Africa - Marrakech Morocco / Nov 11 - 21, 2011

My wife and I are going to Marrakech, Morocco for a convention Nov 11 -21 and we are looking for a hotel that is a legit 4 to 5 star rating. Needs to be with in 10 - 15 min walking distance from the Congress Center which is connected to the Mansour Eddahbi Hotel. Would prefer a pool, air conditioning, gym... Any suggestions?
I have checked TripAdvisor, but everything is so confusing and i have no idea what a "Riad" is compared to a normal hotel.

A riad is similar to an inn or B&B. You typically won't find all of the amenities you'd find at a full-service hotel. For example:
* There may only be a couple people on staff and there may not be staff in the hotel at all hours.
* Food isn't available 24/7 and the menu would be smaller than a full-service hotel.
* It's unlikely you'll find services such as laundry, a bar or gym.

Like a hotel, a riad can be inexpensive accommodations or 5-star luxury. I actually prefer to stay at a riad because I find it's easier to feel as if you're immersed in the local culture. The staff are usually friendly and relaxed, happy to sit with you as you relax at the riad, share their personal recommendations and offer sightseeing suggestions.

In addition, riads are often located within medinas (the walled old cities that are usually inaccessible to cars) and hotels are more often located outside the medinas (in the city nouvelle, or new city, which is usually the more modern section of town).

If, however, you're looking for a gym and pool, you'll probably need to stay in a hotel.

Thank you for the info. Since we will be there for 10 days is it necessary to rent a car?

Are there any particular hotels, tours, food, etc... that anyone would recommend?

Also, what is the best airline to fly into Morocco from the US?

It would be nice to have a car to check out the Atlas mountains for sure. Or the desert.

The only non-stop flight from the US that I am aware of is JFK-CMN on AT. AT is a great airline, especially in business class. Or you could fly to most any Euro hub, and connect directly to Marrakech.

As for hotels, I like the Sofitel. Great pool and good location. But I don't know where the convention center is?

I have only stayed in riads in Marrakech, so I can't offer any first-hand hotel recommendations.

Are you primarily planning to stay in the city? Have you driven much outside of the US? My Mother & I rented a car for more than a week earlier this year and drove around parts of Morocco. Hands down, the least favorite part of each day was entering and exiting cities in our car. Why? Traffic can be horrible. Drivers are very aggressive. Roads aren't always marked with street signs. Parking is often ambiguous. (That said, driving on the highways and even secondary roads was a breeze. Those roads are very well marked.)

If you were mainly staying within Marrakech, I'd skip the rental car. Or just get one if you decide to take a day or overnight trip to another city. But know that Morocco's train system is great, so that's another option. You can also rent a "grand taxi" to go from city to city, though the ride may not be pleasant (it's a shared cab and drivers make an effort to allow in as many people as will fit).

I'd second the recc to just use taxis, since city traffic is atrocious, particularly in Marrakech at rush hour.

The trick to using taxis in Morocco is to make sure you actually see the meter set to zero when you get in. If you do, the ride is very reasonable in price. Use the little red petit taxis.

The other option is to set a fixed price before you get in the taxi. Generally, anywhere within the city should be less than $5-7.

Enjoy!! It is an incredible city. I stayed in the Riad Mur Akush, which was super, excellent food and wonderful hospitality, and walking distance to the Jemaa el-Fnaa main square. Very comfy, though not super luxury, but definitely exactly the kind of place I like best. http://www.riadmurakush.com/

I also stayed at the Zalagh Kasbah Hotel and Spa - Marrakech

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g293734-d1719241-Reviews-Zalagh_Kasbah_Hotel_and_Spa-Marrakech.html

It was very nice, had a great pool, and shuttle service to the square. It was a bit out of the way, but had a nice shopping center 2 blocks from it. The food was fine.

You may want something closer to whatever convention center you are going to - I don't know where that is.

Have fun!!

P.S. Good to see you again chgoeditor! Sounds like your trip was great. Mine certainly was. ;-)

This helps a lot.

Thank you so much.

While my wife is in her convention during the day does anyone have any recommendations for day tours to take?

even an overnight one if i can get her to skip out on a day or two.

While my wife is in her convention during the day does anyone have any recommendations for day tours to take?

even an overnight one if i can get her to skip out on a day or two.

Atlas mountains. Your hotel should have recommended tours.

This helps a lot.

Thank you so much.

While my wife is in her convention during the day does anyone have any recommendations for day tours to take?

even an overnight one if i can get her to skip out on a day or two.

