My wife and I would like to visit Marrakesh in March/April of this year. She is particularly set on staying in a small, traditional hotel with a real local flavour to it (but the more upmarket, the better!).

Anyone have any recommendations? Anything else we should know about setting out to Africa?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by MatthewClement:
My wife and I would like to visit Marrakesh in March/April of this year. She is particularly set on staying in a small, traditional hotel with a real local flavour to it (but the more upmarket, the better!).

Anyone have any recommendations? Anything else we should know about setting out to Africa?</font>


THis does not qualify as an inn style property, but Amanjena is one of the finest trips I have ever had.

I don't know how flexible your plans are, but if this is your first time in Morocco, I would definately plan a few days in Fez. Fez is the gem of Morocco.

Fez is a UN historic site, and quite lovely, in its historic way, but I found Marrakech to be outstanding. Very authentic, close to the desert (actually, right on the edge), less hustling, people genuinely friendly, beautiful climate, very clean. I would really love to go back someday. Fez, while nice, was a little more provincial and a bit less welcoming. There are some really great hotels in Marrakech. I stayed at the Imperial Borj, a 4* in the New Town right outside the Old Town's walls, and near the entrance where La Mamounia lies.

[This message has been edited by anonplz (edited 01-14-2003).]

Matthew - email me with more details, I think I should be able to help.

On a side note, I'm not convinced Fez would be the best option for an extra location on a short trip.... but it's pretty nice indeed.

I would recommend Mogador or Taroudant, or the gorges around the city (in particular a little gem of a place in a traditional clay fortress).

MC: Two properties that you might like to look at are La Villa Des Orangers (http://www.villadesorangers.com/uk/indexsommaire.htm) (Relais & Chateaux) and La Maison Arabe (http://www.lamaisonarabe.com/index1_us.htm).

You can also rent a very nice private riyad with full staff. We used Marrakech Medina (http://www.marrakech-medina.com/riyads/index_en.htm) and had a wonderful stay (we rented Dar Ouali).

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by blairvanhorn:
[BYou can also rent a very nice private riyad with full staff. We used Marrakech Medina (http://www.marrakech-medina.com/riyads/index_en.htm) and had a wonderful stay (we rented Dar Ouali).[/B]</font>

Something like this?

http://www.info-world.com/self.catering/morocco/marrakesh.house.rental.php

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by MatthewClement:
Something like this?

http://www.info-world.com/self.catering/morocco/marrakesh.house.rental.php</font>

Looks quite nice indeed. Doesn't Hashmae look quite a bit like the houseman from the Marrakech "Ab Fab" episode? http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif

For the self-catering set-ups, you need to make sure in advance what costs are included in the rental and what costs are charged as extra.

Our riyad had two women who did all the shopping, cooking and cleaning - we planned the menus wih them and they took care of everything. Breakfast was included, and all other meals were extra (but very reasonable and delicious).

Be great to be in a Muslim land as bombs rain down upon another, of course as
Yuppies you are exempt from normal effects
of action and reaction that affect the peasants in the Army and Marines,

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by bop77:
Be great to be in a Muslim land as bombs rain down upon another, of course as
Yuppies you are exempt from normal effects
of action and reaction that affect the peasants in the Army and Marines,</font>

And you advocate what? Staying at home? What, pray tell, defines a Yuppie? Bennington is certainly not one of the poorer towns in New England....

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by bop77:

Be great to be in a Muslim land as bombs rain down upon another, of course as
Yuppies you are exempt from normal effects
of action and reaction that affect the peasants in the Army and Marines,</font>

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/biggrin.gif LOL what a post!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by bop77:
Be great to be in a Muslim land as bombs rain down upon another, of course as Yuppies you are exempt from normal effects of action and reaction that affect the peasants in the Army and Marines,</font>

That makes as much sense as staying away from Chile when Christians (in name, at least) engaged in terrorist activity in Northern Ireland.

This post says more about how ignorant the poster is about the world of Islam than it does about Morocco.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Efrem:
That makes as much sense as staying away from Chile when Christians (in name, at least) engaged in terrorist activity in Northern Ireland.

This post says more about how ignorant the poster is about the world of Islam than it does about Morocco.</font>

Bingo. Just want to add that the Kingdom of Morocco was the FIRST to recognize the US of A's Declaration of Independence, thus, making it our longest, most faithful ally.

"Warm relations between the nations date from 1777, when Morocco became the first country to recognize America's independence from Britain."

http://washingtontimes.com/world/20020815-16113906.htm

[This message has been edited by anonplz (edited 01-22-2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by bop77:
Be great to be in a Muslim land as bombs rain down upon another, of course as
Yuppies you are exempt from normal effects
of action and reaction that affect the peasants in the Army and Marines,</font>

If I'm a yuppie Muslim, am I still exempt from the normal effects of action and reaction?

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif

To a large degree you are,mate. Of course as a Brit there is nothing like the 200 hundred million Muslims that would like to dispatch Yanks interested in you-I dare say not much over a 100 million would be happy to do in you and yours.

I would recommend Mogador or Taroudant, or the gorges around the city (in particular a little gem of a place in a traditional clay fortress).

Has anyone stayed at the Palais Salam in Taroudant?

Im also trying to find information on:

the Riad Salam properties in Casablanca and in Ouarzazate?
Le Marrakech hotel in Marrakech?
The Marhaba hotel in Agadir?
Volubilis hotel in Fes?
the Tichka Salam hotel in Marrakech?

If anyone has contact information or web sites for these hotels, that would be very helpful. I cant seem to find anything official online about them.