Marrakech Ryads Parc and Spa

DO NOT VISIT!!!!!

WE ENDED UP WITH FOOD POISONING - food horrendous, could see it sitting inside hours before meals, then the hot plates would be turned on at meal times resulting in cold and chewy food. Many food dishes not labeled - nightmare for vegetarians. As previous reviews have said I am almost certain that the breakfast is turned into lunch which it turned into dinner.

Whole hotel and grounds felt dirty and grimy. Shower drain blocked and bath full of previous guests hair.

Shuttle drops you a 10 min walk from the Medina, with no advice or directions, and did not stop when passengers were immediate picked up by tour guides ready to scam them. At one point we needed to quickly get back to the hotel and phoned the hotel multiple times to try and see if we could get back on the earlier shuttle - they never answered us.

Only positive was the pool which was large and nice temperature. Entertainment team were nice and enthusiastic as well.

OVERALL awful value for money, food terrible and whole place felt outdated and dirty.

We’ve just returned from a 10-night stay at Marrakesh Ryads Parc & Spa, so here’s our honest review of the hotel. We were a little apprehensive before arriving due to some of the reviews we’d read, but those worries were soon put to bed.

Arrival: The reception area is grand and very welcoming, and the reception staff were very helpful. Our rooms weren’t ready when we arrived, but we were given our AI bands and told we could use all the hotel facilities until our room was ready, which was great.

Rooms: We had no issues with our room at all. We stayed in room 1213 (Acacia). Our maid was excellent, very friendly and kept the room clean every day.

Pool: The pool is definitely one of the highlights of the hotel. It’s absolutely massive and there was plenty of space for everyone. I’m not sure how full the hotel was during our stay, but the majority of the sunbeds were taken. That said, you were never on top of each other and there was still plenty of room around the pool.

The sunbeds, however, leave a lot to be desired. They’re very uncomfortable and could really do with some sort of cushioning.

Animation team: The animation team work flat out all day and night and are a real credit to the hotel. There were plenty of activities going on throughout the day, and the team were always asking if you wanted to get involved. If you didn’t, they respected that and left you alone, which was appreciated.

Food: There was a good selection of food in the buffet restaurant, although after 10 days it did become a little repetitive. Breakfast could also be improved slightly unless you love your eggs – fried, scrambled or omelettes seemed to be the main options.

Drinks: This was probably one of the more disappointing areas for us due to the limited choice. Beer was San Miguel in 250ml bottles, along with wine, a limited selection of very sweet cocktails and a few spirits.

The main issue we had was with the water. Water is available in small 33cl bottles, but when you go to the bar, you’re only allowed two bottles per person. When temperatures are 40+ degrees, you’re constantly going back to the bar for more water. We really think larger bottles should be available and there shouldn’t be a limit on how much water guests can have.

We also noticed that if you tipped the bar staff, they would sometimes let you have more bottles, which we didn’t think was right. We did end up stocking up on water and putting several bottles in our room fridge.

Spa: Two people in our party booked the top spa package. You’re supposed to receive a choice of which scrub and wrap you would like, but this wasn’t offered. They were taken into a room without really knowing what was happening, as the staff didn’t speak English.

They were left for around 10 minutes before two ladies came in and applied the scrubs. The massages themselves were good, but no water was offered or provided afterwards. Overall, the whole spa experience felt a little strange and disorganised, mainly because they weren’t really sure what was happening throughout. On leaving, there was also nobody there to thank them or see them out.

Shop: A word of warning about the hotel shop – be careful and check the prices carefully. We found that prices seemed to change depending on what you were buying, and when purchasing multiple items, the total was added up incorrectly. When we challenged the price, we were told it was due to a “faulty” calculator. We’d recommend checking the prices and doing the maths yourself before paying.

Other staff: The hotel has many excellent staff members, and there are a few who deserve a special mention. Ali at the main bar was always chatting away with us and making sure we were okay. Ali from the animation team was also brilliant, as was Sofiane in the buffet restaurant, and of course our maid, whose name we unfortunately didn’t get.

Tips: We completely understand that staff rely on tips from customers, and we were more than happy to tip throughout our stay. However, we do feel that tips should be earned through good service rather than staff asking for them.

We had several bar staff members asking for tips while we were simply at the bar getting drinks. For context, we gave plenty of tips during our stay, but we don’t feel guests should be put under pressure to tip.

Trips: We did several trips during our stay, including the Ourika Valley, quad biking in the desert and a trip into central Marrakesh. We would definitely recommend all three.

Overall: The hotel is listed as a 4*, but personally we’d rate it a solid 3.5*. That said, it’s a good hotel and with a few small changes, particularly around the drinks, water, sunbeds and spa experience, it could go from good to excellent.

Would we return? Yes, we would, provided the price was right.

Overall, we had a really enjoyable 10-night stay and met some great people along the way. There are a few things that could be improved, but nothing that stopped us from enjoying our holiday.