Dear Lisa, thank you very much for our great stay in your beautyful riad. Everything was organized perdectly, many thanks to Fatima and Rachid, who both did a great job with cooking delicious morocan food and with a perfect housekeeping. We had a very relaxed time (not so dificult in this very special designed ambiance :) )We enjoyed everything: house, sun, wind, ocean, people, food, shops, atmosphere. We´ll come back, so long, anne

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 :)

My wife and I came with two children and our au pair. This house made what would be a good holiday into a great vacation. The house is a cool renovation of a peroid Moroccan riad. Not wanting to sound clichéd but the historic elements have been blended superbly with modern European furniture. The first floor centres round a light filled balcony looking over the ground floor and a long wooden table. The lighting after dark is exquisite and the ambience enchanting. Their are two further floors centred around the patios with two further bedrooms Having tons of space to move around the kids loved playing at home. Also given that the rooms are over four floors the bedrooms on the upper levels have an element of separation and privacy too. The au pair loved that point and I would expect it to work equally well with couples or families with teenage kids who require a little more distance. The art work around the house was cool - I loved the hip prints and spent the first few days inspired to pinch some of the themes for my own home. The service was great too. We went over Ramadam and Lisa helped organise some beautiful bottles of wine for the house along with transfers and a plethora of recommendations of where to eat and visit. We also used on three occasions the dinner services organised by the house keeper. Tasty tajines with sides of salads and aubergine were brought round at an agreed time. It was half way between take away and a delivered banquet. Lisa (the owner) and Rachid (the house manager) are alway on call and the cleaner was there every day but was very discrete. The taxi firm which Lisa recommends was always punctilious and the owner speaks fluent English. Staying in Essouira is a really interesting with many great beaches and choosing this place highly recommended

An authentic, luxury house in a great part of the medina of Essaouira. All (double) rooms are beautifully decorated, clean and highly stylish down to the owner being an interior designer and you can certainly tell by the quality of decor and interesting pieces dotted around. There's plenty of space in this Riad with two sun terraces on the upper levels ensuring total privacy and tranquility. If your looking for a spacious, authentic yet modern Riad experience to share with friends and/or with family then 5 columns is the perfect choice.

You can warm your bones on the roof as is a great suntrap , The kitchen perfect for those who like to cook , Had no problem sleeping in the comfortable beds , Beautifully dressed with lovely pieces of art, I feel very at home there Recommend the Moroccan food cooked by Fatima

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, Rachid and Latifa 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.