Atlas Medina & Spa hotel

Hi there, A quick note to give a resume of my stay at the Medina and SPA. I knew from the previous reviews I read that it was not a real 5 stars hotel. So, I must admit I was pleasantly surprised as I found the level of service good and the staff v. friendly and helpful. The reception was brilliant as they tried to sort out every problem on the spot. Bashir was great and he did his upmost to help. I think it is rude to expect them to have fluent english knowing Morroco was a French colony and that people are generally poor in Morroc therefore the population cannot be highly educated due to lack of means. Would you really expect the population in India to speak French to French tourists! Get real and learn other languages and make some effort to communicate with others! The pool was extrmely clean but you must wake up at 8 am, otherwise the seats by the pool will go like hot cakes. At the end of my 5th day I was sick of listening to the same music both during the day and in the evenings. They should vary a bit. having said that, It is not a hotel for tacky and cheap shows for tourists and I am glad to have found this hotel. I am going back next year!!

Moroccans are very kind and respectful people but somewhat laid-back and shrewd. And such a culture gets reflected on this hotel. The whole hotel staff were always kind and helpful but you had to request to get things done in order for them to do things that should have been done already. These are my examples: 1) When we arrived to our room on the first floor, the toilet was dirty. So we called to get it cleaned and, since no one came after 20 minutes, we called again. This time two maids came right away, looked at the toilet, flushed it, laughed and left in less than 30 seconds. Because of their rush, I can only assume that they didn't check it properly to notice where it was dirty. So I called again but complained in French and voila' they came right away. A different pair of maids showed up, and to clean the toilet, one maid used one of the towels in the bathroom. We just laughed after this sui generis moment and asked the other maid if they usually use the towels available for guests to clean the toilets, to which she said no and apologised and said that they're going to change the towels and bring us two pairs of slippers, which she did a couple of minutes later. 2) The bar fridge was dirty and empty. According to the price list and inventory next to the fridge, it had to have a certain quantity of different beverages. It didn't matter to me the fact that it didn't have what it should, so we complained regarding its dirtiness only. They cleaned it properly. 3) One of the lightbulbs in our room was burned out. So we complained about it and they changed it. However, two days later, it burned out again. We didn't complain after the second burn out and it remained like that until the day we left (and probably many days afterwards). 4) The TV wasn't working. Again, we complained about it and they fixed it. 5) In four out of the eight days we stayed there, the magnetic keys stopped working. We just went to reception and she helped us right away. Obviously, there's something terribly wrong with the preventive maintenance of this hotel, but the corrective maintenance works very well. It seems that corrective maintenance is the only maintenance they do. Regarding food services, let me inform you that after we ate at the "Brasserie," we both had stomach runs. That meal was the only one I had in this hotel apart from buffett breakfasts, which are good. However, during breakfasts, we re-lived the "response after complaint" as there are neither spoons nor yoghurts anywhere in the whole restaurant until we have asked for them. And that happened every single day we had breakfast. Finally, I would like to say that the gym is very good and to reiterate that the hotel staff was always kind and friendly.

We stayed for five nights at the Medina Hotel and agree with other reviews that it is a welcome haven from the city. We were impressed by the rooms, especially the beds which were huge and really comfortable! The swimming pool was big and well maintained although there was sometimes a shortage of sunbeds; however the pool attendant was swift in finding spare ones. All of the staff we encountered were excellent; polite but unobtrusive and always ready to help. We stayed half board and whilst the food was good, it did get a bit repetitive (we stayed 5 nights). It would have been nice to see a more varied selection. I would agree that it's not a five star hotel; but this is Morocco and you're not paying the five star prices that you would in major cities around the world. I thought that the hotel was excellent value for money. All in all an excellent hotel; we would definitely return. If you're looking for a good guidebook then I would recommend the TimeOut guide to Marrakech; it's up-to-date and was invaluable in helping us negotiate our way around the city.

