Dar 91 Wahed ('One' in Moroccan) is a funky, airy and light two-bedroom house. Set over three floors, it has two roof terraces with panoramic views and has French windows overlooking characterful Rue Chbanat. It's the perfect place to relax and soak up the authentic atmosphere of the old town.
The main bedroom and its bathroom are on the first floor; the living room, kitchen and dining area occupy the second; and a further bedroom and bathroom make up the third floor – which also has a small terrace. From here, wooden stairs lead up to a large terrace with uninterrupted views across the medina and to the sea.
Unlike many Moroccan properties let out to tourists, Wahed does not feature a central courtyard - which can be a big advantage if you value your privacy, as you won't be sharing the house or roof terraces with other guests.
Situated in a district of the medina unspoilt by tourism, we let the two-bedroom house as a whole rather than 'by the room', with breakfast and daily maid service.
Further details
We offer:
• Unlimited phone and email support before your stay, to help you plan a fantastic holiday
• Our free guide with ideas about places to visit, eat and drink in and around Essaouira, including a few cultural tips and reflections
• Tea, coffee, sugar, milk and a bottle of water for your arrival
• Delicious home-made Moroccan biscuits from L'Association Feminine de Bienfaisance "El Khir", a local charity (for week-long bookings)
• A free bowl of fruit, olive oil and spices (for week-long bookings)
For breakfast, we pride ourselves on allowing our guests privacy, so rather than barging in to create a fully prepared tray, we make available provisions for you to make your own breakfast as and when you want it. Our house manager will keep the kitchen stocked with coffee, tea, milk, sugar, jam and butter. She will also deliver oven-fresh bread and/or croissants, plus yogurt, to the bottom of the stairs every morning.
Our house manager comes to the house to clean every day. We provide bath and hand towels (not beach towels) and these are changed regularly, along with the bedding, during your stay.
Additional services we can help arrange
• Taxi transfers to and from airport and/or other cities/locations in Morocco
• Traditional Moroccan evening meals (tagines or cous cous), delivered to the house: not part of our general 'package' but can be organised at additional cost
• Visits to the local hammam
• Local excursions, including horse and camel treks, quad biking
• Cookery courses
• Raffia weaving courses
Further details indoors
In our renovation we have rejected the aspirational, 'faux palace' look favoured by many European riad owners, in favour of simplicity. We prefer more pared-down interiors, and in a country where hot running water is a distant dream for many, rose petal strewn fountains feel, in any case, like a luxury too far.
Our aim has been to create a 'home from home' for ourselves, our friends and family – and for you to enjoy. Our bedrooms are all ensuite, and there's a small kitchen, a cosy living room and two roof terraces.
We've furnished the house using mainly reclaimed, fixed-up furniture, combining traditional and modern objects within a clean, contemporary aesthetic. We have focused particularly on interesting lighting combinations. Guests often describe Dar 91 as quirky, and often delight in the little details: hand-embroidered sheets, old-fashioned wool blankets, thick towels and hot water bottles, for example.