Discover Morocco's Amazing Selection of Luxury Accommodation. Live Q&A

TED: [00:00:00] Hi guys. How are you doing?

AZDEAN: Wonderful.

SAM: amazing.

TED: So today, uh, we want to talk about the luxury accommodation in Morocco. It's exciting. And, uh, I've been learning about this too and preparing for this And, uh, there's a few places that I've heard of and, and we at least drove past when we were there, so I'm kind of familiar, but, uh, you guys will tell us lots more about them and, and, uh, what makes them unique.

I know [00:01:00] it's kind of a mix of some, well known, uh, brands and, and hotel chains, but there's also some unique places, unique hotels, like one of a kind that only exists there too. So be an interesting mix. And we'll do a bit of a tour of the country, basically starting in Casablanca, where most people start and head up to Rabat and, uh, a bit of Chefchaouen, Fes, of course, and then down to Marrakech.

So I'll highlight a few properties in each. And then see where we're at. We may have time for a bit more and maybe take some other questions. But, um, yeah, we'll go from that. And anyone watching, of course, if you have any questions, you can, you can leave them in the chat there and they'll show up at our end and we'll, we'll throw them in and I'll share the screen too.

We've got our websites, all these places and we can share the images at every site, of course, is a little bit different, sometimes a bit bigger, sometimes they're smaller, but you get a sense of what these places were like, and you guys will fill in all the details. So yeah, should we start in Casablanca?

AZDEAN: Perfect,

TED: Okay. [00:02:00] Let's see what we got. Now, the first place you had on your list was, uh, Sofitel. I've got, um, oh, I say, hang on, I've got the Royal Mansour Casablanca. Should we start

AZDEAN: Oh, yes, for sure. Yes. Yes. That's a big one.

TED: yeah, all right, I'm gonna pull up the right website here, share the screen. There's a whole bunch here, let me find the right one.

AZDEAN: This is the newest. Well, there's just two in Morocco, one in Marrakech, and this one in

TED: oh here it is.

AZDEAN: And, uh, last time when we stayed in Casablanca during the tour, we stayed across the street from it, and it was still, uh, very busy. being remodeled or being, yeah, yeah. Renovation. Yes. Yeah. So,

TED: Can you give us a sense of where the Royal Mansour in Casablanca is in the city? Is it close to the, [00:03:00] the mosque, Hassan II Mosque?

SAM: Yes, it's like, uh, yeah, thank you very much. It's like, um, 10 minutes walk, 10 minutes walk from the, from the mosque.

TED: Mm hmm.

SAM: overlooking the

AZDEAN: is good. Yeah. It's an amazing location because, um, you know, sometimes depending where you're at in Casablanca, it can be unsafe sometimes, but this location is really, really nice. It's in the middle of downtown. It's, it's, it's, uh, very popular. Uh, a lot of people walk at night. So there's a lot of activities.

Uh, it was, it was, um, A lot of fun for us. We definitely had fun walking in the streets of Casablanca late at night, uh, and it was amazing. Yeah, so, uh, this is when you talk about the Royal Mansour Hotel, uh, there are two properties. This is the one in Casablanca and they are owned by the king. So you can just imagine it's It's the top of the top.

It doesn't get any better than this. This is the [00:04:00] This is the best of the best The one in Marrakech has won, you know, so many awards, uh, and he's been ranked, uh, for the top 10 hotels globally all the time. Uh, it's just, it's a beautiful, beautiful property. And, uh, I know sometimes, you know, uh, people talk about the rates, not rates, but this one, you know, it just, it depends.

Um, uh, I think probably the rate will go somewhere between probably 700 a night to 31, 000 a night.

TED: Wow.

AZDEAN: Yeah. So, and I know there's a little bit of difference, um, between this one and Marrakech. Uh, in Marrakech, for me, it seemed a little bit bigger, but again, this one, when you saw it, um, I remember Sam, we saw it from across the street.

So we did not personally, I don't know how big it is. Um, you know, if it has, if it, it is as big as the one in Marrakech or not, because I know Marrakech has a little bit more stuff and things when we get to it, we'll talk about it.[00:05:00]

SAM: Yeah, the one in Marrakech, they have a difference between them inside Marrakech. They have like some private villas and private triads inside. Yeah, and the one in Casablanca, it's only like a hotel with, uh, suites and, uh, luxury rooms.

AZDEAN: And you can see,

SAM: the collections, the collections of, of the, of the furniture and, uh, uh, everything you see there is like, um, it's something iconic.

You can, you can, for example, you can find it in, uh, elsewhere in, in the other, in the other accommodations in, in Morocco, for example. It's unique.

AZDEAN: yeah, and if you, if you go back to that, the room that you were showing in the background, you can see the, uh, Hassan II Mosque in the

TED: Yeah. Okay. Yeah. It gives us a sense how close it is.

AZDEAN: So

TED: And I guess this one here, you can see how it's a tower. It's, uh, it's not as kind of flat spread out as the other place. It's more of a downtown

AZDEAN: that is correct. Yes.

TED: I see. [00:06:00] Nice.

AZDEAN: it's pretty big.

TED: Yeah.

SAM: very big actually, yeah. They have a ball on the terrace and they have like, uh, uh, five restaurants.

TED: Okay.

SAM: they provide like international, both international and Moroccan cuisine. So if you want to eat there, and beside the spa and, uh, uh, massage and Moroccan traditional hammam and stuff. It's just amazing.

And they have like, uh, uh, a site like it's kind of a small museum inside of collections. Uh, uh, of the, of the whale, whale family and stuff, yeah.

TED: It's beautiful. So it's not just suites, right? There's rooms I see here, there's rooms, suites, and apartments even,

AZDEAN: Yes.

SAM: And there's apartments, private apartments, yes.

TED: Yeah.

SAM: they have like, [00:07:00] executive or something like signature suite, which goes around 30, as Azdean say, 31, 000 a night. But it's only booked for like, people like, um, presidents or someone who are visiting Morocco, for example, they can book there. Yeah.

