Hotel Amine - Just No!
by TripAdvisor Member LondonPenny
We have just got back from Marrakech - where we stayed at The Hotel Amine.
I agree the hotel is impressive from the outside - But if you don't speak fluent French don't bother!! The activities and Menus (I mean everything was in French), even though the holiday was advertised to English Holiday Makers...
The Hotel rooms were not traditional Moroccan decor, which was expected from the outside of the hotel.
Breakfast was boiled egg and tomato - everyday.... Breakfast was so strange we did not eat dinner once in the hotel, even though we booked as half board...
The Desk staffs were unhelpful (The Cleaning staff were - Cheerful and helpful)
The only activity that was encouraged was drinking in the Bar - We attempted to use the Spa on numerous occasions - but the Lady who runs the spa was never there!
It would seem overall that they spent so much time and money making the outside of the hotel look lovely - that they had no more time or money to decorate the rooms or purchase nice bedding and curtains.
Great facility but need to greatly improve service
by TripAdvisor Member Travel4evermore
During my visit to the Hotel Amine in Marrakech I was impressed by the infrastructure there but amazed even more by the lack of simple courtisy of the staff. Believe it or not I met a door man who swore at me and when I explained the rude behavoir to the front desk attendent he called me rude - saying this is the modern way of hotels in 2007. When I said that my 200 nights a year at hotels in China, Japan, Taiwan, US, EU that I never had such a treatment - he proudly said this is Morrocco. Actually not just bad training at the Hotel Amine! Hope they improve. I remain A not so impressed guest from the US...
excellent hotel
by TripAdvisor Member marshmallow007
9/05/07:our first impression when we walked into the hotel was wow!! it was excellent 4* the staff were very helpful the hotel and grounds were very clean,the hotel has stunnig little coutyards and the pool was clean and nice size ,a very chilled out place.the kebab place next door to the hotel does lovely food and very cheap,the morrocan people were very nice and helpful we had a morrocan guide who picked us up outside the hotel (we were a bit wary at first!) mohammad he was great saved us lots of money and showed us the real morrocco for a small fee,we had dinner at his house and met his family ,lovely people..so if you come across a morrocan man dressed in long robe called mohammed near the hotel get to know him !! would definately go back to the hotel amine*****
Fabulous hotel
by TripAdvisor Member AichaJersey
We have just spent 3 wonderful nights in Marrakech staying at the Hotel Amine.
The hotel is only 5 minutes from the main square in a taxi and the taxis are very cheap and plentiful.
The hotel is immaculately clean and the decor wonderful with lots of areas to sit and relax inside and outside. Just lay by the pool in the sunshine looking at the orange, lemon, grapefruit and palm trees whilst sipping on a nice cold beer.
The pool area is very well organised with lots of sunbeds and chairs and tables and if you like Celine Dion you will be in for a treat as her CD is played over and over. The snack area was being refurbished whilst we were there and there was a bit of noise but nothing that Celine could not drown out!
The staff cannot do enough for you and pander to your every whim with a smile on their face.
The food in the restaurant is well presented and well cooked and there is plenty of it.
Only faults if you can call them faults were our room overlooked a busy road which woke us up at 5am every day so request room off the road, and more important the bar closed at 11pm!!
We would definitely recommend this hotel it ticks all the boxes in fact we enjoyed it so much we are going to book shortly to stay for a whole week.
Enjoy your stay.
basic but good enough
by TripAdvisor Member Weece
We booked a last minute holiday to Marrakech and got Hotel Amine to stay at for the first 2 nights. We were told it was 4*/ 5*, it really isn't, that's the first thing I have to point out. It was a basic 3* perhaps. The room and facilities were fine and clean (most importantly) but the rooms certainly could have done with some refurbishment.
We didn't use the pool but it looked nice and was well used by other visitors. We used the pool bar and the service was poor, they ignored us perfering to stand at the bar and chat.
We had breakfast (included in the price) and lunch in the restaurant, both were nice and there was a decent of choice of food, both were buffet style so there was plenty and staff in the restaurant were helpful.
Although the main languages in Morocco is Arabic and French all members of staff spoke enough English for us to get by as my French is fairly basic.
When we tried to book excursions we were never too sure if they had been booked as the front of house staff never made a note of it and just said 'ok, we will book it'. But each time it was booked and there wasn't a problem.
All in all, it was good for the price, what you would pay for a basic but decent 3* in any other European country I guess.
Don't expect 4* and you'll be fine. Great Pool!
by TripAdvisor Member MagicianNamedGOB
I must say i had a lovely time at Hotel Amine and would probably go back. Don't go expecting 4* rooms or service and you'll be ok. For the £30 per night for a double room (actually a twin though which was a bit annoying) was a bargain so can't complain really.