I'd second the Atlas Mountains recommendation. Fes and Volubilis are also not to be missed, though those would probably be an overnight trip.

Good to see you, too, Doc!

Thanks again for the great feedback.

This trip is shaping up to be pretty amazing.

OK.

I have upgraded to GOLD on Accor hotels and have narrowed my hotel to the Sofitel in Marrakesh. But there are 3 types:

Sofitel Marrakech Palais Imperial hotel - $300
Sofitel Marrakech Lounge and Spa hotel - $200
Suite Novotel Marrakech hotel - $150

Has anyone stayed at any of these hotels and is the Palais really that much better than the Lounge and Spa?

Goal: stay at a relaxing resort, pool, gym, restaurant after attending conference all day

Has anyone stayed at any of these hotels and is the Palais really that much better than the Lounge and Spa?

It's kind of confusing. Back when I was there 2 or 3 years ago there was only one Sofitel. From the website, the new one seems to be at the same address as the old one. And the pictures from both look familiar to me. So I wonder if they just split the hotel in two? I would give a call to the hotel if I were you. The pool photo in the Lounge and Spa hotel looks like the one I remember. It was an excellent setup as I recall.

I'd agree about the car. I drove all over Morocco and found the signage / traffic / etc around Marrakesh to be the worst. Renting a driver for a one day trip to see the Mountains, etc. might be easier. I would definitely recommend it either way.

Also, picking up (in Fez) and dropping off (in Marrakesh) with Hertz was a pain. In Fez, we arrived at the airport office at the appointed time but had to be driven by the attendant to the Hertz downtown office to sign the paperwork, and then back to the airport to pick up the car. In Marrakesh, the booth was unattended and we had to find a phone to call the attendant. Each time, the process took over an hour.

Thanks for the additional info on the hotel.

It does appear to be confusing about the type of hotel and it being on the same grounds as the others. i will try to call and clarify.

I have been reading about the difficulty in communicating with the staff. Is it an issue if you do not speak french?

Also...does being A|Club gold when checking into a Sofitel hotel make a difference?

Thanks again

I have been reading about the difficulty in communicating with the staff. Is it an issue if you do not speak french?

Also...does being A|Club gold when checking into a Sofitel hotel make a difference?

Well I speak French so I'm not sure. I think most of the customer-facing hotel staff must speak at least basic English. Tourist places all do. But otherwise English is not very common in Morocco.

As I'm A-Club Platinum I get upgrades and free drinks at all Sofitels. Check out the A-Club site for Gold benefits. Or we have an Accor forum here on Flyertalk for more.

And as for driving, I never have a problem, especially on the highways which are pretty much like the US or western Europe. The cities might be tough, but again I didn't have a problem other than getting the occasional tiny shakedown from a cop for having French license plates. ;)

I have been reading about the difficulty in communicating with the staff. Is it an issue if you do not speak french?

I think hotel staff are more likely to speak English, but even then you may find some language barriers. Choosing a French hotel chain may not help. Some Moroccans also speak Spanish, but it's much more common in the north of the country.

My Mom grew up in Morocco/speaks fluent French. On our last trip, I was really surprised at how often I had to turn to her to communicate--even at hotels, in cabs, at museums and with police when asking for directions. I don't want to overplay it, but you may have some obstacles--at times--if you speak no French, Spanish or Arabic. I certainly would feel comfortable going to Morocco without a French-speaking travel companion, but I know I would have some challenges along the way.

Tips I'd give you in that respect:
* If you're taking a cab, ask the hotel to write down the name and address of where you're going so you can show it to the driver.
* Always carry something from the hotel with its name & address.
* Learn a few simple phrases in French & Arabic. "La, shook-rahn" ("No, thank you" in Arabic) is one of the handiest given that a lot of people may try to sell you stuff. "Mar-hah-ba" (hello) is another good one. I'm not great with the phonetic spellings, so you might want to listen to an audio pronunciation guide.
* There are some translation apps that are available for smart phones. I haven't tried them, but they can't hurt. That said, know that Moroccan Arabic sounds very different from Modern Standard Arabic. As I understand it, most Arabic speakers can understand MSA even if they can't speak it themselves.

Choosing a French hotel chain may not help.

That makes no difference.

Wow!
Again I am amazed at the helpful responses.
I am pretty lucky in that i married a wonderful and smart women who speaks 4 languages, but she will be at the conference all day.
Unfortunately, i speak 1.5. languages (English and conversational Spanish)
I will try the language apps for the iphone and see if that works.

Which brings me to another question:
What do people do about cell service over there?
How is the wifi in the city?
Should i purchase a throw away 4 band cell phone for emergencies?

