Palais Dar Si Aissa

Othmane deserves a special mention. He went out of his way to sort out every problem, and I think he’ll go far. By the end, with help from the riad staff, most of our issues had been addressed, which changed how I felt about the stay. I’d give Riad Dar Si Aissa four stars: there were too many difficulties for five, but it didn’t deserve the one star I was considering at first. My wife, daughter, and I stayed five nights over New Year’s Eve. We had a very large traditional Moroccan suite, with a double bed and a small bed for our daughter at the far end. The heating was unpredictable: hot air came from just two vents beside the double bed, leaving the rest of the 80-square-metre room cold. The spacious bathroom had a tub, shower, toilet, and bidet, but it was freezing. The beautiful breakfast area, a tall interior space with a sunroof, was also unheated and cold. The lounge sofas were down about five steps from the rest of the suite and too cold to use. The large windows looked into an interior room and stayed behind heavy drapes, so there weren’t any truly usable windows, though I think that’s common in traditional riads. They turned the heating up during the day to warm the bathroom, and we turned it down again at bedtime. They also installed a WiFi extender to improve coverage across the suite. The lingering disappointment was having breakfast in the cold. I suspect plenty of guests dealt with that by eating in their rooms. Our booking included the room, breakfast, and New Year’s Eve dinner. We were told the planned dinner at the riad wouldn’t happen and that we’d instead spend the evening at another hotel. We were a little anxious about getting back late with a morning flight, but it all went smoothly. The evening was well organised, with courses and breaks to dance and chat with other guests, and the timing took us to just a few minutes before midnight without dead time.

We chose this hotel for the rooftop terrace shown in the pictures, but the images didn’t match what we found at all. The rooftop photos seemed fake, and whoever edited them really knows Photoshop. The hotel itself is old and badly needs a remodel. The staff tried to be nice, but we felt lied to throughout the stay. I’d never return. It was my first time in Marrakech, and the experience left a bitter aftertaste.

After a single night at Dar Si Aissa, items went missing from our room following a staff visit to clean it. My friend and I had prepaid for three nights. We reported what happened to management right away; they acknowledged fault and promised a full refund. We left that morning, but the money never came back. There was only silence and lies. It was stressful and violating, and the way it was handled showed no basic honesty or professionalism. Don’t stay here. You risk your belongings, peace of mind, and money.

My husband paid in full for three nights, but left after the first when hotel staff entered his room and stole from him. Management admitted fault and said they’d give him a full refund if he checked out immediately. He did, and never got any money back. There was no follow-up, apology, or accountability. It was one of the most stressful travel experiences he’s ever had. Stay far away. This hotel is unsafe and dishonest, so don’t let it happen to you.