Acacia Marrakech - Hotel Riad And Villas

“ My wife and I have just returned from a truly wonderful stay at Acacia Villas, Marrakech. Our main reason for selecting this hotel was to escape the 'Rat-race', enjoy some quality relaxation and some sunshine. Next on the list was visiting Marrakech centre and thereafter the Atlas Mountains.

The hotel was very comfortable in a truly beautiful setting (approx 2 hectares) of orange trees, lush, green garden with an inviting pool. There were ample shaded areas in the garden and a large comfortable lounge with a full sized pool table. Occasional entertainment was provided discretely from the goats, ducks, chickens and 2 very friendly dogs, who all added to the charm of the place. Our room was clean and tastefully decorated. There was a very homely family atmosphere at the hotel and we were able to enjoy some peace and quiet together as well as chatting to others. We were very well looked after by Babs, Acacia's head waiter and managed to communicate fairly easily with our rusty 'fr-anglais'. We enjoyed bountiful breakfasts, delicious lunches and filling dinners.

Taxis to the centre, a trip to a good Hammam and a day visit to the mountains were arranged with ease. Whilst the hotel's taxi (Abdo) maybe marginally more expensive than relying on other local taxis, he is very courteous and reliable. If shopping is on your agenda, he could save you the difference many times over by first showing you the fixed price Government emporium in the centre (Kasbah) to buy local trinkets (rugs etc) before you tackle the mayhem in the suqs.

Marco and Katia, the owners, were very helpful and friendly and were keen to ensure that we were well catered for and satisfied throughout our stay.

Our stay at Acaccia Villas fully met our expectations and we look forward to a return visit; since our return to England we have also been recommending the place enthusiastically to many of our our friends.

“ Top Tip: Speaking French (or at least trying to) is advantageous in much of Morocco, including here. If you prefer to eat evening dinner at a certain time, ensure that you make the management aware of this.

“ With a maximum of 22 guests, this quality riad can feel like your private villa with staff thrown in. Being in the middle of nowhere, it is peaceful and quiet. The owners (and staff) are really welcoming and there are loads of places to lounge around by the large pool and elsewhere. There is also an excellent pool table.

However there are no TVs (or other facilities) in the room so in the evening there is nowhere to go apart from Marrakesh (5 miles by cab £23 return fare) or the communal lounge which, although beautifully decked out and includes a large HD TV (great range of French speaking channels, but no English), is shared with the pool table and the restaurant (pool value: £14 + drinks per head for a very disappointing meal) and the owner's family, including their two young kids, having their own evening meal

“ Top Tip: 1) it is cheaper (100 dhrms) to hail your own taxi back from the rank between the Koutoubia Mosque and the main Jemaa El Fna square than use the riad recommended taxi

2) eat in Marrakesh, not at the riad

3) bring your own DVDs to watch, or brush up on your French.

“ Charming little riad-style villa's set just outside of the main town medina- which although is great to visit we were definitely glad to be able to get away from it all and get back to the sanctuary of the hotel- Staff and owners are all brilliant and very accommodating as well as friendly and personable-Food was great and surroundings very peaceful with clean rooms and facilities as well as a little animal farm at the front of the hotel!

“ We choose Acacia due to the reviews on trip advisor and weren't disappointed. The villa is set in an idyllic location with lots of open space, a pool and plenty of animals roaming around, which we loved. Its run by a very welcoming family Marco, Katia & their three daughters, who all meet us on arrival and made us feel right at home. The room was great; large, clean & comfortable with fresh sheets & towels everyday.

We were waited on by a very attentive member of staff named Babs, who set us up a table for breakfast everyday in the sun, which was not only delicious but we could eat it whenever we wanted, perfect for those who like a lie-in.

Acacia is set a little out of town, which is actually a relief after the hassle and bustle of the central medina however we did end up spending quite a bit on taxi's. If you can speak the language & have a map you can probably flag them down for cheaper but for convenience the hotel taxi man 'Abdol' will always welcome you with a smile and its only 10 mins each way.

I would recommend this place to friends and family!