HOTEL LES CINQ DJELLABAS

Les Cinq Djellabas is one of the most amazing hotels we have ever stayed in. Having just stayed there for four nights, we felt at home from the moment we arrived as we were warmly greeted by Havid who welcomed us and instantly put meaning to the countless reviews prior to ours stating how amazing this place is. Upon being shown to our room, we quickly realised that each 'room' is more like your own private african-style lodge with a mixture of traditional and modern interior. The pictures do not do it justice. The lodge was very spacious with a large bed and beautiful bathroom with both a walk-in shower and large bathtub and large floor to ceiling windows that allows you to look out onto what felt like your own tropical oasis with banana trees and pristine grass. The hotel grounds were immaculate with impressive attention to detail. A small team of gardeners were often busy discreetly making sure the grounds were nothing but perfect. In the morning, we pleasantly awoke to the sound of chirping birds that added to the tranquility. A combination of olive trees, palm trees and long, exotic grass surrounded the large swimming pool which was the perfect temperature to cool off from lying in 35c+ temperatures. Due to there only being ten lodges in total, there was always plenty of space with a great selection of sun beds spaced around the pool that meant you never felt too close to other people. Despite this, we quickly found it easy to chat with other guests if we wanted to which, in hindsight, really added to our stay. The food at the hotel was delicious and flavoursome with something for everyone on the menu including more traditional dishes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner can all be eaten wherever you choose, including right outside your own room. Despite the breakfast being included, they served us a vast range of croissants, fruit, yoghurt and tea/coffee/juice of your choice. You could have eggs too if you so choose to. If the food is not to your taste, it is very easy to head into the centre of Marrakech to one of the great restaurants on offer. The hotel will contact any restaurants for which you want to have dinner and make a reservation for you. We highly recommend Nomad as the food was excellent. Getting to and from the hotel could not have been simpler. When we arrived at the airport, Ibrahim was waiting with a big smile and drove us to the hotel in his comfortable and spacious car. It is about 30 minutes from the airport and under 20 minutes from the centre of Marrakech to the hotel. We would like to make a special mention to Ibrahim who drove us around for all of our time in Marrakech. He was excellent and made the trip so much more special with his constant happiness and local knowledge of the best places for us to go. He always made us laugh with his stories and his great music taste along with teaching us some arabic phrases and the best ways to 'haggle' in the souk. On one of the days, he took us on the Three Valleys excursion to the Atlas Mountains where he showed us incredible views and knew all the best places to stop and take photos along with the argan oil and carpet cooperatives expanding our insight into the Moroccan culture. We will miss Ibrahim a lot and highly recommend anyone to request for him if you need to get around. We hope to see him again next time! All of the staff, particularly Havid, were extremely accommodating, professional, thoughtful and showed that nothing was too much trouble. They really added to the character of Les Cinq Djellabas. We can highly recommend Les Cinq Djellabas as it is the perfect contrast to the busy city-centre of Marrakech. Thank you for a wonderful stay and we hope to be back one day. Aaron & Sophie

My husband and I had booked 4 nights at this property as part of our recent honeymoon in Marrakech. We had spent our first 4 nights at the Riad Tarabel which is truly spectacular. Unfortunately, as soon as arrived at Les Cinqs Djellebas we realised we had made a huge mistake. No one was waiting to greet us, we had to carry our own bags to the room, this was certainly not a 5 star honeymooners welcome! We had lunch and dinner, both of which were almost inedible. So disappointing after enjoying such great food for the first 4 days of our trip in our Riad and out and about in the medina! The room was dirty, and looked unfinished, and seemed much more like a budget hotel than a supposed 5 star luxury retreat. There was rust in the bathroom, and bird poo all over the windows. There were ants crawling around the toilet, cracks in the floor, and a TV that didn't fit properly in the unit. We had a horrible sleep. The ceiling fan did not work and the air con unit was outrageously noisy. Despite spending 4 previous nights right in the middle of the medina, this place was so loud at night!! It was ridiculous. Breakfast was OK, but I think it is crazy to charge extra for coffee and eggs at a place supposed to be luxury. We checked out the following morning and went straight back to Riad Tarabel!

We had a 6 night stay at this peaceful retreat for the first week of May. It's absolutely ideal if you want a relaxing stay that allows you to experience the chaos of Marrakech, and then come back to chill by the stunning pool area and forget the world. The staff were lovely, if not a bit forgetful if you asked for something - and would do everything they could to ensure your stay was a good one. Breakfast outside our hut in the morning surrounded by the birds was delightful, and spa treatments were fabulous - not overly expensive for the calibre of our stay. Make the most of excellent transfers and if you ask for a driver, be sure to ask for Ibrahim who was by far a highlight of our trip, having us laughing all journey long and exceptionally helpful when recommending where to go and what to do. My only other feedback would be that a bar area would have been nice with some light entertainment on some evenings to inject some atmosphere into the resort - the library area would have been ideal for this. And don't be surprised if you show up in the restaurant and are the only couple there - this may be due to it being the beginning of peak season, but it was incredibly quiet. Otherwise the stay was wonderful and I would recommend it to any couple wanting some down time.

We have just spent four nights at this lovely place. We stayed in one of the ten lodges set in the grounds and around a large swimming pool. The lodges are like a large hotel room and arevery nicely set out and decorated. They are very private.The staff are unobtrusive but are a phone call away and are ready to wait on you hand and foot. Drinks are brought to you by the pool or to your lodge. You can choose to have meals in the dining room or outside your lodge - dinner by candlelight in the evening. There is an aura of calm and peacefulness about this hotel which is exactly what you need after a visit to the medina and the souks or an excursion further afield. We really liked eating just outside our lodge. The only sound was the birds - they were were quite brave and came quite close to pick up crumbs! We wished we had been a bit closer to Marrakesh. You had to order a taxi and then it was a 20 minute (£30 return each time) journey to the medina. There was nothing outside the hotel so you couldn't go for a stroll and see a great deal. However, swimming and lounging by the pool made this a relaxing break.

Second time we've stayed at Les Cinq and love it, my only compliant is the quality of the beds! Mattress is far to hard and the pillows aren't comfortable! The staff are fantastic , very helpful and very friendly. We will be back, but please sort out the mattress's!!!