Atlas Essaouira & Spa

This is a preliminary review and I may alter it, but for the love of God, what is with the duvet only model? Especially in a room that has no AC! I know this is common place, but some of us sleep hot and having to strip the duvet out of the cover it’s not something I should have to do.Please provide a top sheet! The hotel was otherwise nice and in a great location. I have not yet had an opportunity to experience the service.

On the night of 25th October the guitarist in the Piano Bar was phenomenal! We’d intended to head into the medina for the evening but stayed in the hotel purely because of him. Apart from that we’ve had a great stay. Fabulous large swimming pool. The best location for lovely walks left and right. Excellent breakfast and comfortable beds. Wonderful staff and such a friendly man on the front door.

Bad points first. |Pool absolutely freezing. Far too cold to enjoy.|Maintenance of hotel pretty lackadaisical. Broken floor tiles around pool etc.|Our room had a huge deep damp area probably caused from the bath being cracked, which also did not drain. You could have a bath and shower simultaneously! The shower actually fell off the wall while I was using it. Advised reception staff. Guy came and moved shower head along the wall. Did not unblock drain. Grunted at the long term deep damp on bedroom wall where plaster was all falling off and that was that. |Restaurant. Often had to ask for a cup, a spoon, milk, a glass etc as constantly empty and not replenished despite plenty of staff standing behind counter. Tables were mostly not laid ready for next guests and were not laid even when they could see us sat there. Coffee machine was hit and miss. E.g if you want a hot chocolate press latte! Most choices didn't work at all. |Fridge door in room hanging off. Wardrobe didn't close.|Good points 👉 staff friendly and reception staff very helpful. The cleaners worked hard all day both inside and out. |Food was OK (if you like decent tea take your own!) |The gym was what you'd expect. Basic but good enough. |I'd give this 3* max.

OMG - the bar staff are amazing. I did not stay at this hotel but often pop in. They make the best cocktails on town, the bar has floor to ceiling windows and a sea view to die for. Staff are lovely and very kindly treated me to a delicious tricolore salad and a plate of petits gateaux as I enjoyed my cocktails. I was not expecting these and they were much appreciated!

5 stars for sea-front views and lovely lobby|3 stars for maintenance |1 star for housekeeping||This was once a premier hotel in Essaouira and it is trying to hold on to this reputation. It is a beautifully designed property that is hampered by poor maintenance and sloppy housekeeping.||You should check everything when you get to your room - make sure everything works and housekeeping has left coffee/tea supplies, has refilled the soap/shampoo containers, that there are towels and that the shower and toilet work properly.||The door locks to my first room (garden view) did not work. When I want to reception to get re-keyed, I asked the additional cost for a sea view room. It was just $40. a night and worth it for the larger room and especially the view. I had room 136.||Unfortunately, the room had maintenance problems. Shower function did not work and had to be repaired twice, chair upholstery is stained, mirror had discoloration, some furniture was banged up/scratched and needed polishing, there were insufficient towels, and the coffee/tea set up was incomplete||It would take so little effort and not much money to again make this one of the most desirable hotels in Essaouira. The rooms are well designed with good lighting and electrical outlets everywhere, and all it needs is attention to details.||Some recommendations:||*work on the anemic air conditioning|*polish the scuffed, unsightly furniture with a bit of stain to make the furniture look better (especially the coffee table)|*re-do the chair upholstery|*put some towel racks in in the bathroom in the large space across from the toilet area|*give housekeeping a checklist to insure that rooms are setup properly||On a more positive note, reception staff is friendly and helpful and the the breakfast buffet is generous and there is an egg chef.||It is about a 20 minute (1 mile) walk along the seafront to the medina. It is inexpensive to take a taxi (7 dirham) if you want to save your energy for shopping. I especially recommend the Jewelry Souk with store after store of dazzling silver and gold jewelry at the best prices I saw in Morocco.||With the hotel room in the same condition, I would not want to return. If a little attention was paid to the rooms, I would love to stay at this hotel again.

The Atlas Essaouria is advertised as a 5 star. It does have all of the amenities to give it 5 stars. However, it is the build quality, maintenance and poor cleaning that pulls it down. ||On first appearance the lobby looks beautiful with fresh flowers, open and looks ‘grand’. However, the rooms are very tired and lacking any real decor or local flavour. You could be anywhere in the world.||We agree with many of the other comments about rooms not being cleaned thoroughly and maintenance issues (doors to cabinets did not fit or were hanging off hinges etc). Chrome handles and other items were tarnished or had finger prints. Much was rusty, possibly due to the salt water? Or dousing the rooms with water when mopping as the corridor was wet mopped and water came over a third of the way into the lounge from under the door.||We had the Ambassador Suite so can only note about our provision. The rooms were spacious with a separate lounge room and bedroom, large bathroom with walk in shower, separate toilet/bidet area and double sinks. We also had a large balcony overlooking the beach and Atlantic as the Atlas is just across from the beach. I would dispute there is a private beach as the beach appeared to be for the public and is open for all. As it is beach front it can be noisy as the main road to the town is directly in front of the hotel.||A large TV was in the lounge room and the bedroom.||We were surprised to find that water was only provided free on the first day. After this any water, coffee etc had to be paid for. There is a fridge.||Breakfast was good and we were happy with the options available. There was hot, cold food: cheese and salami style meats, breads, pastries and cakes, cereals and an outside egg station. The lady making omelettes and pancakes was a real trojan working her socks off as there was no let up in orders. These fresh eggs were delish! Coffee is from a machine and is not that great.||The bar staff are attentive and helpful but smoking is prevalent inside which we did not like. Bar food was available such as pasta, pizza and local options. A good local red wine is sold by the glass.||There is a lovely courtyard and pool area, but we did not use it.||We arrived just before new year and there had been no thought about how to include new arrivals who did not know there was going to be party or needed to pre-book. No provision for vegetarian, although there was reassurance something would be done.

Updated review: the manager contacted us and sincerely apologized for everything, and compensated us by free dinner. They also seem to be genuinely kind people who are trying to step up their game. Original review: We were welcomed by: ‘your room is not ready, come back in 1hour.’ After 1h we were told that it’s still not ready. Second disappointment was the breakfast. 200dirham for standing in a 10-15 minute queue for an omelette. Only fresh fruit there was were oranges. The only warm dishes were mainly vegetables, no variety of salads or dishes, or some specialties. With such a beautiful hotel the potential for outstanding food is definitely missed. 3rd disappointment: we found our room unlocked, after the daily cleaning.

I was here as part of an escorted tour. When I got to my room, there was a long hair on the bathtub. I reported it and it was taken care of. There is no heating in a location when in November it got down to the 50s. Their explanation was that the system had been changed recently. How will guests deal with the cold come January and February? There were only two hangers in the closet. I noticed the next morning water coming out of the toilet toward the floor. When I left to tour the city in the morning, I told the receptionist that I only had two hangers and water was coming out on the floor where the toilet is. Nothing was done. I came back in the evening to find two hangers and water on the bathroom floor. I called reception and they finally sent someone right away. They couldn't fix it that evening. Another guy brought me more hangers. I left on tour the following morning. They had finally fixed the toilet when I returned. The walls are thin. I kept hearing a person cough next door. The included buffet breakfast is great and there is an omelet station.