Riad Marhaba: The Most Welcoming Riad in Rabat

Did you know that “marhaba” is “welcome” in Arabic? It’s used to show someone warmth and happiness upon their arrival and that’s certainly how I felt while staying at Riad Marhaba. The owners and staff were incredibly friendly and fantastic hosts to me and Brittany aka The Sweet Wanderlust.

Riad Marhaba is owned by Marie and Florent, a lovely couple who bought the place over four years ago. During that time Marie has used her flair for style to redecorate this 19th century building into its original charm and character.

- Contents

1 Riad Marhaba’s Location
2 Riad Marhaba’s Facilities
3 Our Room
4 The Food at Riad Marhaba
5 Overall Opinion
6 Key Information About Riad Marhaba
7 Planning your Morocco trip? Check out these posts

Riad Marhaba’s Location

Situated in the heart of the old medina, Riad Marhaba is the perfect location for those looking to explore Rabat. The riad is conveniently located just a few minutes away from the Kasbah of Oudaïs, the beach and the Rue de Consuls.

Riad Marhaba’s Facilities

My favourite part of Riad Marhaba has to be the stunning rooftop terrace. This was the perfect spot to hang out in when you wanted a break from sight seeing. The roof terrace gave us a chance to meet some of the other guests staying at the riad.

Riad Marhaba offers two charming rooms and four spacious suites. Each of the suites offer a traditional sitting area with the comfort and charm of a traditional house.

Bahia Suite

Our Room

We were staying in the gorgeous Oudayas Suite that made us feel like Arabian princesses. Well, the canopied queen bed certainly made Brittany feel like a princess. I was made to sleep on the sofa bed (I was ill at the time) so I felt a little less like royalty and more like her majesty’s maid. I was told the bed was super comfy and I can confirm the sofa bed also makes a good bed.

One thing we did find quite amusing about our room was that is was so huge we couldn’t communicate to each other from our beds. On the first morning Brittany said good morning to me and thought I had blanked her when I just hadn’t heard her. We had a good giggle when we realised our room was that big.

My sofa bed was very comfy

The Food at Riad Marhaba

I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in a Riad that hasn’t amazed me with the food and Riad Marhaba was no exception. On the first morning we were treated to a delightful feast fit for royalty. Perfect since we had started to begin to consider ourselves princesses after spending the night in our gorgeous room.

We headed downstairs to the dining area which was lovely and bright and had been elegantly decorated. Here we enjoyed a selection of pancakes, cakes, yoghurts, homemade jams and a beautifully fresh fruit salad.

During the summer months breakfast can be enjoyed on the roof terrace. Here guests can enjoy the magnificent views of Rabat over breakfast. While I do love to visit Morocco in its off season, it would have been really nice to enjoy breakfast on the roof.

If you’re looking to discover the best food spots in Rabat I recommend taking a food tour. We took a tour with Moroccan Food Tour and had a great day with them.

Overall Opinion

As you can tell we both loved our stay at Riad Marhaba. Our room was so much grander than we were expecting which was a lovely surprise for us. I hope to return in the future and next time sleep in one of the beds!

One thing I really enjoyed about the riad was Marie and Florent’s pet cat. For a while the family lived on the ground floor of the riad and although they have since moved, their cat still claims the riad as her home. Be warned though, if you leave your bedroom doors open she will let herself in!