New chain of budget Ibis hotels

I often use the Ibis hotels in Morocco when visiting some of the larger cities for an overnight stop as they are a known quantity and can be booked online. Most are located conveniently close to railway stations or airports.

The Accor Group is now creating a new chain of Ibis Budget hotels with new hotels by 2020 in Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Marrakech, El Jadida, Agadir and Fez, with a total capacity of 1,100 rooms. The first of these has now opened in Tanger, situated almost next door to the existing Ibis hotel in the free trade zone in the airport area.

Compared to the normal Ibis hotels, there's no swimming pool, no bar.

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"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

Tanger Med port
If you don't need to hammer pegs in, you can camp in the carpark to the west of the terminal.There are toilets in the terminal and when it is open, food and drink. There is a guard on the gate right there and he will acknowledge your presence. Specially good if you disembark at night as many do.

... take a look at this spot: Dar Sidi Bounou Mhamid auberge - M'hamid maison d'hotes Mhamid

We stayed there in our camper, but they specialise in their rooms, and can arrange camel pickup from their place, and straight into the sand from there. The food is good!

Merv.

Here’s my list from 2012. In most of these places I was the only guest.

Ain Leuh (south of Azrou)
Magot de Atlas auberge
Couple miles north of above village
Another deserted joint taken by surprise, next to a farm. Sort of chalet style with lots or berberobilia in the dining room. A few rooms upstairs with shared bathroom (but no tp or water in the morning), a kitchen too and a telly in the hallway. Not like southern auberges.
Dinner was a tired looking mule of a tagine which I could not stomach on that occasion, breakfast was ordinary too.
Wish I'd stopped in the green auberge in the forest a few miles south of ain leuh, but didn't know what to expect up here.
250d dp – seemed a bit much but don't know this area.

Ait Youb
Gite Chez Moha
A couple km west of Amellago, High atlas, 1380m
Surrounded by escarpments, don’t be put off by the basic hand painted sign in Amellago. Tranquil refuge up in the hills where the Ziz river starts its run.
Walled compound with v nice room and bathroom, gardens, terrace, dining room with maps, a place you'd want to spend 2 nights. Room to bring cars in.
175d dp

Assaragh
Auberge des Etoiles
One of two auberges in this oasis southeast of Taliouine - I use it regularly since i found it. Warm welcome in a big Berber dwelling overlooking the palmerie, garage for bikes, car room out front, food was ordinary, but great location. Family lives below and animals next to them. There is another auberge right by the track a couple of kms down the canyon in Aguinan, but not stayed there for years.
240d dp (2024)

Foum Zguid
Sable d’Or camping auberge
Quiet walled compound half a km south of town, basic rooms with shared but not yet grotty ablutions and even a pool that's filled in June. Well suited if you car camp or use the basic rooms and want to spread out and do some work to the vehicle.
100d with break, we cooked our own dinner.

Marrakech (20 mins west of, on N8)
Hotel Weedan
Pulled in here just before a storm and just as well as saw nothing for miles next day.
Off the road a bit in own grounds with pool and play area. As usual I was the only guest.
Did not eat dinner and breakfast was nothing special. 2 channel tv but wifi catch up and not getting drenched made it justifiable.
B&B 500d was a shock but it was almost comparable with a similar priced Spanish place.


Merzouga
Auberge Akour, north of village near water tower
Gave up looking for the place I wanted so pulled in here, half finished but not sure it will be an better when it’s done. No toilet paper, 20w lights, bare room or nursery style decor, shower a dribble, despite being the better one, food an oily tagine stewed to a pulp. Breakfast omelette was the same. Maybe it’s a regional speciality.
Feels like just anther auberge slapped up by a northern agency for their Chebbi tours but the chummy staff looking after the place made it fun.
200dp


Rich
Auberge Kasbah Dounia
Right by the road a few km south of Rich t/o
Small roadside demi-pimped kasbah with front parking
Food ordinary, bath light and wall plugs not work, adolescent service until owner turned up, There are a couple more places a few miles down the road.
250d hb

Taliouine
Auberge Souktana
Roadside place 2km east of town just by the oued crossing. Accommodation is a bit different, half a dozen very small two bed shaded bungalows with a basin in a grubby garden, or is it a camping area? Ablutions could do with a spruce up. Popular place with dinner in the resto a bit better than average, but main bloke went out of his way to be rude, who knows why. Not stayed here since.
200d hb

Taourirt
Hotel Mansour
Rock bottom cheapie with bare wires and leaky plumbing. En suite and lets you park the bike in reception, but items missing next morning. Other side of the roundabout the Hotel Raid may be a tad less basic.
150 with no breakfast offered seemed a lot.
A great full Maroc brekkie, left out the door, over the road first right for 23d.

Here's our list from the Marrakech to Dakhla via the berm tour.

