Labranda Rose Aqua Parc

This hotel is the best, it is only a 10 minute journey from the town and other places. The staff, especially the animation team, are so so good and really make the experience the best. They have different entertainment every night and there is always something to do in the daytime whether that be darts, archery or a cooking lesson, etc. The atmosphere is always at a high, the rooms are kept clean and the food is also really good. It is a lovely place to come especially for the price and the amazing team.

This is our 5th trip to Marrakech, so I want to stress that the issues aren’t simply a case of “that’s Morocco”. We’ve stayed in other similar hotels here that have been brilliant.

The biggest context for this review is the price. This was a cheap booking- everything else comparable was double the price.

If I’d paid double for this holiday, however, I would have been very angry and disappointed.

There is simply no way this is a 4-star hotel. It’s 3-star at best and generally feels tired and dated.

The good

The location is excellent. Mall, restaurants and fast food within walking distance, plus a nice area to wander around in the evenings.

The entertainment team were the absolute stars of the hotel. Younes and his team were brilliant. Friendly, energetic and fun without being overbearing. They deserve a huge amount of credit.

Reception, porters and cleaning staff were also lovely. Our room was more spacious than we expected, comfortable and kept really clean.

The aircon was pretty pathetic and in 46°C heat we were really concerned as it doesn’t belt out ice cold air like most places do, but it somehow just about kept the room bearable! It was like it was on a very low/eco mode- pumping out the absolute bare minimum to stop it being hot.

The pools were ok. Bit murky. Sometimes had hair in them which was a bit gross. Unlike others, we actually enjoyed the loud music all day, was good vibes!

The bad: MEALTIMES!

This was by far our biggest issue. Chaotic, overcrowded and stressful.

We sometimes queued 30+ minutes for lunch, then got inside to find popular food had gone and wasn’t being replenished. People were piling plates with things like melon because everyone knew it would disappear.

One day they actually ran out of plates. There must have been 50+ people standing around in a boiling hot restaurant, sweating and waiting for a plate just so they could get some food. It was crazy and really summed up how oversubscribed the hotel was.

The food itself wasn’t all bad. My vegetarian partner enjoyed the tagines and potatoes, and I loved the lunchtime outdoor BBQ station with different style chicken every day But with only one BBQ station, waits of 20+ minutes were common. My daughter, admittedly is fussy, but struggled to find much she wanted to eat.

Breakfast was OK, but again things constantly ran out and weren’t replenished. Fruit disappeared quickly and my daughter regularly couldn’t get milk for her cereal because the dispenser was empty.

We also found some of the cooking staff, particularly at breakfast, really quite miserable and unfriendly. I genuinely tried hard with them. Lots of smiling, being extra friendly and even attempting my very bad Arabic, but getting a smile back sometimes felt like hard work!

The restaurant manager also came across as cold and unfriendly towards guests. I did see him smiling and chatting with staff, so it didn’t seem to simply be his natural demeanour.

Dinner we eventually stopped bothering with. No aircon + Marrakech summer heat + huge queues = not enjoyable. We ate out or ordered in instead. Reception staff gave me details of Deliveroo equivalent and we ordered in McDonald’s twice- not something I’ve ever done while staying all-inclusive before but needs must.

So the food itself wasn’t necessarily terrible. The organisation and atmosphere were the bigger problem. Just hot, chaotic, carnage.

The alcoholic drinks also seemed completely watered down to us, to the point I eventually gave up drinking them. Although a tip helped improve this. The slushies, however, were brilliant in the heat!

We found some of the bar and restaurant staff quite unfriendly initially too, although a tip went a VERY long way. Once we’d tipped, they were suddenly our best friends and looked after us brilliantly!

Worth mentioning for English families

There were very few English families staying here. That didn’t bother us whatsoever. We’re in Morocco after all! But the hotel didn’t feel particularly geared towards English guests, which might matter to some families when booking. Sometimes they would do English translations, sometimes not- it was hit or miss.

One thing we did love was the pool party at night- never stayed anywhere that has done this before, they usually do them in the daytime, so a pool party in the dark was a real novelty and highlight for us. Loud fun music that everyone knows and the ent team made it so much fun- definitely a stand out memory.

Overall- a real mixed bag.

My 8 year old daughter had a great time as she made a friend and they loved it.