THE HOTEL: Firstly the pool area was ace, surrounded by orange trees and palms with plenty of loungers and shaded tables. The bar by the pool was ok too although the music on the stereo was solely for george michael fans (i'm not being flippant, i heard george michael's greatest hits on loop for five days sat by that pool!).
As for the rest of it: hilarious 80s extravagance in terms of decor, especially the bar area. the hotel in general was very clean and tidy and spacious. the rooms were mercifully cool but functional at best/a little basic. We had a tv and a phone but that was about it. the bathroom was clean and decorated in out-dated tiles and marble. the water pressure changed overnight from luke warm dribble to scalding jet-wash which is just how i like it so can't complain.
FOOD: expensive by morrocan standards and just on the cheap side of what you'd expect back home. breakfast was a bit bread-heavy but much better when we got up at 7.30 than at 10. The Kebab restaurant next door was 1/5 the price, better tasting and more filling with better service. go there instead.
STAFF: most spoke a little english which helped although they clearly appreciated some attempt at french on my part. ranging completely from helpful and friendly to a bit surly.
TAXI: to the hotel cost 120DH and 100 on the way back. a little local knowlege helped negotiate a better deal. You should be able to get it for 100DH if you're confidant.
LOCATION: not really that far from the centre (4 miles perhaps). the L1 bus goes from outside and runs very regularly (every 10 minutes or so i reckon) right to the centre. 3.50DH (about 20p) is a bargain. a bit of a squash in rush-hour which was in fact quite enjoyable, everyone seemed to having a great time chatting away: certainly better than london underground at 6pm!
* Cheap, welcoming, lovely little gem *
by TripAdvisor Member dilliericci
for a last minute dot come deal my friend (see previous review) and I were not sure what to expect....
Copying her layout a bit (cheers lisa) here are my thoughts:
Negatives :
electrics in the room were a little bit scary....
lisa didn't like her pillows. mine were fine! the bathroom might have been a bit more recently put in, but it was clean and fine, and did the job. the shower was hot and quite powerful, and over a bath, and there was soft loo roll and hand soap....
erm...that's about it on the negative front.
Positives:
where to begin! the hotel was clean, (maybe a little bit dated in places) but really welcoming, friendly (even when we forgot to pay our bar bill, merrily trouncing on up to bed on our second night).
Alcohol was available at the hotel (it's not really in town), and cost 25 dirhams for a glass of wine...(when there's 16.7 to the pound so its wetherspoons prices really). Its not the kind of holiday to go if all you want to do is binge drink yourself silly, or go for a large one. the hotel is calming, the pool is lush, and its really a major break from the normal run of things. the food on offer is yummy. breakfasts are good, and the food that floated past on trays by the pool side as i sat there smelt lovely and looked yum, if a little more expensive than in the town (where its ridiculously cheap!)
Marrakech itself has so much to offer...
we visited the jardin majorelle, which was 15dh to get it (90p) and then 30dh for the arabic art museum within the compound. such a bargain, and a really wonderful opportunity to chill out and get away from the bustle of the city.
the main square is truly awe inspiring, its a mission by foot from the hotel, but the bus stops outside, and is clean, modern and safe to use (we went as two girls in our early twenties and felt fine). the buses cost 3.5dh and as lisa said that works out about 18p. if your not a bus fan, then the taxis cost 20dh from the hotel to town (about 1.50) the buses get quite full, but only as full as they do in London!
the square is cheap as chips to eat in, and is packed with places to get food. there is one place where a menu complet (complete menu) is 50dh, which is about 3quid for mint tea, bread, chilli dipping sauce, salads, a couscous or tagine of your choice and greek yoghurt pot thing, and patisseries. we had one for lunch, and it was yummy!
the souks are fine. some people are apprehensive about bartering etc, but we just made a pact to be happy and polite and laugh off the odd pushy fool who thought telling me i had nice 'boobsch' would get them a sale. I wouldn't go there alone, but in groups of two of more you are fine. just keep your wits about you and don't be silly, remember general holiday rules about safety.
the orange juice on the square is heaven! 3dh (16p) for a cup that is freshly squeezed, and to say the oranges are local is an understatement, get up early enough, and the locals will be shaking them from the trees along the roadsides in the morning...try it!
when buying stuff, its best to just give the bartering game a go. we spent the first day observing, watching others, getting a feel for the sorts of prices things go for, and then on the second day got stuck in. i got some lovely leather handbags, and shoes, and beads, and pottery, and erm....should stop now in case the boyf reads this!
what is particularly nice about the square, is that although lots of it is geared up for tourists (french even at gcse level is soooo helpful) the locals still use it as a major base for their social gatherings. I even saw one guy lecturing in arabic about the anatomy of a lizard, with loads of old fellas stood around watching...truly top class. step aside attenborough.
