What are the following like in Morocco...?

Riads are two storey houses with courtyards in the middle. As stated above they have been rich peoples houses and are now turned into small private hotels. Most cater for all meals and some offer extras like Moroccan cooking classes. They are not cheap and are often run by foreigners, not Moroccans. Usually you book the whole riad, so they are reasonably private. However, there are staff there most of the time, cleaning, cooking and watching security.

Hostels are cheap. Some are excellent, others you would want to give a miss.

They offer no meals. There is shared bathrooms and often shared sleeping accommodation, five to a room is not unusual in the big cities. Because of this they are not secure or private.

That said, some hostels actually have private rooms with showers. It depends on what city etc.

Guesthouses are as described above. Often run by foreigners.You have your privacy in your rooms but you eat with your host.

Remember,any country can be unsafe if you are not careful. Secure your money carefully at all times, along with passports and travel documents. This is a wonderful country..come and enjoy!!

Holiday apartments might be the best for you. Go online.

For a riad, see http://www.marocdreamer.com/ or http://www.riaddreamer.com/

You have all three types of accommodation you mentioned in a thousand shapes and sorts. But in very short:

- A riad is a typical moroccan mansion for a family in the medina. Nowadays many of them have been turned into guesthouses.

- A guesthouse is a hostel in which you are guest of a the family or owner who also lives there. It typically comes with breakfast.

- A hostel is a cheap hotel type, not coming with any further services such as breakfast. You have a room and bathroom and that's it.

you got two good answers already.

just want to add, you might run into something call Dar. it is similar to a Riad. by definition, a Riad should have a courtyard, but a Dar has not. by the way, some hotels / hostels are also conveniently calling themselves Riads but it is a hotel / hostel in all aspects.

one remark is, since a riad is converted from previous houses of rich families, some of them are not in convenient locations. you might need help for pick up on arrival, or getting back after your daytime activities if they are too difficult to find.

I stayed ( 10 years ago) in a hotel, can't remember the name ( where Elizabeth Taylor had

her birthday party at her 40;s) the hotel was big, the rooms outstanding,

the view absolutely breath taken,

but although the bathtub was all beautiful with tile,etc, had not enough water.

( I felt like a tourist from the James Stewart and Doris Day's movie!)