It’s tired, dated, chaotic at mealtimes and 3-star at best, definitely not 4-star. But it also has a great location, a decent room, some genuinely fantastic staff and a brilliant entertainment team.

Ultimately, you get what you pay for. We paid almost half what other holidays were costing, and when I judge it through that lens, we still had a decent holiday.

Go with realistic expectations, don’t expect a 4-star experience, and maybe have the McDonald’s app ready. 😂

Booked a 6 night stay as a family of 4 with kids, here are my impressions:

The Positives Staff: Majority of staff, cleaners, and the late-night receptionist were lovely and respectful. Check-in/out was smooth, and suitcases were helped with.

Hotel & Location: Entrance and reception have nice decor. Rooms are a great size with multi-language TV and an empty mini fridge. The location is excellent—easy walk to local areas. Pools for adults and kids are well-designed with nice statues.

The Negatives & Incidents Rude Restaurant Manager: On arrival, the late receptionist said we could still grab dinner. Despite 15 mins left, the kitchen/restaurant manager was incredibly rude, disrespectful, and refused to listen or speak English. It ruined our initial impression, especially with kids present. We were left with fish leftovers, dry bread, and nothing fitting our dietary requirements. His behaviour felt like a personal attack as we were British, he didn't treat other French/Arabic families eating there like that! They dont let you eat in peace and are always hovering around you when eating, it's like they are pushing you to quickly eat and leave as they are super busy to place families on tables once done

No Drinking Water: Despite paying for "All-Inclusive," no water was provided in the room. The bar refused us and sent us to the restaurant, who also failed to help. We had to walk out at 11 PM after a flight just to find water. We eventually had to order gallons of water from Carrefour Market because it was boiling and we had children. Shocking for a 4-star.

Food Quality & Crowds: Breakfast lacked variety and was identical daily. Tables were left messy during peak times. Lunch queues were over 45 mins long, so we gave up and ordered deliveries. Dinner (pizza, tagine, chicken) was incredibly packed. Long waits for food refills meant we missed out. The buffet desperately needs inclusive options for vegetarians/pescatarians, and cross-contamination was a major issue with guests swapping serving spoons. Management must open a second restaurant or limit guest numbers, rather than siphoning off guests' money.

😁 Also forgot to mention, on our 1st night a staff member took our plates from us while we were eating, without even asking us! Highly disrespectful, these staff members need etiquette classes if they want to continue getting more customers!

Pool Issues: Sunbed hogging was a nightmare; we stood for hours in the blazing heat. Management needs more seating/shaded areas. The inner pool edges had visible green algae and slippery surfaces, making us worry about infections! Apparently, the hotel said they do ''regular cleaning' of the pools according to hygiene standards, but I am not sure what standards they are aiming for :(

Room Amenities & Smells: There was no iron provided in the room, and minimal toilet paper was supplied. Hallways and lifts smelled strongly of rotten eggs, and wet puddles from the pool were left uncleaned in the lifts.

Bar & Entertainment: No timetables or written communication for entertainment exist, so we skipped it. The bar had very limited drinks and often ran out of ice in 45-degree heat (self-service slushies/ice cream would be better).

🚨 Shockingly, I witnessed teens being served alcohol without ID checks. I dont know about the legality in Morocco but its not acceptable. These children/teens could get drunk/ill or get alcohol poisoning. Saying that, these kids thought they were adults and could get alcoholic drinks, no wonder they were falling about! Management needs stricter policies on what is offered at the bars and verified ID checks to establish consumer's ages

Hidden Fees: We were hit with an unexpected stay tax at arrival that should have been clearly communicated at booking. SPA is not free and very pricey. Again, the hotel said its ''optional'' but for the price we paid for, I don't understand why we need to pay even more to use these services

Conclusion: This did not live up to a 4-star all-inclusive Booking.com ad. We avoided hotel excursions based on our impressions. It is much cheaper to stay in a local apartment/riad and eat out. We will definitely not be returning! Save your money and go somewhere else! Its not UK/European standards of 4*, it delivers 1* services.

PS. I am not interested in this hotel's reply to my review, as its true and authentic. This was my 1st time in Marrakech on a family holiday and it was ruined because of my experiences from this hotel. Even the kids wanted to leave!