Dar Riad Jomana
The sitting room under the stairwell, tiles and benches · © Dar Riad Jomana 
A small refurbished riad in the middle of the Mellah, a jacuzzi and sun loungers on the roof, a welcome widely praised on over a thousand reviews. Dar Riad Jomana gathers plenty of assets for a low price. Its weak point is the quarter itself, more set back and less busy than in the middle of the medina suggests.
Our verdict
Dar Riad Jomana is an interesting case, because its strengths and its weakness are equally clear. On the strengths: a recently refurbished house in the middle of the Mellah, grey tadelakt and terracotta tiles, six rooms around a covered patio, a jacuzzi and sun loungers on the roof, a dinner on request and a breakfast everyone praises. All at a price that ranks among the lowest of the medina. On over a thousand reviews, the welcome gets one of the best scores of the quarter, and it is always the same first name that comes back, Hassan, at the front desk.
Its weakness is the location, and it has to be said clearly because it is precisely the score travellers leave the lowest. The Mellah is calm and unstaged, off the crush of the souks, but it is also further than you think: a quarter of an hour on foot from Jemaa el-Fna, in a maze of lanes where the house is not the easiest to find the first time. Several guests flag this without ducking it, and a few add that the surroundings, in the evening, felt less reassuring to them, advising going in to the medina from the Jewish cemetery side rather than the souk side. Not a reason to give up, but a quarter reality to know before booking, especially for a first stay.
For the rest, you get what you pay for, no bad surprise. The rooms are plain, functional, air-conditioned, without the character of the great author’s houses but clean and well kept, which the cleanliness score confirms. The terrace, with its hot tub, is the real living space of the house, and dinner on site helps on arrival evening. One point to check anyway: a few travellers doubted the daily upkeep of the jacuzzi, worth asking after if it is a criterion for you.
For a first low-budget stay in Marrakech, wanting a real riad and a warm welcome rather than a magazine decor, Dar Riad Jomana is very good value. For anyone going out late every evening and coming back on foot without thinking about it, or looking for the hushed luxury of a charm house, better aim closer to the square, or dearer.
What sets it apart
- Hassan's welcome It is the name that comes back over and over in the comments: the availability and kindness at the front desk. On a plain riad, that is what makes the difference, and what explains a host score among the highest of the quarter.
- The rooftop jacuzzi Not a pool, a hot tub on the terrace, between sun loungers and the medina rooftops. Enough to end the day up high, which is not so common in a riad at this price.
- The price One of the cheapest addresses in the Mellah, breakfast included, in a recently refurbished house. For a first low-budget medina stay, the equation is hard to beat.
- The evening table A Moroccan dinner made at the riad, on booking, often welcomed by travellers on arrival evening. Handy when you land tired and do not want to go back out looking for a restaurant.
Worth knowing
59 rue El Miara, in the Mellah, a quarter of an hour on foot from Jemaa el-Fna and 200 m from the Bahia palace. The house is not the simplest to find: ask for the route, and travellers advise going in from the Jewish cemetery side rather than the souk side. Small riad of about six rooms, jacuzzi and sun loungers on the terrace, no pool or spa. Breakfast included, dinner on booking. No official star rating.
- Night (from, indicative)
- ≈ £34
Facilities & services
Location
Practical info
Details checked and cross-referenced by the editors - June 2026.
