Spent a week at the Appart Hotel (Residence) Amina in Hivernage (the newer area of the city) and enjoyed our stay.Firstly we recommend you contact the...

Spent a week at the Appart Hotel (Residence) Amina in Hivernage (the newer area of the city) and enjoyed our stay.Firstly we recommend you contact the hotel in advance and ask for their airport transfer service (we found out too late about this service which is cheaper and more reliable than the HolidayTaxis service provided through Easyjet). Throughout our stay all the reception staff were warm and welcoming and Abdul went above and beyond trying to sort out our return taxi to the airport when HolidayTaxis did not turn up (apparently there is another hotel in the Ville Nouvelle area with a similar name).The block is on a quieter side street just off a main route and has 21 apartments. We stayed in appartment 104 which is a two bedroom sleeps six at the front of the hotel on the first floor. It was clean and spacious though needed a little bit of refurb in the dated kitchen area and to deal with water stains above the shower. There is a hob but no oven or microwave. If you like a decent mug of tea or coffee take your own travel mug as they only have small cups.Unlike many others, our room did not have a balcony but the roof top terrace was always quiet. The bar up there and pool are closed out of season though.There is a large Carrefour supermarket in the Menara Shopping Mall which is just a five minute walk up the road and it carries a wide range of European and local products. Along the front are a range of eateries offering breakfast (from MAD35 / EUR 3.50/ GBP £3), snacks, set lunches to al a carte dinners. Alcohol is not always served and if it is, you will be asked to sit inside or to the rear of the venue to be discreet. At Menara Mal we found Manchego served alcohol and a pleasant meal or even nearer to the hotel Bar Le6 offered a wide drinks menu and well presented tasty meals (breakfasts from 9am).The medina was a pleasant 20 minute walk away up some quieter streets behind the hotel, taking you to the main gate by the famous Mamounia Hotel (busy with guests staying for the International Film Festival while we were there), and through the gardens to the Koutoubia Mosque. Beyond the Mosque it.s a short walk across the square and past all the horse carriages to the Jemaa El Fnaa main square. Throughout our stay we felt perfectly safe walking round the city both in daytime and at night including walking back from the city centre in the dark (with reasonable precautions).We did not use a guide for the souks, a good city map and compass to know which way you were heading was sufficient if you have a sense of adventure and are happy to smile and keep saying "Non, merci" (No thank you).We did take up the hotels offer of a guided visit of Marrakesh with our own taxi driver, which was handy in that he took us to the more outlying or harder to find sights though his English was not great and he did not actually guide us round the sights themselves. But there are so many guides and groups, it is easy to tag onto the back of a group to learn any bits your guide book omits. At our request he took us to the Saadian Tombs, Bahia Palace (both so worth seeing!!), the fasinating tanneries (where we did buy from the co-operative shop there - better quality leather than we found anywhere else), the Majoreele Gardens (out in Ville Nouvelle), Menara Gardens (not a lot to see) and would have then taken us into the city centre but the weather closed in so we opted to return to the hotel.If you have time, do not miss the chance to visit the Atlas Mountains. We booked in advance through Viator to go on Art de Cuirve's Three Valleys trip with camel ride, market visit and the inevitble Argan Oil stop. The trip included a walk through the villages of Imlil by a waterfall and our guide Hassan was so knowledgeable. We found ourselves trekking along paths with snow surrounding us so do take warm clothes and stout shoes for the rough track. Tea in Hassan's own house at the end was a bonus.Essasouria was nice but at three hours each way, it's a long day.Overall we would recommend the Appart Hotel Amina for active families and couples wanting to stay out of the hubbub of the medina centre and happy to walk or grab one of the numerous taxis or carriages to get in and out of the city.

We stayed for two weeks; the Amina is starting to show it's age, however everything was clean and the staff were very friendly and helpful, especially...

