Sofitel Marrakech Palais Imperial & Spa

Overall we had a good short stay here.
Location is good. It’s only an hours walk to the airport, 20 minutes to the Medina and there are several restaurants in the local area.
Although we were never told, I think we got an upgraded room which was traditionally furnished and felt in-keeping with the local area. It was sparklingly clean and fresh. Toiletries lovely. A reasonable selection of teas and coffee but could have done with extra milks/creamers.
We mostly ate through in-room dining due to Ramadan restrictions. This was always delivered within the times specified, well presented and tasty. Delivering staff were very friendly.
One of the outdoor pools is heated so even though the weather was cooler than expected, we still made use of the pool which is large, well kept and well staffed. Staff serving the outdoor area and lobby bar were also friendly and helpful.
Being platinum members with Accor comes with certain benefits, one of which is early check in and late check out when available. We requested both with different staff but both were quickly and bluntly refused even though they were available. Only after robustly challenging the refusals were they eventually granted. Just all a bit of a faff that we could have done without.
So a frustrating start and end to our short stay but everything in between was lovely. Thank you.

This is not up to Sofitel standards at all! Its a 1960 hotel looking like a neocolonialist
French wannabe! Needs lots of love and attention , in fact at total rebuild to bring it into 2026. Sofitel have an image - this will kill it! Restaurants - Ok it's Ramadan and they have combined two but the food is just terrible - I sent back two dishes. Basics like a simple chicken dish - better to eat Amazon packaging. Not very impressive at all. Don't eat here - many better restaurants even within walking distance. Prices for say wine are ridiculous in my opinion versus local top notch restaurants
Staff appear incapable of taking decisions re issues - have to refer to xyz and xyz says why are you taking to me!

There are so many things not right with this hotel. Firstly check in was slow and we were kept in the dark, having been told to wait. A cup of mint tea was appreciated by me, but my wife doesn't drink tea and there was no alternative. No one spoke to us until I asked what was happening.
Then we discovered that l'Orangerie, their à la carte restaurant was only doing buffet throughout Ramadan, and at 800MAD pp. Had we known, we wouldn't have booked this hotel at all. There is no alternate restaurant, the other eatery is an Asian night club style venue. And it is difficult to walk to any others from the Sofitel. Even while we are here, there's no mention that the restaurant isn't operating normally.
At breakfast today, the service was simply hopeless. I complained but little was done. Yesterday it was ok! This is a seriously expensive 5* hotel.
The weather here has been awful which cannot be helped, but the topping up of coffee and milk in the rooms which we've been drinking to keep warm, has only happened when I've requested it, and hasn't been done automatically at all.
Frankly this hotel seems to be living on its past reputation, not its current performance.
Very disappointed and if we weren't on a package holiday, I'd have left and gone elsewhere.

Ilham and bahija were excellent terapist! We Will go tomorrow again!

It is a beautiful hotel set in lovely grounds. On arrival we sat down with a cold drink and given papers to sign which prohibited guests from bringing in any food or drink of any description. When questioned this included any water one may have bought while out and about and any gifts [food or drink] purchased to take home. It did seem that all they were interested in how much money they could extract from us.
We asked the Concierge about tours and we were quoted some outrageous prices for 3-4 hours which he said had to be paid in in cash in euros. This is the first time in a Sofitel that we have not been able to pay by credit card.
On our third night at the hotel in the next door room there were teenage children which were without parental guidance and who were left to run feral ALL night. The parents were staying in another part of the hotel !!!! They shouting and banging in the room and running down the corridors literally ALL night. We called the Reception twice to complain and ask them to stop and as far as we are aware no action was taken. After a night of NO sleep the following morning we asked to be moved and this was the start of total inaction as they said they could not give us another room until after noon when checkout had taken place. In the afternoon we were offered an alternative room on a lower floor when they gave us the key we realised it was directly underneath the children's room which they denied but it was and when we were shown it we could hear the children the above. We again asked to be moved to a quiet room and were shown a grotty room way in the depths of the hotel and not at the level we had paid for. In the end we sat in Reception until they gave us an equivalent quiet room which miraculously arrived which they could have given us from the start and saving all the angst. There we no apology - not even a glass of wine. Needless to say we would not stay there again and we are extremely disappointed with the Sofitel especially we are are silver members. It is an expensive hotel and the prices of drinks etc reflect that.

Unforgettable experience with this magical five star hotel. An exceptional welcoming from the reception with a Moroccan tea and sweets. They asked us to have a seat while they will do everything for the chick in. Our suite where spacious with breathtaking view of Marrakesh and Atlas Mountains. We always come back to a super clean room. We tried their breakfast and was reaaly so good. Must mention that all staff at the hotel were attentive and well trained. Definitely recommended and would love to come back here again.

