An extraordinary townhouse in Essaouira’s enchanting medina

I could wax lyrical about how lovely Dar Ronde is for 1,000 words but will try to keep it brief. The Riad is fantastic. The décor is subtly simple, so comfortable and beautiful. I would say a home away from home, but my house doesn’t come close. Every floor is gorgeous. And the roof terrace is amazing at sunset when the starlings, sparrows and gulls sweep over the medina.

Dar Ronde is serene and tranquil; a great place to relax after a day strolling around the town or quad biking on the beach. It was lovely to sit in the Riad, enjoying a home cooked meal and relaxing in front of the fire. There’s also the sauna to enjoy and up the pamper levels even more.

Then there’s Youssef. What can I say! He’s so funny and delightful. He was an attentive host, took such good care of us. The meal on arrival was so delicious that we asked him to cook for us again. His food is stunning. I’ve never seen a piece of monk fish that big. Nothing was too much trouble for him. Freshly squeezed orange juice and warm from the oven buns for breakfast; does it get any better.

Dar Ronde is great value for money. I can’t wait to go back.

Firstly I must say a huge thank you to your wonderful housekeeping staff,Kamar and Youssef who both did so much to make us feel extremely welcome and comfortable. Youssef in particular was an absolute joy.

His infectious laugh and his enthusiasm for everything made us smile.Nothing was too much trouble and each day he left the house spotless, cleaning each room before he left (though I think the girls' bedroom had him beaten - imagine the paraphernalia that two teenage girls take away with them - hair straighteners, make up, endless pairs of shoes and enough clothes between them for a month) In the end, quite rightly, he just cleaned their bathroom then made a hasty retreat!!

The meal he cooked on the first night was superb and arriving to a cosy log fire and the delicious smell of cooking was just so welcoming.

During our week in Essaouira we did not venture far from your beautiful Riadh as we felt so comfortable and at home there - it really did feel like our own personal oasis. Each room has been so beautifully decorated. We loved snuggling down in the TV room of an evening, listening to the passers-by and the young footballers in the alley outside.

We made good use of the roof top terrace which is a fantastic little sun trap and far better than the beach which although very pretty is, as all the guidebooks warn, very windy.

Also, can I thank you for helping to answer all my daft questions prior to the holiday - your various emails put my mind at ease and everything - including the taxi transfers - went like clockwork. Your helpfulness throughout has been fantastic.

In all, Morocco and in particular Essaouira exceeded our expectations - the people, as you said, are so warm and friendly and have such a wonderful sense of humour. Your beautiful home was everything we could have hoped for and more.

A lovely traditional house in the centre of Essaouira, tucked away among the hustle and bustle of the medina and its winding alleys. We had a lovely warm welcome from Kamar and Yusef, who looked after us brilliantly while giving us the space to explore on our own. Yusef's cooking was delicious and very good value, as were the restaurants we visited too (particularly 'Le Patio' and 'Al Farachah'). We really missed our hosts when we moved on to our next destination!

The house was spacious and comfortable, we particularly enjoyed the sunny roof terrace, listening to the sounds of the medina down below. Essauoira itself is a place to visit for a relaxing break and good food. During our visit in November, the wind had dropped and it wasn't as windy as we expected. We had a lovely time!