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Dar 91
"Retro artistic retreat Riad in Essaouria"
Dar 91
Welcome to Dar 91 – a trio of stylish, private self-catering holiday apartments in Essaouira, hidden away in an atmospheric corner of the beautiful, ancient walled medina of Essaouira …Morocco’s quintessential laid-back coastal resort and a must visit in Essaouira.
Project 91 is the charitable hand of Dar 91, set up to give back to the good people of Essaouira and specifically help the local youth population finish school and gain employment. Dar 91 donates 10% of its yearly profits to Project 91. The Project 91 charity shop was opened in Essaouira in December 2012 to help fund this great cause, selling a range of hand made art, carpets and accessories for house or body and introducing initiatives like "Leave Your Wardrobe in Morocco campaign"
The British owners crafted Dar 91's apartments in Essaouira out of an 18th century police watchtower, situated in a still-unspoilt district of Essaouira’s old town. Wahed, Zhuzh and Tlata at Dar 91 are comfortable and quirky – exotic enough to feel a world away, but familiar enough to call home.
The perfect base for soaking up the sunshine and enjoying Essaouira’s friendly, relaxed vibe, you can rent the apartments of Dar 91 separately or in combination accommodating up to 10 people. Chill out in your own private space, with our helpful staff on hand to clean, deliver breakfast supplies, and make sure you have a great stay in this very inviting Riad in Essaouira.
Recharge your batteries in this quirky Riad in Essaouira as you discover this fascinating corner of North Africa – and sleep easy in the knowledge that we give 10% of our profits to charity.
The wonderful British owners of Dar 91 found Essaouira in 2005 and bought and renovated Dar 91 gradually over the next four years. Having previously run a guest house in the English Lake District, they started to rent out the Wahed in 2006. Dar 91 is a Riad in Essaouira that has been created to help guests fall in love with Essaouira and immerse yourself in its tranquil yet stimulating and sometimes unfamiliar culture.
The owners are always on the lookout for artists and craftspeople (especially weavers) for local collaboration. Get in contact for further details.
Booking & Enquiries:
To check availability please enter dates. To make a reservation, hold a room, or submit an enquiry, please select the rooms below.
Room availability will be updated if a new date or duration is specified, and the total for your stay will be shown at the bottom of this page including any discounts applicable.
Please note: Local taxes of €2 - €3 per person per day are not included and are payable locally.
Alternatively telephone 020 8816 7065 or click here to contact us by email.
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Key features:
- Ensuite bathrooms
- Hairdryers
- Free Wi-Fi
- iPod docks
- Fireplaces
- Quirky and elegant
- Self-catering flats
- Welcome drinks and pastries upon arrival
- Family friendly with great privacy
- Home-delivered meals upon request
- Rafia and Patisserie courses
- Charity shop "Project 91" helping young people improve their prospects
Eating at Dar 91
Breakfast:
Privacy and intimacy are key at Dar 91. Breakfast provisions are made in the morning and magically appear at your door, leaving you the leisure of organising it how you wish, at the time you want.
Dining in house:
Naima is a wonderful cook who can, upon request, prepare meals for you and deliver them at Dar 91 where you can enjoy them in the cosiness of your home away from home.
Local Restaurants
There are many options if you want to find a good restaurant in Essaouira. Below are a few suggestions:
Elizir
Tel: 00212(0) 524 47 21 03
Rue de Agadir - Médina
Cuisine: Oriental classics with an organic Italian touch
Upmarket but affordable and value-for-money Moroccan/Italian restaurant, with fantastic fusion interiors, amazing food and great attention to detail. In our opinion, this is the best and most cosmopolitan restaurant in Essaouira.
El Ferdaouss
Tel: 00212(0) 5247 473655
27 Rue Abdesslam
Cuisine: Traditional Moroccan
Good value, authentic Moroccan fare including fresh fish and some of the best tagines in town. The meat served here is tender and delicious. Takeyour own drink.
Les Alizés
Tel: 00212(0) 524 47 68 19
26 Rue de la Skala
Cuisine: Traditional Moroccan
Family-run restaurant serving a great value Moroccan set menu. Go early because it gets very busy. The tagine de poissons, made with sardine balls, is a must.
Features include:
- Beautifully prepared breakfast with the freshest produce
- Relaxed time breakfast
- Afternoon or evening meals upon request
Dar 91
Camel or horse riding at Diabat Ranch
Only a short minute drive from Essaouira, this family run ranch based in Diabat village offers hogh quality horse and camel riding, starting from 150dh/hour.
Experiencing an authentic Moroccan market
Wednesday market in Ida Ougourd, 20km south of Essaouira on the road to Agadir, from early morning to midday.
Ha'Dra market on Sundays, huge market on the road to Marrakech.
These markets are essential for the farmers and country people to stock up on provisions for themselves and their animals
Domaine du Val d'Argan winery
Established in 1994, it produces some of the best wines in Morocco, make sure you also stop by the restaurant.
30 km from Essaouira on the road to Marrakech in the village of Ounagha.
Suggested Activities:
- Surfing,kitesurfing,windsurfing
- Day trips in the region.