Ryad Mogador Kasbah, Marrakech
40 euro dinner, B&B (booked online from the UK before departure using www.booking.com )
Handy for the airport (5 mins) was the only reason we picked this place. Big, modern hotel, free internet in the lobby/lounge. No alcohol. Food bog standard buffet style. Did the job.

Hotel Sahara Regency, Dakhla
600Dh dinner, B&B
Needed a nice place after a week in the desert (and a night with the Army). This place fitted the bill. Secure (Guardian) parking out front. Free internet in lobby/lounge. Laundry service. Food slightly above average. Handy town centre location for a wander around the souk.

Camping Le Roi Bedouin
30dh
Already credited elsewhere. Great place, great food. Cold Beer "sous la table"
Sign-posted off the Atlantic Route north of Laayoune. Can stay in huts or camp in your own tent.

Why not take the coast road to N27.49362 W13.22581. Turn off east and follow your nose through some nice small dunes for 15km to the campsite at N27.46170 W13.05190

Camping Aglou Plage, 15km west of Tiznit
70Dh
A "European" style campsite. Excellent showers, dishwashing, washing machine, toilets, car washing area. Full of camper vans, but we found plenty of room at the opposite end. A great site for catching up with domestics. Shop next door sells tinned stuff and fresh bread. Camping Aglou

Ombriga Military base
FREE
Personal cook, comfortable room. Free one way guided tour of Western Sahara avoiding all minefields. Downside was the three hour check-in procedure, so probably best avoided! N24.11 W13.27

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Fraser

got space for a two man tent for a night on my patch of lawn 16km south of casa on the way to el jadida, ask for jack beach, tamaris. you can even try out some beach riding to el jadida if you're on a thumper. call, dann 0660126884 or allen 0663303400

Algeciras?

I'm aware that this thread is where to stay in morocco only, but seeing that algeciras is kinda the gateway from the north and i have done a search for algeciras accommodation with little luck, can someone please recommend a reliable camp site, hostel or hotel in algeciras, or maybe share a link to algeciras.

Hi Folks,

OK, it's not hard core but when you've been camping for a couple of days in the snow in the Cedar Forest and you rock up to the Diamant Vert, Fes late in the day, in the pouring rain to find the campsite flooded, we couldn't resist.
Newly built, fully equipped bungalows with kitchen, etc. Not cheap at 500Dh per night but they're brand spanking new and the adjacent restaurant delivers to your door!

http://www.diamantvert.ma

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Atlas Overland - Specialist adventure tour company providing off-road holidays for 4x4 enthusiasts in Europe and North Africa.
Tours to Morocco, Iceland, Arctic Circle, Portugal, Alps, Pyrenees, Eastern Europe, Corsica, and UK weekend tours.

Moulay Bousselham campsite - coast 130km south of Tangier n34 52.500 w6 17.306
On estuary,reasonable facilities some small restaurants in town. 70dh

Ksar Sania Nr Merzouga n31 05.086 w4 00.512
On the dunes, small campsite, great food and hosts. 50dh

Le Festival Todra Gorge (no camping now) Lovely place, great food and hosts. 460dh for room and b/fast

Camping Le Relais Marrakesh n31 42.408 w7 59.4
Bit out of town but the camp can arrange a taxi to town. Clean place,nice facilities. 85dh

Camping Sidi Magdel Essaouira n31 29.5 w9 45.8
On coast, good facilities walking distance to town,electricity 46dh

Camping Sidi Ifni n29 23.079 w10 10.379
On beach,electricity,wi-fi nice place (there are other places in town but this is the best) walking distance to town. 65dh

WHERE NOT TO STAY..Camping international Agadir..filthy discusting place.

Our list for 2012

- Just after leaving ferry - was late and dark - in Tanger, Ibis Budget Hotel, watchman walked around our bikes all night, staff is very friendly and not expensive. Small fastfood joint across road open till late night.
Hotel in TANGER - Book your hotel ibis budget Tanger
- camping Relais de Marrakesh - as stated in posts above. A bit tricky to find and some very questionable surroundings, but cheap and spacey huts.
- Motel Rif, N13 south of Ouazzane - nice large rooms, cheap, secured parking, very good food and service http://www.motel-rif.ma/
If you wonder about it's name -no, nobody offered us illegal drugs and it totally safe
- Ouarzazate, hotel Le Zat. It was cheap for double rooms (I think around 35 euro) and...
Well, what can I say. In Europe that'll be 5 start hotel I guess. Good we had bottle of cognac with us - played rich sitting at swimming pool with cognac and cofee. Not what I call an "adventure"
- M'diq, (near Ceuta) Golden Beach hotel. Again - by European means should be expensive. 34 Euros for double room with sea view. Damn, made me feel like I am on family vacation

Some more to come

On R302 (Cathedral) I found near Zawyat Ahansal nice looking accomodation at Dar Ahansal (N 31 50.788, W 006 06.786). Further down direction North to Tillouguite at N 31 59.730, W 006 09.027 is on Google Earth italian picture of one hotel (Albergo de la Cathedral de Roca). Is there really hotel or just false info?

