Palais Ronsard

The worst part of our stay was lunch. We ordered Gnocchi and Linguine alle Vongole, but the service forgot my Gnocchi, and my girlfriend became violently ill within two hours of eating the Linguine. Her condition was so severe that we had to call a medical professional to our room. Management showed no concern afterward, with no follow-up, inquiry or empathy. We paid the medical assistance costs ourselves. They even offered implausible explanations, including that she might have swallowed pool water. At checkout, the Linguine alle Vongole was still on the bill. It took a lengthy discussion before someone contacted management, who refused to speak with us directly. After more back and forth, the meal was removed. We’d planned to celebrate my girlfriend’s birthday. We had ordered a cake in advance and received written confirmation from the hotel, then ordered champagne to enjoy in our room. The cake never came. After we asked twice at the front desk, a small cake from a pastry shop finally arrived at midnight. It was a meaningful occasion, and the lack of attention was deeply disappointing. At the pool the next day, we ordered two beers. The waiter left them in the sun instead of putting them in the ice bucket on our table, so they were warm when we picked them up. It may sound minor, but it fit the careless, lazy service we experienced throughout. The hotel is undeniably beautiful, but its service and management fell far below what we expected from a Relais & Châteaux property. I agree with other reviewers who have criticized the management. Their lack of professionalism, accountability and care for guests is unacceptable. We won’t return and can’t recommend it to anyone expecting basic care, service or responsibility.

We left the New Year’s Eve gala dinner at Palais Ronsard feeling humiliated, disrespected and deeply disappointed. We’d expected a refined, respectful evening, but it was one of the most uncomfortable dining experiences we’ve had at a luxury property. One of us had clearly said they were vegetarian, yet non-vegetarian food was served to them. When we politely pointed this out, a hostess raised her voice and screamed at us, apparently mistaking us for another table. She didn’t try to check calmly what had happened first. Several staff members then came over repeatedly, drawing attention to us and making an already embarrassing situation worse. Nobody stopped to understand what had gone wrong or how humiliating it was in public. Karima Sahraoui and other senior staff came to the table while we were still visibly upset. Rather than listen or show empathy, they mainly defended the hostess, repeatedly saying she was “not rude” and calling it a “misunderstanding.” There was no real effort to understand, no accountability and no sincere apology. Serving food against a guest’s dietary requirements is serious; speaking aggressively and then publicly invalidating their experience made it worse. Luxury hospitality should include grace, discretion and empathy, especially when something goes wrong. Palais Ronsard failed on all of that this night, and this wasn’t the standard we expected from a Relais & Châteaux property.

We paid for the impressive decor, but the hotel was very poor value for money. The service was kind, though incompetent. It’s 10 km from the medina, so we were far from everything. Breakfast ended at 10:30, which felt ridiculous, and the protein choices were limited. The homemade yogurt portion was tiny, about the size of a thimble.

It’s very expensive, and we found the staff extremely rude. We politely explained that we couldn’t eat a particular food, and they started yelling at us out of nowhere. The staff member came back to “explain” instead of apologizing, then yelled AGAIN and said I hadn’t been crying at the time, even though she’d already made me tear up. It was as if that meant my husband was lying when he complained. Then a third person came over during the same dinner, again without an apology, just to say it was a misunderstanding and imply it was our fault. Afterward I checked the Tripadvisor reviews and realized this seems to be a common experience. Whatever you do, do NOT stay at the Palais Ronsard. Stay away!!!!