Thank you again for all of the great info.

Which brings me to another question:
What do people do about cell service over there?
How is the wifi in the city?
Should i purchase a throw away 4 band cell phone for emergencies?

If you have an unlocked tri or quad band phone, just grab a local pre-paid SIM like you would in any country.

I don't recall seeing much in the way of free wifi, but the hotels have paid wifi and probably some cafes.

Here's how I dealt with the internet issue in Morocco:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/1194068-experience-morocco-3g-internet-service.html

Other than that, I simply turned off my phone's data plan so I could make/receive calls and send/receive text messages, but that was it. Your alternative is to bring an unlocked multi-band cell phone and buy a throw-away SIM card, which are available at most newstands, Maroc Telecom stores, etc.

OK.

This is an interesting one.

I am flying from Phoenix Arizona.

What are the best routes in to Morocco?

Are there any to avoid?

Thanks again for all of the great info.

I am flying from Phoenix Arizona.

What are the best routes in to Morocco?

Are there any to avoid?

Well that is a very open-ended question. It depends on what class you are flying, and what you prefer. You could fly to New York, and then take the AT non-stop to CMN. That would probably be the cheapest. AT has the best service, but I'm not sure how good their long haul seats are.

BA is guaranteed to have flat seats in business class to London, but I think you might have to then transfer to Gatwick which is no good unless you are doing a stop-over in London. Otherwise you can take most any other Euro airline, and even if they don't connect to Morocco, you can take AT from most all Euro hubs. They have the best business class service of any airline between Morocco and Europe. And economy isn't bad either. Way better meals than any other airline, that's for sure.

OK.

This is an interesting one.

I am flying from Phoenix Arizona.

What are the best routes in to Morocco?

Are there any to avoid?

Thanks again for all of the great info.

What are your priorities? Price? Seat comfort? Shortest travel time? Miles earned?

Sorry about the lack of info.

Probably as economical as possible, shortest travel time. Points/Miles are not a big deal as it seems impossible to match up a good price with Continental, US airways

What is AT?

Taking a domestic flight to LAX, NY, Houston, Denver or Chicago is not a problem and then taking the longer flight is a possibility.

Sorry about the lack of info.

Probably as economical as possible, shortest travel time. Points/Miles are not a big deal as it seems impossible to match up a good price with Continental, US airways

What is AT?

Taking a domestic flight to LAX, NY, Houston, Denver or Chicago is not a problem and then taking the longer flight is a possibility.

AT=Royal Air Maroc

The only non-stop flights from the US to Morocco are on Royal Air Maroc out of JFK into Casablanca (CMN).

If you fly out of any other major city, you'll have to either fly through JFK or make a connection in Europe.

The European connections have their pros & cons.

The big cons: When I checked this spring, there weren't a lot of convenient connection options through Europe. (Iberia through Madrid and Air France through Paris were the best options.) On previous trips I'd connected in London on BA then on to Casablanca, but that wasn't an option in March.

Additionally, if you connect via Europe, you may have to lay over overnight in a European city. That's both a pro & a con in my book. On my last trip, I did the only itinerary that allowed me to get home without overnighting in Europe: CMN to CDG to JFK to ORD. Yes, I got home without having to lay over in Paris, but I was also traveling for 24 hours straight. In retrospect, I'd have preferred to spend the night in Paris and have less of a marathon travel day. (Outbound I flew ORD-JFK-CDG-CMN and total travel time was about 14 hours.)

Now, if you're willing to change airports--or put a lot of effort into travel planning--you may be able to fly into Europe and then change to a low-cost carrier directly into Marrakech. (I wasn't looking at Marrakech flights on my last trip, but I checked a couple years ago and that was an option.) Airlines such as RyanAir & EasyJet fly into a lot or Moroccan airports. Or, as stimpy mentions, AT is another connection option.

I've flown AT to CMN via AMS, MXP, ORY, and LYS. I only went in economy once, but even on the short ORY-CMN flight, they served a nice hot chicken or fish dinner. In business class they are very good and better than all the Euro carriers in terms of food, drink and service.

Judging by the OP's info, the AT JFK flight would probably be the best option, but keep in mind, you have a bit of a layover at CNM before you connect to RAK. Still it should be by far the cheapest option.

Thank you again for the great info!

I think we are going to fly into NY, spend a short night and then fly out the next day to Morocco.

Are there any cultural restrictions that I should be aware of?

I/we do not want to offend anyone unknowingly.

Are there any cultural restrictions that I should be aware of?