I would recommend that you take suncream! we went on the 12th feb, and it was 30 degrees! lovely and warm, and really a nice place to go.
overall, this is the sort of place to stay if your like us, and not concerned with what your room is like, but more concerned with discovering the real marrakech, and what it has to offer. it is simple, the communal areas, (bar, entrance, lounge, restaurant, pool, courtyard garden) are all really lovely, and the rooms basic, but the beds are comfy and the people are friendly and equipped with a sense of humour.
fab holiday, and certainly a place i'd return to. but next time with a bigger suitcase for all my bargains!
An Unforgettable Experience...
by TripAdvisor Member Antonio98
…..sadly for the wrong reasons. My wife and I spent 6 nights, on a half board basis, at the hotel booked through Lastminute.com and quite frankly we got what we paid for. At the best the hotel is no more than 2*. It's sad how we remember the bad things and forget the good things, but the setting was great, loved the courtyard and orange tree growing in there. However we had problems:
- First and foremost the food was appalling. It was not fit for human consumption and we ended up eating out after the first night. We had dinner there the last night and really kicked ourselves for going against our better judgement. The orange juice for breakfast is brought in mop buckets (hand on heart - quite shocking). In fact I will be raising a formal complaint to Lastminute and I suggest others who had to endure this, do the same.
- the decor was not well maintained - paint pealing off walls, carpet smelly, hot water tap wasn't working, shower head kept moving as soon as it was turned on (but to be fair they fixed this after I complained).
- The cleaners upset my wife and I after bursting in time after time without knocking. Luckily we weren't caught in a compromising position but still it was dispacable they had to be told 3 times. Finally we had to resort to writing a hand written note in arabic to tell them not to enter.
- On one occasion no toilet roll was left in the bathroom and when I phoned room service to bring one to me, I was asked to come to reception to fetch it. I found this quite insulting and when I demanded it be sent, I was replied with an OK and left waiting. After 10 minutes I went downstairs and got it myself.
- The towels were washed in bleach and wreaked of Domestos – these too were sometimes forgotten to be put into our rooms on occasions.
If you’re looking for a place just to sleep in, it’s OK but giant ants and other bugs we found scampering over the floor could be a turn off for some. In hindsight if I knew what I know now, I would not have stayed in this hotel. In fact I would have paid the extra and stayed elsewhere. I do not recommend this hotel.
Forum Posts
Evening Meal
by Kaspian
Strange question:
What time do people in Marrakesh usually eat their evening meal? 7:00 PM? Later? Every photo I see where people are having supper, it's pitch black out.
Thanks! Ed.
Re: Evening Meal
by qaminari
When I was there I had dinner at the usual time (20.00 hrs) for France/Belgium - of course it is dark by then, at the moment the sun is setting at about 18.00 hrs, see http://www.gaisma.com/en/location/marrakech.html.
Re: Evening Meal
by suvanki
Hi Ed! How's the planning going for your Morocco meet?
My first visit to Marrakech was in January, so it went dark quite early. (and that's why my photos of DJEF were dark)My next trip was in September, and I think it was dusk when we set out to eat.
The food stalls in Djemma el Fnaa are usually set up from about 1600 hrs, I'm not sure how long they take to set up. I was usually back to my hotel for a shower, returning about 1900hrs for a drink at one of the cafes overlooking the square (non alcoholic I'm afraid!) before venturing down to the stalls for food, then onto watch the entertainers in the square.
I'm sorry, but I'm not sure when the locals usually eat their evening meal.
When eating in Gueliz-The French Quarter, I think I ate any time from 1900hrs onwards. Here you can enjoy a beer or two with your meal, and or a cocktail afterwards.
Check out my restaurants pages and things to do (page 5) for more info on restaurants and DJEF, oh and feel free to contact me for more info re Marrakech, and Morocco.
I'm sorry that I've had to drop out of the Marrakech pre Euromeet meet, I would have liked to revisit some of my favourite places. See you in Portugal.
Best Wishes,
Sue
Re: Evening Meal
by smartidea
yep; i agree with the previous posts; the dinner time start when dark falls; the nightlife continue at night and you can always give an order so they serve you; and it doesn't matter when/where or [the Hour] but you'll get it as long as you pay for it.
Re: Evening Meal
by stewarth99
We found that many posh restaurants didn't open until 7:30. If you want to eat earlier then you go to the less expensive places.
There was a place next to our hotel (Amine) called 'le Diamont Vert.' (I think - we just called it the green diamond until we'd eaten there, then it became a general threat for cheeky behaviour.) They didn't open until 7:30 and they had delusions of grandure.
Re: Evening Meal
by gipsy44
You can eat 24h/24h in Marrakech, on touristics sites. So, usualy, moroccans people ar eating late, as spanish ones, about 21h at night and 2pm in the afternoon. Never mind, all small restaurants are opened about 12h00 until late at night. If you want to have dinner in guest house or international's restaurants, their are opening from 07h30 pm until 11.00 pm. On the square jemaa el fna, you can have supper from 16.00 pm until midnight, and it's very friendly
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