What our guests say…

5 COLUMNS RIAD IS AMAZING IN ALL RESPECTS The Interior design, the location... this Riad has it all.. :) also great help from House keeper Fatima and Rashid. Many thanks Lisa for having us stay in 5 Columns, we will be back. Peter Transonic F, Gothenburg, Sweden - Jan, 2020 

FANTASTISCH HUIS IN DE MEDINA We spent a week here with the children and grandchildren. The house is really great! A hidden gem. Sufficient privacy for those who want it and a "rooftop bar" and cozy living room for joint activities. The house is tastefully decorated, but that is not surprising. The owner is a designer from London. We are very kindly received by Rashid. Twice Fatima cooked for us and both times were a party. Delicious food for a reasonable price in our "own" house. Such a luxury. Recommended. For us, the house has contributed significantly to a successful holiday that everyone enjoyed. Peter V, The Hague - June 2019

A GREAT HOLIDAY IN A MAGICAL BOLT HOLE IN THE HEART OF THE MEDINA All arrangements worked according to plan and the house is a delight with quirky antique and vintage items at every turn. Fatima the housekeeper is ever smiling and cooked us a delightful meal when we arrived. Opening the door every time is a treat but when we first arrived the smell of home cooked Tagine, a roaring fire and the glow of lit candles created an experience that will always stay with us. The boys enjoyed the surfing and Explora water were friendly, efficient and accommodating, in all a great holiday.. Steven M, Gothenburg, Sweden - Dec, 2018

A FABULOUS PROPERTY WITH GREAT CHARACTER, STYLE AND FLEXIBILITY My partner and I stayed at Lisa’s property in October. The property is exactly as billed on the website and just as quirky and stylish as we hoped. As there were only two of us, we didn’t take advantage of the space the property affords for groups/larger families. We would come back with friends without hesitation. The liaison with Lisa was prompt and informative, and we were very appreciative of her arranging taxis to and from the airport, and a wonderful welcome to the house/medina by Rashid and her housekeeper, Fatima. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. Whilst Essaouira is more relaxed than Marrakesh, we were still grateful for this handholding in our first few hours. I would thoroughly recommend this property and Essaouira is a great place to chill and experience a more relaxed Moroccan culture than Marrakech. Thanks Lisa and team! Hayley and John, London and North Yorkshire - Oct 2018

BEAUTIFUL MEDINA HOUSE IN ESSAOUIRA I loved my stay in the house, it's very nice to be surrounded by things that you like, find everything that you might need, even the book that I wanted to read. There are different areas in the house, in and outside, all with a different atmosphere, to cook, eat, relax or enjoy one of the fireplaces. The housekeeper Fatima is an excellent cook, also without gluten and dairy, I had delicious and beautiful Moroccan food. The beds are very comfortable, and there are 4 nice bedrooms to choose from. I walked a lot in the Medina, to check out the recommended shops and restaurants, and on the beach to the beach clubs. I enjoyed the climate in August, the friendly people and the inspiring surroundings.. Anetooyman, Marken, The Netherlands - Aug, 2018

WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF I went to Essaouira with 5 friends for my 40th birthday. It you want some time full of fun, retro furniture, pompom stalls, peanut croissants, sunshine and crisp white bed sheets.... 5 columns is for you! It was a delight from start to finish. Can’t recommend it enough - Lisa was really helpful booking taxis, spa treatments and restaurants.. Thanks Lisa. E Greenwood, London, UK - Apr 2018

BEAUTIFUL RIAD, GREAT LOCATION! Lisa was super communicative, we were provided with guides to everything we needed during our stay. Property was clean, beautiful fresh linen on clean beds. The location was fantastic and I would highly recommend any design-conscious individual to book here on their next trip to Essaouira! D Diner, Dubai, UAE - Apr, 2018

A BEAUTIFULLY STYLISH OASIS OF CALM This was my second time at Five Columns with a group of friends and I love it. The house has a lovely relaxed feel; very welcoming and calming and yet only 5 minutes walk from the vibrant market stalls of the Souk and the sea. Lisa was amazingly helpful, providing help with airport transfers and recommendations for activities and restaurants. We had wonderful food all weekend. A really magical house in a very chilled and interesting town. I recommend taking a spare bag for all your market purchases! Seb D, London, UK - Apr, 2018

