Morocco: Where to stay - please contribute

[Chris Scott]

Please add your own recommendations.


Off topic chat removed to keep to the point and easier for all to use.

FYI: in my experience booking.com is reliable and often cheaper than the walk-in rate, but the given locations on the embedded google map are not always accurate. This has led to stressful wild goose chasing in busier towns at the end of a tiring day. Unless the place is isolated and you can see the blue pool twinkling on google, verify the precise location.

See also my 2023 and 2024 lists later in this thread

Others' recommendations:

Azrou
The Cedars Hotel in the main square is a good overnight base at just 80dh/night (showers and loos in corridor).
Tim Cullis

Chefchaouen
From there we drove to Chefchoen (?? spelling??). This is a lovely little town with a very nice campsite at the top of the hill - both highly recommended.
thestens 1/09

Imilchil
My personal preference for accommodation at the Tislite Bride (N32 11.802 W5 38.510) because of the beautiful setting. Some years it's warmer than others. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...0-2#post228642
Tim Cullis

Marrakech
Ibis Hotel, near the main Railway Station. 10 min from the Medina, 43-45 euros with breakfast, parking lot and a bar (witch is expensive)
Air America

Mhamid
There is also a fantastic hotel (the Asalay) in Mhamid that you really should stay a night at...
JMo

Midelt
there's the Auberge du Jaffar a few miles out of town just as the first piste starts (N32 38.672 W4 46.351).
Tim Cullis

we stayed at the hotel atlas, which is a nice private pension.
for a double room we payed 100DH. that included shower and a garage for 2 bikes.
coordinates are: N32° 40' 54.7 W4° 44' 39.5
Airhead

Tinherir
not an hotel but a small guest house, "Retour Au calme" 2 or 3 rooms, less than 1 km after the place on your right hand when toward East, friendly guy.
(Eric DN)

Tinherir
My favourite is Auberge Le Festival which is about three or four kilometers north of the narrow gorge section of the Todra at N31 37.297 W5 33.677, see Auberge le festival. It's a great location and Addi, the owner, is a thoroughly nice guy and deserves the business. He also serves a brilliant 'big breakfast'.
I've stayed a few times at the Bougafer at N31 30.199 W5 32.476 which is on the way out of Tinerhir heading west.
Another alternative is the Tombouctou at N31 30.913 W5 32.029. Heading west through Tinerhir you turn left at the traffic lights and it's 400m on the left. Don't be put off by the entrance.
(Tim Cullis)

Tinherir
Camping & Hotel ... can't think of the name, but it's on the Ouzarzate side of town going out of Tinehir ... on the left hand side of the road about 2km from the grand taxi rank. The owner is Hassan, secure parking there!
(TT-Kira)

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My own recommendations (or not) all from 2008 or with a date.
hb = half board: dinner, bed & breakfast.
Prices are per person unless stated otherwise.

Agoudal
Auberge Agoudal, north end of village
Away from the village run by friendly old Hassan, a basic place with good food and a small stone built room or two and adjacent shower/toilet. Parking off the road. (Stayed again 2024 - see later posts).
120 hb

Agoudim (east of Imichil)
Auberge Oudadn
We only had lunch at this basic auberge with dorms and benches by an apple orchard run by Ahdaous but it's a lovely place for a break, overnight or simply just to get snowed in. (Passed by 2024 - still there).
120dh hb

Alnif - start of Route M4 (now 15km piste, north end sealed)
Hotel Bougafer
West end of town opposite the Gazelle du Sud. Basic en-suite room, good meal but a bit pricey. Tries to send you on to the complex Tazzerine (see below) and bit of fossil hassle. Roof terrace. (Passed by 2024 - still there).
200 hb

Alnif
Le Gazelle du Sud
Nicer place and friendlier, keener staff than Hotel Bougafer IMO. Lets you wheel a bike into the lobby. Truly huge amounts of OK food for dinner and breakfast, I think the cook wanted practice. Nice en-suite room, huge empty easting salon and a terrace. (Passed by 2024 - still there).
170 hb

Immouzer (north of Agadir)
Hotel des Cascades (2004)
We slogged up here in our overheating Merc on the basis of the old Rough Guide account (the current description is unchanged). We should not have bothered.
500-800dh for two it says now – way overpriced.

Figuig
Hotel Figuig
The only choice in town AFAICT, but a great place with a character all its own. Not as old as it looks, with clifftop terrace overlooking the palmerie, outying villages and the lights from Beni Ounif in Algeria. Friendly staff, good food, small en suite room. You can camp here too with a bit of shade.
Double room for two 250dh with breakfast, evening meals about 70dh. (2024 - may be closed).