Not really, unless you visit a mosque. Women going out and about should be a bit more modestly dressed than young girls would in the US on a hot day. But they don't have to cover up their hair or anything restrictive. And of course at the hotel pool all the fit ladies are in skimpy bikinis. :)

Thank you again for the great info!

I think we are going to fly into NY, spend a short night and then fly out the next day to Morocco.

Are there any cultural restrictions that I should be aware of?

I/we do not want to offend anyone unknowingly.

Restrictions might be too strong of a word, but some cultural differences you'll notice:
On my last trip (March-April) I only saw one Western couple wearing shorts even though we were in a few cities where the weather was fairly warm. It's just not that common, and you (or your wife, in particular) will stand out more if you do.

In most cities you can't buy alcohol within the medina. If you're dining within the medina, ask if it's OK to BYOB (and carry it in a bag).

You'll notice a lot of cafes/salons de thé. 99% of the clientele are men. Again, women can go in, but may feel uncomfortable. (Patisseries, on the other hand, are perfectly acceptable for women.)

Bargaining is common at stores in the medina. Don't pay full price!

You probably won't see much--or any--pork on menus.

It would be nice to have a car to check out the Atlas mountains for sure. Or the desert.

The only non-stop flight from the US that I am aware of is JFK-CMN on AT. AT is a great airline, especially in business class. Or you could fly to most any Euro hub, and connect directly to Marrakech.

As for hotels, I like the Sofitel. Great pool and good location. But I don't know where the convention center is?

I am glad to see this post as I have similar requirements for December.
Can anyone advise if and how it is possible to secure a sensible rate at the Sofitel?

Can anyone advise if and how it is possible to secure a sensible rate at the Sofitel?

If it is busy, no. If it is not busy, the very best way is to do a walk up and haggle at the front desk. I was offered the Presidential Suite for around €400 once. It shouldn't be busy at all in December unless there is a big wedding or something.

just an update:
My wife are booked on US Airways (Upgraded to Envoy) from PHX to Charlotte > Charlotte to UK.
Stay in Intercontinental (on points) and then head out to Morrocco on easyjet the next day.
We booked a great rate for 9 days at the Sofitel Lounge and Spa in Morrocco.
Then headed back to UK on easyjet for a day and the follow the same route home using US Airways.

Thanks again for all of the info.

I will update when we return.

Trip was great!

Climate = Arizona
Culture = French, Islamic, Jewish, Russian, etc...
Food = Lamb, couscous and everything else that you would want
Language = French, Arabic, limited english (google translator app was great to have)
cell phones = used unlocked quad band cell phones (great for shopping separately, taxi, etc...), INWI (sp?) was the sim card provider we used ($22)
Car Service = Sun Transfers (Phone UK:+44 (0)203 1673870 / Phone Spain:+34 931816896 / Phone USA:+1-(347)-352-8137 / info@suntransfers.com)
$50 each way to and from hotel to airport (worth it, alot of luggage)
We contracted Hamoud" our original driver to take us around all week as a guide for about $250 plus tip. (he drove us to dinner, convention, guided tours to the mountains, introduced us to local shopkeepers hidden in medina, etc...he was great. well worth the $. He spoke 5 languages as well...including English perfectly)

Glad to hear it went well. How was the Sofitel?

US Airways
PHX>CLT>LGW

Well worth the upgrade to 1st class using points (food, drinks, movies, space)
Flew on the older 300's so no new seats
Better this way as we were able to sit next to each other and talk
Bad for me as i am 6'2 and was not able to stretch out completely for the red eye flight

LGW>RAK (Marrakeh, Morocco)
Easy Jet .... nothing is EASY about them.
I paid for an extra bag to check in online... little did i know that this was just for the luxury of having an extra bag to check. You are allotted a TOTAL of 20 kilos of weight no matter how many bags you have. For my 3rd extra bag (20 kilos) i paid $300...about $15 for every kilo over the the total limit allowed.
The service attendant read the very fine detailed print that explained all of this with a smile.
NEVER AGAIN!!!!
Seats were terrible (my knees were in my throat)
charge for everything, everything...except the bathroom (1) and water from tap (in bathroom).

PHX = basic lounge, muffins, cookies, coffee
note - was hassled about bringing in a breakfast muffin. I understand, but she was very awkward about mentioning it to me several times. I took it outside, inhaled it and walked back in.

