We read lots of bad / average reports of this hotel and flew out with some trepidation but were pleasantly surprised.

Firstly all of the people at the hotel were courteous and pleasant. In general, as with most places "you get what you give"; I didn't manage to walk past a 'maid', gardener, porter or waiter without being greeted with "bonjour".

As for the apparent shortage of sunbeds, we saw no evidence of this, at any time of the day; however, the parasols are in short supply. We did (small) tip the pool guy and got exceptional service throughout our stay.

Generally we did not find Morrocco a gastro experience - especially not the night market, although we did try it! Despite this, the cafe / bar at the side of the pool served perfectly adequate fare for lunchtimes; and there is always McDs and KFC if you get desperate. In addition, there is a cool and very cosmopolitan cafe on the corner about 5mins (ish) walk from the hotel.

Whilst some of the hotel looks somewhat dated, we chose superior 'garden view' rooms which were very light (given the sizeable window), clean, spacious and very comfortable. Don't hold your breath on English speaking TV channels though. There is free WiFi throughout the hotel though, including around the pool - take your iTouch!

Taxis are very cheap and very easy to negotiate - but always agree the fare before you travel. It is about £2 to go anywhere, (except the airport)!

All in all, this was a good value break; shortish flight, very short transfer time and lots of heat / sunshine with a 'refreshing' pool. A very good chill out!

The hotel is clearly dated and has had its best times some years ago.

Having said that, the pool and garden are very nice, and the new wing, in which we were lucky enough to be accommodated, has very good rooms. Service is in French only, with a few members of staff speaking very little broken English. We were a bit disappointed by the fact that no one told us anything about restaurants in the hotel, rules for the pool or indeed the ability to charge to the room and how to do so. We found out the hard way, and were called in the middle of the night by a confused restaurant waiter because we had failed to sign a docket that we were never shown or told about.

Food is decent, but the buffet is massively overpriced at 200 Dhm per person when you can eat at the Italian restaurant on the premises for 180 for two ppl (once you overcome the soviet union milk bar feeling you get from the decor in there).

We were a little disappointed by this hotel. The facilities that a 5 star rating requires were all there but all cost extra. The rooms were poorly finished and the food had that "mass produced" taste and appearance.

The hotel isnt bad, its just not really worthy of 5 star status

We stayed at the Kenzi Farah last month and just wanted to leave the feedback this fine hotel deserves. We can't understand some of the negative reviews and in fact haven't got one bad thing to say about the Kenzi Farah. We booked through UK based OnHotels.com and had a fantastic half board deal. The entrance to the hotel gives a very good first impression and although there were small areas in need of a remedial lick of paint, overall the property was well maintained and the bedrooms spotlessly cleaned on a daily basis.The staff communicated in English and French, and were generally very helpful, polite and friendly. The bedroom was much larger than expected, tastefully decorated with patio doors opening to a half balcony to reveal an amazing view of the tranquil gardens and pool- a very romantic setting with birds singing by day and stars and attractive lighting by night. The room included a reasonable sized TV, free use of a Digital safe, a mini bar, plenty of wardrobe and storage space,a fully equiped bathroom (with hairdryer) and separate toilet. The restaurant for Breakfast/lunch/dinner was very spacious and waiting staff very courteous and attentive. We had one of the widest choice of breakfast options we have ever experienced with plenty of fresh fruit, juices, a selection of cereals, breads, pastries, cakes, croissants, eggs, variety of hams and cheeses, teas and coffee. It was most delicious and set us up nicely for our trips out and about or relaxing by the pool. We opted for the evening buffet meals and again were pleasantly surprised by the wide choice of courses and tasty, interesting cuisine. The hotel was in an ideal location about 20 minutes walk from the City centre. The Open top tour bus stops across the road from the hotel (next to Hotel Andalous) and the airport shuttle stops about 5 minutes away (30 MAD return vs 100 MAD taxi one way). The truly amazing views of the Atlas mountains from the Menara gardens are just a few minutes walk from the hotel. In short, Kenzi Farah is a near perfect oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the exciting but frantic centre of Marrakech. We can't wait to go back there again !