Originally Posted by
Caili Chen
I recently stayed at the Anayela in Mid-Nov 2023 and would not recommend. Please do not stay here. The hotel is only an affiliate of Marriott and would not accept the rate I booked. I ended up having to pay an increased rate (the reasoning they gave me is that their rate increased from when I booked to when I stayed) and I had a very difficult time getting a refund through the hotel (Marriott would not help as the hotel is only an affiliate).
Personally I only stayed here because it was a Marriott property that looked nicer than the Meridian and is in the Medina. However, please do not stay here for that reason. The property is a good 30 min walk to the main part of the Medina through pretty empty small streets. The location is also not very well known so most taxis will not know where to go and have to call the hotel to ask. The hotel itself is not very nice compared to similarly priced riads in the Medina with its rates starting at 220 euros a night. Service is nice but do expect to be charged exceedingly more than local rates for taxis, excursions and general services. I understand tourist prices but honestly I felt like the staff was taking advantage with kick-backs and we decided to navigate most of it ourselves.
Most importantly my experience with the hotel management was terrible when it came to the extra charge and asking for a reimbursement after. Note: we were not told of the additional price before, at check-in or during our stay. This was only discussed when we checked out. They didn't even ask for a card at the beginning. Honestly after this experience I will not stay at a Design Hotel (which are only affiliates) again.
I suppose the question is whether you booked it through Marriott's own reservation channels or direct with the hotel. If you booked through Marriott's own reservation channels and have a Marriott email confirming the reservation and rate then I would (continue to) raise this discrepency directly with Marriott customer service. Whether or not it's a member of Design Hotels (or affiliate as you call them) you would have had a confirmed reservation at a certain rate through Marriott's reservation channels. You also do not say if you are a Bonvoy member or not. If you are then I would imagine you booked it through a Marriott reservation channel so you would have justice on your side.
On the other hand, if you're not a member of Bonvoy and you booked direct with the hotel - and had heightened expectations because you saw it was a member of Design Hotels that can be booked through Marriott's reservation channels - then you're probably on your own because Marriott has nothing contractually to do with your reservation or relationship with the hotel.