"We stayed at this hotel for 3 nights during our bank holiday trip to Marrakech. We chose this hotel due to Marriott Bonvoy link and central location.
We were initially very hesitant due to the super negative reviewed about the hotel staff and the construction happening onsite. After our first day of stay, we realized that these 1* reviews were not fair and the hotel offered a nice stay. However, this is not to say that the stay was perfect. It was just a good stay that we would consider going back.
If we got into the specifics of highs and lows:
Welcome: The hotel has a nice lobby space which could be used as the reception. Weirdly enough, the reception is on the right to the back where the reception staff are sitting at a desk, cluttered with printers and folders. It almost immediately creates a guest house kind of effect, rather than a 5 star luxury atmosphere. When we arrived to the check in desk, the staff were talking amongst each other and doing something non-urgent and we waited about 2-3 minutes for them to finish. There was no acknowledgement of our Titanium status, no explanation of hotel amenities and membership benefits or anything. We were still upgraded to an Ambassador suite as part of the Marriott benefits. In a Marriott hotel like this calibre, I would have expected that the staff waits in a ready state, stands up during check in to show respect and shows appreciation for loyalty. The staff were definitely lacking this high calibre professionalism. But they were still friendly and we enjoyed our chat with them as easy going people anyway. The hotel charged a 700€ deposit to check in which we found ridiculous as this amount is higher than the cost of our stay. There was also no welcome present in the room when we got in, which we usually get. Putting a plate of some local sweets or a fruit platter with a welcome note is nothing for the hotel but a warm welcome for loyal customers that even Moxy hotels do provide nowadays.
Room: The hotel is going through renovations. We believe our suite was one of the renovated rooms. However, as soon as we entered the room, there was an unpleasant damp/bathroom style smell. The room door was impossible to open fully making the narrow entry even narrower to go through with large bags. The room was looking into a construction zone. While it was perfectly fine over the weekend, the work was starting at 8 am on weekdays. So be wary if you are planning a lay-in. While the bedroom and bathroom were nicely decorated, the living room of the suite was like a furniture store, overloaded with too many large furniture that made moving inside the room impossible (a three seater, 2 armchairs, one large coffee table, 2 side tables, a large dining table, a make up table, all put in a small room). Apart from these issues, the room had everything we could ask for. The air conditioning was working perfectly, the bed was large and comfy, the bathroom was in perfect order. We specifically appreciated the Clarins products which were offered as amenities. Another issue was that the wall mounted shower gel in the shower was empty and it was never filled back up during our three day stay even though we reported it.
Restaurant: We received complimentary breakfast at the hotel and it was a pleasure to go to the restaurant for it. The buffet had amazing options and we had really enjoyable breakfasts. The orange juice and all the buffet items were fresh and excellent quality. The coffee/tea cups and cutlery/plates are running out quickly at busy times but apart from that, we truly enjoyed our breakfast experiences. The staff were uninterested with us when we went to check for the dinner options so we ended up going you the mall across the road instead due to this lack of attention. The hotel didn't offer an executive lounge even though there were signs of it. It would be a useful addition to the loyal members to create a difference.
Pool and hotel grounds: The hotel didn't offer any amenities apart from the pool and a nice sitting garden. The spa was closed due to construction. The pool water was super cold due to low evening temperatures. The lounge areas were quite nice with a very nice relaxing background music. Towels were provided by a gentleman who works really hard. However, there was no other service. The pool bar staff never left their bar, no drink orders were taken, no menus were available. Similarly, we had a nice 1 hour sit at the garden area but nobody came to check if we would like any drinks or anything from the menu. The lack service is the biggest issue in general.
Location: We truly enjoyed the location of the hotel thanks to proximity to Menara mall, airport and Medina. We walked many places and it was a comfortable walk.
Service: Even though the staff is not visible for most of the time, they have a “yes of course” attitude with any request you may have. We used the Marriott app to report our requests and they quickly provided anything we needed. Their response to our late check out and various in room amenities were all positive. Overall, they could probably try to be more proactively about the hotel services and offerings; e.g. offering a menu when someone sits by the pool or garden, keeping an eye on if the customer needs something at the reception.
Overall, even though there are issues mentioned as above, we enjoyed our stay by keeping a closed eye to those issues. The room was clean (apart from the smell coming due to infrastructure issues) and it was a comfortable stay. The location was good. The pool area was a relaxing sanctuary when we got tired of sightseeing. However, the staff needs to be a bit more professional and available to deserve the Le Meridien standard to justify the cost of the stay. Hopefully once the renovations end, the service level will be elevated further."