I am extremely disappointed with my recent stay.
At check-in, I was clearly informed that breakfast was included in my reservation. However, after my first breakfast, I was asked to sign a bill for the meal. This immediately raised concerns, so I went back to reception to clarify the situation. A different staff member checked my booking and confirmed that breakfast was indeed included and reassured me that the signature was only required for internal accounting purposes to track the number of breakfasts served.
Based on this explanation, I continued to have breakfast during my stay without concern.
Unfortunately, at check-out, I was charged for both breakfasts. This is completely unacceptable. I relied on the information provided by your staff — twice — and made my decisions accordingly. Being told that breakfast is included and then being charged for it at the end feels misleading and dishonest.
This experience has left me feeling deceived as a customer. Clear communication and transparency are essential in hospitality, and in this case, I feel that I was misinformed and unfairly charged.
I hope management reviews this matter seriously and ensures better staff coordination in the future so that other guests do not experience the same situation.
🇫🇷 Avis en Français
Je suis extrêmement déçue par mon récent séjour.
Lors du check-in, on m’a clairement informée que le petit-déjeuner était inclus dans ma réservation. Cependant, après mon premier petit-déjeuner, on m’a demandé de signer une note pour le règlement. Trouvant cela étrange, je me suis rendue à la réception afin de demander des explications. Une autre personne a vérifié ma réservation et m’a confirmé que le petit-déjeuner était bien inclus, en précisant que la signature servait uniquement à des fins comptables pour enregistrer le nombre de petits-déjeuners servis.
Rassurée par cette explication, j’ai continué à prendre le petit-déjeuner durant mon séjour.
Malheureusement, au moment du check-out, les deux petits-déjeuners m’ont été facturés. Cela est totalement inacceptable. Je me suis fiée aux informations données par votre personnel — à deux reprises — et j’ai agi en conséquence. Dire aux clients que le petit-déjeuner est inclus, puis le facturer au départ, est trompeur et malhonnête.
Cette expérience me laisse un sentiment de tromperie. La transparence et une communication claire sont essentielles dans l’hôtellerie, et dans ce cas précis, j’ai été mal informée et facturée injustement.
J’espère que la direction examinera sérieusement cette situation afin d’éviter que d’autres clients ne vivent la même expérience.

eview

Today is February 23rd, and my wife daughter and I have been at the hotel for two nights and unfortunately have two nights remaining.

I never write reviews, but have trusted so many TripAdvisor reviews in the past and therefore I wanted to pay it forward. Also, all of my complaints have already been discussed with the manger, however I have yet to receive a response either positive or negative.

We were excited to begin our Marrakech experience in our 2 bedroom suite. The additional space was going to be a godsend after spending the last 7 days traveling around Morocco and staying in lovely accommodations, but not necessarily always the most spacious to our little family.

However, our negative experience at the Sofitel began upon entering the room. The second bedroom’s window was not closed, and the noise from the street prompted us to look. Upon inspection, it wasn’t shut all the way and unfortunately could not be without a call to maintenance.

A quick call and a few minutes later, they arrive and tell me they have fixed the problem. However, upon inspection the window was in fact not closed and a trip to reception to complain followed. I was assured that they will resolve the window while we dined in the restaurant.

Our reservation was not for an hour and allowed us time to get ready.

This is where things really went off the rails. The toilet room smelled of urine and a pile of pubic hair lay in the corner, the shower smells of raw sewage and the tub filled with hairs. What else wasn’t cleaned we wonder.

Another trip to reception, again told they will address the window and clean our room while we are at dinner.

Dinner, well they served food. What was described at check in as French-Moroccan fusion with everything Al a carte, in fact was not. It was $240 buffet for a family of 3 of inedible warm slop best served at your high school cafeteria. The highlight was the baguettes which were excellent. The low point was getting yelled at by several waiters when attempting and failing to order a Coke for my daughter and a glass of wine for my wife. The Coke never arrived.

The icing on the cake was when i complained to the manager about the quality of food and service i was told it was our taste in food and not the food itself. This is our second trip to Morocco eating only Moroccan food at places the locals eat and never once had a bad meal (had something’s that were not our taste) and never bad service.

This was an exciting first few hours at the hotel. Only to find that our room was not cleaned or fixed. However, they would send someone right away.

Well they came they saw and as i anticipated the window was in fact broken.

They were able to find another room, that it happens the window also won’t close (and i was told it is closed, it’s a different type of window) we settled as it wasn’t going to get any better and happy to say appeared clean.

