Riad Amely

The rooftop photos and ratings online gave us expectations that our stay at Riad Amely didn’t come close to meeting. We paid little, but the discomfort and frustration weren’t worth it. If you’re considering booking, be aware that the listing may not reflect what you find in person. The first room we were shown was supposed to be a family room, but it was dirty and in poor repair. Plaster was coming off the walls, the toilet and shower tray were unclean, the shower holder was broken, and the sink tap was loose. We pointed out that it looked nothing like the advertised pictures. Staff said there was no other family room and wouldn’t offer a refund or cancellation. After a heated discussion, they offered a smaller room for extra money. As a family of four, we couldn’t fit, so they eventually agreed to move two single beds into it. The second room was a little better, but the air conditioning barely worked. Even set to 16 degrees, it only blew like a fan and the room stayed at an unbearable 30-32 degrees. We couldn’t sleep, and staff insisted the unit was fine. There was also a nauseating rotten-drain smell from the bathroom. The owner was unwilling to discuss a refund or cancellation. The Booking.com listing advertises a pool, but there isn’t one. The only pool we encountered was the shower tray filling with water when its drain blocked. The first room was unhygienic and badly maintained, and the next one still had problems. I also question the positive ratings: quite a few seem to come from profiles with little review history and describe a standard of quality and service we didn’t see. Our experience, along with reports on Google, makes those glowing accounts seem misleading. There was nothing at the riad to match their descriptions. The online presentation reminded me of ordering a new car and being handed a broken bicycle. That kind of listing is unfair to guests and reflects badly on the booking sites. It might be better to pay a little more elsewhere for a comfortable, dependable stay.

The photos on Booking were nowhere near what we found. The riad was filthy, with damp-damaged walls, plugs coming loose, and a terrible sewage smell in the rooms. We noticed it as soon as we arrived and asked to switch rooms. The one they showed us upstairs was even worse: flies all over the curtains and wall, the same awful bathroom smell, stained dirty sheets, and filthy pillows without cases. At 11:30 pm, traveling with our 11-year-old, we decided to book somewhere else and leave. The owner refused to refund us. The area also didn’t feel safe to us, with groups of young kids riding around on motorcycles. I’ve never experienced anything like this. Please don’t go there, it’s a scam.

Muhammad was a lovely host and gave exceptional customer service. It’s very close to the Old Town, and it’s a good option if you want somewhere cheap and comfortable.

We stayed one night before heading home, and the young man working there was polite and tried to sort things out. He’s the only reason I’m giving two stars instead of one. The booking photos and description bore little relation to the actual place. Parking mattered to us because we had a rental car and an early flight, but you can’t drive to the riad through the narrow alleys. Google Maps showed the nearest parking 850 m away on foot, and the closest restaurant was 1.3 km away. The neighborhood felt like a ghetto to me. I’d be uncomfortable with my wife walking there alone, even in daylight. We soon understood why there wasn’t a restaurant nearby. At first the riad looked okay, though nothing like the paradise in the photos, and it clearly needed maintenance. Our room seemed clean, so I can’t say it was dirty. But after feeling misled about parking, we found there were no towels, blanket covers, or pillowcases. We spent about an hour trying to explain why that wasn’t acceptable. They acted as if it was normal. After we communicated through Google Translate and called the owner, the young man eventually made up the bed my wife and son used. I slept without bedding. The bathroom drain smell was there too, though that bothered me less. We’re not fussy and have stayed in both expensive and cheap places. We chose this one because it was advertised with nearby parking and looked nice and clean, and we wanted a good night’s sleep before flying. Instead it cost more, was noisier, and had worse parking than another riad we stayed at earlier in Marakesh. The lack of bedding was unacceptable. To me, this was a scam.