CLT = Nice, 3x the size of PHX. Quiet room for about 50 ppl, 2 self serve snack and drink areas, internet, business office, bar and they even announced when my flight was boarding (very helpful)

LGW = No arrivals lounge. Bummer since we had 4 hours to kill between flights.
But... I have a great secret to share with you. The sofitel hotel (which is attached) has a FULL service lounge. (free with diners club card or $30)
very, very, very cool:
gym
showers
internet, printer
espresso, cappuccino, americano, etc...
juice, milk, bottled water, bottled sodas
toast, crackers, butter, jam, peanut butter, nutella
yogurt
meat
vegetables
fruit
sofas, chairs, fireplace, tv
etc...

Can you tell i loved it!? Anyways, it was well worth the shower alone. The whole area is smaller than you would think, but it was done in an efficient European style.

RAK (Marrakesh, Morocco)
no lounge, but the airport is nice. Boutique style with allot of flavor.

Trip was great!

Climate = Arizona
Culture = French, Islamic, Jewish, Russian, etc...
Food = Lamb, couscous and everything else that you would want
Language = French, Arabic, limited english (google translator app was great to have)
cell phones = used unlocked quad band cell phones (great for shopping separately, taxi, etc...), INWI (sp?) was the sim card provider we used ($22)
Car Service = Sun Transfers (Phone UK:+44 (0)203 1673870 / Phone Spain:+34 931816896 / Phone USA:+1-(347)-352-8137 / info@suntransfers.com)
$50 each way to and from hotel to airport (worth it, alot of luggage)
We contracted Hamoud" our original driver to take us around all week as a guide for about $250 plus tip. (he drove us to dinner, convention, guided tours to the mountains, introduced us to local shopkeepers hidden in medina, etc...he was great. well worth the $. He spoke 5 languages as well...including English perfectly)


So glad you had a great time! I feel as if all of us who love Morocco should act as informal ambassadors for the country. It has so much to offer tourists.

Very Very cool.

I travel allot and I am pretty particular.

We arrived and they had our room ready.
We booked 6 weeks in advance and saved 50% on the Suite package for a 7 day stay

Bellman grabbed our luggage and delivered to room, while the front desk clerk spoke with us and had Moroccan tea served to us while were waiting (addicted now).

Flowers, incense, tobacco, mint aromas everywhere.

The hotel has 2 wings (lounge/spa and hotel). we stayed in the lounge and spa side. Very nice. Newish (flat screen tvs, radios w iphone connection, nespresso coffee machine, etc..)

Room 373. 2 room suite with a separate bathroom and shower room. 2 patios (one connected to bedroom and the other to the front room. Sitting room was great for eating, lounging, internet at the desk...space away from sleeping wife so not to wake her up. Bath room had loofah, shower mitt (sp?), L'Occitane soaps/shampoo and separate conditioner products (my wife says that this is VERY important). Also, it was a BATH with a removable shower head. Good pressure, nice hot water and clean every day.

Restaurants:
pool cafe was the best for quick, not too expensive lunch, breakfast
buffet restaurant for breakfast was beautiful, but we do not like buffet (and it was $$$)
Fine dining restaurant was great. $100 for dinner for 2. (apps, full bottle of wine, entree, dessert)

Spa:
awesome
indoor pool heated to 85 degrees (2 lane lap pool size)
gym was state of the art with a teak-wood patio for yoga (but no free weights over 20 lbs) Used their cable machines for heavy lifting.

Pool: (2)
Main pool was beautiful. not heated. I had heard that there was not great service, but i figured out that there really was not pool service. It was actually the staff from the pool restaurant that served you at poolside if you wanted. This was an easy fix for me. (gave the waiter a tip before hand and asked him/her to come around every 20 min) It was great. Beers were expensive poolside, but convenience is when you do not bring it yourself.
hint: go to the supermarket and buy the alchohol in the fridge. replace it after you drink it. Easy fix.

Adult pool (5 steps away from main pool). Great! Found about the heated OUTSIDE pool halfway through the stay. 85 degrees. are you kidding me? I was commenting to myself that the older adults seemed to glide into the pool as if their central nervous system was shut off. So brave, i thought...until i dipped my toe in. Wonderful to just hang out in water that was heated.

ATM:
easy to get $ and exchange rate was on par

NightClub:
there was one right on property. Very cool and it appeared to be very happening.

Conclusion:
I was very impressed with the hotel, staff and amenities. I would definitely return.

Any recommendations for driver/tour guide for a weekend stay? Hamoud sounds great. Contact info and approximate rates would be appreciated. We'll probably stay at a Riad inside the medina but near the wall. Any recommendations for a January visit (vs. other times of the year)?

Šukran bezaf!