I would like to ask piste condition from same "Roca hotel" through Canyon to Anergui (N 32 04.123, W 005 56.251). No big uphill - from 1.150m to 1.500m a.s.l. on 38km, but possible washed out piste conditions at heavy rains. We are planing to ride GS's here at end of June.

Peter, Tim, Chris, ...?

A few that I recommend from 2012

Icht (between Akka and Assa)
Borj Biramane

N29 03.550 W8 51.212

Very good showers and loads of them, nice staff and interesting guests. 80 Dh for Two + Camping inc electric if you can make use of it.


Casades d’Ouzoud
Camping Zebra

N32 00.351 W6 43.177

Less than a Km from the falls, the place has a really nice atmosphere and the best showers / toilets I have ever found in Morocco.

Two + Camping 75Dh Very tasty three course meal for 85Dh also highly recommended.

Azrou
Euro Camping

N33 26.605 W5 11.420

This maybe not everyone's cup of tea as it's hardly "Morocco" but well worth a visit to this amazing site which is hardly used. Very friendly staff, clean good showers etc.

Two + Camping 40Dh and that includes free bread delivered to you in the morning

http://www.complexemerzouga.com/

I stayed here a couple weeks ago Dh300 per night with 3 course evening meal and fantastic breakfast. Lovely double room in a great court yard with a bar and pool

-Merzouga - Nasser Palace
Gorgeous hotel just a couple of km's before Merzouga, it's signposted. I came here to camp, was offered a room with air-con, pool use (usually 70DH), dinner (best I've had in Morocco yet), and breakfast, all for 250 DH. I think I got a good price maybe because it's Ramadan. Ask to camp and they'll offer you a good deal on a room. Gorgeous hotel, very friendly staff, wifi, etc. Right beside the dunes.

-Fez - Hotel Dalila
Nice little hotel, at parking Oued Zhoun, right beside one entrance to the Medina, near the big main tannery. Paid 150DH a night. They fed us every night, but think that was just because it was Ramadan and they had a feast laid out. Guardiens (or however you spell it) in the car park watching the bikes all night. Wifi, etc...

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We're here for a good time, not a long time...
Mini-on-Tour

SAWADI le riad maison d'hôtes in Skoura near Ouarzazate
very nice Kashba 7km aside the road. read the roadbook ;-)
http://www.sawadi.ma/images/stories/...e__SW3a_UK.pdf

good food, friendly people.

€55 per person

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It's better to do a short trip - than dream of long journey only ...

Places to stay which i used october 2012.
Ouarzazate Kasbah Dar Daif. On the edge of palmeraie. 1.5 km along the road to Zogora. Turn left after Hotel la Vallee. A nice place to stay the food was good but I am not sure about secure parking but the people were friendly and the room was good and clean.

Merzouga. Kasbah Mahayut.
You take the track off to the left there are a number of places to stay just on the edge of the sandy desert. Secure parking and a nice room on the edge of the sand dunes. They even have a large telescope for star gazing. Swimming pool acts as a watering hole for local birdlife. The food and staff were good.

Agadir.-Hotel Golden Beach.Lot 3 Founty 8000 Agadir +212 0528 211243
I went from Marakesh over the mountain route to Agadir via Asni. A great route but was not so much fun in the thick fog on the descent. I took about 5 hours to drive it. Agadir is just like any resort on the coast of Spain. I reached the town at 5pm and got lost with the crap road signs. I found this place in desperation. A bland hotel apartment block ten minutes walk to the beach. The room could have slept 4 and had microwave,fridge etc. If you are a group it would be a cheap place to stay off season.

Marrakech- Riad Bledena Douar Arbi Ben Bouzi. 2km on route to Ouarzazate
+212 (0) 661 182090 Riad Bledna - Guest House Riad Morocco
I wanted to stay out of Marrakech and I found this place. Beautifull gardens with secure parking. Rooms onto a cool garden yard. Nice large lounge with lots of books some on repairing landrovers. Staff speak little English so it is school boy french...which in my cae is non existent. It does nottake long to get back into Marakesh.

Marrakesh Ibis Hotel; Follow the signs for the railway station. Make sure you book in advance over the internet to get the best price. Bland functional business hotel. Staff friendly and the breakfast was good. Free internet and good it worked well. They say they have parking...I am not sure you can park outside (pay the man 10 dirham only). I did not see any secure bike parking. It takes about 30 minutes to walk to the Medina.