At first I thought I should have done the proper "Marrakech" thing and booked a Riad. But having spent a couple of days in the craziness of the old town, I had no regrets at all. As another reviewer has rightly said, it's lovely to be able to retreat to this quiet, cool, clean and spacious hotel after a day spent in the raucous, dirty, noisy “Medina” (the bit inside the city walls, not to be confused with the hotel – which is well outside in the French colonial bit). Breakfast is good (if a bit of a carbohydrate overdose) and the lovely pool is fantastic. Room service is incredibly cheap (useful when I spent a day indoors nursing my sunburnt back). I also took advantage of a massage in the basement spa area; almost worth it just to see the place (moody lighting and lanterns created a lovely atmosphere). Although it probably isn't 5-star compared to hotels in Europe and the US I think it's unfair to criticise it in this way. We are in Africa after all - deal with it! There is a reassuring feel of discreet professionalism about the place, it's clean and the staff seem pretty attentive. Two bits of advice: firstly I got the worst food poisoning & think a cheese sandwich in Marrakech airport on my return was to blame. Secondly, ANYONE in Marrakech who approaches you offering any advice whatsoever - even directions - will probably expect to be paid for it. We were constantly harassed in the Medina and eventually gave in to a "tour guide" who took us on a "tour" of what appeared to be his friends' shops where they attempted to pressure us into buying things at inflated prices. He was very friendly at first but things got a bit heated as time went on. The technique was to make you feel like you were insulting them if you didn't offer highly enough. We were told that these were exclusive "Berber goods" available only today while the "Berber Market" was in town. Needless to say this looks like a total scam as similar goods are available everywhere. I would love to hear from other reviewers whether they too were lucky enough to catch this "exclusive market" which I am sure is open 24/7, whenever a hapless European or American strolls into view. Also, our taxi from the airport cost an absurd 100 dirham. All the drivers were operating a cartel at the time though, so bargaining was useless... then when we got in he tried to charge us 20 extra for luggage. Do not accept this sort of nonsense! USEFUL TIP: Politely but FIRMLY decline all unsolicited offers of assistance & agree taxi fares before you get in! If the worst comes to the worst, there will be another one along in a few minutes...

We were there over a week - A very good hotel - the staff are very friendly and speak excellent English, Arabic and French (puts us lot to shame!!) I always tried to communicate with them in French and they appreciated that - if I was struggling they would help me in English. Very lush hotel with excellent facilities. Spa is good and the treatments the missus had seemed very good too (although for some reason a leg massage turned into an all over body one but hey, who's complaining!!) Although a modern building, the interior is lovely with a genuine feeling of class! Air conditioning was beautifully cold and the pool was clean and cold (as it should be). I cannot reiterate how helpful the staff were especially at meal times. They really made the extra effort. Note - the hotel is a major luxury out there (it is a 3rd world country after all) - you could spend all day every day lounging in the hotel but then you couldn't really say that you've been to Morocco! The food was very varied from traditional moroccan to good old english and it was of a good standard (although to some extent a bit repetitive if you were eating there full board etc). The tele if you were in your room only had CNN and BBc World Serivce (and some French channels if you understand them) so they could improve that but thats very minor. The hotel is situated about a 15 minute walk from the main town or a short taxi ride away. When you get off at the airport, AGREE THE PRICE BEFORE YOU GET IN THE CAB, OTHERWISE WALK AWAY. TRUST ME YOU WILL GET YOUR SERVICE. Its only 15 mintues away so should be no more than 70-100 dirhams (and only slightly more at night although you will get it lower if you haggle) Marrakesh: Be prepared to haggle in the old town (I don't think you can as much in Gelise, the new town). Don't come across scared and don't declare your interest in anything at all - haggle! And then walk away with the attitude that you didnt really want it either. Don't be scared as these guys are forceful salesmen (some may call tem vultures but they're making a living and they only want our money and not a limb or something!!) Work out a price you're willing to pay and if you can't get it then walk away - 7/10 times they run after you. Don't get drawn into any snake charmers etc tents and if you do, when they ask you for money stand firm. They will ask you for 200 dirhams or more which is a weeks wages for some out there - give them just a bit. Obviously don't barter too hard because you have to remember what it costs you in your own currency which is not very much!! Try the restaurants in the new town - the parks are lovely. Get a map from reception and walk to the various sites (the old town is 15 minutes away, as is Gelise) - just make sure you've got water and suncream. Remember to tip. Marrakesh is lovely if a little quaint. And the hotel Medina is great. Would we stay there again? We've already booked it for christmas!!!

