Dar Tin Jaa

I’ve stayed in two of the rooms here, and both times were fabulous. The terrace is my favorite, with a magnificent view over the Medina. The bed was super comfortable, everything was clean, and the location is right in the heart of the medina with lots of restaurants nearby. Highly recommend!

This is a family-run place, and the Moroccan hospitality really stands out. I stayed in the top room, which had a nice view and a balcony all to myself. It’s right in the heart of Tangiers’ old town, beautifully and artistically decorated, and great value for the location and service.

I loved the breakfast, and the staff were wonderful. The place is beautifully decorated too.

The location looked better on Booking.com than it did in person. The one real plus was the size of our room’s sitting area. The bedroom was cramped, with awkward access on both sides of the bed, and the bathroom was tight too. It had no proper door, only a fabric curtain. The woman who let us into Dar Tinjaa, whom I’ll call “M”, was a domestic helper and didn’t speak French, English, or Spanish. The language barrier made basic communication tedious, even with Google Translate. Eventually she suggested calling the owner, and I was able to speak with someone at length. To be fair, the owner did give me the information I needed about traveling to Chefchaouen after Tangier. Our room was on the third floor, reached by steep steps. You really need to be in good health, especially going down. One misstep could ruin a vacation. M pointed up the last flight, saying “terrace! terrace!” We were excited to see it. The view was wonderful, but the terrace had become a laundry area. A woman was ironing in a small enclosed room, cushions were piled on a table, and a laundry rack was open. It looked nothing like the inviting seating area with colorful cushions shown in the Booking.com photos of Dar Tinja. After M went downstairs, we wanted water. I tried the intercom several times and got no answer. There wasn’t even a glass in the room. At this price, complimentary water seems like a small, thoughtful touch. I later learned from the household staff that the owner manages a larger property with 10 rooms and no longer comes to this one, which has only 3. I had hoped to talk face to face with the owner and ask for advice. Reading other Booking.com reviews, I’d expected good service, so this was a real disappointment. Breakfast was included: assorted bread, fresh orange juice, jam, cheese spread, and hard-boiled eggs. On the second day, bottled water and fruit with cream appeared, though neither had been served on the first morning. The service felt inconsistent. The terrace’s neglected state, a star-shaped table with the bottom parts of two legs missing, and overstuffed, hard pillows all added to the impression that this property isn’t a priority for the owner. I learned to keep expectations low to avoid disappointment, though I wasn’t asking for anything extraordinary. At 100 USD a night, it didn’t feel like good value. Service needs a major improvement. Small details and care don’t cost much, but they matter, especially when the terrace has been turned into a laundry area.