyi). The water pressure in the shower is OK, but could be a bit better. The property itself is stunning. It's cavernous in a way and easy to get lost at first. There are so many areas to relax, enjoy some Moroccan tea and enjoy. Since there are just 5 suites, you feel like you have the entire property to yourself - yet, anytime you need something, magically, hotel staff check on you. There are a variety of sitting areas on the roof, a hammock, a small pool (though I'm reluctant to call it that). Each morning, breakfast is served with your choice of eggs, juice, tea, coffee, fruit, various breads. You can order dinner, but you must do so in advance by reservation and there is a set Moroccan style meal. Buroughed within the bustling streets of Marrakech, Dar Darma is your sanctuary; and the staff work quite hard to make you feel as if this is your home in Marrakech. I was excited to stay at this property and incredibly thankful we had stayed here. You're in the thick of the high energy that Marrakech has, but you immediately feel this wave of calm when you arrive back at Dar Darma. I was sad to leave Marrakech and sad to leave a property we felt so comfortable at. Dar Darma is a solid pick and will provide a wonderful experience during your stay. Happy travels.

There’s stuff competition in Marrakesh - there’s beautiful Riad’s popping almost daily. While lovely, Dar Darma feels a little tired in comparison. We chose it for the blue room - a two bedroom suite connected by a living and dining room. It was perfect for what we needed and the hosts and staff were kind and helpful. The breakfast was traditional and we were randomly sent a plate of tagine to try one afternoon which was absolutely delicious. But I feel that in order for this place to sing, a little tidy up is needed. Some fresh linen, softer furnishings (a new mattress!) and some soft music playing in the communal areas will help!

Beautifully designed and decorated riad that impressed us from every angle! In fact, we thought it was more beautiful than some of the riads that we paid to see. Definitely on the darker side but this created a very elegant ambiance, as well as more drama when you walk from a hallway into the bright courtyard. Comes with fantastic service from Hicham who welcomed us, gave us helpful tips and arranged transport back to the airport... he has been working there for 14 years and seems genuinely invested in creating a positive experience for guests. We stayed in the mirror room which was beautiful— it was on the ground floor and opened up to the bright, airy courtyard (We also caught a glimpse into the blue apartment when walking up the stairs and it looked even more spectacular!) We had a delicious breakfast with great service every morning on the rooftop which was nicely decorated, and peaceful with flowers, birds, a swimming pool. You can see some minarets from the roof. Location also convenient, right by the Madrasa Ben Youssef. Wi-Fi worked well which was important to us. Would highly recommend a stay here!

Wau, wau a special place. Incredible decorations and atmosphere. Many small details and authentic. All staff would always do ekstra to make us welcome. The have great connections to restaurants and can help book they are very serviceminde👍you keep in shap on all the small staircase. Maria speaks many languages and it felt great to be understood in English. We hop to come back soon

Incredibly poor experience with this hotel. Booked via *********** which had completely the wrong address. We spent time in Marrakech searching for the place where we were follow by locals trying to “help” us. Once we found the entrance the locals then tried to charge us a fee for “helping” us. The staff did not try to intervene nor defend us, which made us feel very unsafe and awkward. After this, the staff then showed us other more expensive suites which were not booked, in order to upsell to us. We politely declined as we were very stressed and upset by the previous experience of locals trying to exploit us. We then went out at night after the receptionist booked us a taxi, this was at double the cost of a normal taxi, a tourist tax, as they say. When we returned to the Riad, at approx 1am, the receptionist asked for the full fee of our stay. We declined, and then said we would pay in the morning. This is something we had never experienced. We usually pay on check in, or check out, but never at 1am in the morning to a male that we had never met before. We paid the next morning. Then had breakfast, which was possibly the most basic we had came across the whole trip throughout Morocco. Overcooked eggs, followed by jam on toast, not good enough considering the price of the hotel per night. We the spent the next day by the pool and asked for water. It came 20 odd minutes later, warm and not chilled at all. It was clear that the hotel did not stock the water, which meant the staff had to collect the water from a nearby shop which was not cold. Again, not good enough for the standard. We were not happy at all with the hotel, we even allowed them a long period of time after we left to apologise or rectify our experience, but no such chance, which is why we have left this review. We never leave such poor reviews, ever. Poor service, poor standards and poor value. We have stayed in much better, not only in Morocco, but in Marrakech too.