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."

"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."

"We tried a few riads this most recent trip to Morocco, and Dar Darma is by far the most dramatic. The riad pops up on a few lists as one of the best in Marrakech, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a very beautiful riad, if a little spooky-looking. My husband had read a few books on Morocco before the trip, and commented that the place feels like it houses a Djinn or two. ;) Service was discreet and very good - we opted to book an airport transfer with the hotel as the hotel is quite hard to find, especially for a first-timer to Marrakech. Maria, the day manager who welcomed us was always very calm and reassuring. I liked how service was very transparent - they booked a walking tour for us on our first full day in Marrakech, and grand taxi transport one evening when we chose to eat in a restaurant in Gueliz, outside the Medina. We paid these vendors directly, so the hotel obviously didn’t take a cut, which we were pleasantly surprised at. The same was offered for the Hammam and massage treatment, although we didn’t take that up. Maria is obviously very proud of the riad, and took the time to show us some of their best suites, which are very beautiful. It does show some signs of damage sustained during the earthquake in Morocco a couple of years ago. Ours was the “Mirror Room” which suited a couple like us. Generally, riads aren’t appropriate for people with mobility issues - there are a lot of steps, some of them quite uneven. The riad is on the under-lit side and our room was particularly dark, with black furnishings and many dim corners. Our clothes tend to be dark too, so I was constantly worried about accidentally leaving something behind. The room was also maybe a bit cluttered with tea pots artfully displayed on the floor, and there were steps up to the sleeping area. I was often nervous about wandering around in the night, as the steps and floors were black. It wouldn’t pass health and safety standards. It took us less than a day to get our bearings around this section of the Medina - the area is near several must-sees like the Madrasa Ben Youssef, the house of photography, the secret garden and the Dar El Bacha. Shout outs too to Fuad and Issam who were very sweet and looked after us well."