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Thursday, November 21, 2024
HomeTrip ReviewsHOTEL REVIEWSLe Meridien Marrakech: Dated Digs in Marrakech

Le Meridien Marrakech: Dated Digs in Marrakech

Le Meridien Marrakech Hotel Review is part of the Round The Atlantic Trip Report.


Getting There: The taxi to the hotel is supposed to be 15-20 dinar on meter. The Internet says if you get it for 50 you’re fine. I got it easily for 30 by walking to the exit (sortie) of the car park which leads me to believe I could’ve done better.

Getting Back: When you are headed back to the airport, head to the main street and hail a cab that is not officially endorsed by the hotel. That will save you money.

a car on the road
Old school Benz

My trip to Morocco started off rocky. After one night I made the executive decision to leave for Madrid. The hotel had no WiFi and the AC didn’t work. As a cloud lawyer, I don’t have time for hot rooms. The second day, the hotel upgraded us to a suite and that made all the difference. With the ability to conduct business, I began to enjoy my Marrakech routine. Each day started off with skipping breakfast, heading to the pool for beer, and then the night market for food.

The Hotel Itself 

Le Meridien is one of my favorite brands when I travel overseas. From Le Meridien Shanghai to the one in Chiang Rai, Bangkok, Kota Kinabalu, or my favorite, Le Meridien Pyramids, Le Meridiens do not disappoint. Unfortunately, I cannot say that of Le Meridien in Marrakech. The hotel is dated and lacks the level of comfort of the ones mentioned. If you’re going to go through the trouble of going to Morocco, you should stay at a local riad for a more authentic experience.

a sign with palm trees and a flag a sign in front of a building a ceiling with a circular design a room with a large column and a couch a fountain in a garden a building with palm trees and bushes a brick path with bushes and trees

The Suite 

If you end up in a standard room, demand a suite. The standard rooms are awful. The hotel will pretend that there are no upgrades but insist on moving.

a bed with a wood headboard and lamps a bed with a lamp and a balcony a living room with a couch and a coffee table a dining table with chairs in a room a mirror on a wall a tv on a stand a table and chairs in a room a bouquet of pink roses

The Suite View

The original room had a view of the mall. This one was much better.

a group of palm trees and grass

a pool with palm trees and blue chairs

The Bathroom 

Compared to the terrible motel shower in the first room, the bathroom in the suite was much nicer.

a bathroom with a sink and bathtub a shower with a shower head a group of bottles of shampoo and gel on a counter a bathroom with a toilet and sink

The Pool

The pool made up for the deficiencies in the hotel. A few local brews and a nice sunset make everything better, as does a decent pizza.

a pool with lounge chairs and umbrellas a pool with lounge chairs and umbrellas a pool with palm trees and a building a pizza on a table next to a pool a can of beer next to glasses of beer two cans of beer on a pool side a man in a white robe holding a drink in front of a pool a pool with palm trees and buildings in the background a pool with palm trees and buildings in the background

The Breakfast 

After overindulging in food at the night market, I never felt the need to eat breakfast. Still, blog readers get pretty upset when I skip it or when I complain about paying for it. So I went and I can say that it was not worth it. While the breakfast had a wide selection of food, it was not local food. Apart from the tea and juice bar, the food was bland. The quality of the photos are not representative of the quality of the food.

a trays of pastries on a table a buffet with different types of food a row of bowls with different foods a tray with glasses and a teapot on it a table with different drinks on it a trays of food in a container a trays of food in a restaurant a bowl of food in a stove a plate of food on a table a plate of food and drinks a glass of liquid next to a glass of liquid

The Service

Everyday there was someone at the front desk complaining about their stay. I don’t blame them. This hotel is not up to the standard of SPG.

Overall

I wouldn’t stay here again.

 

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16 COMMENTS

  1. There are multiple room types: Superior, Deluxe, Executive & Ambassador Suite. Which type were you in before being upgraded? Was the AC & internet not working in any of the non-suites? Also, aside from authenticity, what was lacking overall in the hotel? Thank you!

  2. You paid 3 bucks for a cab ride and still felt you could have done better? How about spreading some western wealth in third world? Insufferable.

    • I tend to agree with your perspective on this. When visiting a place that’s super cheap by our standards, I think a little less haggling at times is the way to go. That said, there are a couple of points that you might want to consider. First off, this is a deeply personal choice. If TPOL uses a service, then the cab driver (in this case) is not making any less money than he normally would for providing the service to a local. There simply are no losers in this situation, or an agreement would never have been struck. Secondly, throwing out insults just to be offensive isn’t doing yourself any favors. It just makes people less receptive to your point of view.

      • I’m fine with this perspective. I’m not saying fight all the time but when you travel for weeks, you have to be on alert of tourist traps. Otherwise you’ll let your guard down and pay $30 for tacos. All this has been documented on my blog.

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