STORY Rabat Morocco Hotel Review with Photos (2024)
In a posh quarter of Morocco’s capital city, STORY Rabat is a sprawling yet discreet hotel with an extraordinary attention to detail, feeling more like a personal villa than a hotel.
STORY Rabat Hotel Review with Photos (June 2024)
STORY Rabat. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
Highs: Thoughtful design makes you feel like you’re in a comfortable private home. Subtle and friendly service from all staff. The Bluetooth-enabled integrated sound system in the room was a welcome technological touch.
Lows: On one occasion, housekeeping entered the room unexpectedly. Light switches have lights on them, so it is difficult to get complete darkness. Far from everything in Rabat except for embassies.
Verdict: Erring on the side of productive comfort and privacy, STORY Rabat is certainly the best hotel in the Morocco’s capital city.
The Room to Get: Premium Room with Balcony.
STORY Rabat Hotel Stay: Context
I traveled to Morocco to learn about how the country is preparing for the 2030 World Cup (which they will be co-hosting with Portugal and Spain) and learn about the civil improvements this country has been making. While not as well-known as Marrakesh or Fes, Rabat is the administrative capital of Morocco and the city hosts the vast majority of foreign embassies and consulates. The STORY Rabat served as my home during this visit.
Good to Know
While, Rabat is the current capital city of Morocco, Morocco has had four capital cities (collectively known as the Imperial Cities). They are Fes, Marrakesh, Meknes, and Rabat.
I booked the hotel directly on the STORY Rabat website, which gave me a slightly more favorable rate compared to Booking.com or other resources. The rate included complimentary breakfast for each day of my stay. At check-in, I was given a complimentary upgrade. The security deposit at check-in was MAD 2,000, or about USD 200.
STORY Rabat Hotel Location and Architecture
Location of the STORY Rabat hotel. Graphic: Benjamin Schmidt.
STORY Rabat is situated in the Quartier Des Ambassades, a completely suburban area located in the southeast corner of the city. Leafy and large, the neighborhood is infested with international organizations, ambassadorial residences, embassies, and more, making the overall tone of this area is quite subdued, highly secure and, frankly, minimally practical— you will certainly need a car or driver to get around.
For those familiar with America, wide avenues with tended gardens, high privacy walls, and clipped palm trees will remind you of the flats of Beverly Hills, California (in fact, the park that flanks the important Avenue Mohammed VI at the Parc des Ambassadeurs will remind you immediately of Beverly Gardens Park which anchors that neighborhood to the equally-important Santa Monica Boulevard).
Improbably, STORY Rabat sits in the center of this discreet community. On approach, it could be easy to miss this hotel as simply being another walled mansion— There are no big signs, no distinctive lighting and no obvious clues this is a five-star resort.
Rambling in presence, the hotel itself is a blocky work of contemporary design dominated by spans of white concrete and incidental use of glass. The parking circle is anchored by a small fountain. A subterranean garage offers plentiful parking, but it seemed like guests could leave cars in the driveway for as long as they desired. The building is primarily dividing into two main wings, one of which coalesced around the pool and an elegant water feature and the other, a tended garden. The property also features the standalone Emiri Villa which can be accessed without passing through any public areas of the hotel.
things to do near story rabat hotel
While the STORY Rabat hotel is not in the heart of Rabat (that is about 15 minutes away by car), there are a few activities nearby. Within walking distance of the hotel is the airy and tasteful Lalla Asmae Mosque with dedicated men and women areas for prayer. Café Zafati is a small but well-run neighborhood coffeeshop. There is also a pharmacy. Within a three-minute drive, you can find the Poney Club de Rabat, an equestrian center for children, as well as the Royal Golf Dar Essalam golf club.
STORY Rabat Hotel Arrival and Public Areas
Arrival area at STORY Rabat. Image: STORY Hotels.
Subscribing to the privacy-first ethos of the neighborhood, arriving at the STORY Rabat feels like you’re arriving to your wealthy friend’s private home. At any hour, a guard welcomes you with a smile and a hand brought to the chest, a warm symbol of appreciation and warmth. At night, a huge gate silently opens, welcoming you home, but during the day, this gate generally remains ajar— an extremely subtle but refined symbol of security and trust. In fact, this casual comfort sets the tone for the whole of the STORY Rabat.
The threshold into the hotel is fairly deconstructed and composed of no steps or stairs— only a set of glass doors that seemed to stayed open for days on end. A soft cross-breeze infused a specific type of freedom and ease. The lobby is immediate. The front-desk staff is permanently ready to receive you.
