Villa Atika Maison d'hôtes & SPA

The cats were adorable, though they climbed onto the dining table and stole food. We had members of our group with cat allergies, so we should have been told about them beforehand. The villa is lovely, but it needs some maintenance too. Door handles came off in people's hands, leaving them locked in their rooms until someone heard them and let them out. The staff were kind and did as much as they could, but the owners' poor preparation and lack of communication let everyone down. We had water and electricity problems during our stay. They weren't the staff's fault, and the issues were dealt with reasonably promptly, but there was no offer of compensation. In fact, we couldn't shower for 24 hours. We had raised our requests and concerns well in advance, so blaming Ramadan doesn't really explain it. The listing said breakfast was free, but we were charged for it anyway. We were told the online listing was a mistake, yet it's still there. We were also told we couldn't bring our own soft drinks and could pay extra for wine and beer. There weren't enough drinks, the selection was limited, and we were charged the full amount at a higher price than discussed. The food itself was good, but because of poor communication, we didn't get what we'd requested. We also had to challenge discrepancies in the bill, and the owner was impolite and threatening when we did. There are plenty of nice villas like this in Marrakech. I'd book somewhere else, with people who communicate clearly and provide what's advertised at the stated prices. The images attached show what we actually received, disputing the owner's reply: one bottle of white wine, a third of a bottle of leftover rosé, and a few bottles of red for a party of 16, described as “unlimited” wine.

We were a group of 16 women, including one who was heavily pregnant, trying to get to the airport, and the owner's behavior at checkout was frightening. After we'd paid what we had agreed to pay, he ran to the hotel's high mechanical gates and shouted for them to be closed. He threatened to call the police if we didn't pay more and said we could use a card, but then claimed the card machine didn't work. He refused a bank transfer, said he'd follow us into town to get the money, and demanded cash in euros even though we didn't have it. We were scared we'd miss our flight, so we scraped together enough dirhams to leave. The extra demand came to €200. We had booked the whole property on Vrbo, where breakfast was advertised as free. A Google search that day showed Airbnb also advertising free breakfast, and we had emails confirming the same. At checkout the owner still charged us for breakfast. Before arriving, Villa Atika had offered a drinks package by email: 15 euros per person for unlimited soft drinks for the whole stay, with some beer and wine included. The email said we'd pay for meals and the drinks package in cash when checking out. Instead, the owner demanded 15 euros per person per day for drinks, saying his business partner had agreed to the package, not him. We showed him the booking and email, and explained we hadn't budgeted for the extra charge. The hotel is miles from an ATM, at the end of a dirt track in a very rural area. For 19 hours of our two-night stay, there was no running water at all. We couldn't shower, had to flush toilets with jugs of pool water, and staff washed dishes with pool water. The electricity also cut out off and on during the first night. The owner blamed the water problem on a storm and said it wasn't his fault. Other places in Marrakech were working during the storm. He offered just €10 off despite what we'd gone through. It was a horrible experience, with the male owner threatening and intimidating a group of women. The property was poorly maintained too: when I checked in, the door handle came off in my hand and I got locked in my room. The owner also seemed to treat his staff badly. Please avoid this place.

The villa was beautiful, and most of the staff were helpful, which makes this review a shame to write. But the poor communication and the owner's threatening behavior toward our group mean I can't recommend staying here. For a relaxing holiday where you're treated with respect, go somewhere else.

We stayed here with friends in a warm, peaceful setting, and it would also be a lovely spot for a family trip or birthday. Amine and Sandra were kind, attentive hosts who went out of their way to make things right. The rooms were spotless and comfortable, and the outdoor areas, especially the pool, were beautiful and relaxing. A superb riad we'd love to return to.