STUNNING ACCOMMODATION, A TRADITIONAL MOROCCAN HOUSE WITH A STYLISH RENOVATION Great location near to the city wall and an easy walk to the market streets and town square. If you like your interiors, you'll love this. Beautifully renovated to retain all the traditional features and filled with quirky collections of art and furniture. Its a feast for the eyes and a cosy haven off the crazy alleys of Essaouira. We really appreciated the delicious Tagine and accompaniments prepared by Fatima the housekeeper on our first night and her daily visits to tidy up after us. February is probably not the best time to visit but we managed to catch some winter rays on the roof terrace and made full use of the log fires in the chilly evenings. I'm already planning to return!! Michelle B - Feb 2018

HALF TERM SUNSHINE Lisa’s house is a wonderful oasis of calm, beautifully decorated and super comfortable, we had an absolutely brilliant few days at Five Columns over October half term. Lisa and her local team go above and beyond to ensure your stay at Five Columns (and the journey to and from the airport) is as stress free and enjoyable as possible. Our kids loved being somewhere completely culturally different whilst being only 3.5 hours away from the UK. Everything from our singing taxi driver (Fassi, he’s great), the delicious meal that Fatima prepared for us on our first night to Lisa ensuring that we knew exactly where to find the best pool/beach/restaurant/secret shopping places, was perfect. A much needed and proper luxury detox from London life. It was really hard to leave, in fact I’m back there next week! Ford, London, UK - Nov, 2017

PERFECT! We all loved Essaouira and we loved this Riad. Rachid was there to meet us at the appointed time and gave us a lovely warm welcome. The house is absolutely beautiful - the use of space, light, original features, furniture, set furnishings and art all work to make you feel like you are literally living in an interiors magazine. We spent many hours as a family around the table (every bit as gorgeous as it looks in the photos), all slept well, enjoyed cooking in the kitchen, which has everything you could need and the (teenage) boys were happy to find there was good wifi.

The outside area is pretty private and we loved the bar area, which we stocked up from the local Carrefour. It goes without saying that the property was immaculate and Fatima did a great job of tidying round us every day. Fatima also cooked for us one night - which she dropped off at an agreed time. It was delicious and enough for the whole street. Her Lemon Tart was AMAZIng. And I don't even like lemon tart!! (The cost was 150DH which is about £12. Well worth every penny)

Lisa is really quick to get back to you about any queries and gave us some wonderful shopping and eating tips. In fact she cost us a fortune. We took an empty suitcase and it almost wasn't enough! We would definitely visit Essaouira again and definitely stay here. It's a little oasis in a crazy place. Thank you very much Lisa x. Fiona B - Aug 2017

A HAVEN OF TRANQUILITY AND CALM I stayed in 5-columns with a group of close friends to celebrate my 40th birthday. I couldn't have asked for a better place to stay. Although situated right in the beating heart of the medina, it is a haven of tranquility and calm. It has been beautifully decorated and designed throughout, and has everything you might need for your break. Lisa helped us by organising some activities during our trip, and we were so well looked after by Rasheed, who welcomed us and was a point if contact for anything we needed throughout our stay, Fatima the wonderful housekeeper who even fed us with her delicious Tagine, and Fassi, the taxi driver, who is simply a legend. We had such a good trip, I would highly recommend 5-columns as a place to stay if you're heading to Essaouira. We are already planning our next trip! Thank you Lisa. From London, UK - May, 2017

5 COLUMNS WAS MAGICAL It's hard to know where to start as we had so many magical experiences on this trip to Essaouira! Having never visited Morocco before I was blown away by how authentic Essaouira still is, as soon as you enter the medina it's like stepping back in time with the hustle and bustle of daily life behind these traffic free walls.

The second you turn the key in the door at 5 Columns riad you are greeted by an oasis of calm and can see the level of thought that's gone into designing this stunning home away from home. Over 4 floors you have 4 double bedrooms each one with its own identity and more importantly it's own bathroom done in that rustic Moroccan style. Having a place to stay in the heart of the medina is such an amazing experience which is lost in hotels outside the medina wall. Being able to walk to the local bakery every morning to collect some peanut and almond pastries plus a few coffees is an experience in itself, sitting with the vibrant locals while they go about their daily routine behind these old walls...unreal. Lisa and Liggy are the perfect hosts with an array of friendly people on hand to help you enjoy this stunning country.

