The Repose

What People are saying

Awesome Riad with 5 Star Dining

jjeadie on 19/11/2017 06:03

This is our first stop on our 14 day tour of Morocco and what a great start. The riad is bright and colorful - all the decor is beautiful and exceptionally maintained. A true home away from home. The meals and treats are very tasty, well prepared, and 5 Star quality with great portions and presentation. This’ll be the highlight of any visit to the Rabat-Salé area.

Lovely Little Authentic Riad

GlobetrotterTH on 04/11/2017 23:18

We had an amazing stay with Jan and her girls, very helpful and accommodating. We felt at home and loved the very authentic decor in the Arabian suite, which was beautiful. The hotel organised our transport from the airport, which was very helpful. The location is right in the heart of Sale Medina. You will get to experience a non-tourist part of Morocco but still easy to get to Rabat. Breakfast was delicious and freshy prepared daily by the very talented Soukina (Apologies if not spelt correctly!), we even had dinner one night consisting of a 7 course vegetarian feast! In short I would recommend to anyone who wants to experience the essence of Morocco. Keep up the amazing work!

Beautiful

Giannis T on 01/11/2017 23:04

You feel that you are in your house..Or the house you would dream to leave in your life...Very good facilities...Clever design ...Amazing hospitality...One word to describe..Beautiful..Giannis and Panos from Greece..

Amazing Hotel and Amazing place to eat!

yellingfore on 01/11/2017 21:32

This was my second stay here and again was only here for an evening prior to an early morning flight. Again they met every expectation - From food and drink upon our arrival, to a tour of the riad. The driver coming at 4:45 in the morning was no problem and completely on time. It was an amazing place to stay but it was the food that exceeded expectations on this visit -

The food was simply amazing. Differed so much from traditional moroccan food, yet kept the moroccan vibe all the same. It was vegitarian, and my parents were raving about it. The pate will make me come back to dine again!

A Moroccan idyll with a British twist

KoalaKeith on 18/10/2017 02:17

Where to start? So much to say!

Not far from Rabat airport, where the ever helpful Aziz was there to pick me up.
Great welcome with traditional Moroccan biscuits at the Riad.

The Repose has a lovely, calm and quiet feel; very relaxing. The decor in the salon and other communal areas is traditional Moroccan, but shows a flair for a modern or possibly British twist here and there.

I stayed in the Mango suite to start with, which is beautiful. Decorated mainly in white, the Mango soft furnishings provide wonderful accents. The detail is incredible, from the wooden housing lowering the impact of having a fridge/mini bar, espresso machine (pay per capsule) remote controlled air con, to the traditional ornate bathroom door.
An ornate stained glass window looks out toward the balcony and central light well.
There are steps up to the bathroom, with its gorgeous terracotta and white floor tiles, and there are a couple of steps down to the shower. A window opens to the street if you require.

I spent a little time in the Arabian suite, with its Bold colours and contrasting furnishings. Everywhere you look there's another impressive touch.
Many windows open to the balcony and central light well. The mod cons mentioned for the Mango suite are repeated here and in each of the other suites. The colour themes here are purples, reds and pinks, with a very sumptuous feel.
The bathroom this time has what I would describe as a 'sleigh' bath/shower with a seat/step either end. The sink is brass.
There's a stained glass window that opens from the bathroom to the street below if you choose.

I took the liberty of looking at the other two suites once guests had checked out! The African has a lovely 'earthy' feel to it, with animal pelts on the floor and some lovely touches; my favourites being the fantastic lighting and the amazingly simple but effective bedhead!
The Chef Choauen suite is themed after the village it takes it's name from, where the colour themes are shades of blue. This suite is a masterpiece; from the calming blue, up the steps and through the ornate, traditionally painted door, to the truly amazing space that is the bathroom. The sink area is highly decorated, and the sink bowl is a work of art!

Sale town and beach are each an easy walk from the Riad. Rabat is accessible by taxi, water taxi across the estuary, or via the ultra modern tram which had me scratching my head with how out of place it seems in this ancient area. Very efficient, and would not seem out of place in France, Germany or even Japan.

I was wary of being hassled in the medinas and had deliberately planned my trip to avoid Marrakesh, Algiers, Fez and Casablanca, knowing these would not suit me. The Sale/Rabat areas gave me enough variety to explore the culture with no hassle over a week.
I recommend the efficient tram, but have a massive soft spot for the far more traditional and romantic ideal of the water taxi, where you are rowed across the estuary.
The Hammam across the street from the Riad is an experience: Lay there while scrubbed all over, then relax with a stretch and massage. It's very hot in there!
Outside the city walls there's often a group of youths who congregate to play their drums under the flyover; the acoustics are amazing and so are their skills; I sought them out one night and watched a while.
Westerners wanting to take snapshots of scenes, food items etc, take note that the locals find it rude to be in shot unless their permission is asked. This can be a source of frustration when you see a photo opportunity, as asking permission either sees them move to one side so you photograph the stall only, or they now pose rather than going about their business.

I was perfectly at ease wandering around on my own at night, and never once felt threatened by anyone.

Assilah is a 2.5 hour taxi ride away, but well worth a visit. It is famous for it's annual change of street murals on the houses, and there are some amazing sights.
There is a fantastic fish restaurant; not pretty, but excellent food and lots of it, that Jan recommended.

Just by the water taxi 'rank' on the Rabat side, is moored 'Le dhow'; an authentic dhow ordered by the French owner direct from Calcutta, and operating as a bar, cafe, and fine dining restaurant. This is a vast area and is worth exploring.

When you return to the Riad the roof terrace with Sheila the resident tortoise, is the place to relax, with umpteen combinations for seating. The area has a very luxurious feel; from the soft furnishings on the benches, the terracotta and black tiles, the architectural plants, to the ornately carved render that runs around the perimeter wall.

The food here is amazing too. All vegetarian (I'm not!) but all very tasty, and catering for the largest of appetites; with so many courses you don't need large portions.
At breakfast you are well catered for; I defy anyone to be able to demolish everything!
The first morning I tried and failed to eat all I could (far more than normal) but learned that leftovers were donated to those less fortunate on the streets, so from then on I was happy to stop once full, in the knowledge that someone deserving would benefit.

Jan is a British, multilingual host that you may mistake for a local at first. Her local knowledge, helpful nature and attention to detail are second to none. The staff have limited English but are very helpful and try their best to help if there are any queries. Jan is always on hand should an alternative language be needed.

I can't recommend The Repose enough. I was dubious about whether I would enjoy Morocco, but I did enjoy this area and would certainly visit The Repose again.

By the way, there's a very interesting book in the Salon area titled 'In The Beginning'. This details in pictures, the transformation from multiple dwellings, to what seemed a pile of rubble; moving almost every wall that could be moved, to the amazing space it has become. Definitely worth a look.