This is when we went to pack up our suitcases to have them moved, that the duty manager was sure to scold me for breaking the window. In his words the window wasn’t broken when he did his check earlier in the day. After showing him the pictures and videos of the noise with a time stamp shortly after checking in he relented , and would note it in his report to the manager who would be expecting me in the morning to discuss the issues and a resolution. No apology or recognition he was wrong.

The morning came, and I went to see the manager. Unsurprisingly, it was the first she heard of it and will be back to me with a resolution. Also unsurprisingly more than 24 hours later, i have yet to hear anything.

A couple of additional notes:

Unlike anywhere else we have stayed in Morocco, unless with speak fluent French or Arabic expect to be treated as an inconvenience.

The room service staff has screamed at me twice while ordering breakfast, and for dinner last night left items in the kitchen. While eventually resolved just insult to injury at this point.

Further, service around the pool for us poor at best, though at least they eventually show up with your order.

In short, I’m looking forward to checking out and moving into our next location and hotel. Then Sofitel is not on the level of The Fairmont, the Ritz or the various Riads we have stayed at during this trip and our prior to Morocco.

If management reads this review please reach out. I’m still here and would welcome updating this review to provide a resolution.

hmmm, book this hotel for its perfect location, safety, cleanliness and accommodation. Just don't expect great staff service.

As soon as we entered the lobby, we were welcomed to sit and were provided cookies and moroccan tea. We gave them our passport. This is nice I thought. We waited about 30 minutes to be checked in however. Everytime we looked at the desk, there were a million things going on. It gave the old "hurry up and wait" effect.

After 40 minutes, it felt as chaotic as the old city. Once we were in our suite, we could relax.
The room was clean and beautiful. The grounds and pool: gorgeous! Perfect location just a 20 minute stroll to the Medina. I loved that we could get away from the bustle but still get to all of the city highlights in less than 15 minutes on foot or taxi.

In the evening we couldn't find the concierge. Hard to find people at the desk. I called the front desk several times and the phone just rings. When leaving the hotel, the door man asked where we were going and told us a couple of additional places followed by asking us for a tip. I've NEVER been asked for a tip by hotel staff before. It made us feel like we couldn't ask any of the staff a question if we had no cash to pay for a tipped response.

Breakfast buffet was a nightmare. There were just 2 people making coffee for hundreds of people. Drip coffee or a coffee machine would have been better. It was as chaotic as the souks. We got our coffee after we already had food. It was cold since it sat on their crowded counter while the server ran around the whole place. He didn't bring us cream or sugar which we asked for and by the the time we could get his attention we were ready to escape back to our room. We knew at that point that we would not eat lunch or dinner in their restaurants.
I recommend Breakfast at Las Terrazas de Andalucia which is a block away from hotel, has excellent food, service, and ambiance for half the price.

Check out had an equally chaotic process.

Super location 10 minute walk to the Medina . This hotel is beautiful with lovely pool area very peaceful. The staff are amazing and the level of service is fantastic. Would highly recommend this hotel for anyone traveling to Marrakech as you can escape the madness of the Medina and relax in luxury

Disappointed with the level of engagement and customer service received.
Everything felt like hard work, from getting towels around the pool, to ordering drinks and snacks, to housekeeping not leaving bath towels in the room and despite asking twice and being reassured they would be delivered to room never arrived. Breakfast selection although a vast array, was not frequently maintained and therefore had poor availability.

A poor experience and poor value for money.

Would not return and would instead return to the Hivernage hotel located across the road.

I wish I had received the level of customer service that other reviews have experienced

My stay at Sofitel Marrakech Palais Impérial & Spa was truly outstanding. The hotel is beautiful, but what makes it exceptional is the service. Every team member was warm, professional, and attentive, always going above and beyond to ensure a perfect experience.

A special mention goes to Yahya Ben for his incredible room service. He was prompt, courteous, and attentive to every detail, delivering each order with genuine kindness and professionalism. His service truly elevated my stay.

I highly recommend this hotel for anyone seeking luxury combined with truly exceptional hospitality in Marrakech.

