Riad Les Jardins des Lilas

We stayed at the Riad les Jardins des Lilas for several nights. While there were positive aspects, our overall experience was the least satisfactory of our entire Morocco trip due to maintenance and service issues. The housekeeping lady is the highlight of this Riad. She is incredibly dedicated; our beds were made perfectly every day, and the rooms were kept as clean as possible. A nice touch was the fresh Batbout bread she bakes herself every evening for the next day’s breakfast. The breakfast itself is fair; a standard Moroccan spread, though it lacks variety like fresh fruit or vegetables. Unfortunately, the physical condition of the Riad did not match the photos online (we booked via Booking.com). The furniture and upholstery are quite worn, and the mattress in our room was completely depleted and uncomfortable. Furthermore, the surrounding area (Bab Taghzout) can be difficult to navigate due to many 'scammers' trying to misdirect tourists. The location itself is a moderate distance to the Medina itself (20-50min walk, depends on where you're going). The most disappointing part was the sanitation. Maybe this was just our room (Dahlia), but our bathroom had a persistent, severe sewage smell. Management’s only fix was to pour chlorine down the drain, which only masked the odor temporarily. I had to block the drain with a cloth myself to make the room bearable. Later, we found incense sticks in the bathroom and a strong smell of smoke, which appeared to be an attempt to cover up the drainage issue rather than fixing it. Throughout our stay, we messaged management via the booking platform regarding these issues and asked for a room change, but most of our messages went unaddressed. Regarding luggage storage, be aware there is a mandatory fee (50 MAD for <2h, 100 MAD for 2-6h, 150 MAD for 6h+). While this policy is communicated upfront, we were disappointed that management showed absolutely no flexibility or goodwill after our many documented complaints. In the context of hospitality, these fees are unusually high. While the cleaning staff works very hard, the combination of poor maintenance and unresponsive management makes it difficult to recommend this Riad after all.

We stayed at this riad as a couple. To be honest, I only felt somewhat comfortable because I was traveling with my partner. If I had been traveling alone or with other women, I would likely have felt quite unsafe in this area. Note: I have traveled extensively in Asia with a friend before, so I am not someone who is overly sensitive or easily unsettled while traveling. Although the riad is only about five minutes away from a larger, lively street, BUT those five minutes lead through very narrow and confusing alleyways. Especially in the evening, this can feel uncomfortable. We also noticed many children and teenagers in the area who deliberately approach tourists. They stand at corners and claim that the road does not continue or is closed in order to confuse visitors and then offer to “show the way” in exchange for money. We observed that they do this to tourists every single day. In this situation, I would have appreciated a warning or at least some guidance from the host. Unfortunately, the room itself was also disappointing. There was a strong smell of sewage coming from the bathroom, which made the stay quite unpleasant. Although the room was tidied regularly and the bed as well as the towels were clean, the riad overall felt rather worn and not particularly clean or well maintained. The bed was also extremely uncomfortable. On one side the mattress was so worn out and slanted that I constantly felt like I was about to roll out of bed. The floor also did not feel very clean or inviting — in general I did not feel comfortable walking on it barefoot. The communication with the owner was also not very satisfactory. We did, of course, contact him to inform him about the issues we experienced, but there was absolutely no willingness to accommodate us. On the contrary, he was not even willing to consider allowing us to leave our luggage at the riad for half a day free of charge as a small gesture of compensation. Overall, we would have expected a bit more understanding and willingness to help. The breakfast was quite basic and not very nutritious. It mainly consisted of sugary items and carbohydrates, along with tea and coffee. Some fresh fruit or vegetables would have made a big difference. Overall, I would not recommend this riad. To be honest, I am surprised that it currently has relatively good reviews, as our experience was unfortunately quite disappointing.

The staff were super friendly and helpful upon our arrival. They gave us advice on how to spend our days in Marrakech, pointing out museums, restaurants, and anything else we might need. The breakfast was very good and homemade. Overall, a great stay.