Lisa organised for us to be collected from the airport by Fassi the taxi driver who is like a Moroccan Ed Sheeran (he isn't ginger) and broke out into song for our whole journey having us all singing along to boot, good times with this genuinely funny Moroccan legend. They happily organised some must see experiences to do going back in time at the Berber market or a day trip to the Le Jardin des Douars so we could chill by the pool at this stunning hotel with the most amazing gardens. I was blown away by this stunning country with its friendly people and Essaouira is still relatively unspoilt with some of the best restaurants I've ever eaten in with really affordable prices. I can't wait to return to the magical 5 Columns again soon and feel I've still so many more streets to explore around the medina and souk. Until next time amazing Morocco! Darragh The London Irish, London, UK - Apr, 2017

AMAZING FAMILY GATHERING AT THIS 5 STAR RIAD IN ESSAOUIRA We just returned from celebrating my husbands 70th Birthday at 5 Columns Essaouira. A beautiful Ryad that each day you see more beauty . And thanks to Lisa and Liggy made our stay memorable with recommendations for restaurants and shops . 5 Columns has it all once you open the door you step into another world of design and beauty. Very spacious rooms .Comfy beds. Fully equipped kitchen and a sunny roof terrace with a heavenly Bar. We will be back and we highly recommend 5 Columns. We also enjoyed a lovely meal cooked by Fatima . Essaouira is relaxed and the people are very pleasant and chatty offering you cups of tea and advice. Kay J, Dublin - Nov, 2016

IN A WORD - AMAZING! We stayed in the beautiful 5 columns to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday - it was simply beautiful. Lisa and Liggy were so helpful with the plans for the stay and made it incredible for us - there was nothing that was too much trouble. The Riad is to die for - such beautiful design with thought having gone in to every aspect of the property. It felt like a boutique hotel with complete privacy. Being inside the medina, a step out the front door was a step into another world. I particularly enjoyed buying eggs, bread and butter in the local "shop". I still dream of that place and we really hope to return one day. Thanks so much Lisa and Liggy :) Grain N, London, UK - May 2016

LONG WEEKEND AT 5-COLUMNS WITH THE GIRLS Spent a wonderful long weekend with friends at this beautiful riad - hidden away behind a grey door, it was like walking into another world. As we were arriving in the evening, we had arranged with the owner (Lisa) for the maid to prepare dinner for us, which was waiting for us on arrival. A gorgeous tagine with salads and bread, stunningly laid out on the central dining table. Absolutely delicious and welcome after our trip, all set within the 5 columns and the open-plan dining/kitchen area, with an open space above us leading to the top atrium. Decor is a mixture of Moroccan/African and vintage 60s/70s and works really well. The impression was of space and light, with 2 bedrooms on the first floor (one of which was mine - really comfortable bed and lovely accents of colour and soft lighting. Then stairs leading up to the main sun terrace, and then further stairs leading up to the top smaller terrace and the final bedroom. Everything was spotlessly clean and it was really quiet at night, so slept amazingly well (on a very comfortable bed I should add).

Being right in the middle of the medina was exciting, because as soon as you walked out of the front door, you were right in the heart of the bustle of daily life. A very short walk to the main shopping area, we felt very safe as people there seemed relaxed and friendly - we managed to get lost a few times, and people were more than happy to steer us back in the right direction (although it was fun getting lost down the narrow streets as you would discover something new). The owner recommended restaurants for dinner for the length of our stay and they were all spot on - when you only have a few days, it is so worth not wandering around not knowing where is good or not, so that was a bonus. She also recommended areas to shop which was really useful. Plus we spent a lovely sunny day at a gorgeous spa retreat recommended by her as well, where we sunbathed and had a delicious brunch - and it was so reasonable! The beach is also only a short walk away, although the day we went down there, the weather was a bit hit and miss, but there are a few beach bars which would be lovely to hang out in the sunshine. It was my first trip to Morocco and I loved it - Essaouira is such an interesting place, and I feel I only scratched the surface, so would love to return and would definitely stay at 5 Columns again. Cannot recommend it and the personal service we received highly enough. Thank you Lisa :). Lisa H, London - Mar 2016

FIVE STAR AND FABULOUS! The house is simply amazing and, I’ve been told, one of the best in Essaouria. It is modern, comfortable and stylish as well as unmistakably Moroccan. The location was spot on. The house is located within the heart of Medina, which in our view was the best place to be situated. A few minutes down a couple of winding alleyways brings you to the centre of the Medina where there are many shops and restaurants – staying in the Medina in a 5* riad was more of an exciting experience for us than staying in one of the soulless chain hotels along the sea front. The owners and Rachid were very accomodating and arranged everything from airport transfers to dinner on arrival to recommending the best restaurants and things to do, all of which helped to make our holiday go smoothly. Dinner on arrival was perfect as it meant we didn’t have to find somewhere to eat whilst dazed and confused after a long day travelling. As was Rachid’s tour of the Medina, which greatly helped us to find our bearings. We loved Essaouria and can’t wait to return. The locals were so friendly. We shall be returning to Five Columns. Caroline R - May 2011