TED: Oh yeah.

SAM: They have one in Marrakech for 22, 000,

TED: Okay.

SAM: signature a suite. Actually, the service in Royal Mansour is the top of the top, because I visited one in Marrakech, uh, three times. I have a dinner there in 2016. It's, the service is just, it's just perfect. I, I can see, beside the other hotels, for example, the service there is, is, is just unique.

TED: Okay.

AZDEAN: and I remember when we took some guests to Royal Mansour, this is, we invited them for dinner and they were really, really, really surprised in the [00:08:00] most positive way when they went to Royal Mansour Marrakech. This one was not open at that time.

TED: Mm

AZDEAN: They did not believe that there's such a hotel in Morocco, but I mean, they were just, they were really, really, uh, surprised in a good way.

So, yeah.

SAM: Uh, by the way, in the restaurant, in their restaurant, they have a collection of wine, uh, dates back to 30 years, 50 years. and so on. Uh, so when, when, when you are having dinner, you have always three, three waiters waiting, waiting for you. Just, you just, you just move your head and you find somebody that is serving you.

Yeah.

AZDEAN: I forgot, I forgot when we talk about wine, Sam has a, has a membership to all of them

TED: that's right.

SAM: Amazing.

TED: talking about.

AZDEAN: for sure. makes perfect. Uh,[00:09:00]

TED: Okay, so next one on your list, you have Four Seasons Hotel in Casablanca. You can see here it's a bit of an intro video. Let's see what they've got. Oh yeah. So a mix of rooms and

AZDEAN: you, yeah, just to give you an idea, um, you know, Morocco has over 200 international brands, uh, of hotels throughout Morocco, um, you know, some, you know, from Spain, Europe, us, uh, Asia, um, So it's the, when it comes to accommodations in Morocco, it's really, really, really diverse. So in this presentation, we're trying to, to kind of mix it, but also focus on the local, because a lot of people, they may not know that we have these accommodations in Morocco.

So when we talk about the Four Seasons, everybody knows What the four season or most people know what the four season is. But then when you look at it Marrakech, [00:10:00] the real estate is very different. It's a lot more luxurious than what the U S is, but then it has an infusion of the local. culture, the local cuisine, the local everything.

So when you see the four season, it's, it's very different than the four season in, in, in Houston, for example, Vegas, Los Angeles and stuff like that. So, and you can see this one in, in, in Casablanca, look at the location. It's, it's very beautiful close to the coast. It's the view is just. Now this is the front.

Um, uh, it's very, very different than you have the front desk, uh, the reception. And again, these luxury hotels, they come with, you know, all the amenities that you can think of. Um, so, uh, your guests will be very happy here.

SAM: Ocean incor. Yeah. There is a suite just, um, when you see from, uh, from the, the, the balcony from the [00:11:00] window. You see, just see, just, yeah. The, the other side, the, the location is perfect.

TED: Wow.

SAM: it's near all the, uh, other, like, for example, local restaurants, uh, the other accommodations, for example, just near, you can walk through the, through, they have gardens and they have, uh, the spa, spa is something very special, I think they have, like, Thai spa and stuff, yeah.

It's a,

TED: Mm-Hmm. . Yeah. There's a spa in the pool. Nice. Yeah. I remember driving

SAM: high end, very luxury, yeah.

TED: Yeah. That's beautiful. Wow. That's great. That gives you, uh, I mean, how do you choose between the two? Is a couple good options there, at least in Casablanca. Yeah. This one certainly got the location.

AZDEAN: for sure. Yes. Yeah. This is yeah. 100%. Yeah.

TED: hmm.

SAM: It's around 20 minutes walk [00:12:00] from the, the Hassan II Mosque.

TED: Okay. Mm

AZDEAN: And again, here it gets really busy, uh, around sunset. As you can see in this picture, uh, there's a lot of restaurants. There's a lot of clubs. The nightlife here is, is, is very happening. It's, it's, uh, it's, it's always packed. So as much.

TED: Nice. Okay, well, that's, uh, so we want to keep moving so we can cover as much as we

AZDEAN: Yeah, for sure.

TED: Um, Rabat, you've got the, let's see, there's the Villa Mandarin. Okay. Yeah. Uh, pull that up here. This is now they're a chain too. I know that. They, uh, they've got hotels around the world. Here we go.

SAM: Yeah. Villa Mandara, Mandarin.

TED: Yes. Right. So what do you know about this hotel? Do you know where it's located?

SAM: It's [00:13:00] located in the, in the new town, Rabat, in what is called, uh, Agdal.

TED: Okay.

SAM: Yeah. The, the, what is important, what is unique in this, in this villa, the Villa Mandara, is the gardens. Look at the gardens. Yeah.

TED: Yeah.

SAM: It's, it's unique. The sweets, it's high end. It's not that expensive, by the way. It's, um, starting from, uh, 400 to 3, 000.

TED: Mm-Hmm.

SAM: And they have, they have also a riad in the Old Medina of Rabat. It's called Riad Shen. It's a very luxury riad . And they have Mandarin Oriental in Marrakech, but we'll talk about it later.

TED: true.

SAM: Yeah, there's the same, the same brand.

TED: Yeah.

AZDEAN: Yeah, different suites, different rooms.

SAM: Yes. It's kind

AZDEAN: the whole, you know, before we started, [00:14:00] Ted, you asked about the price, uh, but just to give, just to give an idea, um, uh, all these accommodations, the, the rate will probably start around 400 and up, 500 and up, uh, in these, uh, different suites. Accommodations, uh, luxury accommodations, uh, in Morocco.

And, and one thing, um, you know, as you know, when, when I talk to Sam, I get a lot of feedback, especially this summer. Um, the prices has gone up. Everything is really a little bit more expensive than last year. then, then, then a year ago and stuff like that. So, um, and people feel it. Uh, so, uh, the hotels are no exception.

