Stellar family trip of five (then seven)

Morocco | Mar 17 - Mar 30, 2024

I loved this hotel, a very close second after my favorte Ksar El Kabbaba Kaspa & Spa. La Maison Arabe has beautifully appointed rooms and good food and music. Wonderful ambiance. Not our best meals in Morroco but very, very good. The heated pool was a super plus for our children. The stairs were a bit hard for our elderly parents but the staff were lovely and helpful with bags etc. We did not take advantage of the sister country club but in warmer weather, it may be a very enticing benefit. I would come back in a heartbeat.

Beautiful riad and great location. The kids' room was spacious and clean. They appreciate the English books in their room and we found a photo documentary book which was especially good. Our room was appointed in a West-African style. The hotel generally has a quirky design vibe rather than classic "Morrocan" decor. The breakfast was great and dinner was solid. The dining space is intimate and cozy. Felt very much taken care of and at home.

We were originally supposed to stay at the Le Medina Essaouira Thalassa Sea and Spa near Essaouira's medina. It was on our itinerary but for some reason, maybe error, we were in fact, booked at the sister Sofitel hotel, the Mogador Golf& Spa located ten minutes away. Maybe when our party grew from five to seven at Marrakesh, we no longer all fit at the original lodging and a new reservation was created but this change had not been communicated to me or to Tarik our driver. We drove up to the Thalassa Sea and Spa only to find we had no reservation there. So, we drove to the Sofitel Mogador Golf & Spa. For families who love golf this may be a good place but the Mogador Golf & Spa itself is in need of serious repairs, both structural and general maintenance, and is in need of more staffing. Presumably, the current price is lower to reflect these issues but the resort missed the mark on some basics. When the hotel opened in 2015, I suspect it was truly beautiful. The lobby and grounds have been kept up meticulously, but the water damage in the upper floor where we stayed is frankly, quite bad. The walls and ceilings of our hallway showed extensive cracking and peeling; in fact, there was even water leaking into a bucket outside our room! Stranger still, one of the doors that led to an outdoor bridge which connects two guest wings did not close properly and the door to the opposite side was missing entirely. Our kids were housed in this separate, second wing. Without immediate remediation, the building will suffer from mold and possibly major structural issues. The hotel room itself was nicely designed but also in need of basic maintenance. The multiple sliding doors in our room did not slide smoothly. One sliding door which was intended to act as a privacy screen to the shower area, did not, in fact, move. Upon inspection, it had come off its rails. The hair dryer in our room was broken and the bath tub in our parents' room did not function--though a call to the repair man fixed the issue. The beds were on the hand, super clean. These minor 'glitches' alone were not a problem, but in the aggregate, add up to a not-so-stellar impression. The spa being closed was also an issue, especially for our parents who were looking forward to soaking in a tub. So, in the end, we opened up a bottle of wine and sat on the veranda and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. The Mogador Golf & Spa is located in a somewhat desolate area, away from the medina about a ten minute car ride. If we enjoyed golf, or the temperature were warm enough to use the multiple pools, or the spa were open, it is conceivable that a guest would not feel the need to leave. However, with the spa being closed and it not being quite warm enough for us to swim, we would have much preferred to be near the medina. The Mogador Golf & Spa does operate a shuttle bus to the medina, but the last run to the medina ended at 5pm (perhaps because of Ramadan.) The resort's immediate surrounding area does not have restaurants, so guests are stuck eating at the hotel, which sadly did not have the best food. Luckily for us, we had Tarik who graciously drove our group to the medina for dinner and back. To put some of the things into perspective, we stayed during a transition time before peak tourist season. It seemed to me however, that the resort had not adjusted its staffing fast enough to accommodate an increasing flow of guests. The breakfast area for example was disorganized as there were not enough people to set up and clear tables. Compounding the issue were things like non-functioning juice dispensers. Because the juice dispenser would clog, a staff person would need to stand nearby and manually pour out juices to the guests, taking him away from clearing tables and setting up tableware. I suspect this pattern applied to other instances in the hotel's operations. Is any of this the end of the world? Of course not, but I don't recommend putting guests here unless its warm enough to use the outdoor pool or at least to make sure that the spa is working. The resort's far distance from the medina, is simply not worth the other things the hotel presently, can offer.

We enjoyed the best meals in our entire trip here. The dinner was amazing as was the breakfast. Everything from the pigeon? (chicken) to the yogurt in the breakfast. The dining room was very elegantly appointed with a stately feel with high backed chairs. Staffing was extremely attentive. I would have loved to have had more time to stay here and explore Skoura. The pool is not heated so at end of March, it was a touch too chilly for kids to enjoy though they tried.

Terrific views and the food was very elegantly prepared and tasty. One of our favorite meals, coming in second after our meal at Ksar Kabbaba Kasba in Skoura. This place had the best service striking the balance between being attentive but not hovering. The rooms each has a theme. We were in the Monaco room and the kids in the Istanbul room. Hotel is short fifteen minute walk away from the medina. The hotel is located on a steep slope so there are a lot of stairs before reaching its entrance but there are porters to help.