Dear guest,

Feedbacks from our guests are very useful and very important to us so I would like to thank you for this comment.

I understand you appreciated Riad Monceau was “an incredibly beautiful riad with much attention to detail and very helpful staff, not to mention a great location” which is… no so bad ! But I understand also you were a bit disappointed and unhappy with your stay.

I am really sorry for that as we make great efforts to ensure every guest has a great time with us. But I don’t think we’re to blame.

As you perfectly explain you were coming to Morocco for a trek in the desert and after this trek you were looking for a simple and friendly guesthouse where to rest. You were already used to this type of inexpensive hotels and you were expecting Riad Monceau to be one of them.
But, as you say, though it is very small – 7 rooms only - Riad Monceau is more a hotel than a guesthouse managed by its owner and just one or two people. My husband and I are there of course but due to the standing of our house we’ve also 14 people working with us to make sure our guests receive the best service. And even though our staff are renowned for their kindness and helpfulness this can’t be compared for sure to a owner who can offer spending hours chatting with his guests.

There are about 700 riads in Marrakech, most of them being small guesthouses like the ones you’re used to stay. As far as we’re concerned we are more an exclusive place used to receive people looking for a romantic and luxury stay. We offer them a perfect location, fantastic surroundings and décor, luxury rooms and a unique onsite gourmet restaurant. In short : all they need to get great days and nights ; great food, nice ambiance, even at night which makes Riad Monceau quite a unique place (after 8pm most riads offer no other possibilities than going to bed or going outside to have dinner…). Therefore, though Riad Monceau is definitely NOT a noisy place it is true we offer some ambiance at night, and we’re really proud of it ! So I totally understand that, because your only purpose was going to bed early, this ambiance was not the one you were looking for. It’s really a pity because, as said before, Riad Monceau is quite unique in its own way whereas most Marrakech small riads are perfect places to rest and.. do no more than rest.

I am not sure we deserve this 3/5 mark but I perfectly understand why you are giving it to us. I am not sure we deserve to be blamed either and we’ve definitely no reason to blame you (even though we don’t like very much average marks !). The only one to be blamed in fact is the agency that suggested you should stay at Riad Monceau without making sure this would be the best place for you to stay. Of course, due to our very good reputation we know that most agencies suggest their clients to stay at our hotel but this is not fair : the best hotel is the one that is going to be good for you… and it is obvious that Riad Monceau, whatever its qualities, cannot pretend to be the perfect hotel for every traveler coming to Marrakech.

This is why I strongly suggest to every traveler to arrange his stay personally. First of all one should think of what he’s exactly looking for, then one should take time to visit the hotels’ websites and check carefully the reviews and tips on Tripadvisor. If you do so there’s a good chance you find and choose a hotel that matches perfectly your wishes. That’s the best way to avoid misunderstandings and disappointments.

Thank you to Tripadvisor for allowing us to publish this management reply.
Isabelle Aubry
Owner Le Riad Monceau
Boutique hotel, gourmet restaurant and cooking school