I ask to see my room which costs USD 1200 a night and the next one up which is USD 2100 a night.The only differentiating factor is that the higher priced room has a small plunge pool.Fat lot of use on a winters night .
The AmanJena is the favourite hotel of several of my friends,but unfortunately not for me.My room is a concrete pavillion in its own small courtyard.The floor tiles are poorly finished and it is even worse in the bathroom where the wall tiles are in a bad way.There is a nice ambience on entering the room with Arabic music emanating from the in ceiling speaker above the TV. There is a bottle of wine awaiting me and the obligatory Pistachios,almonds and dates.They also place a beautiful bouquet of pink roses in the vase in the corner of the room and some nice tangerines in a ceramic bowl covered by white muslin .The butler lights the real log fire and I feel glad to be here.The furnishings are nice but not exceptional,though the dome of the room gives a feeling of space.
There are however lots of nice touches.There are his and hers straw hats placed on the loungers in the courtyard.They place the plastic water bottles in elegant brown leather cases.They provide nice bath robes and some strange garments that resemble Monk’s robes.They give you some nice black flip flops and my favourite item,some hobbit like pointy slippers,obviously I am taking them home with me.The minibar,coffee machine and television are hidden nicely away in smart cabinetry.
There are lots of plug sockets at the side of the bed,but the bed frame itself makes it difficult to put in the plug.The light switches however are traditional and well placed and easy to understand,so I am not going to lose sleep tonight.There is good desk space,nice lighting and a great wardrobe space including the all-important bench for travellers who like to live out of their suitcase.There is a big shower room and double sinks,but the toiletries are not luxurious and smell of chemicals.The waste bins,Tissue boxes and amenities are all well presented in the same wood casing.They do get most things right here.
There is also a nice outdoor seating and dining pavilion in the courtyard,with nice weather resistant fabrics in place.The fragrant courtyard is lush with beautiful plants and crawlers .
The service is excellent,you don’t have to sign for anything,they all know your name.They escort you from place to place and always make you feel that nothing is too much of a bother.
I take my breakfast outside in the courtyard.It is a simple breakfast,the breads are average and the eggs are too.I try the local delicacy which is basically a Chapati accompanied by almond sauce.
I take a walk around the grounds which are nice but there is no real Moroccan feel to the place,no calls to prayer,just views over a golf course.The thing is with the Aman,all the rooms are the same,with the same wooden craftwork hanging on the walls,the same green lanterns on the side tables,its all predictable and straight from the cookie cutter.The Lobby is pretty and the hotel is well run,but I for one would never stay here again.It lacks personality,individualism and that Marrakech experience.
- Amanjena Hotel Marrakech
- Amanjena Resort Marrakech