Great location. Staff professional. Lovely clean pool area. Rooms are comfy and bed is huge! The security staff outside the complex were a little harsh. Wouldn’t let us bring in a bottle of wine and a beer. We wanted a celebratory drink in our room for my birthday.. we had been eating in the hotel for last few days and drinking so seemed a bit mean. Also the guards seems to favour ‘ high end ‘ guests .. one of them literally was blocking my exit from the hotel entrance gates to let a car in the gates. Aside from this security man , everything else was a pleasant stay. The spa was lovely and the massage we had was relaxing. Gym is ok and has most equipment for a work out however it is very hot . Sadly the sauna was not working so we didn’t make use of spa area after our massage. Pool food good but service quite slow and had to keep finding someone to order. Weirdly some staff came round with complimentary juice one afternoon however only served a handful of guests and didn’t make it over to our side of the pool. Mainly French residents here. There was also a huge Jewish wedding so our first few nights of sleep were kept awake by the noise from their celebrations. We were over looking the pool so could hear it until 4/5am. Also a bit of noise on the last day of the wedding as staff were taking down the huge tower stage so lots of banging whilst trying to relax by the pool. The room mini fridge was never stocked up nor was the tea and coffee in our room, we asked for some on 3rd day and was brought some more along with some fresh whole fruit as an apology. Also when we made the booking 3 months ago we mentioned it was a special occasion for my 50th but nothing was made of it which is disappointing.

We had an exceptional stay at the Sofitel in Marrakech. The hotel offers all the facilities you could wish for — beautiful surroundings, great comfort, and a perfect atmosphere to relax and enjoy the city.

A very special thank you to Mustapha, the bagagiste. From day one, he took the time to show me around, answered all my questions and truly made me feel at home during our short stay.

His kindness and professionalism made a real difference in our experience.

Highly recommended, we would gladly come back!

Our stay at Sofitel Marrakech was exceptional from start to finish. From the very moment you walk through the doors, you’re struck by how luxurious and calm the hotel feels. The reception area is beautiful, and the welcome is genuinely warm and attentive & you immediately feel looked after.

The rooms are spacious, contemporary, and beautifully appointed.

The food across the hotel is excellent. Each restaurant offers something different, but all are consistently good - both in quality and atmosphere. The bar deserves a special mention: fantastic cocktails, excellen service & tfood, and a brilliant live music every evening - performing english, moroccon, jazz, arabic music. We went most nights and loved hearing them perform

The pool area is stunning and incredible. Several pools and lots of places to chill. The weather got to around 20c, so during the day you could chill on the sun beds.

Overall, this is a hotel that gets every detail right. Luxurious without being stuffy, relaxed without losing its polish. We wouldn’t hesitate to return.

It s very beautiful place to have rest white your coffe or the this is my first time in sofitel the personel is so kind and helpful thanks every one (zohra saber hajar jawad wassif ilham noha aya)....

Very nice hotel with perfect
service . The staff is verry polite and helpfull! Verry comfottable rooms all the time clean.hajar Amine sabir Kamal jaaud wasif hanane aya yassir ousama walid ilhame fatima

Beautiful setting, very relaxing with lovely sun and coffee and lovely service from Zohra.

Came for a work trip and this place is amazing the rooms are massive and if a high quality. The pools are fantastic and the dinning and bar options are top notch

I stayed at the Sofitel Marrakech for four nights and came away with mixed feelings. The hotel itself is very nice, and the location is excellent — close to the main square and conveniently central for getting around Marrakech.
I arrived a few hours early, and the staff politely explained that the hotel was very busy and check-in is at 3pm. This was completely fair. We had lunch by the pool, and when I returned to reception around 2pm, I was told that our room was ready.
We stayed in a Junior Suite with a balcony overlooking the road. While the room was spacious and comfortable, it’s worth noting that this side can be quite noisy at times.
The staff were generally very polite; however, some did not speak English. On a few occasions, when we asked for something, staff would respond with yes or okay but nothing would follow. It was only when we managed to speak to someone who spoke English or spoke to someone else that the issue was resolved.
My biggest frustration relates to the pool facilities. When booking, the hotel website advertises three pools, including an indoor pool. However, it is not made clear that the indoor pool is part of the spa and costs around £20 to use each time, unless you book a spa treatment, in which case you can use it for one hour before or after. While I don’t have an issue with being charged, I feel this information should be clearly stated on the website, as I have never stayed at a hotel that charges separately to use its pool.
That said, I did use the indoor pool once, and it is very nice — warm, relaxing, and well maintained. Of the outdoor pools, the main pool is not heated. The smaller heated pool can only be used between 10am–12pm and 3pm–6pm, which again is not clearly communicated on the website.
Breakfast was included in our stay and was acceptable, though very French-focused. An Asian section would have been a welcome addition. We also had dinner once at SO Lounge, which I didn’t enjoy. The food was just okay, and the venue is more like a nightclub, with loud music and very low lighting, which isn’t ideal for a relaxed dinner.
Overall, the Sofitel Marrakech is a nice hotel with a great location, and I didn’t experience any major issues beyond the above. However, for the price paid per night, I have stayed in better hotels with superior service and facilities at a lower cost.