Gem Riad

The Gem Riad made our holiday especially memorable. It’s an easy walk to the souks and tourist sights, and inside everything was beautiful, spotless, and seemed carefully thought through. The staff were so warm and welcoming that we felt right at home. We had a wonderful stay and couldn’t recommend the Gem Riad more highly.

The staff were the highlight for me. Everyone had a genuinely warm manner and seemed to enjoy making guests happy. They remembered my name and how I take my coffee, the best customer service I’ve ever experienced. Congratulations, and keep it up. The house is beautiful, the rooms clean and comfortable, and the terrace has nice views. Breakfast was the best I had at any Moroccan bed and breakfast.

Breakfast was good, and sitting out on the terrace made it especially enjoyable. The host was extremely attentive and lovely, with hospitality and attention to detail that were second to none. The location is very good, and paying by card is possible, which isn’t very common in Morocco. At times, I could hear other guests walking or talking outside my room. That seemed more down to the other guests than the accommodation itself.

The Riad is pretty, the service is great, breakfast is delicious, and the location is good and quiet. Still, the nightly rate feels too high to me. I’ve stayed at other Riads just as good for half the price. I heard staff offering “exclusive” upgrades to other guests, though they still say it was only done for us, and many reviews seem to describe the same offer. They also push guests to give them a 10 everywhere. That makes me more inclined to believe reports of reservation problems, like guests being moved to Gem Riad 2 while it was still under construction, or having Booking.com reservations cancelled so they can’t review the property. My impression is that they may overbook and choose which guests to treat well, getting glowing reviews from some and silencing others. There’s definitely something weird going on.