Dar means house in Arabic and Liouba is a Russian endearment for love - a great deal of which went into creating this airy, stylish abode. It was a Russian furniture designer who first created and ran this guesthouse with her Chinese-French jewellery-making partner, and whose brilliant hospitality brought rave reviews. Their inspiration to add another storey to this former Imam's home created a wonderful, almost gazebo-like interior.
Now under the equally charming French management of Patricia and Jean-Jacques, it continues to delight. Bedrooms are arrayed around the sides of a wooden-carved pergola that rises three levels, narrowing to a octagon-shaped skylight. It’s the focal point of the house, but doesn’t detract from the elegant furniture in the ground-floor lounge or indeed the down-to-earth staff who keep Dar Liouba in tip-top condition.
Highs
- The sense of staying in a beautiful wooden pergola, spiralling to the sky
- Sophisticated space, away from the bustling bits of Essaouira
- Neither over-priced nor overly pretentious
- Fresh, clean, stylish rooms without the damp problem that can be prevalent in Essaouira
Lows
- With the exception of the apartment at the top, the rooms are quite small
- No baths, just showers with seat
- Like all medina guesthouses, there is no parking directly outside but there is open parking 5 minutes away
- Not the typical riad-with-courtyard style, more of a French Colonial house (but a lovely one!)
Best time to go
All year – unlike Marrakech, Essaouira is not bakingly hot in July & August so it’s a great summer destination too.
Our top tips
There is an excellent local music festival every June, with Gnawa and other tribal performers.
- Boutique Guesthouse
- 7 rooms
- Over 2s welcome
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Walk to beach
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
Rooms
The unique arrangement of Dar Liouba’s six rooms gives each one a charming wooden balcony, carved by Essaouiran craftsmen, brimming with flowers, where you can look down to an interior garden with a ficus and solitary pine or upward to the skylight. Inside, each room has a few splashes of colour to offset the white walls: bright red cushions and curtains (Piment) or appropriate shades of green for Arganier and Olivier (both twin bedded). We stayed in the Ocean room which had a scrubbed blue-and-white Mediterranean feel and a comfortable double bed. Tile patterns outside each door indicate the colours inside, while the doors themselves are painted in a mosaic pattern. There are more pretty tiles in the bathrooms, which all have showers with built-in benches, for those long relaxing soaks.
There's also a suite (Lavande) on the top floor with a beautifully long, slim coffee table surrounded by plump pink sofas; and from here it’s only a few steps up to the expansive terrace with a panoramic view of the medina and the sea.
Eating
Climb down the spiral staircase after a good night’s sleep and you’ll find an even better breakfast awaiting you on an immaculately set table just beside the spacious, morning-lit lounge. Exquisite wooden-handled cutlery, linen napkins, embossed glasses… with food as pleasing as its accoutrements: fresh orange juice, yummy jams, light crepes and strong French coffee.
If you've got room, lunch at the bustling fish market is always a treat. The night we stayed, staff booked us a table for supper at Ferdaouss – a cosy restaurant with Moroccan couch seating and really tasty tagines at non-tourist prices. If you prefer to stay in, dinners at Dar Liouba can be prepared with notice - either traditional Moroccan or Continental.
Features include:
- Restaurants nearby
Activities
- Horseriding can be arranged from a nearby stable and also quad-bike rides in the sand dunes
- Windsurfing from the sandy beach is a popular sport (equipment can be hired)
- If beach sports are not necessarily your thing, outings to a large hotel with a swimming pool can be organised (please note that this can be difficult in the very hot summer months when hotel pools are busy)
- Indulge in hammam and beauty treatments - Dar Liouba is happy to sort out a spa visit
- Go shopping at the souks (markets): friendlier, cheaper and often better quality than in Marrakech, especially for wooden furniture and carvings
- Listen to traditional Moroccan music in the lounge and relax with a soothing mint tea on one of the roomy sofas
- Sip cocktails and enjoy a sunset view on the spacious terrace
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Horse riding
- Shopping / markets
- Surfing
- Windsurfing
Kids
Children over the age of 2 are welcome - extra beds are available, but there is a maximum of 1 extra bed per room so for 2 or more children a separate room should be booked for them.
Family friendly accommodation:
Extra Beds Available
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
Dar Liouba is in the medina (old town) of Essaouira, on Morocco's Atlantic Coast.
By Air
If you're combining Essaouira with other parts of Morocco, it's easiest to fly into Marrakech or Agadir. Agadir is served principally by charters. Both Marrakech and Agadir are 2+ hours' drive (about 175km); you can either hire a car, book a taxi (from 600DH) or take a bus (see below). There are also some flights to Essaouira. Click on the links below for details.
By Bus from Marrakech
There are regular buses as well as a constant stream of grand taxis ploughing the route between Marrakech and Essaouira. We'd advise taking the Supratours bus from outside the train station in Gueliz. These are fast (2.5-3 hrs) and air-conditioned, but less frequent (only 2/day, currently at 11am and 7pm).
By Car
You won't need a car to get around Essaouira itself but if you want to hire one to drive there from Marrakech see our car rental recommendations. Dar Liouba is about 200 metres from a parking area – someone from the house will meet you, just call when you are about to arrive.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.
More on getting to Morocco and getting around
Airports:
- Marrakech Menara 175.0 km RAK
- Essaouira 20.0 km ESU
Other:
- Beach 0.2 km
- Shops 0.1 km
- Restaurant 0.1 km