Riad Direct

Updated 6 November 2026

Website for a riad: direct booking, WhatsApp and Google Business Profile

A concrete checklist for the owner of a Moroccan riad or guesthouse who wants direct enquiries without relying only on OTAs. This page is not a traveller guide. No invented numbers: just steps, and rules read on the official pages cited at the bottom.

1. A site that answers the traveller’s 4 questions

2. Booking engine: in your name, embedded in the site

The showcase site and the booking engine are two separate things. Keep (or choose) an engine whose subscription is in the riad’s name — you keep the guest data and the calendar — and embed it in the site. At Riad Direct the €290 site is a 4–6 page starter built from your text and photos; live engine integration is quoted separately. The site does not replace the engine.

Three tools owners often mix up (we do not sell any of this software):

Pick the simplest stack that covers your case; a direct site does not force you to buy a full hotel software suite.

2b. Useful design (not a moodboard)

Searches for “riad website design Morocco” mostly return Pinterest and Behance. For an owner, useful design is more prosaic:

A “luxury look” without a working book button is still a brochure.

3. The WhatsApp button

A wa.me link followed by the number in international format (no “+” or leading zeros) opens the chat directly, with an optional prefilled message. Shape of the link:

https://wa.me/212XXXXXXXXX?text=Hello%2C%20I%20would%20like%20to%20book

Replace 212XXXXXXXXX with your number. Put it in the mobile header and under every room. Answering fast matters more than the button design.

4. Google Business Profile: claim your listing

Most riads already have a Google listing (created by guests). Claim and verify it instead of creating a second one. Rules taken from Google’s guidelines (read 5 November 2026):

5. Structured data (schema.org)

A JSON-LD block helps Google understand the page. Template to adapt with your real details (nothing invented: no reviews or rating unless they are on the page):

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BedAndBreakfast",
  "name": "Riad [YOUR REAL NAME]",
  "url": "https://[your-site]/",
  "telephone": "+212…",
  "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "…", "addressLocality": "Marrakech", "addressCountry": "MA" },
  "sameAs": ["https://www.google.com/maps/place/…", "https://www.instagram.com/…"]
}

6. Free directories that link to your own site

Terms read on 5 November 2026 — they can change, so check each page before signing up:

These directories don’t replace your site; they send it enquiries. Watch out mostly for marketplaces that take a commission.

7. What to check in your OTA contract

Before showing a direct rate lower than the OTA rate, reread the parity and pricing clauses of each contract: they depend on you and the platform, not on a general rule we could cite here.

If you want us to do it

The €49 booking-path check is a human review of the public booking journey, with a one-page prioritized fix list. Target timing: within 48 working hours after required materials arrive. The €290 site is a 4–6 page starter built from your text and photos (WhatsApp, Maps, basic schema.org). Engine integration and translation are quoted separately. Confirm the schedule before ordering.

Take the next step

Run your own numbers from your contract, then choose.

Free calculator Booking-path check — €49 4–6 page starter site — €290 Care — €19/mo

Payment via Stripe, in euros. We sometimes contact riads with one business email; reply STOP and we won't contact you again.

Sources (pages read on 5–6 November 2026)

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