Sofitel Marrakech Palais Imperial & Spa

Thank you Asna for the amazing experience! The service and hospitality that the spa offered and more specifically Asna was exceptional!

We heard a lot about Sofitel marrakesh. However our experience was rather sour!
We booked an imperial suite, paid $1000 a day & felt like we were treated like second class citizens. Being a platinum member with Accor for years we are used to their premium hospitality. Over here, Denied complimentary breakfast, which should have been included in imperial suite or platinum membership.
In the pool, we ordered a can of coke and were chased by waiters to pay 5 times inspite of telling them to put it on our room tab.
Overall beautiful property but lack of warm hospitality and service.
Won’t stay again. Not worth it.

We stayed here for 3 nights to celebrate my birthday as a group of 4 girls. The hotel is gorgeous and definitely 5 star, however the service is not. From the beginning we were not greeted and treated differently whether that was due to us being young or something else. We went to the pool and had to ask 2 workers for towels that took over 30 minutes to arrive, and no one checked if we wanted any drinks so we went up to the bar in which we were told she couldn’t serve us it had to be one of the waiters around the pool. We finally found someone and our drinks took 30 minutes to arrive. We went down to breakfast where we were asked our name and room number, but no one seated us, this meant no one asked us if we wanted hot drinks and we had to find someone, it then took 40 minutes to arrive for 2 cups of tea and a coffee. Throughout the stay we were receiving strange looks from workers and upon entering the hotel we were rudely questioned by security why we were there, to which we said we are staying here.
This entire stay felt like we were chasing staff members around for the most basic requests.
The worst part of our stay was when we were checking out, check out is 12pm and we went to get our bags at 11:20am from our room and our key cards had been deactivated. When we asked why this was we were given an excuse about the clocks changing due to Ramadan? If this is the case we should have been informed and we would have checked out earlier. When we checked out we were never asked how are stay was, to which we asked why and the receptionist said you didn’t look like you wanted to talk, at this point we hadn’t complained about anything so we’re unsure why this comment was made. He then got the guest relations manager to come and speak to us. We expressed our concerns and she said she could offer us an upgrade on our next stay- we will never be staying here again.

While the hotel itself was aesthetically pleasing and well-maintained, the level of service fell significantly short of what would be expected from a five-star establishment.

When we raised our concerns with a manager at the end of our stay, we were told to “pay the full price and get the full experience,” which suggested that guests staying in standard rooms may not receive the same level of service as those in higher-tier accommodations. This response was both surprising and very concerning.

Service throughout our stay was inconsistent. At breakfast, we had to request tea and coffee on four separate occasions before it was provided. Similarly, drinks ordered by the pool took over 30 minutes to arrive. Requests for basic amenities, such as additional shampoo, were not fulfilled, requiring us to approach housekeeping staff directly.

When entering the hotel we were informed by the doormen very rudely that bringing our own food and water into the hotel was not permitted. This was particularly disappointing, as we were simply carrying a bottle of water and some crisps for our journey home- just another way for the hotel to claim money off people?

Overall, while the hotel has clear potential, the service standards require significant improvement before it can be considered truly five-star.

Youssef Assas has been amazing and looked after us around the pool everyday! He was very polite and friendly, always there to help, nothing was too much trouble 😊

I enjoyed Marrakech and the stay in the hotel. It's clean and friendly. I will especially remember a young man Ben who was always helpful, smiling and provided an excellent room service.

Good location & the hotel was overall very lovely. The atmosphere is very relaxed across the whole hotel, perhaps a little too relaxed sometimes as we noticed the service seemed to drop slightly each day. Rooms were of a good size and housekeeping came every day. Good value for money, however we only had one restaurant option as the second restaurant was being used for a buffet due to Ramadan. Obviously we understood this, but there was no advanced notice and the buffet was 850DH per person.
Upon check in, you are required to pay a £250 deposit, which was explained to us to be used to cover if/when we wanted to charge a meal or drink to our room. However, when we checked out we were shown a bill stating we owed 1400DH for the meals/drinks we had charged to the room throughout the stay. Confused by this, we thought we’d exceeded the £250 deposit but the check out reception desk told us differently and the £250 deposit is just used to cover any damages to the room. We went to the check in reception to ask when the money would be refunded to us and they couldn’t tell us a time period. 5 days later and we are still waiting.

Breakfast at the hotel amazing. We have young twins and we were well looked after. Nacer and Aymane made the experience extra special by making themselves available whenever they noticed the twins were feeling a bit restless. Amazing food and most importantly amazing staff. Highly recommended 5/5.

We recently dined in the Sofitel pool side restaurant and we had an amazing time. Thank you to Hamza Kina for looking after us and for the great service! And to the whole team. Will definitely be back again. 😊

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