El Olivar Palace Marrakech Hotel in Marrakech

This is not the hotel that we booked for our holiday, but our usual was closed for our trip time so we were asked to swap to El Olivar by our tour company. In the main the staff were friendly and helpful. The cleanliness in the hotel / rooms was good. The food wasn't that good, not much choice even though it was buffet style, it tended to be the same cooked in different ways and was not very warm. The water from our sink was not a good flow and didn't get warm, not sure if this was the same in all the rooms or just ours. No heat in the room. My friends and I all agreed that the star rating didn't match the amenities, it was quite basic for it's rating , needs to be updated. We have been to Marrakech on many occasions so feel able to compare El Olivar to other hotels with the same rating. I must add that I had a Hamman massage at the spa on the hotel site and it was excellent, good value for the money.

I recently stayed at El Olivar for two weeks with my family, ending with AR, Spa and Palace. While the hotel is advertised as five-star, in my opinion it is closer to a solid three to four stars at best. Positives: • The staff were impeccable – very welcoming, kind, and attentive throughout our stay. I want to give special recognition to Younes, who I believe is one of the hardest working members of staff. He was always present from breakfast through to lunch, and his service towards our family was outstanding. • The food was good, though I feel the children’s range was limited (more on this below). Areas for improvement: • Spa / Hammam experience: Having had hammams regularly in London, I was very disappointed with the service here. A true hammam involves applying black soap, steaming to allow it to sink in, washing it off, and then scrubbing with a kessa glove to exfoliate dead skin. What we received was not this at all: black soap was applied, but instead of a steam room we were asked to sit on heated marble slabs. The scrubbing was done with the soap still on (which meant no proper exfoliation), and then we were simply washed off and given a light soap massage. This is not a hammam. For anyone unfamiliar, it might pass as one, but for those of us who know, it felt like we were charged for something entirely different. It was honestly very disappointing. • Facilities: There was often a sewer smell coming from the bathrooms, which was unpleasant. At one point the washer in our toilet wasn’t working and we had to call for help. • Room keys: The room cards constantly stopped working. We had to go back and forth to reception several times to get replacements, which was frustrating. • Children’s food options: While the main food selection was good, the choices for children were very limited – mostly pizza, chips, pastries and sweets. There really should be more variety and healthier options for kids. • ATM machine: Be warned – using the hotel’s ATM comes with very high charges. Overall: The hotel itself looks beautiful, and we did enjoy our stay thanks to the amazing staff. However, I would not rate it five-star as advertised. There are too many areas that need improvement, from the spa authenticity to the food range and facilities upkeep. With a few changes, this hotel could truly live up to its potential.