We stayed for two weeks; the Amina is starting to show it's age, however everything was clean and the staff were very friendly and helpful, especially Ismail and Anna. WiFi was only available in the lobby, but that wasn't a problem for us. Our second week we moved to room 208; nice room with two separate balconies and bathrooms. (the view to the south and the Atlas Mountains was really very nice indeed) and everything worked as promised. The location is ideal; Hivernage is an upscale neighborhood just off the main road (Mohammed Vi) and close to banks, restaurants and the train station. We mostly walked everywhere - you can walk to the Medina and Jemma el Fna (about 40 minutes) or a 10 minute taxi ride. There are a number of small variety stores right across the street, next to the Atlas hotel, where you can purchase bread, juice, pop, alcohol, etc. We found a really good place to eat was at cafe L'Opera, just around the corner and up a couple of blocks.

I stayed at Residence Amina for 2 weeks in December. It's a nice property in the very posh L'Hivernage neighborhood. All the taxi drivers knew how to get...

I stayed at Residence Amina for 2 weeks in December. It's a nice property in the very posh L'Hivernage neighborhood. All the taxi drivers knew how to get there. It's convenient to most Marrakech sites, shopping and to the airport - within 15 minutes by car or 30 minutes walking. The town is very safe and accessible. I felt quite comfortable while alone that first week and then with my company.All of the staff members are both quite professional and gracious. In particular Abdoul, the concierge, went above and beyond to make my trip great. He was so resourceful and really embodies the hospitality I learned is customary in Morocco. I credit him with being such a knowledgeable concierge who can advise on both touristic and more authentic cultural things to do in town and around the country. Such a gem! I really thought he was one of the managers.I give the Residence 4 stars instead of 5 because:1. it's unfortunate that their safes haven't worked in ages2. the upper floors have WIFI connectivity issues and once in a few while the lower floors are afflicted too.3. some of the rooms could use renovations, upgrading of carpets, and the like. Other rooms have already been renovated. We almost upgraded but the working WIFI was essential.I am not accustomed to staying in a hotel with no safe for my valuables and that concerned me at first but just as I was told the staff is quite trustworthy and efficient. I left my valuables there, passport with the front desk and thankfully had no problem. Nevertheless, I really hope they will have new WORKING safes soon.The Menara Mall is 2 blocks away so there are many very reasonable food options ($3-6/meal) available at the food court and there's also a huge Carre Four supermarket. Having the kitchenette saved a lot of money so that shop was perfect.It was truly our pleasure to stay a week longer when the riad we were scheduled to stay at wasn't suitable. We will back because we miss the beds too!Be sure to check out the panoramic view on the roof.

the hotel services were fantastic could not have been more helpful, kind , considerate 5 star would not hesitate to stay there again. its location was...

the hotel services were fantastic could not have been more helpful, kind , considerate 5 star would not hesitate to stay there again. its location was great provided all of our needs, front desk may suggestion about things to see in Morocco,the markets, excursions, and general conversation about the area and its safety

Residence Amina has all the charm of a Moroccan townhouse. Very pretty entrance & the rooms are well equipped and cleaned daily. It is very centrally...

Residence Amina has all the charm of a Moroccan townhouse. Very pretty entrance & the rooms are well equipped and cleaned daily. It is very centrally located & we found it easy to stroll to the Medina and around both the old & new town areas.There is a good bar nearby for those who fancy a pint & for watching football on TV in the evenings.The staff are friendly & helpful and I would definitely stay there again.Is only about ten mins transfer time from main airport too and on the drive in you go past lots of fields of camels & donkeys with some amazing eagles soaring about.

We were in a studio apartment and it was adequate for two people. The furniture for sitting was too low for our knees as we are older with knee problems....

We were in a studio apartment and it was adequate for two people. The furniture for sitting was too low for our knees as we are older with knee problems. There was a small table for eating outdoors on the balcony but often it was too cold a.m. to sit outdoors. Location was excellent with a mall and supermarket, currency exchange and restaurants reasonably priced close by. There was a breakfast place close by where you could a breakfast for $5.00. The reception desk is very helpful. The room was cleaned everyday. We took private tours offered by the resort. They were expensive but they explained to us that if we went in a group it would be cheaper. The private drivers were excellent but explanations were limited due to limited knowledge of English and history. The three day dessert tour to Merzuga was excellent with camping in the sand dunes. However washroom fascilities were poor there. Overall I would highly recommend Amina residence for its location and friendly and helpful staff.