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Ten years ago, during my first trip to Marrakech, I stayed at the Le Méridien N’Fis. At the time, it was a Starwood Hotels & Resorts property just before it changed ownership to Marriott International. My initial impression was positive, so I was curious to see how it fared a decade later for my return visit.
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Booking
Cash rates were higher than I expected, averaging 3,758 MAD per night (about $560 CAD). Since I needed to book two rooms over five nights, the cost would’ve been $6,000 CAD. I checked the points redemption, and it averaged 24,500 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. With the fifth night free, the redemption dropped to an average of 20,300 points per night. For the 5-night stay, it came to 101,500 Bonvoy points or 203,000 points for the two rooms. In this case, redeeming points turned out to be a much better value than paying cash.
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Location
I experienced several service missteps at the Nobu Hotel Marrakech, so I was offered a complimentary ride in their private car to Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech. Located in the Menara district, the hotel is less than a 10-minute drive to the historic Medina and Jemaa El-Fna Square. It’s also just 5 kilometres from Marrakech Menara Airport.
Conveniently, Menara Mall is directly opposite, offering several restaurants and cafes with outdoor patios. For getting around, it’s easy to catch a taxi just outside the hotel; you just have to haggle since most taxi drivers refuse to use the meter. Alternatively, rideshare apps like InDrive are available to explore the Red City.
Menara Mall
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Arrival and First Impressions
The exterior entrance remained as impressive as I remembered. It was surrounded by lush greenery, including palm trees and a central Andalusian-style fountain. Stepping inside the lobby, one section of it had unappealing brownish beige marble floors. The ceiling above the main entrance had navy tones framed by dark wood. The lobby had ample seating with armchairs throughout this space.
I arrived around 2 p.m. in the afternoon, as I was expecting my parents to arrive shortly after. At check-in, they informed me that no rooms were available and asked me to return at 3 p.m. check-in time. I received a drink voucher to use at their restaurant while I waited.
Fast forward to 3 p.m., and our rooms were still not ready. It wasn’t until 3:30 p.m. that one of the rooms became available. During our stay, I learned that most of the hotel was occupied by a large group that reserved the majority of the rooms. I noticed that the staff appeared at times overwhelmed dealing with them. This set a negative tone for the rest for our stay.
The front desk associate did acknowledge my Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status and upgraded one room to a Junior Suite with a pool view. The second room was a standard guest room with a street view. Breakfast was complimentary for two guests, but we were directed to the LM Bar instead since their main restaurant, Le Jasmin, was closed. I later learned that Le Jasmin was open exclusively for the large group since they had specific dietary needs.
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Exterior Garden Entrance
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Exterior Entrance
Lobby – Dome Ceiling
Lobby Seating
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Lobby
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Standard Guest Room & Junior Suite
The standard guest room turned out to be sufficiently spacious, featuring a small living area with a sofa, armchair and coffee table. A welcome amenity of macarons was provided. It reminded me of the amenity I had received at the Hilton Buenos Aires, which was tastier.
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Hallway to Guest Room
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Standard Guest Room
Standard Guest Room – Living Area
Welcome Amenity of Macarons
While the small mini-bar area included a coffee machine and tea kettle, only two complimentary mini water bottles were provided. I was disappointed with the limited number of water bottles offered throughout our stay, given it’s a resort. Fortunately, a grocery store was available in the mall across the street.
Safe and Mini Bar
Standard Guest Room – Closet
The bathroom was very modern, with a completely different colour tone from the bedroom, with white, black and greys. I found the bathroom vanity area impractical. It had limited space for toiletries. The bath products provided were by Clarins. The worst part, though, was the shower. Water pressure was weak, and the temperature barely hovered at lukewarm, with no possibility to adjust it to a hotter temperature.
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Bathroom
Shower and Vanity
Standard Guest Room – Bath Amenities
One thing that surprised me was that despite the rooms being renovated, no USB outlets were available. Guests travelling from North America will need international adapters to keep electronics charged. Though the mattress itself was comfortable enough, the pillows were thin and didn’t provide much support.
Sleep quality was compromised because my room faced the street. The constant honking of horns and loud music from nearby restaurants made for restless nights. Similarly, the Junior Suite, despite facing the swimming pool, was also noisy, caused by the loud music playing late into the night for the large group staying at the hotel. If you’re a light sleeper like me, I recommend requesting a garden view room.
Junior Suite – Pool View
The Junior Suite itself was considerably more spacious than the standard guest room. It featured a separate living area that included a powder room. The full bath within the en-suite included double sinks, a soaker tub and a shower.
Junior Suite – Living Room
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Junior
Junior Suite – Bathroom
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Breakfast
Breakfast was served at LM Bar, which offered both outdoor and indoor seating. We opted for indoor seating because an oud musician was performing and singing early in the morning. The atmosphere at breakfast was eerily quiet inside, as barely any guests outside of this large group were staying at the hotel.
A buffet breakfast was offered with a mix of cold and hot dishes, with eggs prepared to order. I didn’t enjoy the breakfast here as it definitely was a step down from my experience at Nobu Marrakech. The cheese selection was limited and wasn’t the best quality, and there was no whole wheat bread. They did have a selection of other breads and pastries.
For me, the highlight was undoubtedly the Moroccan tea, served with extra fresh mint upon request. Service was friendly, with the waitstaff frequently checking in. They definitely worked hard to get tipped.
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – LM Bar
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Buffet Hot Items
Buffet Spread
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Facilities & Services
The resort has expansive grounds with an Andalusian garden leading to a large outdoor swimming pool, which has a shallow section for children. During our stay, the resort grounds were completely occupied, and all lounge chairs on the pool deck were spoken for.
The gym was closed for renovation, and they just had a small number of cardio machines and free weights outdoors by the pool. An outdoor tennis court and a spa are also available, but we avoided all amenities due to the overcrowding by the large group.
One aspect we appreciated was the currency exchange service. The rate for converting Canadian dollars to Moroccan Dirhams was surprisingly competitive. It was better than the exchange office across the street. While we found a slightly better rate in the Medina, the long lines made the marginal difference not worth the wait.
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Garden
Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech – Swimming Pool
Swimming Pool
Makeshift Outdoor Gym
Takeaway
Marrakech is arguably Morocco’s most touristy city, yet options for hotel loyalty programs remain limited. Le Méridien N’Fis Marrakech offers solid points value and a central location. However, our experience was largely marred by a large group booking, resulting in crowded facilities, slow service and noisy rooms.
Ultimately, the experience made us want to spend as little time as possible at this resort. If paying cash, I would explore other options. If redeeming points, I would request a garden view room to minimize noise levels.
