Dar Blues

Our 16-day Morocco tour was enjoyable, but Dar Blues was the one disappointment. We arrived late and I was given a windowless room by the entrance. Its bathroom had only a small side window facing the entrance, so there was no privacy. We’d booked six months ahead through a good tour operator, with upgraded accommodation, but the owner said they had overbooked. A decent room isn’t guaranteed, so be aware. The dining area is stylish and looks good in photos, though it isn’t very practical. Getting there at night meant driving along a dark gravel road that felt scary. A creek runs beside the house and sounds lovely, but there’s no view. At breakfast we asked three times for two eggs and were given one each. We eventually gave up.

We stayed in December 2025 and the room was warm, with the radiators working. The beds were comfortable, the shower was hot, and the dining room was nice. Good location too. The food was good, though a bit overpriced.

The building has plenty of character, from its old-style decor and winding stairs to the top-floor room with its traditional wooden ceiling and comfortable bed. The two staff members who spoke with us the next morning also listened and apologized, and a helpful woman assisted at checkout. They gave us water, dates, and almonds as an apology. Their effort is the only reason I’m giving three stars. The property looks beautiful, but that doesn’t make up for the poor hospitality. We won’t return. We booked this as the middle of three options from our luxury operator, Morocco Fabulous Tours. The arrival was already awkward: after leaving the main road, the hotel is reached by a rough, unpaved 500m track in a remote area. We had to knock for a while before anyone let us in. The greeting was cool, and we only learned there was a welcome drink after asking for tea. The hotel and room were cold, as if they were saving on energy by not heating rooms before guests arrived. There was no hot water until we went downstairs to ask them to switch it on, and the shower drained very badly. Indoor slippers and working heat should be a given in those conditions. The pool was unheated and pointless. Dinner was the worst part. It only starts at 8 pm, with no flexibility. The soup and starter were okay, though service was slow. We’d told them in advance we were vegetarian, but the main course was inedible: boiled vegetables, mostly spinach, with broccoli, fennel, and local vegetables in an extremely salty, watery mushroom sauce. The server, a bald gentleman in white clothes, was cold and showed no hospitality. When we complained, he acted shocked and offered no fix. He later hid behind “I don’t speak English,” though at other times he seemed to understand us perfectly. We weren’t offered bread at first and had to ask. It came with the main course and at least gave us something else to eat. Service dragged on; after asking three times, our dessert still never came. The electricity then went out for a good 1.5 hours. Fed up with the staff’s blasé attitude and dinner taking nearly two hours, we went back to our room in the dark rather than wait for dessert. A heater we’d requested never arrived, so we used our own power banks to charge our phones and their flashlights for light. After we complained to our tour operator, the mood seemed different at breakfast the next morning. We first sat for ten minutes before anyone offered us anything. Then two other staff members, one seemingly senior, apologized and listened, though they also made excuses about the power cut and said the food was cooked fresh, as if other restaurants serve frozen meals reheated in a microwave. The bald gentleman from the night before ignored us at first. When he finally apologized, it felt empty and rushed. He too blamed the power cut, even though the bad service and inedible food came long before the lights went out. If they can’t manage vegetarian fine dining, they’d be better off serving good local dishes and leaving the salt on the table. Not everyone wants a two-hour dinner with separately paid alcohol that somehow makes them overlook the problems. Guests expect to be treated like guests; if they aren’t happy, they won’t come back. We certainly won’t.

The stream nearby and birdsong made the place feel like a quiet little sanctuary. The staff were warm and attentive, and the food was outstanding, the best meal I had during my time in Morocco. The whole hotel is beautifully designed, with carefully chosen art and unusual decor throughout. It was an unexpected gem, and I only wish we’d stayed longer. Thanks to Sahara Desert Kingdom for including it in your tours!