Foum Zguid (2006) - Routes M8 and 9
Campsite on the south end of town on the right before the auberge. Small place, not much shade as I recall and locals passing by above stop to stare. OK ablutions. (Passed by 2024 - still there).
50dh for a tent

Foum Zguid
Auberge Iriki
South end of town on the right after the camping. Keen staff, OK food, a bit faded and largish en suite rooms and + with TV. Domestic locale so it’s noisy. Lost a bit of mojo after Covid? (last stayed 2022).
170 hb

Guelmin
Fort Bou Jerif - 'FBJ'
Accessible by road from Guelmin then 10km of corrugated track, also from Sid Ifni. I had the same impression as 8 years ago: brilliant food but a dreary, windy location and over-rated IMO (the actual fort ruins are nearby and well worth a look). FBJ has since become an off-road tour group feature with snake charmers by night but 'Parisian' service.
30 euros hb in a Berber tent with bedding (a switch but no lights). Rooms also available.

Igherm - end of Route M10 (all sealed and leads right into town)
Hotel Anzal
Right on the cross roads in town, just 50dh for a room with toilet/sink in the hall and shower offered, plus 35 for a soup-and-bread dinner plus breakfast. Not a tourist joint (or indeed town) but it does the job. Has a busy locals' bar with widescreen footie and lets you put a bike in their lock up over the road. Yelping dogs by night. The Rendezvous on the Taroudant road is as cheap, even more basic and unused (see 2023 posts).
85 hb

Igmir - halfway up Route M11
Igmir Guest House
A great tourist-oriented place just over the oued in the palms before the steep climb. Friendly old guy, very nice cosy rooms (ablutions next door) plus a big salon tastefully decorated with local artifacts. Food was OK but there was plenty of it.
195 hb
Despite the signs at the northern junction, sadly this place has been closed since 2018 (last checked Oct 2023)

Imilchil
Auberge Tislite
A couple of km north out of town and just off the road by the lake where you can camp (marquee on site). Food was cous-cous unfortunately and it seemed a bit expensive for what it was, but maybe not considering the location and popularity of Imilchil.
440 dp for 2

Merzouga
Hotel Kasbah Panorama
We scurried up here to get out of a pelting sandstorm. It's the usual kasbah-style joint found around Erg Chebbi but distinctive in that it's on a hill a km or two north of the village. Nice salon and good food but owner seems a bit in love with himself and lost interest once we didn't want to go cameling up the dunes.
200 pp hb

Merzouga
Auberge Kasbah Mohayut
Rough Guide recommended and rightly so. Full Moroccan desert chic treatment with a pool and blue-roberd staff decked out in goofy oversized turbans. Dropped it to 250 hb for me after a bit of a tour for a very nicely done out small room. Food was good, especially the big buffet breakfast.
250 hb

Meski Source Bleu (Between Rachidia and Erfoud)
Good shady camping around the warm spring that feeds a pool but the coaches don't stop here any more. Spoiled by over insistent 'invitations to tea' which led to the usual, plus locked toilets and inoperable taps (though there’s another ablutions block by the pool).
30 for bike and tent.

Midelt
Hotel Kasbah Asmaa
Pimped-out 'palace' on the south edge of town which you imagine tour groups think is simply fabulous. Room on the roof was nice enough after a long day (we gave up on Rich, down the road) and breakfast was a belly-dancing buffet. Parking out front by the road was extra for the guard.
420 with breakfast for 2. (Passed by 2024 - still there).

Missour
Afriquia Motel
In the Afriquia fuel station forecourt a km or two south of town. Handy place 300km south of Nador. Like a cheap European motel and initially felt a bit brothely. Small en suite room with TV and resto next door. No place for a bike unless you ride up the steps onto the terrace, but an hour after dark all is quite.
170 room only

Nekob - end of Route M5
Auberge Ennikil
East end of Nekob, a great location overlooking the palmerie and Jebel with parking inside the yard. En suite rooms with wifi and loads of terraces, a small pool and a la carte menu in the oddly plain dining room.
Now 480 hb (2024)

Ouarzazate
Hotel Vallee
Inexpensive tourist place near the oued on the south side of town. Semi-pimped décor and medium-to-large turbans, small rooms around a pool with guarded parking out front. Food in the salon was OK. I hear the Jardins next door alongside the oued is better.
440 hb for two. (Passed by 2024 - still there).

Jebel Sarhro, Route M5
Auberge Tizi Tazazert
We stopped for lunch here (omelette 12dh) but the guy showed me around the basic stone rooms built among the boulders for lodging right on the pass at 7500 feet. Something different and no muezzins for miles.
120 hb (Passed by 2024 - still there).

Tafraoute
Tafraoute Hotel, end of Route M11
Right in the Afriquia fuel forecourt, a dependable cheapie with shared bathrooms and the usual food, but a noisy town centre location and irritating touts on arrival.
170 hb (room only 80dh).

