Riad Noir D'Ivoire

Fantastic stay in the heart of Marrakech. Beautiful Riad with top notch design and amenities. The staff are so caring and attentive - we felt right at home in the first 5 minutes. We found out too late the food was top notch and they have a renowned chef in house. The owner is a huge music lover and has a fantastic sounds system in the bar and the main atrium. He was in the bar one evening and invited us to chat and listen to some music. Would definitely visit again.

Riad Noir d'Ivoire is an absolute joy and we could not have had a better place to finish our Moroccan jaunt. Its disarmingly simple street door opens into an extraordinarily beautiful, spacious, cool and achingly artful interior. With pillars and arches, sculptures and statuettes, carved animals, plashing water, high foliage and beautiful art on the walls, this riad was the most calming place imaginable to relax, in the heart of the medina, mere minutes away from the maelstrom of the market. The staff were fabulously attentive and the service outstanding. The cooking was excellent and dinner there was exquisite. There were pools, jacuzzis, a hammam, games and a library of art. Every nook and niche here is turned to the service of visual and sensory pleasure. Simply a gorgeous place to stay.

This is a hard place to review. It reminds my of a decadent old Uncle’s house. There are signs of grandeur all over. Beautiful carvings, ebony, photography books and the place looks stunning at night with the lighting. The courtyards with the pools are luminous and inviting when lit up. The staff is attentive and bed is comfortable. Breakfast is overall good.||However, when daylight comes, there are signs of neglect and decline everywhere. Rugs with holes, torn screens and light fixtures, dead plants, and broken stairs ( which are actually hazardous). And the restaurant is extremely expensive for very average food.||This could be and probably was an amazing place. It has the “bones” to be something truly special but needs care.

My family picked Noir D’Ivoire for a dinner, having no idea how beautiful the Riad was. Dinner was as equally exquisite with very detailed service. Some of the best food we had in Marrakesh.|The owner was very gracious, checking in a couple days of times during dinner.

I had two stays associated with this riad, and unfortunately my experience escalated from enjoyable to deeply concerning. On my first visit, the owner, Steve, was not present and the stay itself was pleasant. However, I later discovered I had been charged twice for the same stay — once through Booking.com and again directly by the riad at checkout. I raised this immediately however the riad failed to respond, so I had to open a dispute with American Express. At the time, I gave the benefit of the doubt and assumed it was an honest mistake. Based on that assumption, I rebooked. Unfortunately, the same issue happened again — another double charge. This time, the situation became much worse. The owner contacted me directly on my personal WhatsApp (not through Booking.com), accused me of being a scammer, insulted me, refused to let me clarify the charges, and initially refused to refund the duplicate payment despite clear documentation. After I provided proof, I was then told I would need to sign an NDA in order to receive my refund — something I have never experienced before and raised alarm. In addition to the financial issues, I feel compelled to mention the owner’s inappropriate behavior. On one evening, while I was at the pool with my mother, the owner approached us visibly intoxicated, playing loud music, commenting on our sandals and feet. He later openly admitted to having a foot fetish, showing us why he has a displayed image of Angelina Jolie focused on feet in the library area. This interaction made us extremely uncomfortable — especially given that the owner has access to all guest rooms. We ended up having to put a chair blocking the door at night for our safety. Every night there was extremely loud music coming from the bar area which also didn't allow us to sleep. It is unfortunate, because the riad itself and the staff are lovely. However, due to the repeated double charging, hostile, and inappropriate behavior from the owner, I'd warn against staying here. Guests should be extremely cautious with payments and aware of the owner.

All around wonderful riad. The staff are incredible, the rooms are beautiful, the bar and court yard are stunning... Food was good and very well presented. I had a great stay. (But ask about laundry prices first, they're comparable to a nice hotel in London or NYC, per piece. A half load of laundry cost me US $57.)

We had a wonderful stay at Noir d’Ivoire and I would certainly recommend it. The riad is a true hidden gem in the medina, peaceful and intimate. It happens that during our stay there was no pianist and no loud music from the lounge, so the atmosphere was calm and very pleasant. The rooms are beautiful: elegant, spotless, and full of character. We learned that much of the décor was created by the previous owner, Jill, whom the staff remembers with real affection.||Breakfast was excellent, and we enjoyed the restaurant by the pool so much that we returned for dinner twice. We especially recommend the harira, which was fantastic. The staff were consistently kind, discreet, and helpful. Steven, the current owner, was also a gracious host and shared with us some fascinating stories from his life.||I am a very selective traveler, and before arriving I had been confused by some of the recent reviews, particularly those describing loud noise at night or claiming the riad did not look like the photos. I initially booked 6 nights non-refundable on Booking.com, trusting the recommendation of another nearby 5-star riad where I had stayed previously (and who unfortunately was fully booked). When I later read a few alarming reviews, I became hesitant and ended up booking 3 of the 6 nights elsewhere. In the end, this turned out to be unnecessary. We could easily have stayed all 6 nights here, and we would have been very happy. Our experience was simply lovely, without any of the problems described in those negative reviews.||A few suggestions for improvement:| • Complimentary bottled water should be provided daily. At the moment, only one bottle is offered on arrival, which is surprising for a riad of this level, especially considering that water is very inexpensive locally.| • The plants and wall around the second swimming pool would benefit from a bit more care. It would also be nice to have someone available for drink or snack service in that area.| • Cleaning of the shared spaces could be scheduled when guests are not using them, to avoid interruptions.| • Restaurant pricing is fair for the quality, but drinks (especially water and wine by the glass) are on the expensive side. For example, a bottle of water cost more than at Le Mamounia.| • The airport transfer at USD 35 is significantly higher than average. Even if the riad works with a private driver, it would be welcome to offer guests the option of a standard taxi service (around USD 15) for the 15-minute ride.||Overall, Noir d’Ivoire is a beautiful, charming riad with excellent service and a refined atmosphere. We truly enjoyed our stay and would gladly return.

You walk down an old narrow street, there is no name above the door, you ring the bell (thinking where/what on earth have I booked)...|WOW, stepping inside (like a tardis), it took our breath away. Spacious authentic courtyard, with rooms off it. Then, through a doorway into a reading room was a swimming pool with sunbeds (towels provided).|The staff were so friendly and helpful, couldn't do enough for you. We were in the Elephant room and had a balcony overlooking the courtyard. The room was spacious and spotlessly clean. Bath robes and slippers provided.|Everything was decorated in a beautiful traditional way but with all mod cons.|We also had dinner there, which was exceptional, with a great wine selection.|Would definitely recommend a stay here.|The Souk and Jemaa el-Fnaa square were in walking distance.