Palais Dar Si Aissa ALL-SUITES

I need to mention Othmane, who kept going out of his way to fix the problems. He’ll go far. Over time, with help from the riad staff, most of the smaller issues were sorted out. They turned the heat up during the day so the bathroom warmed too, and we turned it down at bedtime. They also put in a WiFi extender to improve coverage throughout the suite. The hardest issue to fix was breakfast in the cold. The breakfast area was a beautiful, tall interior space with a sunroof, but had no heating. I think many guests solved that by having breakfast brought to their rooms. Our large lounge was also unusable, as it sat at least five steps below the rest of the suite and was freezing. The suite’s big windows faced an interior room and stayed shut behind heavy drapes, so there weren’t any truly usable windows. I gather that’s common in traditional riads. My wife, daughter and I spent five nights at Riad Dar Si Aissa, including New Year’s Eve. We had a very large traditional Moroccan suite with a double bed and a small bed for my daughter at the other end. It measured at least 80 square metres, but the heating was unpredictable: hot air came from just two vents beside the double bed, leaving the rest of the room cold. The spacious bathroom had a bathtub, shower, toilet and bidet, but was freezing, which a bathroom really shouldn’t be. We had room and breakfast included, as well as New Year’s Eve dinner. We were told the planned evening at the riad wouldn’t happen and that we’d instead go to another hotel. We worried about getting back too late, since we had a flight home in the morning, but it all went well. The evening was very well organised, with courses and breaks for dancing and chatting with other guests, and the timing brought us to a few minutes before midnight without any downtime. At the start I was ready to give one star, because there were so many things I disliked. In the end, I think the Riad deserves a solid four. The difficulties mean I can’t give it five, but the staff’s help changed my mind from the zero I might have given at first.

Our first trip to Marrakech left a bitter aftertaste. The hotel was old and badly in need of renovation. The staff tried to be friendly, but throughout our stay we felt they kept lying to us. We booked because the rooftop terrace looked beautiful in the photos, but the pictures were fake and didn’t match reality at all. Someone clearly knows their way around Photoshop. It was very disappointing, and I’d never return.

We prepaid for three nights at Dar Si Aissa, but left the morning after our first night when we found items missing from the room. Staff had asked if we wanted it cleaned that morning, and we said yes. My friend and I discovered the theft later that morning and went straight to management. They acknowledged what happened, admitted fault, and promised a full refund. We never got it, only silence and lies. It was an extremely stressful, violating experience, made worse by the complete lack of basic honesty or professionalism. Don’t stay here. You’re putting your belongings, peace of mind and money at risk.

My husband had one of the most stressful travel experiences he’s ever had. After paying in full for three nights, he discovered that hotel staff had entered his room and stolen from him, so he left after the first night. Management admitted fault and said they’d refund him in full if he checked out immediately. He did, but not a cent came back. There was no follow-up, apology or accountability. Stay far away. This hotel is unsafe and dishonest, and I wouldn’t want this to happen to anyone else.