They always, uh, take advantage of the peak seasons. Uh, normally the summertime, it's not really busy, but they still, this time it was busy. So they take advantage of that. And also every year they add You know, depending, you know, the between 10 to 12%, uh, additional percentage, uh, of the previous year's rate.

[00:15:00] So if, if it's a hundred dollars today or 500, so the next year it's going to be 550 or 600, just to give you an idea, the advantage also that we have here in Morocco, as you can see, There's the real estate. There's no shortage of real estate. You know, you have a pool. It is a swimming pool. It's not just like a quarter of a swimming pool.

Um, so we're very lucky, very fortunate. And this is very typical in a luxury hotel. You have a lot of options. You have a lot of accommodations. I mean, amenities, anything that you can think of within the hotel. Uh, and the hotel can, you know, some of them, they have golf courses, some of them, uh, they have, uh, you know, tennis courts and all kinds of stuff that he can think of.

So this one is Sofitel, uh, which is part of the Accor brand. And again, like I mentioned earlier, there's over 200 international brands in Morocco. A lot of people, they just, they don't know that Morocco has that many, um, you know, [00:16:00] uh, brands. Variety of accommodations. So, uh, but it's good to know it is. And I really, I really like this one because of the suites.

And as you can see, there's, there's also that Moroccan flair in each suite or room in the Sofitel, uh, robot, which is really, really nice. Uh, the other also, I want to mention, um, we have Ritz Carlton hotel in the robot as well. So.

TED: mm hmm, oh

SAM: There's one Rabat which makes it unique, for example, for the events and incentive events and stuff. They have like, uh, different spaces and also for dinner. They have like two restaurants. Uh, Lounge, Lounge Restaurant as well. Uh, with the Poles most, uh, there is like, uh, suites that overlooking the ocean of, uh, Atlantic Ocean as well.

TED: oh wow,

SAM: Yeah.

AZDEAN: Yeah, it's very soothing. The colors, um, you know, [00:17:00] uh, this is a breakfast area. The restaurant is called Louarda, which means the flower. Uh, it's very pretty, very nice.

TED: oh yeah, mm,

SAM: And so they have, they have, so it's the same as one in Marrakech, they have like a nightclub, what's called, So, So Lounge, is that they belong to the same, to the hotel as well. Yeah,

AZDEAN: they really have some good, good, uh, good places to stay, uh, and they're really affordable. Uh, this one, it's pretty nice. It's a little bit luxury, uh, but it also gets packed really, really quick. So, uh, but also, uh, [00:18:00] I want to mention something that me and Sam, we talk about quite a bit, a lot.

Um, there are some riads, you know, two star, three star, they have contracts with tour operators. Um, that, you know, the tour operators are just, you know, they're just, they do volume. They don't, you know, they don't care about, you know, uh, you know, quality or the service. So, uh, but this, this riad is the type of riad they, they, they do.

They do care about the guests that they are staying in because they have a reputation to protect and they care about their guests. So, um, the people that you'll find here, um, you know, that's the type of things they're looking for. Quietness, you know, immersion, cultural immersion, um, you know, luxury, service.

So, uh, in some regards, they're good. But then when you go in, it just, it looks like you're, you know, you're in, in the middle of somewhere's downtown. So it's, yeah. So, but this one is very nice. Um, personally, really, really like it. We have a lot of guests stayed here. [00:19:00] Uh, we had, uh, amazing feedback. So.

TED: hmm. Well, you can definitely tell it's in Chefchaouuen.

AZDEAN: Yes. Yes.

SAM: yes, yeah, the, the, the color of the blue, the blue color everywhere. Yeah. Yeah, so for, uh, I want to add something in, in, in Chefchaouen, there is no resorts, there is only, uh, riads. there is some luxury riads and other like, uh, medium premium riad sas well. So there is no big, big hotels, for example, like the other cities.

Because they don't have like enough space to build like a big resort,

AZDEAN: Yeah. Well, the other thing that I would like to mention, um, we stayed, uh, at a really luxury riad, a new one. Last time we, we, uh, we visited Chefchaouen. We normally, we wanted to stay at Darshawan, but unfortunately, uh, it was, it was booked. So. The riad we stayed in is, is incredible. The location [00:20:00] is impressive, but then the service, it's almost non existent.

So for me, I'd rather stay at Darshaoun because we have a relationship with them. I'd rather stay, uh, Lina, Riad Lina, because we know them, we work with them. Um, Riad Lina, the rooms are a little bit smaller. But they have amazing service. Uh, Dar Shavoun, they just did a renovation a year or so ago when we visit them.

And it's amazing. The service, the cuisine is just incredible. So sometimes you may say, Oh, that's, that's, that's a luxury brand. It looks so nice. But then again, when you get there, the service is just, it's disappointing. That's what we felt last time when we stayed in Chefchaouen during our tour. Uh, the place we stayed in was not, I mean, it looks amazing.

The location again is incredible. But then, uh, it's not the staff, but it's actually the management. So, uh,

TED: Now this is, this place looks beautiful. And as you say, they have a great service too. This is the Dar

AZDEAN: do. Yeah. [00:21:00] Dar Chaouen. And they, they, um, they have, uh, three levels and they added an elevator. The rooms are really good. And I, the one thing that I really liked about the room we stayed in, it was a, a triple. Uh, it looks the pool, which is you can see right there, but then again, it looks down the hill, which is you see it in the background.

I mean, that famous picture that a lot of people take from the Spanish mosque when they're in, in Chefchaouen, I was able to see it from my, from my room, which was just amazing. Um, again, the service they're showing was incredible. We did, uh, uh, a podcast episode there.

TED: Yeah.

AZDEAN: We took so many pictures when we were there last summer.

So amazing, amazing staff management is incredible. The service is just, it's very delightful.

TED: Yep. How close would it be then from the riad into like the Medina, kind of the old part of Chefchaouen here?

AZDEAN: It's everything is a walking distance.

TED: Okay.

