10/10 Excellent
Nicky, York
5 April 2012
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Riad of extremes
The Rose Noire is a good place to stay if you are the kind of person who likes being in the thick of the medina, down shady alleys, whilst also enjoying an oasis of calm and cleanliness. It is decorated to a very high standard. The wife of the house is excellent at front of house and was extremely helpful and engaging. The husband was not welcoming, not friendly, and rather useless when we asked any questions. I suppose running a riad in a location such as Ouarzazate, which is an ugly and boring town apart from the medina/kasbah, might be a thankless task, when few people stay more than one night.
Breakfast, served on the roof terrace, was delicious, and certainly the best you're likely to encounter in this part of Morocco.
Note that the map does not give an accurate indication of the location of this riad. It is close to the mosque in the medina, behind the kasbah.
On the whole, I would recommend this riad: it's quiet, comfortable, aesthetically pleasurable, and in an interesting location (which, however, some might find rather trying). But if the wife isn't the one to receive you, then don't expect any kind of welcome.