We have just returned from a week at the Median and Spa and thoroughly enjoyed our experience. The hotel was beautiful with many traditional Moroccan features to make it feel authentic with the advantages of 5 star accomodation. We opted for half board which was worthwhile as the immediate vicinity had just a few restaurants, however the buffet style dining room had a fairly limited choice, though of good quality. The pianist does a fair 'Les Dawson' impression! As half boarders we could also use the other hotel restaurant which was a very beautiful setting. The pool area was lovely, surrounded by a pretty garden. One tip though, you need to be up and out early, before 9, to secure a sunbed as there are not enough. The bedrooms are large and if you can ask to have a room overlooking the pool as you get a great view of the Katoubia mosque, beautiful especially at dusk and dawn. The room and bathroom were exceptionally clean and air conditioned. We both had a nasty tummy bug but this is to be expected in Marrakech, it didn't seem to be confined to our hotel. The souks in the square are perfectly safe, you don't need a guide. Cab drivers will try to tell you the souks are closed in order to persuade you to visit other areas which happen to be shops run by their friends, don't be fooled. We stayed for a week but you could easily do the main sites in 3 days. One word of warning, at the airport there are 2 terminals though this is not immediately obvious, check which one you should book into before you set off as the queues are long and this could make you late for check-in.

Reviews of the Medina & Spa have been mixed on this site, and my partner & I were unsure of what to expect when we picked this hotel. Overall, i would say I was satisfied, but with some reservations.... The hotel itself was stylish, generally clean..the rooms spacious and with more than adequate airconditioning. Where the problems begin I believe, is in the Moroccan 'attitude', simply put, the country is very orientated towards the French, who make up the largest proportion of visitors, therefore French is the first language which can make communication a little difficult to english speaking travellers...couple this with the fact that Moroccans have a very short fuse when a problem arises, which I believe is the reason behind the negative comments about Moroccan 'rudeness'. Anyway..Back to the hotel itself, foodwise, breakfast was good, but the main meals were fairly uninspired, the restaurant was passable, but aside from some trips out, my partner & i did not really find high quality food to eat. This wasn't too major a problem as we both had a bit of 'Deli-belly'...Something even the most hardened traveller can expect in Morocco! Alcoholic drinks were expensive, and the choice was limited, a few cocktails only. Pool was excellent, though there was a shortage of sunbeds, though you didn't have to wait too long for one to come available. Entertainment...Pretty dreadful I'm afraid, this consisted of the SAME duo playing the SAME songs EVERY night of our stay..! After a couple of days of lift music, you are begging for mercy! - you would expect a five star hotel to provide more variety really. So....Medina and Spa...Could i recommend it?...well, if you are a tolerant person, and not too used to supposed "5 star" Hotels, and get a good deal, then yes, the hotel is acceptable, I do think it is 5 Star for Morocco, but probably not when compared to other resorts. Oh, and finally, not connected to the Hotel...but on no account take the mini-bus trip to the Atlas mountains, it is a hellish 5 hour trip there for very little, and a hellish 5 hour trip back...Don't do it, its cheap but pretty awful. We do however, recommend the 'Fantasia' night...Cheap but well worth the money, with good food, and an entertaining & fun show. Hope this review has been a help. Gary

