When I arrived to Morocco the other day, I wrote a short post about my first impressions (not great). Little did I know that the worst part still had to come – the “good night of sleep” that I was looking forward to quickly evolved in some sort of nightmare.
I am still not sure whether I want to share the name of the hotel or not, but first I’ll tell you what happened, then you can let me know what your opinion on the matter is.
***UPDATE*** – The name of the hotel is “Hotel Essaouira”, just off Djemaa El Fna Square. It’s cheap, and it’s on the Lonely Planet guide too, but don’t go there!!!
The horror room… looks lovely but has a surprise!
So shortly after I wrote my post, I went to bed. After about one hour, for some reason I woke up. I switched on the light and to my horror I found out my mattress had bed bugs! I saw one crawling away on my right and jumped out of bed. There was no doubt – my first encounter with those mythological creatures well known to backpackers was finally taking place! And I honestly could have done without…
I went to the reception desk and the guy gave me another room without looking too surprised. I moved to the other room but I was a bit panicky and didn’t trust that place at all anymore, so I asked the reception guy if he could please check whether the nicer (and much more expensive) riad of the same property, just in front, had a room for me. I was willing to pay a lot more just to be sure I didn’t have bed bugs. Instead, the guy got angry and told me “you can just pack your stuff and leave!”. Which was not an option since it was late at night in the Medina of Marrakech, and I wouldn’t even know where to go anyway.
So I stayed. And surprises were not over yet.
I flipped the mattress, inspected it inch by inch, used the flashlight as well, found no trace of bed bugs. Good, even if I was still suspicious… But I was tired and I needed to sleep so I decided to sleep with clothes on and avoid the hotel covers – yes it was quite chilly! – and I switched off the light.
As soon as I switched off the light, I heard a squeaky sound that reminded me of a mouse, but I was so desperate that I thought “fine, the mouse is ok” and ignored it. Of course shortly after I had to go to the bathroom. I wish I didn’t, because as soon as I entered my room again I saw something HUGE crawling on the floor and hiding behind my suitcase, and I thought it was a mouse. Which was OK for me (can you imagine?). But then I moved the suitcase to see, and found it was a ginormous cockroach, the biggest I’ve ever seen in my whole life, and it was there in my room! I tried to let it go out but failed repeatedly. For some reason I never thought of killing it, but I am sure that wouldn’t be as easy as it sounds anyway.
*I wanted to put a photo of a cockroach here but then I thought again*
Then I thought OK FINE, I will sleep with this guy in my room anyway. He won’t climb the bed and come next to me, right? So I will be fine. *switched off lights again*
Needless to say, that night I kept waking up every half an hour to check for bed bugs, and one of those times I saw a cockroach on the bed beside me.
I just couldn’t wait to get out of there… I didn’t even go to the bathroom in the morning. I was already wearing my clothes, so I checked out without even speaking to the guy (who didn’t talk to me either, never apologized or anything) and left, to find a much better place to stay shortly after.
This is the reception guy. If you see him, tell him to ef off (and don’t sleep there!)
So this was my worst night at a hotel ever. Gross + upsetting… shall I share the name of this hotel? It’s even on the Lonely Planet guide!
***UPDATE*** – The name of the hotel is “Hotel Essaouira”, just off Djemaa El Fna Square. It’s cheap, and it’s on the Lonely Planet guide too, but don’t go there!!!
What was YOUR worst hotel night ever? I need to feel better about my experience… because I am not the only one, right? :)
