The beautiful Riad Zyo, a former post office located in Rabat’s Medina was the first place we stayed after arriving in Morocco. The hotel lobby greeted us with a quote from the Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams”, which was a perfect way to describe our journey from New York to Casablanca as we were about to embark on a 12-day Moroccan adventure. But, first, we ate, relaxed, and slept during our one night in Rabat.
Riad Zyo, although it has the typical features of a traditional Moroccan riad, it has its own modern flair, which we loved. The riad is bright and airy, and in place of a garden, there is a mini plunge pool which my daughter was ready to jump in even with her clothes on. On one end of the pool was the sitting area where we were served our ‘Welcome’ tea and pastries, and on the other end, closer to the entrance is where the dining area and kitchen are located.
There are also several bedrooms located on the main floor one of which is where my mother-in-law and daughter stayed.
Rooms at Riad Zyo
My mother-in-law and daughter shared ‘Kaid’, which was a cozy room with bright orange and silver and gray décor with high vaulted ceilings. I absolutely LOVE vaulted ceilings. The craftsmanship that was put into the detail in the ceiling was amazing.
The room’s ground-level location was perfect for both my daughter and mother-in-law as they did not have to make the steep trek up and down the stairs for breakfast and dinner. The only thing that made us a bit nervous was having the pool so easily accessible for my 6-year-old, but after many reminders for her to not leave the room alone nor jump into the pool, we were okay.
Just so we could have our privacy, my husband and I had one of the larger rooms, ‘Pacha’ located on the second level of the riad. This room offered us views of the pool and palm groves. It also had vaulted ceilings with recess lighting. The wall length wardrobe was pretty dope, too. I want one in my house! The bathroom featured a full-length sink and mirror and shower/tub combo. Arganine shampoo, shower gel, and lotion were provided. The bathrooms were clean; we had no complaints.
Both rooms had desks and a television, which we did not watch. Complimentary water was provided in each room.
Food at Riad Zyo
It is typical of riads to offer breakfast at no extra cost, and some, if you are lucky, offer dinner gratis. Riad Zyo is traditional in this sense, as breakfast was complimentary, and dinner cost us 250 MAD per person. Of course, we could have ventured out into Rabat for dinner that evening, but after a long flight in from New York, we opted to dine in. Our meal for the evening was pastilla, beef tajine and Moroccan Harira (vegetable soup. Our breakfast the next day was eggs made-to-order, yogurt, fresh squeezed orange juice, tea, coffee, and traditional Moroccan pastries. The food was good, and since everything is made fresh, it did take a while for our food to be served, but we had no complaints.
Our one night stay at Riad Zyo was a great way to start our trip after a long flight from New York. The rooms were comfortable and clean, the showers ran hot, the staff was nice, and the food was good. That is everything we look for when staying at a hotel. We hope that during our next visit to Morocco that we have more time to spend to explore Rabat, and thus, a longer stay to really enjoy Riad Zyo. If you are ever in Rabat, experience this beautiful riad for yourself. You will not be disappointed.
Riad Zyo
5 Rue Moreno legza
Rabat 10000, Morocco
http://riad-zyo.com/
Rated #1 of 50 B&Bs on Tripadvisor.com