Well, where should I start, on arriving at the Hotel, we were greated by a friendly Receptionist who gave us our room key and directed us to our room...we had our bags taken to the room..he didnt expect a tip, but we gave him one anyway. We had a twin bed room, which they very kindly pushed together for us, making a huge bed which was quite firm, so if you are used to a soft squishy bed, this might seem a little hard! The mini bar was poorly stocked, but as we tended not to use it, this wasnt a problem for us. Air con in the room was ok, kept everything down to a 22 deg temp, feeling quite cool as on most days by the pool it was over 50degs....yes over 50degs!!! it was on average 38 degs in the shade, As this is a dry heat...you dont feel it so much. Most of the staff speak english, some better than others. We did have a problem with our safe, please note!!!! by putting mobile phones in the safe it somehow affects the safe and stops you from getting anything out of it...even when the phones are switched off! This resulted in us having to wait for a Safe Man with an attitude to unlock it for us, lots of eye rolling and huffing! The pool was kept clean, but I will say that they can do with about another 20 sunbeds, as often unless you got down there at the crack of dawn and reserved your beds with the obligatory towels...you will have to wait until there are some free later in the day. The poolside music could do with a bit more variety, after hearing the same Cd's all week, you sorta get to know whats coming next. Evening entertainment consisted of a Keyboard player and a Guitarist, they played the same set all week.....bit boring guys! Food at breakfast was ok, a bit repetitive, same choice each day...we only ate in the Hotel Restaurant once, ok, nothing to get too excited about. Poolside lunch menu pretty boring too. If you get the chance to go to the Atlas Mountains, please be warned....there were 12 people on our day out, in a small mini bus, with a driver who doubled as a Formula 1 Grand Prix driver...It takes nearly 5 hours to get there, thru very winding, narrow, mountain roads stopping a few times on the way. Once there, you get lunch in a Restaurant (Meal was very Nice) then on to visit an unoccupied Kasbah...with a 5 hour drive back home...Sounds ok you think???.....errrrrr, well lets put it this way, for those with less than iron guts...this trip is like being on a 10 hour roller coaster ride....Most of my stomach is strewn the entire length of the Atlas Mountain range...Do go prepared, wipes, tissues and plastic bags...Oh and do sit near a window that opens! A long day for not very much at then end of it. - I would really like to say to those people on the trip for putting up with my vomitting a big SORRY! We did suffer with Deli Belly for the whole week, not as bad as some of the guests we spoke to, I dont think it was anything in particular that we ate or drunk, maybe it was the bottles of mineral water...so do take some anti poo pills with you! On the whole we had a good holiday, I wouldnt class this as a 5* hotel, but a reasonable 4* that could do with some improvements if it is to retain its 5* Rating

The hotel was very nice - especially the pool, but quite expensive. A G&T at the bar cost £5.00 & a bottle of water £2.00!! We had a fantastic day trip to the Atlas mountains - its really worth doing. We hired a taxi from outside the hotel, which cost 600 dirams for the day. We got very lucky and had a fab driver (Kabbour Essetre [--]). He took us to all the really good places, he was thoughtful & kind. We got back to the hotel 2 hours late & he didn't even bat an eye - what a nice man!!! The Atlas mountains themselves were fabulous! The is nothing quite like it.

I stayed at the Medina and Spa Hotel with my 2 female friends in July 2006 for 5 nights. The Medina & Spa hotel wasn’t the best hotel I have stayed in but I got a really good deal from Lastminute so I couldn’t complain. The rooms were clean, averagely sized and the bathroom was a decent size. Personally, I would rate this hotel a 4* not a 5* but it's all good. Our stay here was enjoyable but the only problem I had was that the menu’s were in FRENCH. Lol. Thankfully, my friend’s still remembered a few basic words and we chose our dishes based on 1 or 2 words i.e. chicken, fish, beef, salad. If you’re not particularly picky with your food, you’ll be fine. The pool area was nice but some days it took a bit long to get a towel. The pool attendant was not as vicious as I had expected (reading from a previous review). A taxi ride to the Square was on average 20Dirhams and you will probably be quoted approx 100 – 150 Dirhams from the airport to the Hotel but do not accept that price. The Hotel is about a 10-15 mins ride from the airport and it should cost approx 50 Dirhams. We tried to haggle from 100 but ended up giving up in the end and settled for 70. In overall, the hotel was good and the service was great.