This long message is to testify once again to our joy of having stayed with our son, my wife, and myself at the Palace Es Saadi the week of Sunday, August 16 to Sunday, August 23, 2026.
I am taking the trouble here to write these words to thank the entire team at the Es Saadi, in a world where we are almost forced to write and read "reviews"; some not hesitating to denigrate and post negative reviews, but rare are those who write and give positive reviews when they are happy to have spent a pleasant moment…
A client of the hotel since I was very young and the 80s, my parents having stayed at the hotel since the 70s in this "House"; I had the chance to come and return there multiple times during the 90s, 2000s, always with my parents, then the one who became my wife, and we have been going there for 12 years now with our son and sometimes some of our friends.
We come to Marrakech twice a year, have considered buying a house there, but here is the "problem": every time we stay at the hotel or the Palace like this time, we truly feel "at home"; with the worries removed! So, we keep coming back and have preferred not to buy anything, hoping that during our retirement (well, at 44, that's not for right away, and fortunately..!) we can stay there "long-term" as some people still do.
So what can I say?
Already that after having stayed in the most sought-after establishments in the red city (La Mamounia/ Fairmont Royal Palm etc. etc. …) of which the Es Saadi is of course a part, it is in this establishment that we feel the best.
What truly makes the difference in our opinion: it is the only 5-star hotel and Palace still belonging to a family, to private individuals and not to "large groups or an investment fund."
For us, it is remarkable and it makes sense.
Mrs. Élisabeth Bauchet Bouhlal with her late husband, her son Jean Alexandre, as well as his wife Caroline Bauchet Bouhlal have succeeded over time in maintaining and further improving the standing of this establishment while preserving its charm, its authenticity, and even more, the soul of the place.
It is unique to be in the heart of Hivernage and to have this lushness with these remarkable gardens.
I could mention the legendary sense of hospitality both on the hotel side (currently under renovation) and the Palace side, the remarkable bedding (what can I say about the pillows that I buy as soon as I return to Paris!), the breakfasts, the spa, the pool, the beauty of the Padel court.
A slight downside nonetheless: it is necessary to better maintain the tennis court, which is ideally located but has very/too dry clay, and to offer it for rent at a lower price…
Well, that's just to find something to improve.
A huge thank you to all the staff, from the pool to the kitchens, to the housekeepers and those who take care of the rooms, the Spa, and especially to Yassine, a concierge we appreciate so much in the absence of Mohamed who was on vacation.
Thank you also to Ms. Thérèse Blay, general manager of the hotel with whom we briefly spoke and whose elegance, kindness, and professionalism have, in my opinion, allowed this establishment to be a perpetual favorite for my parents, my wife, and myself since her arrival a year ago, and now for our son to whom we are passing on our love for Marrakech and this house.
So yes, we will return, perhaps as early as the end of October for the All Saints' Day holidays, to the hotel this time; hoping that the "upscaling" does not translate into a price hike; Marrakech is not Dubai; and fortunately in our opinion.
Finally, a huge thank you to the Bauchet Bouhlal family for having known how to keep the soul of this magical place since the end of the 60s and for finally ensuring that "everything changes, so that nothing changes"!!
Room 3115 Gsell Family