SAM: just cross the, [00:22:00] you cross the bridge and you go to the Old Medina.

AZDEAN: Yeah, but for me, because, you know, um, in 2019, I woke up really early because I wanted to see the city, but again, the culture of people from the Chefchaouen, they are not early morning people, so I had the time to myself, me and the cats and one dog. So we had fun, but it was, it was amazing, but don't be afraid if you're on your own and you walk, it's okay.

You will get lost. And that's the fun part because it's going to take you somewhere. You know, you will find your way, but it's amazing. Um, uh, the other thing that I would like to mention, um, as well, please, uh, Chefchoauen during the day is completely different than Chefchaouen during the night. Uh, the nightlife is just incredible.

It looks very different.

TED: Interesting. Do

SAM: the square, the live square is the, the, the, the big part of the, of the city is live at night till, uh, like midnight to, um, in [00:23:00] the morning.

TED: Shefshawan? You've got Dar Jazmin on the list.

AZDEAN: Yes. Yes. Yes. Ah, yeah.

SAM: yes. Yeah. Darjas Min is, yeah. Darjas Min is, I, I, I guess it's the, the most expensive. Yeah. Riads in, uh, in Chefchaouen, and it's, it's unique if you can see, uh, from the, the design of the riad, the rooms are different, yeah, from the others, for example, they mix between the traditional and the modern.

In, in all the, the, the suites, they have only suites. They don't have like, um, uh, rooms. They have only suites and, uh, the, the service is amazing. Really, I really appreciate that the guy working there is just, they took care of the, of the guests, uh, very well.

AZDEAN: Yeah. Look at this women pool. Look at the back, you know, the backdrop. Uh, it's just, it's incredible. Uh, and also keep in mind that riads, uh, the, the advantage of [00:24:00] the riads, they are small. They are very intimate. Uh, they have that intimate feel, that intimate experience. And if you're traveling in a group, you need to make sure ahead of time that There's availability, uh, because some of them, they may not accommodate if you have a midsize group and stuff like that.

So, uh, but that, that's the Spanish mosque. Um, you

TED: a good picture.

AZDEAN: yeah, that's really, really nice. So, um, and it's on top of, uh, Dar El Shaouen, by the way, uh, it's on top of it. So when we stayed there, you know, it was, it was, it's, it's, it's a hill. I mean, it's, you know, I was not in shape, so it took a little bit of tall on me.

So, but it was fun. It was nice. Yeah, it was, it was amazing that the sunset was incredible. So

TED: Nice.

SAM: They serve breakfast on the terrace. So you're overlooking all the city,

AZDEAN: yes.

SAM: especially in the mornings. Yeah. When it's not, when it's, it's not raining or it's not cold, they serve you the breakfast on the terrace.

TED: Mm hmm.

SAM: So like that, [00:25:00] while you are having breakfast, you enjoy just the nice views of the blue city.

TED: Yeah. Oh, you got a great view there.

SAM: Yeah.

TED: That's a nice one too. Hmm.

AZDEAN: it looks like a picture. It's just, it's amazing. Yeah.

TED: Beautiful. Okay, let's see. So we're at Chefchaouen and we'll head a bit back further south to Fez and let's see. You've got Riad Fes on the list.

AZDEAN: This is a classic. This is, this is just, it's, it's beyond beautiful. Uh,

TED: Now wait, is this, this is an actual like original riad? I mean, it looks

AZDEAN: it is,

SAM: Yes.

TED: more maybe modern or something, but

SAM: Gholi Chateau is unique. Yeah.

TED: Wow. Look at that. There he goes. Mm

AZDEAN: Riad Fas is, if you don't stay in Riad Fas, uh, at least do an experience, [00:26:00] uh, you know, cooking class, uh, you know, a massage, spa, yes, for sure, because they're just incredible, have dinner, uh, at least, uh, so this is,

TED: do you know, this place seems a bit bigger, but do you know what the capacity of it might be? How many rooms they have, generally?

SAM: think 28th room, if I still remember.

AZDEAN: But also last time when we visited Fes, we passed by it and the owner, they bought more properties. So they, they have, it's like, um, it's like a whole strip, uh, the same company, but different names and different, uh, things and places in it. So Riad Fes is just one piece of it. Uh, they have a massive property, uh, uh, next to Riad Fes.

So it's, it's pretty huge. Um, they have other, uh, accommodations. They have other riads besides

TED: Mm hmm.

AZDEAN: Riad Fes as well. So

TED: I [00:27:00] see.

SAM: So the beginning, the riad was just one old riad, and then they bought other houses. And they extend the riad to be like a big one and it's

TED: Yeah. Okay. That makes

SAM: it's, it's unique by the way. Riad is the best riad in Fes so far. Uh, when we talk about riads,

AZDEAN: yes,

SAM: not, not the resorts, but when we talk about riads, this is, this is the best one.

TED: So you'd certainly, you'd get that riad feel, that experience. It still feels kind of intimate and like a family type home. It's maybe a bit bigger scale, but you can see the design with the open courtyard and all that.

AZDEAN: And you feel here in Fes.

TED: Yeah. We can see what the, uh, where's that picture there, the rooftop. So I'm trying to place it here.

I can see one of the mosques. It's kind of to the West side of the Medina, I guess,

AZDEAN: Yes,

TED: somewhat.

SAM: We start. Yeah.

TED: Yeah.

AZDEAN: I mean, you have, you have the Rif  Mountains on the left, you [00:28:00] have the Atlas Mountains, and it's a really unique place, Fes, you know, the location is just, it's incredible. Um, Yeah. So when, when, when we did the, uh, the episode with Mullah Hufidin, the way that he was explaining things to us and what everything is, and also the irrigation system that they had back then, it was just amazing.

You know, all the, the, the water flowing from the mountains through the city. And it's just, it's, it's incredible. So there's a lot of history here. Uh, it's, and it's, uh,

TED: It's a fascinating

AZDEAN: is, it really is.

