WNelson

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.

chgoeditor

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.

WNelson

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?

stimpy

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?

chgoeditor

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).

Doc Savage

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_R...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. ;-)

WNelson

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.

stimpy

Atlas mountains. Your hotel should have recommended tours.

chgoeditor

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!

WNelson

Thanks again for the great feedback.

This trip is shaping up to be pretty amazing.

WNelson

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

stimpy

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.

haveric

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.

WNelson

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

stimpy

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.