The photos are gorgeous. The pool gleams. The garden looks like Eden. Then you arrive and the neighbour is 3 metres away, the pool is unheated in November, and the “private garden” is a palm corridor with a chain-link fence. Here are the 8 questions to ask before booking a villa in Marrakech.
1. Is there overlooking?
Photos always show the pool, the garden, the living room. Rarely what you see from the terrace. Ask for photos taken from inside, in every direction. A 2-metre wall means nothing if the neighbour’s building is 4 metres high.
At Villa Azur: 1,200 m² enclosed, zero overlooking. The gallery photos show the real view.
2. Is the pool heated, and at what cost?
Many villas have unheated pools. Outside summer, the water drops to 16–20°C, too cold for comfortable swimming. If it’s heated, ask the surcharge. Some villas charge €30–50 per day extra.
For more on temperatures by season, see our guide.
3. What’s the real distance to the Medina?
“15 minutes from the Medina” can mean 35 minutes in rush hour. Ask for the exact address and check Google Maps with the “traffic” option. Villa Azur is at KM13 on the Ourika road: 20 minutes in the morning, 25–30 in the evening. We don’t say 15.
4. Is household staff included?
Some listings mention “cook” and “cleaning” without specifying that it’s extra. Clarify what’s included: daily cleaning, cook, caretaker, driver. And ask how long the cook has worked there, it’s a good indicator of the property’s quality.
5. Do 4 bedrooms actually work as 4?
Mezzanines counted as bedrooms, windowless rooms, bunk beds in cupboards, these tricks exist. Ask for individual photos of each bedroom with its bathroom. A real bedroom has a door, a window, a permanent bed, and access to a bathroom.
6. Is parking genuinely secure?
If you’re renting a car, parking matters. “Parking available” doesn’t mean fenced, guarded, or lit. Ask for a photo and whether a guard is present at night.
7. What’s the cancellation policy?
Many villas require a 50% non-refundable deposit. That’s standard in Morocco, but make sure you know before you pay. Also check what happens in case of force majeure. See our rates and conditions for a transparent example.
9. Who do you contact if something goes wrong?
A leaking toilet, broken AC, wifi trouble on the first night: ask before booking who handles these issues, and how fast. A simple WhatsApp number for someone who actually answers makes all the difference compared to a generic contact form on a booking platform. At Villa Azur, the caretaker is on site 24/7 and Youssef is directly reachable.
Bonus: the giveaway sign
A listing that shows no photo taken from outside the plot, no overview of the garden, only tightly cropped close-ups, is almost always hiding something: overlooking neighbours, a smaller plot than expected, or houses right next door. Always ask for an aerial photo or satellite view before you pay a deposit.
8. What do the non-5-star reviews say?
5-star reviews tell you it’s good. 3-star and 4-star reviews tell you what might not suit you. Read them first. Search for “noisy”, “overlooked”, “cold pool”, “WiFi”. And if the villa has no online reviews at all, ask yourself why.
Check the Villa Azur reviews, including the ones that aren’t perfect. And to understand the difference between villas and riads, read our article on how to choose.
