The Palais Sebban is accessed down a maze of twisting alleyways....exactly the same way all Riads in Marrakech are. From the minute we stepped through the door into the beautifully renovated cluster of five separate houses around a magnificent original courtyard we were looked after exceptionally well. Our room was spacious, well appointed and cleaned daily to a high standard. The maids were enviably discreet and gracious. The rest of the hotel staff were friendly, courteous and helpful. The Palais Sebban is absolutely ideally situated and from it we walked everywhere, visiting all of Marrakech's treasures without needing a car/taxi once in ten days. Breakfast every day was varied and delicious and the one evening meal we had in the restaurant was some if the best food i have enjoyed in recent years. Moreover it was free, courtesy of the management as we were staying for more than four nights! I would highly recommend this Riad which, in my experience, was exceptional value for money.

I have no idea why Palais Sebban is advertised as a 4 star establishment.  3 stars, at best. Not worth the money. Do not recommend to anyone.

Low cleanliness standards, problems with hot water, heating, insects, smell, noise and a huge problem with the management's attitude.

Yes, the place has a unique, authentic feel and can look pretty on photographs. But these two pros are completely wiped out by numerous cons.  Here are just some specific examples:

When you arrive: This "4-star" accommodation is not accessible by car. To get to the hotel you either need to be dropped of from a helicopter or drag your luggage through a tiny twisty street in-between building walls. When we arrived, that street was essentially a dirt road with holes dug out in it (was it from some temporary work or was it its permanent state? it's hard to tell in Medina). A hotel employee helped us with some (we carried some too) of our luggage, which was appreciated. However, he did so by simply dragging our suitcases through the dirt and scraping them agains the walls (not ill-intended, he simply didn't know any better).  I am surprised nobody mentioned this major accessibility issue in their reviews here. I was also surprised the hotel staff didn't mention it to us when we called in advance asking about parking our rental car at the hotel.

The room: We booked a suite and were checked-in into the Mogador suite.  Having stayed in one or two suites before, I would never call that room a suite. It is not big enough, has only one single-space room, only one bathroom, no kitchen or anything of that kind.  Be aware: The Mogador "suite" is located directly above the kitchen and gets smelly and noisy from the kitchen; We were woken up multiple times by the noise of falling pan and pots. The windows have no nets and are not sealed by design, giving insects an easy point of access. At some point, we had a 2-inch cockroach-like insect crawling alongside our beds. 

The bathroom was so bad that we seriously contemplated not taking showers for the duration of our stay. It had two sinks, but one of them was not draining properly. The shower was scary to step in. Partially, because it was lacking lighting. Partially, because whatever i could see with the dim light was not helping. The shower chamber is certainly not tall enough for anyone above 6 feet (180 cm). Be aware: The shower runs out of hot water on the second person, and it does not come back for at least half an hour.
Overall, would not recommend this room to anyone.

Upkeeping: The cleaning staff are nice people and mean well, but the cleanliness standards set by the management are just too low. Dirty fingerprints on light switches are a norm. When we checked in, there was a dead bug in the bathroom, right by the toiletries - and i quote the management - "its okay, they come from the outside". When we checked in, there were no towels in the bathroom and, although our reservation was for 3 people and we paid a hefty 3-rd person surcharge and called a day before to confirm, there were only two single beds in the room.

The dining: Slow, very slow service. Very limited selection. And mostly not tasty. We were staying in December (it does get quite cold at night in Marrakech in December), and the restaurant was always too cold.  We had to wear our outwear and were still getting extremely cold. Not a pleasant way to have your breakfast or dinner.

The management: They could not care less. Not professional. Not courteous. I noticed that tend to reply to negative reviews posted online with a comment like "why didn't you tell us during your stay". Trust me, I was telling them. Everyday. At best, there was no reaction. At worst, we were given an attitude like "what are you talking about - your room is clean" or "insects can happen in any hotel" or "we are not a five-star hotel".

The bottom line: Palais Sebban is a NOT a 4-star establishment. 3-stars at best. Because of the management, I won't give it more than 2 stars.  Plenty of true 5-star hotels within 1 km from Medina charge comparable rates but provide better much better services and amenities. Don't stay in Palais Sebban.

Couldn't fault this jewel of a hotel inside the Medina of magical Marrakech. A free upgrade to a suite as soon as they heard it was my birthday, 26/11. Luxury accommodation, in the true tradition. The staff couldn't have been more attentive, nor helpful. Breakfast was a feast each morning, plenty of variety and yummy crepes or omelettes freshly cooked to accompany the buffet. The dining room had a welcome chimney with lovely log fire for sumptuous evening meals, better than the local restaurants. On the ground and lower levels it was chilly, not much sun, but the roof terraces gave great views over the city and had the sun all day. Don't forget this is winter, so not expecting a tan! I've just noticed a review by Rhiannon L. I had the same problem, but I blame Olotels.com who booked us. I found them less than useless in the after sales support, their call centre in Romania of all places! The management and staff at the hotel were very helpful, giving guide prices for various products and outings. We found the Kasbahs best for shopping, nice environment and fixed prices far less than opening offers from the persistent salesmen in the Souk!
To conclude, I can't wait to go back and there's no way I would book elsewhere. Well done, everyone!

My husband, I and our 3 sons stayed here in August 2012. The Riad is stunning, filled with traditional Morroccan ornaments and fixtures and intricate wall, floor and ceiling tiling. The colours are a feast on the eyes and you can sit in many different ares and on different terraces to take them in. The plunge pool is pretty and the hotel very calm and peaceful after a day out sightseeing and in the souks. There are plenty of private places to sit or you can enjoy a drink by the pool. Our room was huge, with a separate sitting area and 2 showers -lovely. The only things I would criticise are that we were only allowed to have one glass of fresh orange at breakfast, which is rather stingy given the overall cost of a stay there and that the bathrobes were not clean so we had to ask for them to be changed. If you want a place with a really romantic atmosphere or simply a peaceful, beautiful environment, this is it.