Riad Kalaa

The location is good, but there were bed bugs. The hotel manager said not to worry, that all hotels in the Medina have bugs and it’s okay. We left at bedtime to find another hotel that was bug-free. If you have standards, this isn’t the hotel or motel for you.

We found the riad easily on Google Maps, and it was only about a five-minute walk from the parking area on the main road. The nearby local market was still lively after 9 pm and close enough to reach on foot. The staff were very polite, and our stay was comfortable.

We stayed at Riad Dar Dar, part of the same riad group, and went to Riad Kalaa for dinner twice during our four nights in Rabat. The courtyard made a lovely setting for the meals. We especially liked the Thai salad, which surprised us as Asians, and both the duck tagine and jarret de boeuf tagine were delicious. The food and service were wonderful. A good place to eat while visiting Rabat.

The riad itself is lovely, with plants and beautiful decor, and its spot in the medina near the beach is very convenient. But we left two days ago after seven nights feeling deeply disappointed. We have never felt so unwelcome, which seemed especially ironic in such a hospitable country. Most staff came across as though we were a nuisance. The last day, after checkout, we waited in the open area to work before our driver arrived and met Khalid, a much warmer and more helpful receptionist than the two women who had been there before him. We watched him carefully explain the riad to guests checking in and walk them to their rooms. A trainee whose name we didn't catch was also friendly and helpful, served us food a few times, and helped with our luggage when we left. Maybe we were just there on the wrong shifts. Communication was frustrating from the outset. WhatsApp messages went unanswered, and some email replies felt rude. There didn't seem to be a clear manager. Reception staff changed every few days and apparently didn't keep one another informed. We had to spend our first night in a smaller room because of availability, then move to a superior room. We arrived late and didn't expect much from the night watchman alone, but the next day we still had to ask about everything; nobody took charge. When it was time to switch rooms, they told us to leave the first one at checkout, even though it stayed empty afterward. That was easy to infer because doors to vacant rooms were left open. Once we got the new key, the receptionist just pointed to the stairs and offered no help with our bags or tour of the room. The new room's internet was extremely slow. At first the receptionist brushed us off, saying the same network covered the whole property and should work. We complained again, and two days later another colleague checked and saw it was barely working. She said they'd buy a new router, but nothing changed before we left. We needed internet for work, so we had to spend the day in the hot common areas. We also had repeated trouble getting served at the restaurant, since no one explained its hours and the closing time seemed to vary. At 21:27 one evening we were turned away because, we were told, the kitchen closed at 21:30, although the room booklet said dinner ran until 22:00. Another day we asked for a light lunch menu at 14:50. Almost ten minutes later, the same woman who'd promised to address the internet came over and rather arrogantly said the kitchen shut at 15:00, while the booklet listed 15:30. When she saw we were upset, she offered a small selection of starters instead. Our stay might have been easier to bear if the staff had been friendlier. The riad is beautiful, but management should give much closer attention to staff training and consistency.