SAM: Yeah. And what's make Riad Fes also en nick is the, the, the, the, the suites. If you go to this one and you go to this one, you just believe that, oh my God, I see this one. I know I want this one. You, you, you can't even make a choice. The suites are amazing. The sle, the tiles, the in each room is, is, is unique and different from the other rooms.

The decoration, the, the, the mix between the authenticity and the modern. It's, uh, [00:29:00] for example, the Royal Suite is, is, is, it's just amazing. You can see,

AZDEAN: We had the same thing when we, when we, uh, when we were in Ouarzasate at Oz Palace. Their suites, they're called names, and each one is different. It's a different theme, it's very unique. Even the product that they use is different, which was just amazing.

TED: list. We'll get to that in a bit. Um, let's see what else we have in Fez here. This is the Palais Faraj.

SAM: yeah, yes,

AZDEAN: this is, this is one of Sam's favorite spots. And that bottle is actually one of his favorites too. So this one

SAM: Location is, location of the, of the riad is, is, is, uh, for this one, the location is, is, is, is the best from the other resorts in Fes, but this one, the place it waited, is, is, is unique. You remember, Azdean, [00:30:00] last time when

AZDEAN: Yes. Yes. Yeah. We visited, we did the, uh, a site visit. Um, they were extremely hospitable. Uh, we were, we were here, actually in this picture right here. Uh, they showed us around, um, because this is one of the places that we take guests for dinner.

TED: Yeah. Well, we went there.

AZDEAN: Yeah, you were there, right?

TED: Yeah. Thank you again.

SAM: you were there,

AZDEAN: Oh, you're very welcome,

You're very welcome.

SAM: yes,

TED: beautiful. Yeah. Yeah.

AZDEAN: know, because the music in Fes is very unique and very different than any other played, uh, music played in, in the rest of the Mor Morocco. So, um, it was, it was an amazing experience. Um, and as you can see here, yeah.

TED: I remember that location. Cause you kind of up the hill halfway or so, and you really look right out over the Medina. You're not in the, in the middle of it. You're right at the edge and you get that great view of the whole

SAM: yeah, that's right,

TED: kind of laid out in front of you.

SAM: on the [00:31:00] rooftop, yeah,

TED: Yeah. Yeah. Neat. Here's some of the suites.

Yeah. They're big. I

SAM: in the, in the suite

AZDEAN: when it comes to Fes, uh, especially in riad in Fes, they are the best in Morocco. Uh, they are really, really unique. Uh, and I remember, I don't remember which floor it was. Um, and, and we took walk, you know, it was the restaurant, then the, the view, I think, you know, uh, to the outside, you know, the, the balcony, it was just, it was amazing. But the service was incredible. I forgot the gentleman that did the, the site tour with us, but it was amazing. And again, if you look at the, the attention to details, the, the craftsmanship, you can see everything here. The

TED: Even in the exercise room.

AZDEAN: yes,

TED: That's great.

AZDEAN: it's, it's, it's really, really incredible. Um, again, if you don't get to

TED: of the

AZDEAN: here,

TED: Yeah.

AZDEAN: Just have dinner, just get a, [00:32:00] you know, the spa, the hammam, the Moroccan experience.

Yes.

SAM: as well,

AZDEAN: Yes. So, um, in a lot of these places, um, they'll have breakfast at set time, but some of them, they'll ask you what time you want to come and then they'll make it fresh for you as you sit at your table. So, uh,

SAM: Yes.

TED: I remember this room, yep.

SAM: rooftop. Yeah, we've

TED: Nice.

AZDEAN: it looks really nice at night.

SAM: Fes

TED: Yeah, I think we got there just as kind of the sun was setting. We had a bit of daylight still, and then the lights came on over the city. Yeah, that's it. We were in the second or third table here. That's cool. Beautiful space.

AZDEAN: Yeah. It was amazing. Ah, look at that. Ah, wow.

TED: Nice. Uh, okay. Is there anything else in Fez before we move on? Let's see [00:33:00] here.

AZDEAN: There's, there's so many, um, there's really, really, really so many, but these two, they are really come. Uh, I mean, we did, we, we visited so many, so many riads, so many properties, and we were very fortunate. Um, some of them, they have maybe eight suites and that's all they have. So again, there's a limitation where you're looking for riads.

Uh, if it's for yourself, if it's for your customers, if it's your family and friends, uh, it's always good to know, um, and check availability ahead of time. Um, yeah. Uh, and again, one of the biggest differences is the location again. Um, if you would, um, some of them are located on top of the hill and it takes quite a bit of, you know, you cannot really walk, uh, anywhere, but you have to drive or you have somebody to drive you.

So, and it's just, it's, it's, it's incredible.

TED: Mm hmm.

AZDEAN: Lumeridia.

TED: Yeah, let's move down to Marrakech. Yeah. Mm

SAM: Uh, the first and Marrakesh in terms of resorts, hotels, and [00:34:00] riyas. Uh, they are, they are the, the, the, they are the best in Morocco when it comes to accommodations, luxury accommodations first and the marrakech.

TED: Now, this is more of a, they call it a resort. Is it in the city centre itself, or is it a bit further out? The Meridian.

SAM: The meridian is in, in the arnage. Uh, it's one of the expensive town, uh, downtowns in, in, in,

AZDEAN: Okay,

SAM: uh, this, I remember I was there for many times. The service is

TED: Well, this gives you an idea. Let's see if we can zoom in

SAM: It's near. It's on the,

AZDEAN: yeah, it used to be, uh, it's, uh, it's

TED: the Medina.

AZDEAN: Hassan the Sixth Avenue,

TED: Yeah.

AZDEAN: uh, which is, uh, I mean, that's, uh, that's, that's the strip, you know, it's like Vegas strip. That's the strip in Marrakech. There's Menara Mall, which is really [00:35:00] incredible. There's, they're going to build another mall. Besides, uh, Morocco Mall in Casablanca, Morocco Mall coming to Marrakech and also to Rabat City at some point.