Lobby of the STORY Rabat Hotel. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
In Morocco, there is the rich architectural tradition of the riad, a type of house centered on an interior courtyard. While STORY Rabat is not a true riad, the comfortable spaces and overall layout feel like an airy interpretation of one. The lobby extends on a horizontal plane, with the next room being a double-height living room framed by walls of glass and soaring curtains.
Courtyard at the STORY Rabat Hotel. Image: Benjamin Schmidt
Amid huge sofas and cozy chairs, the outdoor courtyard centers on the long water feature evoking memories of a seguia. This water feature zooms away from you and towards the pool and gym located down a gentle hill.
This living room also anchors two dining venues at STORY Rabat, the elegant Le Safran (regularly counted among the 100 best restaurants in Rabat) as well as a compact and quiet bar which also serves small dishes. A grand staircase climbs to a second level where a library awaits, filled with topical books, traditional objects, and musical instruments.
Library at STORY Rabat Hotel. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
There is also a terrace lined with seating (which was oddly reminiscent of the terrace from Love Island).
Terrace off the library/majlis of the STORY Rabat hotel. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
In terms of interior design, there is a certain French flair that pervades the resort. A concise but bold color scheme includes tonal use of highly saturated greens, purples, blacks, and pinks paired with dark woods and chrome are all assembled against lacquered white walls. The interiors (including the furniture) were designed by the Paris, France-based Studio MHNA, a boutique design firm led by Marc Hertrich and Nicolas Adnet.
A hallway at the STORY Rabat. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
While the atmosphere at STORY Rabat is relaxed, it generally errs on the side of formal. The lobby, the living room, and the restaurants are the most public areas of the hotel. That said, STORY Rabat has a very active collection of conference and meeting rooms on the property, but they are accessed by an entrance separate from the hotel lobby, making sure daytime visitors have minimal impact on the stay of overnight guests.
SmokING at story rabat
Culturally, smoking is not popular in Morocco. However, there are designated areas of the hotel, such as the Bar, the Majlis and the terrace where smoking is permitted. Smoking is prohibited in the restaurant. Smoking is permitted on the private balconies and terraces of rooms and suites.
Check-in was very efficient. The staffer who checked me in also escorted me to the room, pointing out some landmarks within the hotel on the way. While there is no valet parking, a porter delivered the luggage from the car within ten minutes of settling into the room.
Garage/Car park at STORY Rabat. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
There is a large garage in the basement of the building (it was never at capacity).
While only two stories, the hotel is sprawling contains only twenty-seven rooms and ten suites and thus I rarely saw any other guests. It took about two minutes of weaving through hallways to reach the room. When I finally got there (Room 208), I found a small plate high quality pastries from the region and a welcome note.
Welcome fruit and pastries at the STORY Rabat Hotel. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony
STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
With a floorspace of approximately 41 square meters or just under 500 square feet, the Premium Room with Terrace is a densely-packed bundle of luxury.
GOOD TO KNOW
Given its boutique scale, STORY Rabat has a limited range of room types and sizes. The Premium Room is the entry-level option, offered with a single king or a pair of twin beds. The room sizes double with the Ziryab and Diyafa Suites. These rooms feature a separate living room, larger bathrooms, and either a balcony or terrace. The largest offering is the Emiri Villa. Spread over nearly 2,000-square-feet, the space features a private entrance, a private swimming pool, a private hammam, a powder room, and maid’s quarters. It can accommodate up to four guests.
STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
The room is essentially divided into three parts: a dressing area, the bathroom, and the main bedroom. Just beyond the bed is the balcony, accessible by a set of huge sliding doors. While the layout is relatively conventional, it was the extremely thoughtful use of design and technology that made this room feel truly memorable.
The design here, like in the public area, is a combination of post-modern French and classically Moroccan. Built in 2014, the hotel feels new and well-maintained. Nonetheless, the craftsmanship is impressive. An artistic inlay in the bathroom wall was truly exquisite. A combination of cool glossy stone paired against carpet was a sensitive choice, proving the well-rounded approach to the design that encompasses all the senses, including touch.
Small details like heavy black-out curtains (with no pesky gap of light at the center), custom purple bin liners, branded slippers, lacquered walls, and the centralized Bluetooth audio system were some thoughtful highlights.
If you’re looking for a room rich in Arabian design cues, this may be a miss for you. Overall, STORY Rabat offers a heavily-edited and abstracted interpretation of Moroccan design.
STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony Turndown Service. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
The king-sized bed was dressed in 100% cotton bedding. The mattress (sorry, we neglected to find the brand) is on the firmer side, but comfortable. The bed has a few decorative pillows and a bed scarf, but no extra linens were provided in the room. Turndown service was automatically completed daily around 7:00pm. The turndown service included preparing the bed, a reset of lighting, and drawing of curtains. Each night, a small chocolate and invitation to review the hotel on TripAdvisor was placed on the pillow.
STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony Turndown Service. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony Bedroom. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
The bedside at turndown was laden with things including a new bottle of water, a notepad (ostensibly for writing down dreams), a phone, and remote control for the television. A control panel at the bedside allowed to toggling of all the lights in the room as well as adjustment of the motorized sheers and curtains. The drapes are very good at keeping light out, ensuring the potential for deep rest late into the day. However, while useful, all lighting panels in the room have constant illumination, defeating the pleasure of absolute darkness afforded by the blackout curtains.
STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony Coffee and Tea Service. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
A refreshment hub is positioned between the dressing area in the bedroom. The service features practically endless water bottles from local brand Sidi Ali, a Nespresso machine with a selection of espressos, and a variety of high-quality tea sachets provided by Tchaba. The tea selection was acceptable. The coffee and tea cups come from “Pate KPCL Limoges”, made in Tunisia. The electric kettle is powered at all times, so preparing tea is a matter of pouring water over the sachet.
STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony Minibar. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
The minibar contains no alcoholic items. Instead, you will find some snacks and refreshments like sparkling water and Coca-Cola. Note: The bottles of water found around the room are complimentary, but the items in the minibar are not free. Items in the minibar are very expensive. For example, the KitKat was 300MAD (about $3.00 USD).
Alcohol/Drinking Culture in Morocco
Since about 99% of Morocco's population is Muslim, drinking is not popular there. Alcohol is not illegal, but it’s not easy to find. Instead, you’ll find people sipping tea or coffee at any hour. STORY Rabat has a small bar serving a selection of alcoholic beverages and cocktails, but there is no alcohol in the rooms.
View from STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room
You won’t find skyscraping views here. Instead, the low and long STORY Rabat offers views of elegant gardens and pools and the spacious balcony allows for indulgence in the quiet solitude. The balcony was outfit with a table and a deep sofa. I enjoyed a nightly ritual of opening the large sliding door and letting the sheer curtains flutter in the breeze as the sun set on another day.
STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
Technology and Productivity
In terms of audio, visual, and connectivity capabilities, The room offers plenty of Type-C and Type-E outlets (primarily found in South Europe/Middle East/Africa/Asia/Carribean), including intentionally positioned USB and three-prong connections at the bedsides. WiFi is available for free, and the base offering is plenty fast enough for video calls and streaming. Some productivity items were available, including paper and pens.
Television in a STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
A/V capabilities includes a modern smart TV in the room. One of my favorite features was the Bluetooth-enabled surround sound system. Speakers integrated into the ceiling in the bedroom and bathroom offered excellent sound quality and brought an extremely refined atmosphere to the space, going back to the idea of satisfying all senses. It really helped set the tone through the day, whether I wanted to listen to some smooth jazz, some deep house, or the Quran.
STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room Bathroom
Positioned adjacent to the dressing room and entry, the bathroom is an elegant affair with a focus on relaxation, featuring a dual vanity. Lighting, like in the rest of the space, can be adjusted to set the mood, ranging from practical to restful. The bathtub is narrow but long, giving plenty of space to stretch out. The bathtub is framed against an elegant art installation positioned in an exotic stone.
STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony Bathroom. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
The shower and toilet are separated by individual privacy doors. The shower is a combination of a lush rainfall shower-head and a handheld wand. Water pressure and temperature were both excellent.
STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony Shower. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
The toilet did not have a separate bidet, but a handheld wand for cleansing and cleaning the toilet. The wand’s pressure is controlled by a small knob on the wall. The temperature of water was not warm, but not uncomfortably cold.
Bathroom Amenities in STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
Amenities in the bathroom are tightly curated with haircare and soaps provided exclusively by Charme D’Orient Paris. The shower was thoughtfully stocked with a Moroccan Kessa glove, a traditional beauty tool for deep skin cleansing.
Bathroom Amenities in STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
A small array of beauty and care items were found in the bathroom, including sewing kits and shaving sets. Interestingly, the bathroom did not have a washcloth, only hand towels and two bath towels. During my stay, the bath towels seemed to vary in size, from enormous to average size. Nonetheless, the towels were of high quality.
