Riad Soleil d'Orient

The riad itself beautiful, with a gorgeous garden and terrace, it looks dated and in dire need of a touch up. The room was spacious but wasn’t as clean as we would have expected. Unfortunately, upon arrival the hotel manager / front desk lady didn’t greet us with much enthusiasm or warm hospitality. No information was provided for our stay, and when asked about recommendations, she responded with indifference. The same cannot be said about the other hotel staff however, both the porter (Rashid) and the breakfast lady were both hospitable and friendly.

Beautiful riad. Outstanding service. Delicious food. Great massage services. What more can one want? The riad has a large and beautifully manicured courtyard. The room and bathroom were nice and had all the amenities one might need. Nicely decorated. But nothing out of the ordinary. I had dinner at the riad. Their lamb tajine was one of the most delicious tajines I had while in Morocco. Their breakfast was a typical Moroccan spread. The location was walking distance to all the sites to see in El Jadida. There was no parking on the rather narrow street. They had parking available at a site nearby. Although, with the winding alleys to get there, even though the distance from the riad was short, I kept getting lost. That is not common for me.

Riad is so-so but ok for one night. Lady manager was surly but the two young worn staff were ver nice

This review is only the impression of the place, since we chose not to stay there, even though we prepaid, and requested a refund which was totally ignored. The neighborhood is awful, we felt when we arrived that it was nor safe. The "suite" which we booked was really just a room with a bed with a mattress which sagged as we sat on it to test it. The bathroom was not clean. the reception was not welcoming. We arrived with a guide, and even though we speak French, we were ignored while the woman chose to speak Arabic to our guide. In all our travels , we had never been treated as non existed.

The place is beautiful in terms of architecture and decoration. It is centrally located and the staff is very friendly and welcoming. It is just a bit noisy at night due to a nearby mosque making religious calls.

If this Riad were in France, people would be coming to it just for the evening meal. Other guests had already said to us “Just wait until you taste the cooking”. Our anticipation increased when we read (roughly translated) “Dinner available by reservation only: menu made with fresh ingredients bought from the market on the day”. This is normally a very good sign; we were not disappointed. There must be a chef of genius in the kitchen; no choice, just (just!) starter, main course and dessert representing the fusion of the best of French cuisine with the best & freshest of Moroccan ingredients. Lonely Planet guidebooks are rather dismissive of El Jadida suggesting doing the sights in an hour or two and the moving on. We combined the sights with an overnight stay at Riad Soleil d’Orient and benefitted not just from delicious French cuisine but also from the care and thoughtfulness with which Mme Laurence has carried out her vision for the riad: the bright courtyard with a fountain & a fig tree, the upstairs dining room with an open log fire, the 1st floor sitting room with books, chess set, dominos, playing cards, CDs & player. Our (marble floored) room showed the same care: heaters in case the Atlantic winds blew at the town, a large shower with plentiful (solar powered) hot water and the generous provision of not merely shower gel and shampoo but also conditioner, cleanser & cotton wool pads and body lotion. Special mention must be made of the friendly and helpful staff; in particular Abdou who kindly walked us to the Portuguese fort & port (but, yes, the Riad provides a handy map) and later, in a smart uniform, served the delicious dinner, and finally helped us with our bags the next morning. Incidentally Riad Soleil d’Orient is the first riad we have found where you can actually drive up to the entrance. El Jadida was not - at least when we visited it - a prepossessing town, but it has the potential to develop into a resort. Riad Soleil d’Orient is ahead of the curve.

This property was so calm and quiet that it felt like a sanctuary. We were truly able to relax and just enjoy our very short time in El jadida but the riad made the trip excellent. Breakfast is very delicious here and they make an omlette! As an aside, most of the staff we encountered spoke primarily in french.

The friendly staff, delicious breakfast, and breakfast in the beautiful garden were fantastic.