As stated, I don't readily moan at hotel experiences but I really need to share what happened. Let me first say, the hotel staff were absolutely lovely and they all spoke English, which was a bonus as my french isn't too great. However, the buffet style food wasn't exactly what i expected -not only was it set out like food in a catering hall but due to each pot being warmed by a bunsen burner flame, if you didn't arrive downstairs at dead on 7.30pm, the food would be cold. The food was nice, but it was rather repetitive and only morroccan dishes were available including deserts. Every other day you got the same meal as two days ago!!! To make things worse, the breakfast for our 7 days staying at this hotel was the same croissants and bread - dough, dough and more dough. After two days, I got fed up and skipped breakfast although my parents continued going for brekkie as they just put up what was on offer. For variety there was a lady making pancakes but, not being nasty, she didn't look the most hygienest person to be making nor serving food. Although the weather outside was quite nice, inside the hotel was freezing cold. We tried putting the heaters on in the room but it only blew out out air for about half an hour in a day. It seems as if they regulate the satellite tv in the hotel so when we first arrived, the morning news was on in English, then they reverted all programmes to Arabic but it didn't really matter by then as we went sight seeing. Then after 4 days later, they changed one channel to all English speaking (which was great!). Unfortunately, at one point, there was about 10 people staying at the hotel, including the three of us and for dinner, there was no buffet and they served us a dinner, without us slecting any choice. I didn't eat one bit as not only am i a vegetarian and they ploppd a meat dish in front of me but the meal was cold and extremely unappetising. Luckily, this only happend once. THis next point may be a basic, but I absoletely HATE with a vengeance energy saving white flurescent lighting. Well, the place was filled with the horrible, disgusting lighting. Even in the dinning room where restaurants pay good money for mood lighting as they realise it's important and helps people feel at ease, eat more food and feel warm, this hotel had this lighting.
OK, now the positlve...there's a mini supermarket with a fruit and veggie stall next door to the hotel, which was useful for buying everything from water to chocolates to everything as well as a chemist. The country and it's people and beautifl and the souk market in town is great. Bought loadsa stuff over there and bargained hard - which is a must. Tell them you want moroccan prices not tourist prices! For example, we bought a kaftan for 50DH (which is £3.33) but they wanted it for £300 DH previously... so it just shows you really need to tell them NO then walk away.
I will definately go back soon but will not stay in this hotel but a nicer one, maybe the famous RIads.

Booked the hotel through Easyjet website.
Despite it being outside of the main cente it is only about a 20 mins walk from the New Town and 45 mins walk from the main square. Taxis were arround 20-30 MRD

The staff at the hotel were very friendly. They let us check in early. Our room had a balcony looking towards the city and the mountains.

We paid around £25 per night for the two of us and this included breakfast and an evening meal. The breakfast was continental with pancakes made fresh. The fist night we arrived the evening meal was buffet style and on the other nights there was a set menu but they happily provided us with a vegetarian alternative.

Hotel bedding very clean, room ok.
Staff very helpful with outings.
Had the following problems -
Clean towels did not appear til 5 to6 pm each day after continuious asking at reception.
Light bulb went in bathroom it took 21/2 hours to get it changed and a couple of calls.
Room 219 - to use the wall lights you also had to have the air con on and the TV - all on same switch!!!!
Hotel reception, dining room and bar very, very, very cold, dark, drab and dull - no atmosphere at all.It need of lots of cheering up.
Thought the cost of a minibus from the hotel to the airport was expensive 50 dinnar per person - 10 in the bus - watch for taxi fares make sure you agree a price and look at your change, one driver tried to give us Euro's - Also the drivers never have any change so make sure you have small notes ie 20's and 50's also the same in the hotel bar.
Atlas Mountain trip from the hotel was very disapointing, waste of money.

Apart from the above we had good weather and good time and found the people very friendly, perhaps 7 days was to long.

Janet Summerlin

In may 2007 my partner and I booked a last minute holiday to Marrakesh with Thomas cook. The holiday started off really bad. First problem was that there was no one there to collect us from the hotel after some very costly calls back to the UK we eventually got a driver to drop us at Ayoub hotel. When we arrived it got even worse... we were not even booked into the hotel. After more costly phone calls to the U.K they managed to get the hotel to let us stay for one night. When taken to our room we were given two single beds when we had originally booked a 1 x king size room. The room was very basic and the bathroom was not very pleasent. I must admit i was dying to jump in the pool though. The man on the reception was helpful but we decided not to stay as we had to find a hotel to stay in for our remaining nights there. We ended up staying at the Le Tafilalet which was 4* and only £5 dearer then the Ayoub hotel. This hotel was brilliant.. comfy, nicely decorated and great staff.
I would recommend The Tafilalet hotel rather then Ayoub hotel although Ayoub was not that bad but for an extra £5 you can alot nicer.