I'm not really sure when, but it's, it's in the works. It's been approved. Then they have another mall. It should have been open by now because it was under construction when I was there last year. Uh, so there's so many things happening, uh, on that strip. Uh, and the real estate is, is beyond expensive. So, uh, you can just imagine.

Uh, uh, did they change name? Sam Le Meridien.

SAM: the old name is, and now is Marriott. Marriott

AZDEAN: Marriott.

SAM: Bon

TED: Oh, I see, yeah.

AZDEAN: Okay. So when we talk about the Marriott, uh, we talked about this before, uh, we went live. Um, there's the Marriott hotel everywhere. Um, literally in Morocco, especially on the North side. Um, but the Marriott, um, is a little different than [00:36:00] the U. S. Um, I mean, for me, the Envoy is, is, it's, it's really, really good, but a lot of them, they just look, for me, premium to so and so, um, you know, uh, if you with accommodations or properties.

Um, you know, like here in the U S you have, uh, Spring Hill, you have Courtyard, you have in Morocco, they just have the Marriott. I haven't really seen any Courtyard or other names, but they just Marriott or the Convoy. So the Convoy obviously has a little bit more to offer. Um, but also, um, you know, a lot of people, if you don't like the Marriott, there's other brands.

Again, we said, you know, there's over 200 international brands, um, in Morocco, but also when you, when, Let's see when we talk about, uh, this one, I believe is, um, imagine a yes, uh, yeah. So this, we have some, some, some guests coming here next week. Yeah. So, um, it's, it's really, really amazing. It's just incredible.

So again, you look at the real estate, [00:37:00] uh, you know, this is, uh, Majorelle Gardens. It's just beautiful, beautiful. So we're very fortunate when it comes to, to, to properties in Morocco, uh, there's, it's not just the building as you know, sometimes here in us, it's just a building and it's a hotel in Morocco.

It's, it's, it's spread out. It's, you

TED: yeah.

AZDEAN: Sam said, you have, uh, hotels, you have apartments, then you have royals in some properties, you'll find maybe, you know, villas, six villas, 10 villas, maybe. In, in, in Marrakesh 50 s and stuff. And also want to talk about something that, um, we did last summer and, uh, we stayed in Wi Ian Resort, uh, in bi, which is in the outskirts of Marrakesh.

It is a five star, uh, hotel and resorts.

TED: Right.

AZDEAN: And the experience was amazing. The staff again, uh, going above and beyond what's expected of them, but also want to mention that, I mean, the location is beautiful. Um, uh, the land [00:38:00] is just massive. Um, but also they mentioned that they have villas. Um, I don't remember how many there were.

But they said the royal family, when they, when they go there, that's where they stay. They have a little bit of privacy and they stay in those villas. So, uh, it was just an amazing experience.

TED: Yeah.

SAM: I, I mentioned now, by the way, it launched to the, to the, to the, to the results channel, which called m. And that one in Marrakech, they called it Amman Jinnah. Jinnah, Jinnah in Arabic is

AZDEAN: I haven't,

TED: Oh, okay.

SAM: Jinnah.

AZDEAN: Aman means peaceful.

TED: are kind of private villas. Like, it's like a

AZDEAN: Yes. They're like villas, riads, yes,

SAM: It's called Avion. Yeah. Yeah. This is, for example, this photo. This is a private, a private, uh, pool for a or a villa. This is inside. You have your, you own privacy, for example, when you book, uh, of private [00:39:00] villa or exclusivity. This is again, what I said before. This is the, the what makes. Resorts in Morocco are unique, so they mix between hotels, for example, and Moroccan style, they keep like riyadhs and villas inside, uh, the resort.

So you can stay in the resort and you can still enjoy the, the, the authenticity, I mean, it isn't the authentic riyadhs of Morocco.

TED: I saw the map there. We had a sense of where the, uh, I mentioned, uh, is. It's just a bit outside the city. Here, there's the Medina. Do you have a sense of how far a drive that would be?

SAM: Uh, far drive is, uh, 20 minutes, 20 minutes from the old Medina. Yeah.

TED: Yeah. Oh, that's not bad.

AZDEAN: but, um, uh, again, just to give people a little bit of perspective, when we talk about the Medina, we talk about specifically or refer to as Jamaa el Fna, or the square, uh, and again, within two mile radius [00:40:00] of the square, you have about You know, 700, 000 riyals in small hotels, and I know one of the questions that somebody sent us, um, you know, the rate for the riyals, I mean, the rate, it really, really varies, uh, depending on what you're really looking for, um, and it can, it can be maybe 50 bucks to, again, to thousands and thousands of dollars, so depending on what you're looking for.

TED: Yeah. Okay. I want to know about this one. This is the, uh, Mizan Arab

AZDEAN: This is again,

SAM: this

AZDEAN: at the real states. Yeah.

SAM: unique. It's very unique. This riad is very unique.

TED: Number one, wow

AZDEAN: So,

TED: Is this part of a chain or, uh, maybe, but it seems pretty

SAM: chain. Yes, it's a chain that's called, um, I forgot the name of the brand.

TED: something like

SAM: Yeah, that's right. Yes. Yes.

AZDEAN: so this, this, [00:41:00] um, we have guests that stay here. Uh, we had guests that did cooking class and it was a lot of fun. It was amazing. And the cooking class, they do it in two different ways. You can either just have them pick everything for you and you just start, you know, peeling and taking care of, uh, the food or you go to the market with them and they bring everything to, to the Riyadh.

So, uh, yeah, cooking school, it's, it's, it's, it's an amazing experience. Yeah. This is again, you know, it's look at the setup, look at, you know, the, uh, the stoves. Yeah. It's really, really nice. Uh, also you can do, uh, again, like Sam said, you know, uh, mom experience, a spy experience. It's incredible. So this is one of the places.

