Riad Joy in Fes

I rarely write reviews after staying at hotels, even though I know about the Trip Coin rewards and have skipped it a few times out of laziness. But this experience was truly something I had to share.

About ten minutes before arriving at the hotel, we contacted them via WhatsApp to inquire about parking, but received no response. Upon arriving near the hotel, we discovered that Trip.com's claim of a "hotel parking lot" was completely false; it was just an extremely dirty and chaotic area. We intended to park first and then try to contact the hotel, but at that moment, two men suddenly appeared, banging on our car windows and forcibly directing us to park where we wanted. I told them I needed to find hotel staff to confirm the parking location.

Unexpectedly, the two men seemed to already know which hotel we were staying at. They even had our hotel's contact information on their phones, but the number was completely different from the one provided on Trip.com. During this time, they repeatedly demanded parking fees and even threatened us, saying that if we didn't pay, students from the nearby school might vandalize our car.

After making a phone call and speaking a string of words we couldn't understand, a man emerged a while later with my Trip.com booking confirmation, which convinced us he was a hotel employee. However, this employee was chatting and laughing with the two men, seemingly part of the same group. Trip.com's claim of "no reservation required" parking was completely false: you'd be threatened and extorted if you didn't find a hotel employee beforehand; but even if you did, they seemed to be in cahoots. Ultimately, we were forced to pay 40 local currency, after which the two men "enthusiastically" helped us move our luggage with a trolley in front of the employee. We initially thought this was a hotel service, but as soon as the luggage was in the trolley, they demanded more money, with the hotel employee even saying we should give them at least 20.

As for the hotel's facilities, the room had an unpleasant odor upon entering; the air conditioning, while cold enough, made strange noises when running; hot water was available, but it dripped all night, and the noise disturbed our sleep; the bathroom was completely unpartitioned, without even a simple shower curtain, causing water to leak directly from the shower.

I've never had high expectations for hotel facilities, and the points mentioned above are merely objective observations, which I personally find acceptable. However, what I absolutely cannot accept is the feeling that everyone in Fez was trying to scam tourists. The helplessness and insecurity felt when you think you can only trust the hotel staff, only to find they are utterly untrustworthy, is incredibly intense.

Furthermore, the Trip.com booking stated the city tax was only a little over 11 euros, yet the hotel staff demanded 12 euros from us. This isn't about the money; it's about integrity. My stay at this hotel was entirely stressful.

If Trip.com could give a zero, I would give this hotel a zero. This zero isn't for the facilities, but because the hotel offered absolutely no sense of security. Even the hotel staff seemed constantly plotting against you; every minute spent there felt like you were in danger.