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Morocco Hotels / Marrakech Hotels / Boutique Hotels / Hotel Reviews / Africa Hotels / Hotel Service / → All Tags

Pancakes, a Fez and Babouche Slippers Took the (Birthday) Cake at Riad Joya

Where: Hay Mouassine, Derb El Hammam Nr. 26/27, Marrakech, Morocco, 40000

Yesterday we teased today's full review of Riad Joya, a boutique hotel planted squarely in the middle of Marrakech's Medina, the most ancient part of the city. Having made the claim that Joya provided us with the best service ever experienced, it's only fitting that we elaborate on such a bold statement.

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Open Thread / Hotel Bathrooms / Thailand Hotels / → All Tags

Should Colored Lighting Be Allowed In The Bathroom?

Where: 141 Prachasamran Rd., Nai Muang, Muang, Khon Kaen, Thailand, 40000

We've enjoyed seeing the way mood lighting has worked its way up as a kind of current hotel trend. Perhaps most notably seen inside Yotel's spaceship cabins, we've also documented the effects at The Water Club at the Borgata's rooftop spa and at the Peninsula Tokyo.

But should the trick be used in hotel bathrooms as well? @thomaswanhoff photographed and tweeted this show from a hotel in Thailand called the Glacier Hotel over the weekend. We're seriously digging the blue-lit sideways teardrop sink, but realize it might not be for everyone. In fact, a quick hop over to TripAdvisor shows at least one guest who, while approving of the hotel in general, couldn't get past the annoying blue light in the bathroom, which apparently can't be turned off.

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NYT Reviews / Morocco Hotels / → All Tags

NYT Reviews the Villa Rose Sultan Without Rose-Colored Glasses

We love a hotel celebrity scoop more than, well, anyone we can think of, and we get extra excited about a new hotel when it boasts big-name guests — especially when the celebs in question are actually cool. So we’re intrigued by the Villa Rose Sultan, a boutique hotel that opened last May hidden in the outskirts of Marrakech that has played host to Jake Gyllenhaal, according to this past weekend’s review in the NYT.

But Donnie Darko’s endorsement aside, the NYT didn’t seem particularly impressed by the place — maybe in part because of the hotel’s “impressive pedigree”: Apparently owner Majid Ej Jennane is grandson of imperial Meknes’ former pasha and earned his stripes working in marketing for Chanel and Hermès. Um, yeah, that sort of background would give us pretty high standards too.

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