Atlas Essaouira & Spa — Hotel in Essaouira

Visit Jan 2025. I appreciate the challenges of running hotels in some areas of the globe are different to others I think the issues we encountered here could be addressed.

Positives

The entrance and reception area are inviting, palatial and are conducive to the rating this hotel has. Most of the staff are friendly even if it is to laugh along with us because a shelf fell on me (you have to laugh!). The pool area is inviting and a nice little sun trap. The sea view and landscape is amazing. Just a 15 minute stroll to the Medina along the vibrant, scenic seafront and there are some nearby restaurants too should you not want the walk daily. We loved the local vibe. Despite the main negatives below the room was a nice size, had a fridge, a kettle and a nice large bed. Breakfast is adequate.

Negatives

The lovely sea view is flanked by a busy road so the fact the air conditioning doesn’t work necessitating an open window means noise, despite the concierge showing us how the aircon worked the reception informed us it doesn’t work anywhere in the hotel. This could have been a seasonal restriction but as I say an open window alongside the road is not ideal, although I would still prefer the sea view over an internal one.

The pool is too cold to use, not a huge negative and to be expected when the overnight temperatures are low, I expect.

The spa seems nice although did not use, it incurs extra cost unless a treatment is booked.

I tried to use the gym but slipped on the running machine, I think the belt was compromised by dust underneath - the gym was warm too with the solar gain with no aircon. I was asked to report my comment to the reception/technician but after the experience below seemed a little fruitless.

The main negatives are with the room standard, our room had a few snags - the aircon (which didn’t work) has obviously previously leaked and so the wood around the wardrobe and adjacent shelves is compromised and unsightly. The top shelf was unsecured , so we didn’t use it but it fell on me when a door was closed anyway. The toilet was unstable and had clearly been repaired before and the bath was a little unsightly where it too had been patched up. The water pressure took some getting use to and seemed intermittent (maybe due to other people using at the same time).

A minor point, but it would seem the initial room water and coffee sachets aren’t replenished so we obtained our own.

We did report all this and asked to be moved, the hotel was full however we were assured we could be moved the next day but in the meantime the technician would attend to our list- the required shelf peg wasn’t even attended to so I m not sure anyone did attend. The next day we mentioned the conversation to reception who seemed none the wiser but did eventually get moved, and the next room was better.

If you stay here you will like the location, the view, the ambience maybe, but if you expect 5 star standards re the accommodation there are flaws to be aware of but may not deter you from choosing this hotel. We will definitely come back to Essaouira itself a lovely warm, short hop winter break from the UK but if I was to return to this hotel, however, I may stay a day or two to see if the room was better but have the flexibility to move on if not.

Top tip La Coupole restaurant a few doors down well...

Upon entering the hotel, we noticed and commented on the vast array of fresh flowers everywhere. It was a beautiful touch and made us have high expectations for our stay.

The front desk staff were very helpful at check in as well

When we got to our room ...

The cabinet door to the fridge was hanging off and dragging on the floor

We had no toiletries and no towels

We had no toilet paper

The black mold in 3 areas in the shower was disgusting

The shower doors leaked so badly when you showered, the floor was literally like a pool and you had to be very careful getting out so you didnt slip and fall.

There was so much continuous water on the floor the wooden beams were rotted out at the bottom 4 or 5 inches and it was so wet still you could push on the spongy wood and get water coming out

I complained to the front desk and a few minutes later a sour looking housekeeping gentleman delivered our toilet paper looking like he was put out that he needed to do so. Our towels arrived shortly thereafter with another staff member

I went down again as the mold hadnt been addressed and this time spoke with the manager on duty who offered us a meal in their Moroccan restaurant . Which was a nice touch. I looked up the restaurant menu and was pleasantly surprised to see some choices that we were looking forward to enjoy

When we arrived at the restaurant, we were given a choice of “do you want Soup or Salad”? And I asked - “Why kind of soup and what kind of salad?”

No answer. Just again - “Soup or Salad” ?

I asked to see a menu. he again told us that we had a choice of soup or salad. Period. The couple across from us had a menu and I - again - asked to see one. Again I was asked “soup or salad” ? Period.

We ended up taking 2 of the Moroccan salads which were fine

Entrees ... we were refused seeing a menu and were told we were getting tagine.

“What kind of tagine? Poulet? Boeuf? Agneau? And I said I thought that I heard poisson being offered at the other table - I would like poisson instead please”

All we can surmise is that the only options we were going to be given for our “complimentary meal for the inconveniences “ was going to be the cheapest items on their menu and we had no choice or no say in the matter at all”

The hotel could be amazing but it needs a serious revamp in the hospitality and the housekeeping sectors

The wonderful first impressions faded very very quickly once we got to our room and ate in...

No matter how loudly or frequently the management describe this hotel as 5 star, it is only 3 star as other reviews have also made clear. A 5 star hotel needs 5 star service and 5 star fittings and finish. I attach some photos I took from our room and will let the reader of this review decide whether they are 5 star or not. Maybe management would tell me how they reconcile these photos with their claim that this is a 5 star hotel. When we originally arrived at the hotel, we received a pleasant welcome from the attendant in the car park who helped with our luggage. After that it was downhill. We were met with a very surly and unfriendly gentleman on Reception. We went up to our rooms and were told that our luggage would follow us shortly. After half an hour, our luggage had still not been brought up. I rang down to Reception saying we needed our luggage urgently. Again I was met with a very surly tone and told I had to wait. After another ten minutes, I went down to Reception and after I insisted we get our luggage, the receptionist in a most sulky and unprofessional manner flounced out from his desk and brought our luggage upstairs. I note that other reviews have also commented on the poor service from Reception, but nothing gets done to improve matters. I sent an email of complaint to senior management about this poor service but never received anything but a holding email. My complaint was in English because I am English. The reply was written in French. This is not 5 star service. The Hotel management could have come to find me either in our room or at the restaurant during breakfast. They made no effort to do so. This is not 5 star service. 5 star service starts with senior management and it is clear from the formulaic, vacuous and repetitive comments to bad reviews that they never actually address the issues but instead are frequently couched in the same management verbiage eg we have taken your comments to heart and we are working to improve our service. These type of comments from senior management appear frequently, but nothing ever seems to change. I'm sure I will get the same meaningless reply. As one other reviewer made clear the only 5 star feature of this hotel is the view of the sea from the rooms. I would...