Riad Abaca Badra

An amazing place to stay. Beautiful, well decorated, spacious and clean rooms. Friendly staffs. Breakfast was great. We truly enjoyed our stay. Gilles is a wonderful host, very kind and helpful with a great sense of humor. Gilles and his team went out of their way to make sure the guests were well taken care of, even outside of Riad. We arrived late on Christmas eve and the banks were closed, Gilles even lend us 1000 Dirham until we could exchange our money which was a huge help. Thank you so much Gilles, we had an amazing stay. We are not usually the ones to stay at the same accommodation twice but we would 100% stay at Riad Abaca Badra again on a future trip to Marrakech.

Er stayed at the Riad Abaca Dabra for 3 nights. Altogether we had a great time at the Riad, the transfer from the airport went smoothly, the breakfast was really great and the room was spacious and had AC and a fan in case it got too hot. The Riad is quite close to the Centre with quite a few restaurants nearby and around 10 minute walk to the main square. Despite the busy town inside the Riad it’s very quiet and peaceful and you don’t hear any noise coming from the city. The owner was very helpful giving us useful tips not only for Marrakesh but also for the rest of our journey. On our last day he got up extra early to make us breakfast at 6:30 am. We’d definitely recommend this hostel.

Fantastic riad in a great location. Easy walking distance to the souks and square. Gilles was super helpful - loads of tips and advice and lots of lovely touches (lending me a hat, sun cream, mint tea etc). Fabulous breakfast and a lovely meal on arrival. It really was a beautiful, authentic place to stay.

Well done to our wonderful, happy place destination, another year of amazing accolades and very much deserved... where family and I have just been to again. March 2024 was our 11th Marrakech visit since 2011 and our 9th staying with Gilles and the amazing staff. We wouldn't stay anywhere else... I promise, once you stay too, you won't go anywhere else. Thank you so much Gilles for another fabulous week. A bientot, insha'Allah x

The most amazing place! We felt like home! I picked this place because of the excellent reviews and it didn't disappoint! We ate so well, Giles was an amazing hosts and so helpful. Great location, beautiful riad,quiet and welcoming. We'll be back for sure!

This was our ninth stay at Riad Abaca Badra, which says it all really. As always, Gilles and his lovely staff work tirelessly to make your visit to Marrakech a great experience. Genuinely like staying with family, I wouldn't go anywhere else, nor should you.

I've had the pleasure of staying at the Abaca Badra a number of times in my life, and there is a reason I keep coming back. Gilles and the team are absolutely brilliant and help create such a welcoming atmosphere for guests at the riad. The traditional breakfast each morning is amazing and the riad is in the perfect location for exploring the souks and the city at large. The rooms are all large and extremely comfortable, with all the amenities you need to have a great experience. I cannot recommend the Abaca Badra enough to anyone who is looking for a very reasonably priced and high-quality stay - I will be back soon! Merci Gilles!

What a fantastic Riad! The host Gilles was just incredible as were the lovely staff. If you’re looking for a traditional place to stay in the heart of the Medina, this is it! The place is walking distance to the Square and main Mouassine shopping streets as well as 25mm max in any direction to numerous major tourist attractions like the Saadian Tombs, Palaces and Jardin Majorelle. Across the road you have Fanous Rooftop, Zaman Food, and the Restaurant Pizzeria (Aux Portes du Desert), for great cheap local food. The Riad is beautifully furnished in authentic style with free toiletries and all mod cons, the shower is just wonderful, powerful and hot. Lovely fluffy towels and robes and slippers provided, they really have thought of everything. The daily cleaning and bed service was excellent. We did stay on the ground floor and you will therefore hear a little bit of noise as people eat dinner/breakfast on the patio outside, but for us it added to the charm of the place and no B&B would be completely quiet. Gilles provides an excellent breakfast in the morning of fruit, yoghurt, pancakes, eggs and cakes. Free tea anytime. The rooftop terrace is a fabulous suntrap with lots of comfy beds and hats to use, it was just a shame the hot tub wasn’t filled. The birds come in through the atrium and their song adds to the ambience. I bought some red olives from the market and Gilles was kind enough to vacuum pack them for me to take home. He even let us buy one of his teapots after we were conned into buying a cheap knock off at the markets! We used the driver arranged by the riad for our airport transfers and it was quick and cheap, the driver was very pleasant. Thanks Gilles and all the team for your excellent hospitality.

We spent 8 nights staying in the Meknes room, located on the ground floor of this lovely riad. On arrival we were warmly welcomed by Gilles, who after checking us in, gave us a detailed map and explained our location and recommended places to visit, as well as what to avoid. He even lent us a phone to use, whilst we sorted out a local Sim card. The riad was clean, the staff friendly, and is in a perfect location to explore the surrounding area on foot, with most attractions being within a 30 minute walk. You will need google maps to help you get around as the area is made up of a myriad of allies as well as main roads. We had breakfast daily at the riad which was all home made, including the jam and yogurt! As well as different breads and fruit, Gilles was happy to make eggs of your choice too. We also dined several nights at the riad, and there was a plentiful choice of home made traditional moroccan food. I would recommend the tasting menu for your first night, which gives you a flavour of what is on offer. Prices were also reasonable at 15 euro for 2 courses and 18 euro for 3 courses. Food is eaten in the courtyard, which is conveniently situated right outside your room (if on the ground floor). A note about accessibility. I chose this riad as I use a wheelchair but can walk a little. If you are a permanent wheelchair user and cannot stand/walk, I would not recommend you stay here, only because there is not room for a wheelchair at the side of the bed to transfer on to. Also in the bathroom you cannot fit a wheelchair under the sink, or reach the shower head and the toilet would involve a head on transfer. There are also some steps and steep ramps to navigate to access the building. However, if you can mobilise a bit and maybe have some help, then you should be OK. There is a step down, at the entrance and then 3 tight, 45 degree turns to access the courtyard. Our room then had a small step into it. Once in the room though, it was flat access into the bathroom and had a walk in shower. Before my arrival I requested a seat to use in the shower and there was one ready for me when I arrived. Gilles is incredibly helpful and accommodating, with a great sense of humour. He even helped us fix a puncture on our first night by lending us some tools! In summary, this is a great little riad to stay in whilst exploring Marrakech and I would highly recommend it.