Dar 91
"We were provided with lots of helpful information about Dar91 / Essaouira / Moroccan culture by the owners (Paolo and Jeremy) whilst in the UK, and we were made to feel very welcome by Naima and Hakim (house-keeping / management / maintenance) once in Essaouira. Naima and Hakim made us feel that they were always available to help in any way, but equally they were great at letting us discover things for ourselves whilst in Essaouira. Both Naima and Hakim live locally with their respective families, though Hakim also runs the Mashi Mushki art shop based beneath Dar91 and the Project91 charity shop based over the road from Dar91 - so he's on-hand for any questions / assistance all day every day.
A couple of good examples of Hakim's support were:
1. First-class BBQ on the roof terrace, including all the shopping at fish & vegetable markets, plus all food preparation & cooking.
2. Accompanying us to a local hammam for an authentic and thorough steam, body scrub and massage.
Dar91 is a great place to stay for those looking for a nice mix of independence and local knowledge to help get the most out of their time in Essaouira."
Rupert from Manchester, April 2013
"We can't heap enough praise on Paolo and Jeremy for their gorgeous accommodation and amazing hospitality. The same goes for Hakim and Naima, who balance unobtrusiveness with help when it's needed perfectly.
We spent a month at Dar 91. We wish it could have been longer. The house is a feast of great decor and excellent facilities. Mornings on the terrace overlooking the town were unbeatable, if a little breezy!
If you're looking for a base to explore Morocco, Essaouira is perfectly situated. We combined our time there with excursions to Fes, Marrakech & a three day road trip to Western Sahara (highly recommended).
Essaouira itself has a huge selection of restaurants, fascinating culture, good music and friendly people.
If you are looking to combine a traditional holiday with elements of independent travel and home cooking then this is the place for you."
Stuart and Sarah from the Midlands, March 2013
"Enjoyed 4 wonderful nights in Dar 91 Zhuzu. It is a beautiful building in good part of the city away from hustle but close enough for easy access. Host helper Hakim was fantastic and caring with good communication in French and make shift English.
House is decorated beautifully, open fire was a delight at night and needed since the building is cold in winter time at night. But the most helpful for us was the tips for good places to go that are in the visitors book. Nice to get good tip offs that were not touristic spots but genuine and real.
Haikim provided firewood for us each day and was very attentive while picking up on our preference for privacy. Breakfast was fresh and yum and left in a basket outside our door each morning.
More comfortable furniture would have improved our evening hang outs but hey, I don't go to Morocco and expect all mod cons!"
A Guest, February 2013
Riad Location
Located on the quiet residential south east medina wall of Essaouira, Dar 91 is a stones throw to the Essaouira souks with the working fish market port and some of the best restaurants in Essaouira a 10 minute walk. The beach in Essaouira is just 5 minutes walk from Dar 91.
Dar 91 Rooms
Wahed Apartment
Light and airy Wahed (‘one’ in Moroccan Arabic) is a three-storey townhouse-style apartment in the artistic, vintage and inviting Dar91.
Nestling behind imposing French windows, Wahed at Dar 91 is the largest of the three apartments, highly regarded by groups of friends, couples wanting extra space, or as a family holiday in Essaouira.
Dar 91's Wahed apartment is composed of two bedrooms with two shower rooms, simple but cosy kitchen/ dining area, and living area. Wahed apartments roof terrace is on two levels and offers a beautiful view over the rooftops of Essaouira and the untamed Atlantic.
The first bedroom is a double room opening onto the terrace; the second bedroom can be made up as a double or twin, and has a small extra bed suitable for children. The middle floor has Wi-Fi and i-pod speakers. The Wahed apartment can cater for infants with cot available, however there are lots of stairs.
-Room 1
Double
-Room 2
Double/Twin
Triple (£20 adults, £10 child (5-16yrs) supplement)
Zhuzh Apartment
A funky and colourful duplex apartment, Zhuzh (‘two’ in Moroccan Arabic) at Dar 91 has a towering roof terrace with amazing views across the medina, it is a cave of secrets and discovery and a wonderful choice for a small family holiday or intimate romantic getaway in Essaouira.
Perched just inside the medina walls, Dar 91's Zhuzh apartment has a open plan living room/kitchen (simply equipped), a spacious double bedroom, a shower room and a mezzanine chillout area, able to accommodate an extra person – and a stunning, secluded roof terrace…the highest in our part of town.
Double
Triple (£10 suppliment)
Tlata Studio
Chic and affordable Tlata (‘three’ in Moroccan Arabic) is a loft-style studio apartment at Dar 91 with double mezzanine bed.
Small but perfectly formed, Tlata has everything you need for a comfortable holiday in Essaouira – perfect if you’re on a budget or want extra space when booking the other apartments of Dar 91. Great as a quiet space for working or contemplation, Tlata is also available for longer-term rentals and for artists’ residencies.
Tlata has a comfortable and simply-equipped living room/dining/kitchen area, a shower room and a mezzanine double bed. This apartment at Dar 91 is entirely self-contained but shares a door to the street with Zhuzh, so can also form part of a bigger whole. Its outer wall overlooks the historic medina ramparts.
The lounge area in the Tlata studio can accommodate an extra person sleeping on the sofa upon request.
Double
Triple (£10 suppliment)
Please note:
- The base rate price at Dar 91 is in pounds, euros, or Moroccan dirhams and exchange rates are approximate.
- All prices are based on two people sharing and include breakfast and tva (VAT).
- Most riads add local taxes which are generally about £2 per day per person, but vary from house to house
