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Riad Chbanate: Guest Reviews

3.0 of 5
179 rue Chbanate, Essaouira 44000, Morocco
Hotel amenities
Riad Chbanate
Ranked #1 of 76 hotels in Essaouira
5.0 of 5 stars 166 Reviews
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166 reviews from our community

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Traveller rating
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London, UK
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“Amazing friendly atmosphere”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 January 2012
1
person found this review helpful

We stayed for 4 nights after spending the 1st half of the week in La Mamounia in Marrakech. After the opulence of the Mamounia, we weren't expecting to be wowed, but the friendly welcome and incredible atmosphere of Riad Chbanate place immediately proved us wrong.

Unlike some riads this pace is perfectly clean, very comfortable and has some wonderful design touches. It's certainly not glitzy or overly modern - but the renovation was clearly a labour of love and the relaxed atmosphere is wonderful. The bath in our room was massive - would easily have fitted 4 people!

We ate one night in the Riad, but wish we had more often: the tagine was the best we had in Morocco. The breakfasts are huge, and very very good!

Room Tip: If possible, ask for the room on the top floor
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  • Stayed September 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask jwoolard about Riad Chbanate
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
London, United Kingdom
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“great relaxing place”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 January 2012

great place, amazing breakfast, good location, great rooms, nice huge bath and shower, lots of hot water!, Jacuzzi, helpful and welcoming staff! and unpretentious!

oh yeah and one of the most comfiest beds ive ever paid to sleep in!

not that keen on the music but you cant please everyone i guess...

choose this place - it is number one for a reason

  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask mouktraveller about Riad Chbanate
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Madrid
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Book already!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 January 2012
1
person found this review helpful

I feel lucky, and so does my wife, for having stayed at this Riad. For me it was one of my best hotel experiences (if not THE best) ever.

Where to begin... perhaps the incredibly romantic, yet tasteful rooms with a fireplace. The latter not just for decoration: the staff was more than happy to light it for us, and so we fell asleep a couple of nights to little crackling sounds of the fire dying down (we stayed in December).

The bathroom was amazingly big and also very pretty. A huge bath tub with rose petals, as seen in 5-star places, but this time twice as big and more beautiful. We stayed in two different rooms, and amazingly they had the same lay-out, but all the details were different. Different wood on the floor for example, different arches in the bathroom (in one room round, in the other "thousand-and-one nights" style)... in short, everything seems to have been made with a loving attention to detail.

This same loving attention to detail is felt in the service. We were welcomed by manager / owner Jean, who helped us out with things before we ourselves even figured out we could use them. He even helped us out when we were in Marrakech, because he had a contact that helped us get a guide with a car to go to the mountains and get around Marrakech (without getting ripped off). The rest of the staff is very friendly and professional. I really liked meeting Samira the chef, to have a chat about what she could cook for us. She made us a delicious tagine, among other things.

Breakfast included with the rooms is amazing. Where in other hotels we sometimes opt for room service, here we felt so comfortable in all the rooms and spaces (also the patio and the roof terrace) that we went to the dining hall for breakfast which consisted of all the things I could think of and more (nice French croissants, pain au chocolat, crêpes, eggs done however you like them by Samira, assorted Moroccan breads, jams, marmelades, fresh fruit, yoghurt etc...).

I can only hope this place will continue to maintain its excellence, so at some point in the future I will make my way back there. If we go to Morocco, it will definitely be on the list.

And finally, we felt that the value (what we paid for what we got) was so nice that I left a large tip for the service.

  • Stayed December 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask TravelingCoconut about Riad Chbanate
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
New York City, New York
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“What a way to end a trip”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 January 2012
2
people found this review helpful

Beautiful riad. We stayed here for 2 days at the end of 2 weeks in Morocco and it was just what we needed. Haven't felt more relaxed than on my honeymoon in Hawai'i. Jean and his staff make sure everything is taken care of. Dreaming of the hours spent on the terrace, in front of the fire in the courtyard (and in our room!), in the amazing shower... Perfection.

  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Sean H about Riad Chbanate
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Madison, WI
Top Contributor
112 reviews 112 reviews
Reviews in 33 cities Reviews in 33 cities
29 helpful votes 29 helpful votes
“Perfect!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 January 2012

Riad Chbante is a beautiful, hand-built paradise. Each room is elegant and comfortable (we looked at 3 before choosing ours). The staff is wonderful, friendly, helpful and gracious. Beautiful rooftop terrace with great views of the city. Decadent tubs with bath salts and rose petals. Great room to unwind in. Riad is off the main street and therefore very quiet. Wonderful.

Room Tip: If you can, ask to have the room on the top floor with the terrace - it's exceptional.
See more room tips
  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask SusanLinley about Riad Chbanate
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Additional Information about Riad Chbanate

179 rue Chbanate, Essaouira 44000, Morocco
Price range (per night):* S$164 - 247

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