Set midway between the beautiful old city and the new city (about 40 minute easy straight walk from main train station and 15 minute from second station- mapquest it). Set up high on a hill over looking the medina, it's a standard designed Ibis hotel much like Holiday Inn and/or Courtyard by Marriott. You cannot beat the price, service, and location.

It provides all the conveniences and amenities of a western hotel including a bar that serves beer and free wifi in the lobby. My room was nicely designed, furnished and cleaned. I slept well because the bed mattress wasn't hard as a rock and had fluffy pillows. The heater actually worked great and lots of hot water. My room overlooked the fantastic pool surrounded by green landscaping. I noticed the hotel uses solar panels for electricity. The self serve breakfast buffet at 55dh ($7) is good but nothing to write home about.

Its about a 15-25 minute walk to Place El Hadim (much like the La Place in Marrakech).

The Ibis map is useless. To get to Place El Hadim pass McDonald's and Pizza Hut (yes they deliver), cross the bridge and follow the main road up the bend to the right until you get to a grand open place called Place El Hedim (don't get antsy, if you turn left at the first gate, you'll miss the place.). Musee Dar Jamai is at the far end. Lonely Planet's walking tour starts here but nothing corresponds to it. Just walk around the souks behind the musee and you'll eventually hit the grand mosque and the medersa Bou Inania (roof top is spectacular here). The street which starts at Musee Dar Jamai comes to life at night - you'll see the gold souk, spice souk, and lots of other souks along the way. The food market with it's entrance off of the Place sells beautifully arranged patisseries and olives. The Place El Hedim becomes much like La Place in Marrakech sans the food stalls.

Interesting observation- similar to Syrian souks, many shop keepers here put counters between themselves and the customers whereas in other Moroccan souks they sit in front obstructing their entrances - intimidating their potential customers - at least western customers.

Afterwards head to the huge gate in Place El Hedim called Bab El Mansour and enter thru the smaller gate to the left (the first gate you passed to get the place). Once inside turn right, in the far right corner you'll find the subterranean cellars. Also, from here you'll see a gate at the far left corner. Past this gate is a section selling wool. At the next gate from the wool sellers, you'll see the lovely Mausolee Moulay Ismail. From here you can either walk an hour or hire a horse drawn carriage to go all the way around the walled fortress' perimeter and back to the Ibis (by car or foot).

Nice room, nice people, useful services, nice place!

This is a very good option for Meknes. Within walking distance of the Medina, it is quite a cheap option for a little bit of luxury (if hot water and clean sheets can be called a luxury). Hotel is a standard Ibis but certainly suited us as we used it as a base for Volubilis and Meknes itself. There was a pool (though we had no time to use it) and a bar as well as a pricey restaurant. I found the smoking in the foyer annoying but realise that this is a cultural thing and there were no problems in our room. Hotel concierge organised a Grand Taxi to Volubilis at less than the price suggested in Lonely Planet (350dh there and back as well as 3 hrs waiting - very good value).

If you catch the bus from Fez, there is a stop right outside the hotel, which saves lugging your gear from the bus station. As soon as you see the McDonalds on the highway to your right, you should ask the bus to stop. Ibis is behind McDOnalds

An Ibis is an Ibis, so you're not bound for many surprises here. But the things that stand out are the nice garden and swimming-pool at the back of the hotel, the location between the old and new town, and a couple of well-known international fast food restaurants next door (as the food in the hotel is not too special and the service is very slow). And there's no internet in the rooms, but it's quite fast in the lobby.

I've stayed at this hotel twice, and I'll guess I'll look no further in future.