Admittedly, my first impressions of this particular hotel were somewhat colored by the troubled taxi ride I had taken to the place and the fact that when I arrived in the afternoon, right around tea time, the hotel was completely locked with no way of immediately communicating with the people inside. That said, my impression of the place soon greatly improved once I talked with a hotel employee who was driving the pick-up shuttle and I got inside to meet with the friendly owner of the place, who sounds Australian to me and was very helpful in pointing out my room (which I was supposed to have shared with my mother, alas, which did not happen). The location of the place is in a somewhat remote area on the outskirts of Casablanca that is built up, like the other buildings in an area, like a fortress, in the midst of farmland and pasture land, that is still close enough to the airport and to the center of town for a convenient journey there.

While this particular hotel is by no means cheap, the amenities are very welcome and make this place well worth the price. When I arrived at my hotel and checked in, I was able to enjoy tea with scones, as a relaxing but welcoming addition to my experience of tea abroad. About an hour and a half later or so it was time for dinner, and here the restaurant staff–with a woman named Fatima providing the repast–really outdid themselves. A couple of bottles of water was necessary to drink to accompany the harira soup (a vegetable soup with plenty of chickpeas), eggplant salad (a bit spicy, with sesame seeds), and the a chicken dish with green olives and saffron. After dinner, as well as enjoying a bit of the complementary bottle of water, I soon fell asleep, but when I woke up for breakfast I was able to enjoy a variety of bread items along with tea, an omlette, and a glass of orange juice. By then I was ready to finish packing and head to the airport in a complementary shuttle, which would have been nice to arrive in.

In addition to the very welcome food–welcome not only for being tasty and excellent food accompanied with friendly service, and all the more welcome for the hotel being somewhat isolated with no restaurants nearby–what elevates this particular hotel is the friendliness and attentiveness of the staff as well as the quirky details that the hotel has. In general, it is a small guesthouse with rooms both upstairs and downstairs. The hotel has lovely architecture, especially the part of the hotel that faces the pool in the back of the hotel compound, and not only does the hotel have gorgeous plants but also a large amount of quirky animals, including chickens, peafowl, cats, and dogs–although the dogs only stay in at night and during the day are released to enjoy the outside neighborhood to patrol it as they are wont to do. If you are coming to Casablanca and want a memorable and enjoyable experience with plenty of amenities, this is an excellent hotel to stay at, and should I return to Casablanca I would definitely welcome another stay here.