Friend has booked a trip to marrakech with their pal next month to marrakech, but as yet have neglected to find somewhere to stay.

Anyone been and can recommend places? Cheaper the better, all inclusive preferable.
Any recommendations to do whilst they’re out there would be beneficial too
Many thanks!

Hostel aren’t everyone’s cuppa tea but I stayed at hotel Ali which was right in the centre overlooking the square. Amazing buzz and food, markets and entertainment on the doorstep.

The riad we stayed in was spotless like a palace in the medina, just can’t remember the name but will try and look it up it was a cheap holiday. Not far from the taxi rank with hundreds of custard coloured mercs some with their cylinder heads off at the side of the road. Marakech will hit your senses crazy driving , never ending maze of narrow streets and 5am groans for prayer

The Riad we stayed in was fabulous (2yrs ago), run by a great and intriguing English guy. Its good to stay central so you can escape the madness of the city during the day, a nice roof terrace for breakfast or a drink. Note we where there in Jan and it can be cold at night. A trip to Atlas was the height of the trip for us (private car and driver but still cheap), first snowfall of the season. You can eat dinner in if you wish you need to tell them in advance (we ate in two nights as some external restaurants are pricey and the city can be a bit mad tbh) First one on the list plus 2 others we where recommended (may be above your budget as we where looking for a nice place)

Riad Hikaya
La Maison Arab
Riad les Orangers d’Alilia

Download google maps when on Riad/Hotel wifi, walking about is best and we needed the gps to get out of the souk more than once 🙂 if you want to check prices there is a big craft store where prices are fixed “Centre Artisanal”, then you know max to pay in Souk or just buy there. The Quran School Ben Yousef Madrassa is a must visit as is the old Synagogue (note locals may offer to guide you to it but they generally hang out just 20m away and take you the wrong way. Again gps is your friend)

Riad Djebel is wonderful and very very central, a hidden gem. We booked just a couple of months back to stay when we landed and liked it so much we also spent the last night there. It’s very accessible to the main square, and 5 mins from the start of the medina.

We booked with booking.com

Edit – no Jambers, GPS is not always your friend in the narrow streets and the locals will take you to the right places. Offer them 30dh max for walking you across part of the town (not to take you around the corner though!)

Top tip: don’t take taxis from directly outside the station, walk a minute away with the locals and hail one in the street. Have a price in mind.

We took a Rough Guide. The new version is being prepaired right now and I’m in the credits 😛

Hotel d foucald if its still going,
Colonial, clean yet kooky. Close to the tazi hotel serving beers and 2 mins to Jena el fna square.

@gofaster understood but by the Synagogue they wanted to go directly away from it, my wife had been before so was wise to it. We used GPS everywhere to get about on foot, never took a cab aside from YSL gardens (OP that’s another good short trip if you like gardens). The locals are far less hassle than they used to be as tourism was suffering and Govt had a mini-crackdown. Morocco is now pretty relaxed relative to Tunisia I am told.

OP so also YSL gardens (need to barter taxi especially for return trip) and Mamounia Hotel where Churchill used to stay (he loved it there and used to do a lot of painting), you can walk around the hotel and gardens, we had a drink there, dinner is extortionate.

hows travel there atm with current situations?

We stayed at Riad Dar Zemrane, a really nice place and perfectly located just outside the madness and on the street with all the eateries.

I was there for a week for work and avoided the hotels and stayed at Riad Le Coq Berbère. Really nice place, they’ll cook dinner for you if you ask in the morning and it’s close to everything in the medina (but what isn’t I guess).

Top eating tips:
Nomad – modern Moroccan food, passable wine. Right on the spice market
Le Jardin – traditional but pretty peaceful place to eat
Cafe Clock – Best camel burger in town (might be the only, no idea)

Riad Chairai was our pad for a week, highlight of the week was the hamman and massage but not a dodgy looking down the stairs old bearded geezers one but cracking spa although the size 8 wafer thin pants they give you don’t hide much

hows travel there atm with current situations?

It’s as safe as anywhere is really.