Taliouine
Auberge Askaoun east end of town. Loads of small, en suite rooms, salon/terrace as you walked in, great food, various wifis, park bikes inside; Hamid is your man. I stay here all the time, alone or with groups (2024).
250dh HB iirc.

Taliouine
Auberge Safran opposite Auberge Askaoun, south side of the road. Not stayd here for years but although both dinner and breakfast were great and most of the staff welcoming, my room (all en-suite, it must be said) was twice the size of the bed and as plain as the Anzal in Igherm and owner has ratty spells. In warmer weather the front terrace is the best feature (you can wheel your bike in here) but all in all the Safran did not add up to the 270dh half-board bill. I prefer Askaoun over tne road.

Tan-Tan
Ksar Tafnidilt
Six kms piste off the N1 highway that may be tricky in a 2WD when I was there (came from Plage Blanche, went to Tan-Tan). Didn't stay here but had a good look despite no one around. A great looking adobe kasbah facing the original ruined ksar. Similar pricing to FBJ but a much more memorable location.
Room only 150dh, hb 470pp, raïma tents from 60dh pp

Taourirt (100km south of Nador)
Roadside Aire de Repose: N34° 24.56' W02°57.28'
A new complex on the N19/N6 junction about 50km east of Guercif. Adds up to a resto, Comarit booking office, clean ablutions and a friendly guard plus free camping round the back on grass. Handy place to head for off the evening boat but pretty noisy with trucks and trains shunting along the new railway branch line up to Nador.
Free

Tata
Hotel Renaissance
Southwest end of town, 5 mins walk from the town centre and in better shape than when we stayed here in 2004; plus they made an effort to prepare food this time. Small en suite room and bike parking offered in the lock up over the road.
170 dp (Passed by 2024 - still there).

Tazzarine
Village Touristique Bougafer (2004)
West end of town; we rocked up at this big characterless site seemingly aimed at big coach parties with but with no one there for the minstrels to play to. Would not stay here again. (Passed by 2024 - still there).

Tazzerine
Camping Amasttou
Down a track south of town in the palmerie. Small, congested on-site berber tents (got a bit itchy so I slept in the car) but well-shaded and popular, with clean ablutions and a good evening meal. More space over the road for campervans.
50 for car and on-site tent.

Tazzarine
Camping Megzane
A few kms east of Tazzerine and down a track. Part of Ouarzazate’s Hotel Vallee so we thought we'd check it out as they're keen on Sahara Overland. Disappointing after the write up on the Vallee website; a bit of desert surrounded by a low wall and attempts to grow some plants. There's a bit of a hut with lamplight and dark ablutions.
50dh per tent

Tighmert (east of Guelmim)
Facomtour Hotel
Half an hour or so out of Guelmim, off the road to Fask. The 2008 Yamaha Tenere press launch came through here apparently but overall you get the feeling 'things ain't bin the same since they built the new highway'. Small en suite room, big central hall with semi-erotic artwork and basic breakfast (no evening meal offered). You can camp outside on the gravel yard too and get on the roof.
120 + 30 for breakfast

Zagora
Hotel Palmerie
A dependable and good value air-con place on the south end of the main street and away from the flashy kasbahs south of the oued where most groups now stay. Pool, always a good meal and breakfast on the terrace. There a Sahara mural map inside but parking out front only (they may let bikes inside). The famous '52 days' sign is relocated round the corner on the start of M8.
210 with breakfast, for two (Passed by 2024 - still there).

[kktos]

Imilchil
Auberge Todra
Stayed last May.
Dont remember the price but was not expensive at all.
Rooms are ok. Forget about shower.
And food was excellent. Probably the best breakfast in Morocco.
If you dont want to sleep here, you can stop to eat.

[Quintin]

I had a completely different experience to Chris at the Auberge Soleil Blue. I stayed there for a couple of nights at the back end of 2007 and had a great time. The owner (who is an ex-guide and very welcoming) is a keen musician and most nights he and two chums (suitably "refreshed") will play Berber music mainly for their own benefit and very good it is too. Food is excellent though I can't recall breakfast! It's a beautiful location and the rooms are wonderfully decorated in a most unusual style. It wasn't expensive and you can negotiate.

Can also recommend Le Roi Bedouin about 40km North of Laayoune-note their web site welcome wrongly describes it as South of Laayoune-run by a Belgian couple Luc and Martine. Great food (camel Tajine best ever). Very reasonable and located at N 27 27' 722"; W 13 03' 105". You exit about 4km south of Daoura and follow the well marked easy piste for about 4.5Ks. Ample room for trucks and 4x4s and 4 or 5 permanent Bedouin tents if you fancy that. Good solar heated showers.