Uh, that we use and we love it. The the guests are always happy with the experience and look look at everything It just it looks very authentic very Moroccan. And again, this is the advantage of staying in our riad versus a hotel [00:42:00] You know, like Sam mentioned earlier when you go to Royal Mansour when you go to the high end hotels They know the importance of there's a lot of people they They've stayed in every hotel there is when they are internationally traveling, but they want something that it's authentic to that new location, that new destination, that new experience that they want to have.

So they'll come to Morocco. They'll stay, whether it's the Four Seasons or the Royal Mansour Hotel, and they want to stay at a riad villa because they don't want to be in the hotel part of the property, if you would. So,

TED: Right, right Yeah, and this place is very central So the Medina in the squares down here is the famous mosque And it's right up here, so that is

SAM: the location in Bebdoukala, Bebdoukala is very well located. There is a place, uh, yeah, there is a parking just in front of the door. So we, yeah, you don't need to walk to get to the, Zoharab. There is a parking in front of the door, the main gate of the [00:43:00] entrance. They have like three terraces, rooftops, there if you can see.

They have like a bar lounge, yeah. And the price range is between 250 to 2, 000. The rooftop, yes, the

TED: Beautiful.

SAM: rooftop. It's overlooking all the old Medina and the Qutubiyah Mosque. Because it's like a few, few, few minutes, I think, um, five minutes from the, the Qutubiyah, the Qutubiyah, the Qutubiyah mosque,

TED: Okay.

AZDEAN: this,

TED: to make sure to cover a bit more of this. We talked a bit about the Casablanca one, a bit about Marrakech, but here's, this is the famous hotel, the Royal Mansour.

AZDEAN: This is one of my, my personal favorites. Um, and the reason is because, um, you know, before the pandemic I got a call that they wanted to meet us. So we met with the, uh, with the, uh, With the GM here in Houston, we had lunch, uh, with their partners in New [00:44:00] York. So, um, we had an amazing experience. Um, and the, the name is Thierry.

Uh, he's just incredible. He's always been a really, really, really good to us. Uh, extremely hospitable. And when you talk about the Royal Mansour, uh, they go above and beyond. Um, I mean, that's, that's, that's their minimum of service. Uh, the staff is well trained. Everything is just, it's an amazing, amazing experience.

Um, And again, look at the reality they have. Um,

TED: Yeah, this is what's really neat, because it's part of this big complex, but you stay, most part, you stay in an actual riad within the complex, right? So you get that experience, but it's, it's a lot more private.

AZDEAN: Yeah, it is very private. Yes,

TED: Mm hmm. Wow.

SAM: the lobby and the restaurants, the ceilings is unique, the doors, for example, look at the doors. Yeah, from the 16th, 15th centuries. It's

AZDEAN: it is. It is.

SAM: the [00:45:00] items, yeah.

AZDEAN: it, again, it doesn't get any better than this. It really does not. I look at the rooms, they are very different rooms than the parties that they have. The Christmas parties, the events is just beyond incredible. Uh, and they stay true to, to, to the Moroccan culture as well. So you can have the local experience.

You'll have the international experience. Um, you know, it's just, it's beyond incredible.

TED: Wow.

SAM: You can scroll up, scroll up, uh, 10th, you can see the riads. They have like private riads, yeah, superior riads. There's inside, it's a riad inside the resort, inside the hotel.

AZDEAN: And they have, uh, last time when we, I spoke with Harry, they were in, during the pandemic, uh, they, they had a, a new restaurant, Italian restaurant. And again, uh, it's ranking really, really high internationally. Um, I forgot how many restaurants they have, uh, and, and if you.

SAM: three,

AZDEAN: And if you want to really book it, you have to book it quite a bit in advance.

So, and, [00:46:00] uh, yeah, it's just, it's, it's amazing. It's amazing. Yeah. So,

TED: Yeah.

SAM: I think it's a presidential, uh, signature suite. There is, uh,

TED: Yeah.

AZDEAN: it is. It

SAM: the service, the service, but the most important in this place is the service.

TED: Mm hmm.

SAM: The riad, the resort is an icon, it's iconic, but the service is beyond the expected. When you go there, you just feel like, you are like, when you say top VIP,

TED: Mm.

AZDEAN: You're very pampered.

SAM: Look at the doors, look at the,

TED: Yeah. Look at that.

SAM: details

TED: And of course, it's just so central, too. It's basically right behind the, uh, Qutbiyah Mosque, and then the square behind there. It's very central.

AZDEAN: Yeah, it[00:47:00]

SAM: and the location is unique. So they have like two, two, two, two gates. Uh, there is one to the, uh, the end of the old Medina and there is another gate inside the old Medina.

AZDEAN: This is one of them.

SAM: three minutes walk

TED: Oh, yeah, right here, yeah.

SAM: square.

TED: see. Wow.

AZDEAN: And then the spa, obviously, and, uh, uh, the wellness, they have different packages and you can just really, really spoil yourself. It's just, uh, it is amazing. Uh, yoga classes, all types of things that you can think of all the amenities is just above and beyond. Very, very amazing. Yeah.

SAM: There is indoors and outdoors poles.

TED: Yeah. Oh, wow, look at

SAM: This place, yeah, this, this place, this place is unique inside. Yeah. Maybe you see it in many pictures. It's inside the Royal Mostar on Marrakech.

TED: Yeah.

SAM: Look at the [00:48:00] hammam, it's so big. This is, this is an inside pole, and there is another, two others outside.

TED: Hey,

SAM: It's, it's very unique, it's an iconic, iconic place.

TED: it's pretty nice.

AZDEAN: It is. It really is.

TED: Hmm. Cool. Well, let's hop over the mountains a bit to Oz Palace. I want to get this in before we run out of time.

SAM: my god. Yeah.

AZDEAN: such a luxurious property in Ouarzazate. I did not expect to find something like this in Ouarzazate for many reasons. Um, but when we set Um, I know we did an interview. We had a podcast episode with [00:49:00] Walid, uh, a manager.

