So Lounge Marrakech — Restaurant in Marrakesh Prefecture

Visited this place on our final night in Marrakech last month and was extremely disappointed to say the least. Initially we were so excited we found this place as the decor is very pretty and the menu looked good but the service was absolutely horrendous. Where do I start? We ordered a mixed starter which came to us cold with wilted lettuce. It was supposed to include 2 of each starter as there was two of us but they only gave us 1 shrimp fritter and 3 shrimp tempuras. I suspected they probably ran out of fritters hence the extra tempura which is not a big deal but I expected this to be communicated to us. I think ant normal waiter would’ve apologised and told us about it. Instead the waiter literally dropped the plate to us and ran off without saying a word. Like he was so busy even though the place was really empty. We told the nice lady at the door who came to check on us that the starters were cold and I guess she informed someone as our mains came over hot so I appreciated that.

When the mains came, the waiter accidentally dropped my glass which fell to the floor and shattered in to pieces all around us and one piece ended up cutting my arm and I was bleeding. I didn’t mind the glass falling and breaking because accidents happen but it took them about 20 mins for someone to come over and sweep up the bits of broken glass so my feet were just surrounded by broken glass. When I realised I was bleeding, I showed one of the waiters who went and got me some tissues. The bleeding wouldn’t stop and I realised I need a plaster. The waiter that dropped the glass came over to us to apologise and I told him it was fine but I needed a plaster and he eventually went and got me one. I later saw that waiter talking to another worker and laughing about what had happened. They both looked over my way and when they saw me staring, they quickly started walking away and pretending they weren’t looking at me. The waiter even used his arm to show his colleague where I was bleeding from.

Halfway through eating the mains, we asked for the bill so we can make a quick exit as soon as we’re done. Because, the whole time we were there, none of the servers would come up to us. We always had to call them if we wanted to order or if we needed something. It was really difficult to get their attention as they were avoiding us completely so it took us an hour to even order our food. I saw a couple come in after us and leave before us as the servers were so attentive towards them so they never had to wait for anything. The more alarming thing is, there were two tables of Caucasian people right next to us that received 10/10 service. The waiters were always attentive to these two tables, making sure they’re ok, clearing up efficiently, taking their orders. I don’t know why we didn’t get the same service. Perhaps because we aren’t Caucasian? I genuinely felt like we were racially discriminated against. Maybe because we looked like locals? I don’t know why this happened to us.

We did ask to speak to the manager at the end and it was purely to provide feedback just to tell his team to be better but the ‘manager’ that came up to us became argumentative and asked us ‘just the food was cold, is that it?’ We did tell him about one waiter that we pointed out who was actually really good to us, I forgot his name but he had long hair tied up and he took our drinks orders. He was the only competent man in that whole restaurant. The so-called ‘manager’ was a vile man with a disgusting attitude.

Overall it was a horrendous experience. The entertainment wasn’t fun or exciting, the food was bland and the whole team that were on shift that night desperately need customer service training. They are situated underneath Sofitel hotel so I would never have expected the Sofitel brand to be affiliated with an establishment that provides such poor service and is downright racist.

I would not recommend this place unless you’re visibly Caucasian-looking or you want to ruin...

The lounge itself is beautiful. The music was also fun. However the service is not up to the level. They never picked up the phone when we called them the day before. On the same day after opening hours, we called 7x without them picking up. We wanted to tell them that it’s my birthday, but they never picked up. When we got there, the workers do not smile, do not follow up, do not make eye contact, do not welcome. Every time we needed something we needed to try to get their attention so hard for them to come. Many workers for nothing. They didn’t serve a glass/bottle of water much less a cookie for free when we got there. Therefore for the money you leave there, it isn’t worth it or feel right. I left dehydrated and with a headache as I didn’t want to continue the annoying nonsense of trying to look for them, and get their attention to get me a 50 cl water bottle they sell for 50 dh. Imagine, a 2 L bottle in Morocco costs 6 dh. They didn’t even have the decency to offer me a small water bottle for free. Specially that we are in Morocco, a country where they always put in the table a water bottle and olives/ cookies as a welcome gesture. The worst is that at the end when I wanted them to take a picture of my husband and I, the result 2 pictures the lady took by the entrance were so carelessly taken and anybody can take better pictures. There was a girl having birthday and the band kindly sang for her, and I wanted to let the staff know that it’s my birthday too, but the staff were not following up with us and at the end I left feeling with a bitter sad taste. I have been at 5 starts hotel and when my husband used to tell them about my birthday, they would bring me a small cake as a gesture. (Just to show you the level of customer service at other places). I felt as if they are used to have people that can pay these prices and that they don’t care about you because tourists will continue to come. There was no communication or eye contact from their part so we didn’t get to tell them about my birthday. Otherwise, the guy bringing the shisha followed us up at least with the shisha and kindly refilled the carbon regularly from his own initiative. Yesterdays band (girl and two men) were amazing. The workers and the service downgrade the experience. The tables we sat in are also not made to eat there. I’ve never left a tip with such a bitter taste as this experience. + the parking is not for free. Even in local cafés in eastern countries, when you get a coffe, they bring you a glass of water for free. They never asked if everything was alright or if we needed something. Not coming back. Maybe they only cared about that other girl because she came with lots of friends which meant more money unfortunately, but I don’t know if they even followed her up, but at least the band sang her...

So Lounge has stunning decor, both inside and out, with an ambiance that's undeniably amazing. I visited on a Friday night, and while the DJ had great energy and a solid playlist, the service was extremely disappointing.

The waitress in charge of my section ignored me for over an hour, despite me repeatedly asking for a menu. She was overly attentive to a table behind me with Caucasian customers, completely disregarding my requests. Frustrated, I went to the bar to place my order directly, but they informed me that only a waiter could serve me at my table.

I then turned to a different waiter, who took my order for sheesha and assured me it would only take five minutes. By this point, it was 3:00 AM, with the lounge closing at 4:30 AM. However, the waiter disappeared for over 30 minutes, only to return and insist I must also order drinks. I explained that time was running out and I just wanted the sheesha first, but he refused and told me I needed to move to his section for him to serve me otherwise I should follow up with the waitress in my section.

When I went back to my assigned waitress to follow up on the order, she claimed there was no record of it and again pressured me to order drinks. Frustrated, I went back to the bar to order a cocktail directly, and this time I met the manager. I explained the situation, and he promised to deliver the cocktail himself. Meanwhile, the waitress stood nearby, watching and giving me side-eye.

At 4:00 AM, the sheesha was finally brought to my table, but with just 20 minutes until closing, I had no choice but to return it. I couldn't believe that I sat in the lounge for over two hours, with nothing on my table! 🤦‍♂️

The service was pathetic, inefficient, and racially discriminatory. Staff seemed more focused on competing with each other than meeting customer needs. While the decor is stunning, it doesn’t compensate for the lack of basic customer service. I wouldn’t...