Reviews of Riad Bianca Essaouira Guest House

A beautiful riad well located in the Medina. Mostafa at the front desk was incredibly helpful with great recommendations for the town. The room was incredibly clean and the bed was the most comfortable I’ve stayed in for a long time! Would absolutely recommend to future visitors!

The location was fine, check-in was easy, and the lady at breakfast was kind and polite.

I honestly don’t understand how this riad has such high ratings — it might have been a nice place years ago, but definitely isn’t anymore. The owner recommended a nearby parking lot, saying it costs 2€ per day. After checking Google Maps, I found several reviews from people saying they got their tires slashed there, that it actually costs 2€ per day and 5€ per night, and that the attendants demand cash upfront and even keep the extra if you don’t have exact change. When I mentioned these reviews, the only reply I got was, “That’s how it is in Morocco.” The riad and room are in desperate need of renovation. The bathroom smelled so strongly of sewage that it stunk up the entire room, making it almost unbearable to stay inside. The rooftop cushions were filthy, and there was even cat feces in the hallway when we were leaving, which is simply unacceptable. The breakfast was by far the worst we had in Morocco — some warmed-up msemen, reused jam jars clearly refilled from previous guests, and an omelette so pale it looked barely cooked. The breakfast lady was kind, but that can only go so far when the quality is that poor. The supposed “central fountain,” which should be the riad’s centerpiece, was tiny and not even working for most of the day, adding to the neglected feeling of the place.

We had booked two nights in the Riad. Unfortunately we were surprised to get a room right next to the reception and the bar. We checked into the room and i am very sad to say it was a great disappointment. The room was dark, extremely loud since it had a window also facing the street. I understand that the humidity in the city is high, but the room had a very bad smell and in the bathroom there was mold. It did not feel clean. We tried to get another room, but the staff did not seem very interested in trying to help. We were ready to pay the difference for another room, that would not be on the ground floor. We brought to their attention that we can hear everything and for light sleepers it is a torture. There was nothing the staff could do, since all rooms were not available. Since there was nothing they can do we stayed only one night, packed in the morning and left. Very disappointed and tired since we did not sleep during the night.

Beautiful rooms and amazing location, very easy to locate and perfect base to explore Essaouira. Our host, Mustapa, was attentive, kind, and such a genuinely happy host, nothing felt like too much trouble. We kept extending our stay by a night each time as we still wanted to keep exploring, Mustapa sorted everything and it was easy and hassle free. Just perfect!

The most amazing staff who were so welcoming and accomodating! Great location, close to the bus station, the beach and lots of restaurants. The Riad provides a list of great food options which we were slowly ticking off

The room felt slightly damp, but that was just because of the humidity. We opened the windows and aired it and it was fine.

Stylish, great spot in the Medina. Lovely people and spacious comforts in the rooms. Sundeck up on the roof. Loved it

Nothing

My wife & I had an amazing time

Amazing Riad - so new and well decorated - was very clean - we decided to stay 2 nights as we loved it so much

Nice breakfast and good service during breakfast.

Room only had a window towards the breakfast area. Therefore Room was very humid and hot. Only solution for humidity was a machine that made the room hotter

Good location, good price and nice staff!

The room was quite dusty and humid. There is no ac which doesn’t help. The room was quite noisy, as we could hear voices from the street even keeping the windows closed.

The staff were all very nice and welcoming. The room was clean and had everything we needed. We had some nice breakfast freshly prepared for us in the morning including an omelette, a smoothie and coffee. The location is ideal is it is in the medina but a fairly quiet part of it and we could reach everything by foot. Particularly handy if you are travelling by supr@tours as the stop is only like 500 meters away from the riad.

The riad is beautiful and the staff super friendly! It’s located perfect and we didn’t have problems to find it. It’s very modern and hip looking.

Our room was moldy and you already could smell it. I know it’s kinda normal that this happens in Riads, but at least there should be put AC in the room or a dehumidifier if there is NO window. As I am allergic to mold i woke up coughing and felt a little sick.

The Riad was in a perfect location. It is new and with nice decoration that makes it look a quiet and calm place to rest. The staff was nice and welcoming. The rooms are quite big and comfortable.

During the night it can be a bit noisy as all the rooms are located around a main courtyard that echoes all sounds. In our case, we could hear some noises when we went to sleep but eventually this stopped.

Very friendly owner and also staff!

I love how bright and airy it is. You feel like part of a family and the breakfast is stunning. Special shout out to Mustafa for my packed lunch to take to the airport. These guys are the best

Exceptional! Absolutely worth booking. Riad Cala Bianca is such a gem in Essaouira. My friend and I only spent a night there but it was perfect. The rooms are spotless, clean and well decorated. The atmosphere is unique, the rooftop terrace is ideal to catch the sun and relax. Thank you again for such a great stay, we will come back 💜 Merci à Badr pour ton accueil!!

The staff at this place are incredible, they made us feel extra welcome and were always happy to help us out. The place is quite cosy and is easy to find, the Medina can become complicated to navigate but fortunately this place is very close to one of the Medina entrances and so you won't be wandering about aimlessly. I'm also quite certain the staff would help out if you had any issues. There was a lovely terrace on the top where we sat and enjoyed the sun. The breakfast was also very nice with an option of breads and preserves (which seems to be fairly common in Morocco but this place still did one of the better versions). I did find the fact that the bathroom was separated by only a curtain a little odd but overall not too bad. I imagine it would be hard to find a place for the same level of value as this.

It was a perfect stay. The owner and the other staff is super friendly. Would definitly stay there a second time!!