Centrally located on a quiet street within walking distance of main train station
Serene garden with two swimming pools
Breakfast
buffet included in the room rate
Rooms have air-conditioning, mini-fridges, and flat-screen TVs
Hammam with massages and scrubs available to guests
Free on-site parking
Free Wi-Fi
throughout
No alcohol served (a pro for some)
Expensive drinks
Pools mostly in shade, and can be cold
The Meriem Hotel is a budget-friendly,152-room
property conveniently located in Gueliz -- in the new city -- which is about a 15-minute cab ride to the medina, or a 25-minute walk. A modern pink block of a hotel, the Meriem doesn't have much of the flamboyant Moroccan styling of other properties, although hints of Morocco show up in the archways, ornate chandeliers, screens setting off sitting areas, "tadelakt" walls in rooms, and traditional rugs -- but the decor is hardly distinctive, and is somewhat dated. Rooms, ranging from Standard to Luxury, are spacious, and include flat-screen TVs and mini-fridges, but some of the bathrooms could use a serious refresh -- especially the grouting around the tiles. Two swimming pools sit amid a garden of bamboo trees, and the hotel offers massage services along with the traditional hammam. The main restaurant serves a blend of international and Moroccan cuisines, including a buffet breakfast that's included in the room rate. Guests who prefer a more typically Moroccan ambience might want to consider the nearby Moroccan House Hotel, which has equally low rates.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
Blocky modern hotel with nondistinctive decor
There's little that's distinctive about the Meriem
Hotel. Its pastel-pink facade, which is ubiquitous in Gueliz, could use some touching up. Inside, the
lobby is spacious, airy, and bright. Its marble gray-veined floors, large centerpiece rug,
and collection of chandeliers combine to create a formal -- if somewhat lifeless -- ambience. Furnishings are modern but look dated -- very 1990s -- and potted plants, while numerous, do little to liven up the space.
Interiors, however, are clean and well-maintained, and the
hotel's garden, with a small lawn, bamboo trees, and two swimming pools, is peaceful. Clientele tends toward older tourists, business travelers attending events at the nearby Palais des Congres, and those who prefer not to stay in the roiling medina but still want a central, convenient location.
Location
Set on quiet back street in Marrakech's Gueliz neighborhood
The hotel is
situated on a fairly quiet back street in Gueliz, in the New City. Its main thoroughfare, Mohammed V Avenue, about a five-minute walk from the hotel, is a
busy boulevard of cafes, restaurants, and shops. The hotel is a 15-minute walk to the Palais des Congres exposition space, and a 10-minute cab ride to the Majorelle Garden, with its Museum of Islamic Art, and the Menara Gardens. While the southern edge of the medina is about a 20- to 25-minute walk, but it's best to take a taxi (the walk is not interesting), which takes 10 to 15 minutes, depending on traffic. The city's main train
station -- and bus station, which sits directly behind it -- is less than 10 minutes away on foot, while Marrakech Menara International Airport is about a 15-minute drive.
Rooms
Rooms range from Standard to Luxury, but all have flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, and free Wi-Fi.
The hotel has 144 air-conditioned rooms and eight suites, from singles to quads, Standard to Luxury. Some open to furnished balconies overlooking the pool garden, while others look directly into next-door apartments. All are decorated in a modern style, with traditional touches such as colorful "tadelakt" polished plaster walls, traditional rugs, and some Moroccan-style furnishings. All rooms have mini-fridges, flat-screen TVs with
satellite channels (though only one English-speaking), and free Wi-Fi, although the signal can be intermittent. Bathrooms -- with toilets in separate rooms -- have shower/tub combos but vary depending on the room. Those at the lower end could use some updating -- especially regrouting around the shower area -- while those at the higher end are nicely finished
in mosaic tiling with marble tops.
Features
Pleasant garden with two pools, and restaurant
A buffet breakfast of Moroccan and international fare is served each morning in
the hotel's Les Ambassadeurs restaurant, and is included in the room rate (half board
rates are available). Lunch and dinner can be taken on the
terrace, but be aware that alcohol is not served and drinks can be expensive. The hotel has a pleasant garden area
with two swimming pools, but they get sunlight only for a few hours a day, and can
be cold. A hammam with sauna and body scrub and massage treatments is open
to guests. Wi-Fi is available throughout (though can be spotty in places), and
on-site parking is free of charge.