Then we did a site visit with the, with general manager. Look at those, the doors. Um, I mean, those doors are extremely expensive because they're handmade. And again, like Sam said, you know, these, they're hundreds of years old. Uh, the attention to detail is second to none. Um, they have, each room has a name.

It's, uh, you know, uh, a female name, like, uh, you know, so very unique theme throughout. Then the location, when you look at it from the top, it really looks, you know, like I said earlier, it looks like you're in an oasis. Uh, the service again was just beyond incredible and they have a special scent. Um, when you go into the riad, you really, really smell it.

It's, it's very soothing, very calming, very nice. Uh, this is, this is how it looks like. And again, the one thing that I wanted to mention, please, uh, if you look at the corners, uh, the whites, uh, they look like a triangle or something on top. Uh, when we talk [00:50:00] about, you know, the, the properties that we just showed, now we are in words, is that this is the Amazigh.

Culture, this is the Amazigh building, the Amazigh architecture, if you will, and this is at its best, um, you know, so it's, it's, this picture really doesn't do justice because we have those pictures and, and I still, I still remember how it feels, um, to have, uh, you know, lunch or breakfast and to, you know, just those meetings that, that, that tour that we did.

um, you know, from the first floor to the top, um, it was just incredible. Amazing. We loved it. Um, and again, the common thing between all these properties is the culture. The company culture is the staff. Uh, look at these chairs, look at. You know, that desk, look at that mirror, the attention to detail, look at the, you know, it's just, it's even the bathrooms are just amazing.

The, the, the, the, what do you call it? The mosaic in each room is [00:51:00] different, different color, different style. Um, so everything was really, really perfect. And again, that's what was for me a little bit shocking. Um, but then the, the owners are incredible. The management is just, it's, it's what a beautiful place. a beautiful place. And again, um, one of the surprises that I did not know at that time, they said they do a lot of work with, with, with Hollywood. So when people are, you know, uh, filming in Air Binhaddou or where is that, this is where they stay and they stay for months, either here. or Riad Tama, which is also one of their properties.

Uh, again, you cannot go wrong with any of them, but this is, this is the top. You can see that pool is massive. And again, look how big the property is. Um, you know, it's, it's in the middle of an oasis, you know. Um, summertime obviously was hot, but it was very cool inside. Um, uh, they have, uh, the spa is very unique.

It's very, it's, it's [00:52:00] located, Not inside the property, but a little bit outside, uh, close to the pool on the right hand side. And again, uh, you know, that's what actually in the background, that's where we had, uh, breakfast and that's when we did the, uh, the, the podcast episode. Yes. Yeah. Right here to the right hand side.

It was just amazing. Um, you know, uh, amazing, amazing experience. Uh, and, and, and Thank you, Sam, for, you know, I did not know. This location, I did not know these people, but I'm, I'm very grateful that we're working with them and they are part of our network. So,

SAM: Ahmed is really, he spent, he spent like seven years or more or more to, to build this, this, this amazing palace. And if you see, they inspired it from the old style of the Kasbahs.

AZDEAN: yes,

SAM: which is unique to the, to the southern part, southeastern part of Morocco. This is why it's called,

TED: I mean, it does kind of look like a fortress, but

SAM: Yeah. S yeah, that's right.

Yeah. Yeah. The inspire, if you see inside, for example, it's, [00:53:00] it's enc, clay, and Yeah. But inside it's, it's, it's a heaven. Yeah,

TED: Mm hmm.

AZDEAN: yeah, it's, it's, yeah, yeah, this, this pictures, I think we have better pictures.

SAM: sure.

TED: more pictures here. Yeah.

SAM: Yeah. We made drawn, drawn pictures and, and, uh, yeah, with our, our cameraman, it took some amazing pictures for spider and outside.

TED: Cool. Well, there we are.

SAM: And so I want to add words that there is this, this one is unique. So the range price is between like, uh, 500, starting from 500 to uh, thousand 500.

AZDEAN: Okay,

TED: Yep.

AZDEAN: it's really worth it. I mean because I remember the drive at night and this is something that happens You know when you when you're going to either Merzouga or you know Especially in the southern part of Morocco where there's not a lot of light [00:54:00] You're going at night and you don't know what you're getting into and you you get to the riad you stay you wake up in The mornings like what a big surprise So and this was one of those it was just it was incredible It was amazing.

And I remember, uh, we spent the night in, in Riad Tama. The, the, the people were very hospitable. Uh, um, and one thing that I do remember, uh, they served us dinner. Yes, the food was amazing. But then they, they, they kept the bar open for us and they said, Hey, you can go and get whatever you want. Um, you know, for me, I, I drink a lot of water, so Sam, you know, free membership, so because the, and the camera crew, because whatever they, we take pictures and videos, record that day, we have to upload it the same night, you know, because internet challenges, um, and the files are big.

SAM: around, yeah, we finished around four 4:00 AM or something, and then we started at eight again for

AZDEAN: I left at three. Yeah. [00:55:00] Yeah. So, but the guys, they stayed with the pleasure. They were happy to stay, you know, so, but then the next day in the morning, they were up very early and breakfast was incredible. Um, and I told them, Hey, this is what we took from the bar. And they were like, Hey, don't worry about it.

So and it's like, okay, thank you. We appreciate it. So, um, yeah, especially water.

TED: you know, yeah, I mean, the places are beautiful, but it's the hospitality that makes it, that makes all the difference.

AZDEAN: Yeah. Yeah. Um, and again, there's nothing we'd like more to do than take care of the clients, uh, book their tours, plan their tours for them. that's what we're here

TED: you guys are great at it.

AZDEAN: Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

TED: All right. Well, I'm looking forward to seeing you again next

AZDEAN: you. Thank you, Ted. Always a pleasure. Really appreciate you, Sam. The same. Very grateful. Thank you for everything.

TED: Great.

AZDEAN: we really, really appreciate you. We love you. Please book with us.

TED: Thanks very much.

AZDEAN: Thank you.

SAM: Thank you.