On this post, I'm listing for you 10 things to do before booking a hotel in Morocco. These tips will help you avoid all sorts of inconvenience during your vacation in Morocco.
Like every other hotel in the world, every hotel in Morocco tries to look as best as they can on the internet, that's why you will only find good things about them on their pages on OTAs like booking.com, hotels.com, and tripadvisor.com.
They upload their most beautiful photos to catch your attention, and they write the best description to convince you to book their rooms and buy their offers.
This post is intended to help that are going to Morocco for the purpose of tourism. If you are moving to Morocco read this post "Expats In Morocco –All You Need To Know" It will provide you with useful information.
Here are my 10 tips and things to do before booking a hotel in Morocco:
Read the most recent reviews
I'm one of the people that don't care as much about the reviews found on booking websites. but it's one of the first things everyone does after finding an interesting place to stay.
I believe that not all reviews are sincere. Some guests leave exaggeratedly positive reviews for a modest facility and service while others leave negative reviews because the remote control wasn't working. Moreover, the ratings differ from one travel site to another. You can not tell which website to trust.
Read more: Forbes.com: This is the most trusted hotel review website
I usually focus on reasonable and most recent reviews. This way I get a clear idea about the place I am interested to stay in. Or I even sometimes contact those reviewers/guests if I have a particular question.
Read more: Agadir Travel Guide 2019: What to See, Do, Costs, & How To Stay Safe
Ask Travel Communities in Morocco
There are many active online travel communities in Morocco. If you want to know more about the culture, or you want to get some questions answered.
You can seek advice and information from locals and real travelers in these Moroccan travel communities:
EXPATS IN MOROCCO & MOROCCANS ????: This facebook group has about 12k members and most of them are expats from different nationalities living in Morocco.
Morocco Travel: This facebook group has 10k members and most of them are frequent travelers to Morocco.
MTC: Moroccan Travelers Community: There are more than 60k members in this facebook group. If you are a backpacker this group can provide with all the information you need. People mostly interact in Moroccan Arabic in this group but many of the members can speak English. If you have something to ask just post it and you will get answers.
These Moroccan travel communities can provide you with real and sincere information about hotels, places and can even answer any question you have about Morocco and the Moroccan culture.
Take some of your time and join these communities and ask for recommended places to stay, places to visit, what to do, etc. These communities are very active, your questions will be answered in no time.
Other groups, you might check:
EXPATS in MOROCCO
Morocco Travel FAQ
Expats & Internationals in Morocco
Morocco Vacation Travel Guide
Expats in Marrakech Morocco
Check the hotel's own website
Usually, hotels put some great deals on their own websites. Sometimes a lot better and cheaper than what you find on the booking websites. If you settled on the hotel you want to stay in, it'd be a good idea to check their own website and compare prices.
Read more: This Is How A Cheap Sea View Hotel Room In Agadir Looks Like
Haggle
Haggling might be considered offensive in some countries but in Morocco, it is a significant part of the Moroccan culture.
If you are a group of people or if you're planning for a long stay, and you feel like you deserve a better deal than what the hotel is offering; Give them a call and negotiate for a better offer. You might be surprised how far you would go if you have sharp haggling skills in Morocco.
Read more: The Art of Haggling in Morocco – Tips & Advice
Know what you're paying for
On booking websites, you will see that hotels offer services like gym, Sauna Jacuzzi, nightclub, etc... But they don't make it clear if these services are included in the price or they offer them at an extra cost. Also, many guests assume that breakfast is free, this is not common in morocco. Breakfast is not always included in the booking price.
Email or call the place you want to stay in and get all the necessary information. This way you will save yourself from a lot of frustration and disappointment during your vacation.
Read more: Agadir Nightlife: The Best Nightclubs In Agadir
6. Is the hotel family-friendly?
Some hotels are more family-friendly than others. If you are traveling to Morocco with your family you'd better stay in the best of them. The last thing you would want is not being comfortable with your precious ones during your vacation.
I and my family once spent a night at a hotel in Agadir and that hotel frequently hosts football teams. It wasn't a pleasant experience for us. Everything those football players do they do it out loud, they gave us a hard time finding peace in that hotel despite it was one of the best hotels in Agadir.
Here is my selection of the best 5 Star hotels in Agadir Morocco
Are pets allowed?
Not all hotels in Morocco allow pets into their facilities. If they're not making it clear in their description on travel websites, you will need to call them or email them to get a clear answer if you could bring your charming dog to their hotel or not.
Is there any construction in or near the hotel?
Only sincere hotels will make this clear on their website, but unfortunately, they aren't too many in Morocco.
Hotels prefer not to tell that they have ongoing construction work, otherwise, they might risk losing their coming guests.
It's normal for any hotel to make some reforms and make their facilities better, but it wouldn't be fair to pay money to stay in a place where you would hear digging noises all day long during your vacation.
Read the most recent reviews on travel websites, if some construction work is happening in the hotel, it will surely make guests angry and they will make sure to mention that on their reviews on the hotel page.
Know when is breakfast time
Know when is breakfast time in the hotel you're staying in. Breakfast time differs from one hotel to another.
In most hotels If you don't show up during the hotel's breakfast time, there would be no need to complain about it even if it's included in the price you have paid. So make sure you get informed about this matter.
Check the location of the hotel
Some hotels mention on their websites that they are only 10 min away from the beach or the center of the city, but they don't make it clear if it's 10 min on foot or by car.
Copy the name of the hotel and paste it on google maps search bar and see the exact location of the hotel. Then check if it is near the destinations you want to visit.
In case you have a car check if the hotel has a parking area or you will need to park your car away. Is parking free or not?
Get answers to all these questions before booking a hotel in morocco so as to be as much comfortable as you want to be during your vacation.