STORY Rabat Hotel Staff and Service
Consistently, the STORY Rabat prioritizes comfort and low-pressure discretion. There is a lot of dignity afforded to guests as well as a strong sense of freedom. That said, you certainly feel cared for and by the end of the stay, I felt a nice connection with the team. As its not a huge hotel, you often encounter the same staff regularly. I was consistently addressed by name. I was never asked for my room number and I was rarely presented with receipts to sign. Everything simply felt “taken care of”.
Housekeeping went slightly beyond the usual effort found globally, often folding or hanging any clothing that might be about the room as well as storing things in the closet on my behalf. Some travelers may find this invasive, but I appreciated this gesture. I had a very regimented schedule, and housekeeping arrived around the same time each day. Used bathroom amenities were replaced daily.
The front desk was very prompt is resolving any issues and accepting unusual requests. At one interval, I asked to have a ironing board brought to the room. Instead, a staffer came to the room with the iron, and then proceeded to iron the items (I tipped him for what I considered going the extra mile).
STORY Rabat Hotel Premium Room with Balcony Closet. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
Another example of staff going beyond necessity was on the last day of stay. I had purchased some Moroccan pottery which needed to be carefully wrapped for transport back to the United States. I asked the front desk for a box and some wrapping paper, fully planning to wrap the goods myself. Instead, they accepted the pottery and insisted on packing them for me. Indeed, I returned about an hour later to a highly-protected package ready for travel. All the pieces inside were individually wrapped as well.
There was only one instance of issue with staff. One evening, I had placed the “do not disturb” door hang on the door. Unfortunately, it was ignored and a staff member attempted to enter the room (ostensibly to do turndown service). She knocked without waiting for a reply and proceeded to enter. While she was deeply apologetic, I was shaken by the situation.
Beyond that, the whole hotel felt very open to me, as if I could wander around without risk. Staff welcomed me where ever I went.
After hours in the library at STORY Rabat. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
I especially enjoyed a nightly ritual of climbing the stairs and slipping into the library/majlis after hours to revel in its quiet elegance and— in a very juvenile sense— imagine it was a room in my own home. There are interesting ideas of fantasy and exquisite, take-it-for-granted comfort at STORY Rabat that is rarely found in hotels, even of this caliber.
STORY Rabat Hotel Dining
Le Safran Restaurant at STORY Rabat Hotel. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
As mentioned, the principle dining venues at STORY Rabat are the elegant Le Safran and slightly more relaxed Le Bar. The two venues blend together at a large courtyard. The courtyard was a nice place to have a pause during the day, and on Fridays, a jazz band performs live music. Most days I’d enjoy a mint tea in courtyard (priced at an exorbitant $11 USD).
STORY Rabat Hotel. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
A few late evenings, I took advantage of the 24/7 in-room dining. On both occasions, I ordered the same thing (Burger Américain). The first time, it was fresh and beautiful. The second time, it was incorrectly prepared (it had pickles when I requested none) and wasn’t warm. That said, the in-room dining was remarkably prompt.
I never ate dinner at any restaurant at the hotel, but the complimentary breakfast at Le Safran was an exquisite affair, with a menu of curated regional breakfast options (there is no buffet).
Breakfast at STORY Rabat. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
I opted for the Moroccan breakfast which included eggs and pulled beef, msemen (a classic Moroccan bread), a small seed cake, olives, honey syrup, and a selection of cheeses and fruits. The service in the restaurant was polite and quick. The breakfast ends before 11h00, but they seem to seat you up until the last possible moment.
Amenities and Atmosphere at STORY Rabat Hotel
Atmosphere at the STORY Rabat Hotel. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
The “backyard” of STORY Rabat features the aforementioned courtyard, a lovely water feature and leisure activities. The gym and spa overlooks the mosaic-lined pool which is surrounded by a variety of loungers and sofas.
Pool at the STORY Rabat Hotel. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
Gym and spa at STORY Rabat. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
Concluding the Stay at STORY Rabat Hotel
The STORY Rabat Hotel at night. Image: Benjamin Schmidt.
My stay at STORY Rabat was extremely pleasant— to the extent that I extended my stay (with the administrator willing to give a slight discount as gesture). Every night, I looked forward to coming back to the hotel after long and busy days. With a mosque nearby, I enjoyed going for walks in the neighborhood at prayer time. And of course, it is always comforting to see familiar faces and be addressed by name in a place that is far from home. Rarely seeing other guests, it truly felt like I had a mansion to myself in Rabat’s most prestigious district. I can recommend STORY Rabat for both short and long stays.
STORY Rabat is located at Angle Rue Bani Yadder & Rue Jebala, Quartier les Ambassadeurs, 10220 Rabat, Morocco. Learn more about the hotel and make reservations at STORY.