Q

[TT-Kira]

My place in Chris' message above regarding Tinehir;

Camping & Hotel Ourti; run by Hassan & brothers on the right at the very edge of Tinehir as entering from Ouarzazate: Tel: 044-83-32-05 Fax:044-83-45-99

Maison d'Hote; 12km sur la route des gorges du Todgha (12km up the Todra gorge road) - stunning place with pool, 4x4 will have to be left on the road, walk up to hotel over small stream bridge, probably wheel bikes across. Fixe: 044-89-52-23 Portable: 072-81-63-83

Kira

[AndySabb]

"Can also recommend Le Roi Bedouin about 40km North of Laayoune-note their web site welcome wrongly describes it as South of Laayoune-run by a Belgian couple Luc and Martine. Great food (camel Tajine best ever). Very reasonable and located at N 27 27' 722"; W 13 03' 105". You exit about 4km south of Daoura and follow the well marked easy piste for about 4.5Ks. Ample room for trucks and 4x4s and 4 or 5 permanent Bedouin tents if you fancy that. Good solar heated showers."



Oh Yes

We stayed there for two days in Jan 2006 and they are a lovely couple - do stay. Food is pretty good.

Andy

[NCR]

Auberge Camping Marabout more or less halfway in the piste Merzouga - Zagora.

Simple place run by two young brothers.

N 30 38 429
W 04 45 040

E-mail:
marabout-tour@hotmail.com

Phone:
062811109

[JMo (& piglet)]

A couple I found (and would recommend) this summer:

• Hotel Bin el Ouidane, on the R306 between Ouaouizarht and Bin el Ouidane - overlooking the reservoir. Lovely little hotel with apartment style rooms, and a tented rooftop terrace for dining - although the actual timing of food turned out to be a pretty hit and miss affair! Hotel is walled, with secure parking for bikes. Got the price down to 300dh for bed and breakfast. Ideal for relaxing by the (small) pool, and taking in some of the local sights - About an hour or so from the Cascades d'Ouzoud to the west, and La Cathedrale mountain to the south east.

• Auberge Souktana on the N10 near Taliouine. Nice little hotel with en suite rooms, and tented accommodation in the garden. 180dh bed and breakfast, and nice evening meals too. Plenty of parking (security ok) and ideally positioned if exploring the desert south of Jbel Toubkal.

xxx

[PASSING PHASE]

A nice hotel in Errachidia is the Hotel le Riad top quality at reasonable prices, good rooms secure bike park thay do aswell. Good brekfast in the morning. Hotel Le Riad Errachidia Maroc.

[airamerica]

Ibis Hotel, near the main Railway Station. 10 min from the Medina, 43-45 euros with breakfast, parking lot and a bar (witch is expensive)

[GSPeter]

Try the CTM (tlf 442335), south side of Djemaa el Fna, they had an underground garage once. Hotel Ali, round the corner in Rue Moulay Ismail (tlf 444979) have an arrangement with nearby garage.
You are right on the square, not difficult to find.
Safe travels
Peter, in Oslo

[Caminando]

Originally Posted by GSPeter

Try the CTM (tlf 442335), south side of Djemaa el Fna, they had an underground garage once. Hotel Ali, round the corner in Rue Moulay Ismail (tlf 444979) have an arrangement with nearby garage.
You are right on the square, not difficult to find.
Safe travels
Peter, in Oslo

A salaam o alaikum...

Hotel CTM - agreed. Garage next door.

Right on Djemaa el Fnaa, and they have a roof cafe. Last year about 8-12 euros per night.

I hope you're looking at Tim Cullis's Morocco Knowledge base.

[Matt Roach]

For location in Marrakesh it is hard to go past the Hotel CTM in Djemaa el Fna. There is a covered parking station right next to the hotel entrance.

Service is surly, rooms aren't great, but there is something very special about riding your bike through the square right up to the door of the hotel as the sun is setting....magic!

It was about 200DH for one of the cheap rooms out the back, but you can upgrade to the nicer rooms in the centre courtyard if needed. There is also a nice terrace to watch the world go by.

[nickt]

The Hotel Rose in Taounate is cold, but clean, cheap and has good food. Just the place to calm down from an accidental trip to Khénifra, if you know what I mean!

Nick.

[Runner]

Hotel El Andalous in Hermitage area (10 mins walk from main square) isnt bad but get a room on higher floors to avoid noise from evening "traditional entertainment" in the bar (sounds like Helwan province when the Paras are out playing). Carpark is guarded.
Its reasonable, not brilliant. Handy access for town.

[psionick]

Try the Kensi Farah, in the Palmerie.
Could be a little pricey, but safe parking for 2 landrovers easy?
5 min walk to the square.
Easy to find if coming from the south.
Nick.