La Villa Mandarine

This was our first hotel during our visit to Morocco so this beautiful Riad set a high standard for the rest of the trip. Even though it was also a short stay in this beautiful Riad, it was a beautiful one. The courtyard was just so charming. Walking around the grounds was breathtaking. Everything was so beautiful. If we visit Rabat again, I would love to stay here again.

This beautiful villa is set amid gardens filled with blooms, trees and a lovely, large pool. The main courtyard had a small fountain and was surrounded by rooms on 2 levels (yes there is an elevator for mobility requirements). Our deluxe room was bright, comfortable, large and had a small balcony. It was spotlessly clean, beds were comfortable and a small tray of cookies and fruit was delivered on arrival. The pool was cool but not jarring and the restaurant food and service was outstanding for both dinner and breakfast. There is a small shop on-site where you can purchase the jams and honey that is produced from their gardens. It was a quiet oasis in the middle of a large city and a favourite of mine. Wish I had spent more than one night. Highly recommended!

This was our last stop during our two weeks in Morocco. We loved Morocco and enjoyed great accommodations in all the places we visited. However, this hotel was disappointing on many levels: the staff's welcome was rude, and the food was awful! Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere.

We came with a tour group . So we had no choice in hotels . Location: poor .. there’s nothing around . You’re stuck here! Hotel : beautiful oasis property. Lovely rooms and nice bathrooms . Small amenities come with the room . No iron . Our room had a quaint outdoor space which was lovely too . You have to remember this place was once upon a time somebody’s home. Restaurants/food. : this is where I felt this place completely was a fail. A drink is US$20 and their food menu was $30-$40 per plate. But there is no taste, it is extremely bland, and just so boring for such a beautiful culture. But once again, you are stuck, there’s nothing around here.

The photos don't really do it justice! This is such a beautiful hotel, with many surprising nooks and crannies, each one with its own character. The rooms are spacious and the bathrooms well appointed. Sitting in the room with the door to our balcony open, the birds give an auditory hint at the beauty of the garden that surrounds this hotel. The paths are lined with orange and mandarin trees and many varieties of flowers. The original building houses the bar, billiard room, meeting rooms etc. The lodging area of the hotel is a newer build, but great effort has been made to marry it to the Moroccan aesthetic and architectural history. Every detail is beautiful. Gorgeous antique carpets and furniture are everywhere and the walls are dotted with stunning ceramics. The food in the restaurant is excellent and there is a delightful outdoor patio for a mint tea in the afternoon. But beyond all the amenities and the beautiful surroundings, the staff at this hotel are top-notch!! Everyone we met and interacted with, from the lovely and efficient women who serviced our room, to the friendly wait staff in the restaurant to the very helpful people at the front desk, all were so eager to make our stay happy and comfortable. We used the concierge service quite extensively and they always found answers to our questions. We had plans to move to a different hotel for part of our stay in Rabat, but changed our plans because we felt so at home at Villa Mandarine. We are serious travellers and have stayed in boutique hotels all over the world and in fact were owners of a boutique hotel in the Congo for many years, so this review comes from a place of experience. I would not hesitate to stay here again, nor would I hesitate to recommend it to a friend. My only comment would be that personally, I would have preferred to see Moroccan or African art on the walls rather than all the European prints. In our hotel in the Congo, we had original art in each of the rooms and it added a lot to the aesthetic of the hotel while promoting the work of the local artists.

Place is relatively well maintained. Area is safe but really not anywhere close to any tourist areas. The place is around all residential houses. So if you want somewhere quiet to relax then it's a place for you. Their pool is not heated so if you want to cool down, then great to use. There is staff to watch over the rooms at night. I saw him a couple of times lurking in the corner. Restaurant was good. no complaints Quiet, Rooms had a balcony with views of the court yard Shower is a little odd. There was no way of not flooding the floor each time we showered. Suggestions for the hotel: 1. i would expand the gift shop. All they had was a cubby hole of items for sale. You had to ask reception to open the door as there is no dedicated person there. since it's in the middle of nowhere, i think customers would buy because there is nothing to do. 2. consider offering shuttle services to the souk even if you charge a nominal fee. I think a lot of customers would sign up for this. 3. spa. I went 3 times to the spa. If you know travellers are coming, I would be open more hours and have more personel at those times. Travellers are tired and interested in trying the hamam. Each time i went, it was either closed or there was NO one there to see if there is any opening. I would suggest that if people are interested that reception books for the spa. Again, it would generate a good stream of income if run effectively 4. please consider having a dedicated email address for incoming travellers. I wanted to book beforehand for the spa but cannot contact. Again, it is a loss of business for the hotel

A lovely city deserves lovely places to stay, and Villa Mandarine certainly steps up to the mark. A delightful, well furnished and appointed, spacious room, overlooking lovely gardens. Blissfully quiet, the Villa Mandarine oozes charm. The pool looked very tempting, but time wasn’t with us. The reception staff were positively charming. An excellent evening dinner, really enjoyed the Bissara soup, which we had not tried before, but main courses were also top notch. Slight niggle that the breakfast wasn’t at the same stellar levels; whilst there were 4 members of staff on duty, they were more keen on chatting to each other than attending to guests. A good selection on offer for the buffet breakfast, but some labels would help, for items that couldn’t be easily identified. There was a vaguely quiche looking item, which we didn’t know and consequently didn’t try. But divination would have helped in ascertaining the contents of the various insulated beverage containers. Not a cheap place to stay, but, oh boy, it was worth every penny.

Our 10-day journey in Morocco began with 2-day stay at La Villa Mandarine. It was the most enjoyable stay and can't be better. It was talked about through our journey and will be treasured and remembered for lifetime. Everything is great at La Villa Mandarine - a tranquil heaven: wake up in the morning listening to birds’ songs, cock crowing, wander in beautiful garden amazed at unexpected discoveries and encounters, sit in the balcony enjoying sunshine and watching sunset, end the day with play at pool table after great meal (fish tagine was the best!) and wine… the staff is very friendly. Special thanks to Anass Kabourim who made rooms available for us.