Jaal Riad Resort

Decent hotel but 3 star not 4. Very understaffed in dining and bar areas, resulting in long waits for drinks and tables to be cleared for dining. Maid service excellent and facilities clean. The worst aspect of this hotel is reception, most of the staff have a terrible attitude. Assistance seems to depend on if they can be bothered. As an example we were told they did not change local currency back into pounds, but a couple just a few hours earlier had done just that. They just couldn't be bothered. Will definitely visit Marakesh again. Will Not stay at Jaal. Sending this whilst waiting for airport transfer, so annoyed.

We have just returned from a week’s stay at this hotel and wanted to leave an honest review based on our experience.

Firstly, there are definitely some positives. The hotel itself was generally clean and well maintained. The pool area was clean and tidy with plenty of sunbeds, and we never had an issue finding somewhere to sit. Our room was spacious and clean, although in my opinion the rooms could benefit from some modernisation and a general freshen-up.

The location is convenient, particularly as it is close to the airport. However, this does mean the hotel is directly affected by aircraft coming in and out, so there can be quite a lot of plane noise. This didn’t ruin our holiday, but it is worth being aware of if you are looking for somewhere particularly peaceful and quiet during the day.

The staff were generally pleasant and polite. However, compared with other hotels we have stayed in, I wouldn’t say the service went that extra mile. At times it felt as though better or more attentive service was linked to tipping, and even then we have experienced much better service elsewhere.

The bars

This was one of the first areas where problems became noticeable.

The bars constantly seemed to run out of beer, wine and certain spirits. It almost felt as though there was a set amount available each day and, once it was gone, that was it until the following day. On several evenings we were simply told we were “too late”, which appeared to mean they had run out for the night.

There is also effectively only one main bar operating at any given time. The pool bar is open approximately 11am–6pm and can get extremely busy, so expect to wait to be served. The evening bar then operates from around 6pm–11pm.

For an all-inclusive hotel, we were surprised that the included bar service finished at 11pm. If you wanted a drink after that, you were expected to pay for it.

Restaurant and service

The same restaurant is used for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and unfortunately it often felt chaotic.

Finding a table could be difficult, and even once you found one there could be a considerable wait for it to be cleared and cleaned, with fresh cutlery and glasses provided.

The restaurant staff appeared to be working hard and constantly rushing around, so I don’t necessarily blame the individual staff members. It simply felt understaffed and poorly organised. In my opinion, considerably more waiting staff are needed.

THE BIGGEST PROBLEM – THE FOOD

Unfortunately, this was by far the biggest disappointment of the entire holiday.

It genuinely didn’t seem to matter whether you arrived as soon as the restaurant opened or later during service — much of the food was lukewarm or cold.

The choice was also quite limited, and when we did find something we fancied, it was often either lukewarm, chewy or tough.

More concerning for us was the cooking of certain foods. On a few evenings we saw chicken that appeared pink and undercooked, which obviously made us very wary of eating it.

There is a breakfast station where omelettes are cooked fresh. We tried these twice and on both occasions ours were still runny in the middle and did not appear to be properly cooked through.

The food became such an issue that numerous guests were ordering takeaway food from local restaurants and places such as KFC, Burger King and pizza shops. During our week, we regularly saw takeaway deliveries arriving at the hotel.

Several people we spoke to during the holiday also experienced stomach problems. At least five or six people within the group of guests we knew or spoke with suffered either sickness or diarrhoea during the week. I am personally still suffering with diarrhoea six days later.

I cannot say what caused anyone’s illness, but given our experience with the temperature and apparent cooking of some of the food, it certainly added to our concerns.

What is particularly disappointing is that, having looked at previous reviews, complaints about the food do not appear to be new.

Management and staff must surely also be aware of the number of guests having takeaway food delivered to the hotel. When guests who have already paid for an all-inclusive holiday are regularly paying additional money to order KFC, Burger King, pizza and other takeaway food, I would have thought management would be asking why.

Overall

For us, this simply was not a 5-star experience. Based on our stay, I would personally rate it closer to a 3-star hotel.

The rooms were clean and spacious, the location was convenient, and the pool and sunbathing areas were very good. If I were reviewing those aspects alone, I would have very few complaints.

Unfortunately, the food and restaurant experience badly let the hotel down.

Food is a major part of an all-inclusive holiday, and guests should not feel they need to regularly order takeaway food because they cannot find something suitable, properly cooked or hot enough to eat in the hotel restaurant.

We spoke with many other guests during our stay who expressed very similar views, particularly regarding the food.

It is a shame because there are some genuinely good aspects to this hotel and it has the potential to be much better. However, until the standard, temperature, choice and consistency of the food are seriously addressed, we would not return to this hotel.

If we visit Marrakech again, unfortunately we will be looking elsewhere.

Firstly please do not pay extra for all inclusive “plus” because quite frankly you get nothing extra for it. They say you get “selected international branded drinks”, which are specifically Johnny Walker Red, Smirnoff, Bacardi, and Gordon’s, however I watched as those without all inclusive plus also got those branded drinks without paying extra for them. So if you like JD, Vodka Redbull, Baileys, Aperol, or even a cold can of coke then you will be paying for it (£6.50 for a can of Redbull!). When I complained I was told as a goodwill gesture I could have those drinks for one night only, only for the Redbull to be conveniently sold out. Fortunately there is a supermarket in a shopping mall nearby where it’s about a pound a can.

Secondly the food is awful - cold, repetitive, not very nice, poor quality, and potentially the cause of diarrhoea which ran through the six of us that stayed here at the end of August. We did end up going out a few times for dinner.

Thirdly, bring your own towels. You have to pay a £25 deposit for each towel - I don’t know why because they are poor quality, well used, and threadbare. You obviously get the deposit back at the end of the holiday but why - who would steal one of their towels.

Fourthly, the complimentary À la carte restaurant was not really free. We had to pay a supplement on more than half the items on the menu, which again was not very nice - paid a £12 supplement for a fillet steak which was over cooked and tough as old boots.

The positives? The room was nice and big, bed was comfortable, and the air conditioning worked well, they were cleaned every day although I don’t know how the cleaner did not spot the huge cockroach in the middle of the floor in the toilet which had just been freshly mopped. Bottled water was left every day, and we needed the fresh toilet rolls that were also left every day too!

The pool was refreshing and welcome in the heat which was low to mid-30s everyday. We got up early so we got sun beds every day in the same place. The hotel didn’t seem to be too crowded.

We had a late flight on our last day and we were able to still get food and drinks up-to when we left.

This was meant to be a special holiday - the first time we had been away with our four adult kids since they were kids, but it was extremely disappointing, and we felt the “plus” was mis-sold.