Royal Mansour Marrakech

I have wanted to experience The Royal Mansour Hotel for myself for a long time. I have been fortunate enough to travel extensively throughout my life, staying at hotels of all grades, though my appreciation of those at the luxury end of the spectrum has increased as I have grown older. I have reviewed and assessed hotels for many years and sharing my findings and impressions with people is something I find very pleasurable. Hopefully I have been able to share insight and ideas with my 0.8 million readers. I saw a documentary about The Royal Mansour several years ago and it certainly captivated my imagination. The hotel is located in the heart of The Medina and is actually a medina within the medina. I found the website to be very helpful in assisting me select the most suitable riad for myself and customer services were very swift in coming back to me with answers to a few questions. I opted for the Premier Riad since it had the highest specifications for one or two persons. I usually travel solo, particularly when I am researching venues. Whenever possible I like to book directly with a venue rather than through an agency. There are advantages to both methods however this reviewer finds that venues are getting much more competitive in their offers in an attempt to attract customers to book direct. My package gave me a 4-night stay for the price of 3 and I found that to be perfect. Return airport transfers were included, as was fast track through passport control both ways. Breakfast was also included as well as soft drinks from the mini bar. This last point was the only aspect of my stay that did not happen with perfection without the need for me to make daily follow-up requests. The hotel contacted me a few days ahead of my arrival to confirm the arrangements and to identify any specific requirements that I might have. Before I left home I already felt valued. My arrival was seamless, and as I exited the aircraft and moved towards immigration, I was met en route by the airport fast track representative, who spoke excellent English and was lively and animated. It was a delight to be escorted immediately to an immigration officer who admitted me. I was then handed over to the Royal Mansour driver, Abdelanti, who took me to the awaiting Bentley for the 20-minute drive to the hotel. He was friendly and once again spoke excellent English. He advised me that he has worked for Royal Mansour for 16 years so I believe that says something positive from both sides of the equation. As I approached the hotel entrance and exited the car, the senior staff from each department were lined up to greet me individually. This was an incredibly personalised and delightful touch. I was seated by a concierge, Mahdi, who served me with mint tea and completed the check-in formalities. He escorted me around the principal locations of the hotel such as the spa and the restaurants, and we then moved on to my riad. I was immediately impressed by the sheer opulence of the building and the high standards to which it was designed, built and furnished. The official check-in time was 15:00 however my riad was ready on my arrival at 11:00 and this was very greatly appreciated. The ground floor of the riad consisted of a tiled entrance hall leading into an open roofed lounge that had a small fountain. There were comfortable chairs and huge plants and I became instantly aware that I was effectively in my own house. Sliding doors lead into a large sitting room where any guests could be seated comfortably. This led into an internal lounge that was traditionally furnished to an incredibly high standard with tiled floors and high-quality fabric curtains. There was a floral arrangement that was changed during my stay, and a fireplace, a separate table and a fully stocked minibar. The soft drinks were replenished daily, though I did need to remind the hotel each day. The was a high-quality writing desk. All rooms had incredibly high ceilings, and the temperature was individually controlled to a comfortable standard. There was a separate kitchen room that had a microwave and a fridge and more bottled water. There was a toilet on this level and a tiled winding staircase led up to the first floor. This first floor had an extensive wardrobe and dressing room that was curtained off. A short corridor led to the opulent bedroom that had a wooden parquet floor. The bed was huge and extremely comfortable, with high quality fabrics, pillows and cushions. The bed, linens and pillows were very high quality with a high thread count. There was a small vanity desk by the window and the curtain fabrics were high quality and very effective for blackout. The room benefited from atmospheric lighting that could be individually controlled and had a huge armchair with foot rest. This chair formed a central feature. Again, there was plentiful storage space. Very attractive, floor-to-ceiling carved wooden doors separated a further dressing room that contained a safe. A few rugs and mats were scattered around the room. More carved wooden doors lead to a huge tiled bathroom with a separate toilet and bidet room and a massive shower room. High quality weighing scales were in the room. Two bathrobes were provided and a generous supply of extremely soft and fluffy towels. The room had a massive tiled bath, providing every comfort that could be desired. High quality toiletries were provided. A further winding staircase led to the third floor, where there was another toilet and a door leading out to the terrace. Views from here were over the roofs of adjacent riads but structured in such a way as to provide complete privacy. It became extremely hot up there during the day and I learned very quickly to be sure I wore the slippers which were provided. On the terrace was a private cabana that provided some protection from the heat during the day. Four attractive tiled steps lead to an upper level, which consisted of two loungers with an umbrella, a fireplace for cooler months and extremely attractive potted plant arrangements. There was a shower and a medium sized plunge pool, which was sun heated and this retained the temperature at night. In colder months the water temperature can be manually adjusted upwards by the hotel. Subtle lighting on the terrace made for a very pleasant experience during hours of darkness. Pool towels were provided and the entire terrace area was extremely relaxing and comfortable. Palm trees were interspersed between the raids. All rooms had a at least one wall-mounted tablet from which the temperature and the lighting could be individually controlled. There is also a button that control the entire riad with do not disturb signs to the staff. Staff accessed the riad via external and underground tunnels. It took a little adjustment to get used to this but it worked extremely well and the staff were courteous and discreet. Malika Gargour was my principal housekeeper and she really was sunshine on legs; radiating joy and happiness constantly. My riad was maintained to the highest conceivable standards of cleanliness and brilliance. There is a large outdoor pool in the complex and also a spa. I did not use these. There are four restaurants available and breakfast is taken in a delightful outdoor one that provides plenty of shade if desired. A large menu is available and this contains an extensive range of options. The service could not be more welcoming however special mention must go to Mustaffa, who is without doubt especially strong for his warmth and attention to detail. For example, I liked sparkling water to drink and asked for plenty of ice to be provided. A few minutes later, Mustaffa returned proactively not only with ice, but with a small plate of sliced lemon to add to the ice and water. He was the only server to do this during my stay and he displayed an exemplary work ethic. Nothing appeared to be too much trouble for the staff and all requests were received positively. Food items were very fresh and plentiful and refills of anything were freely offered. I dealt with the reception staff and concierge staff on several occasions and I found these to be extremely accommodating and helpful. Foreign currency could be exchanged at reception and the rate was very fair. When making arrangements to leave, I was delighted to receive a personalised 6-hour extension to my checkout time as I had a mid-evening flight. This was so helpful and enabled me to take afternoon tea before my departure. The afternoon tea was extensive and served delightfully, with very fresh products provided. Staff were again attentive. My stay at Royal Mansour was a true delight and genuinely deserves the five-star rating I have given for the facilities, cleanliness, service and sheer opulence. Although some might consider stays to be expensive, I would defend this by saying that it was perfectly and fairly balanced with extremely high standards that guests enjoy. There are three hotels that stand out with me for providing a complete five star or even six-star experience and both on different continents. Royal Mansour is in joint first place with the other two. I sincerely appreciate the facilities and hospitality that has been offered to me by the management and staff over a most delightful four-night stay.