24 rue Yougoslavie, Guéliz, Marrakech, Morocco | (251) 219-4428
Good location away from the crowded medina, near tourist buses
Spacious outdoor pool surrounded by sunbeds
Fitness center with bikes, treadmills, rowing machine, weights
Buffet-style restaurant serving Moroccan specialties, including tagines
Room service available
Free Wi-Fi in public areas of hotel
Free parking
No in-room Wi-Fi
Fee for use of in-room safe
Competition for sun beds by the pool
No tea or coffeemakers in rooms
The 115-room, upper-middle-range Hotel Diwane is located in the Gueliz
quarter of Marrakech's new city. Within a 20-minute walk of the medina, it's conveniently situated for tourists. Designed and decorated in Riad style, with lots of
traditional Moroccan mosaic work, the Diwane feels a bit like a throwback, but it has a
large courtyard pool surrounded by sun beds. Rooms are spacious and clean but
somewhat care-worn; the Moroccan paintings and pottery, though, and lovely
mosaic work, add character.
Scene
Riad-style decor, faded charm, hand-painted touches, and an older clientele
The Diwane Hotel is beautiful on the outside, with elaborate
wood-framed windows looking over the busy street. The interiors are designed
and decorated in the riad style, with lots of ornate mosaic tile work. The
large lobby is a great spot to connect with other travelers. There is an
atrium, several stories high, with interior hallways overlooking the lobby,
giving it the feeling of a town square. There are beautiful tiled pillars,
hanging lanterns, panes of stained glass in the windows, and cool touches such as a pair of computer terminals housed in an elaborately carved and painted wood
kiosk. Even the elevator doors are beautifully hand-painted. The long front
desk feels like a throwback to the early 20th century, with a bank of
international clocks hung above. The slightly faded furniture adds to the hotel’s
worn charm. The buffet restaurant serves Moroccan specialties, and the menu
varies each evening, but often includes barbecue and excellent tagines. The
Diwane caters to guests on package tours, and the clientele consists largely of
older couples. The bar shuts down early. Younger travelers looking for nightlife may want to book
elsewhere.
Location
In the heart of Marrakech's new city, within a 20-minute walk of the medina
The Diwane Hotel is located on a busy, noisy street in Gueliz, in the new city. The medina, the old city, is about a 20-minute walk or a 10-minute taxi ride from the hotel. The hotel is near the area’s
main boulevard, Mohammed V, which has lots of shops and restaurants nearby, and a handy Starbucks. There is a Renaissance hotel across the street with a lively rooftop bar that has a spectacular view of the city. There is a hop-on-hop-off tourist bus stop close to the main entrance. Marrakech Menara International Airport is a 15- to 20-minute drive from the hotel.
Rooms
Clean, spacious, and shabby chic, with roomy bathrooms and soaking tubs
Rooms at the Diwane Hotel are clean and spacious, with simple
decor. The mouldings and baseboards are ornate; there are arched doorways, cool
ceiling woodwork, and hanging lanterns. Furniture is pushed up against the
walls, which gives rooms a plain look, but the pieces have character, although
they are slightly care-worn. Bathrooms are roomy, with mosaic tiles and deep soaking tubs (with
shower fixtures). Some rooms have balconies, and the windows are picturesquely
framed with ornate woodwork. Rooms have flat-screen TVs and mini-fridges, but sheets and towels are less than luxe. Poolside rooms are far less noisy than those facing the street.
Features
Big outdoor pool, spa treatments, hammam, and Moroccan buffet
The centerpiece of the Diwane Hotel is its big outdoor pool, surrounded
by sun beds and beach umbrellas, and a pretty terrace with a mosaic fountain.
There are palm trees and a small green lawn where guests can relax. The spa is
small and unexceptional in terms of decor, but massage, facials, and beauty
treatments are available by reservation, as well as a hammam and large sauna.
The fitness center has plenty of cardio and weight equipment but no windows.
La Coupole, the buffet restaurant, has a lovely terrace, and serves local specialties. The hotel also has a gift shop
selling Moroccan handicrafts.