The White City. For that to be a name for Essaouira is obvious looking down on it from a hillside viewpoint: dozens of white buildings, including a seaside line-up of modern hotels – all except our Le Medina Essaouira/Thalassa, [Boulevard Mohamed V. (212) 0525 07 2526. Its windows and entrance are outlned in red. It’s a serviceable elevator hotel with a pleasant pool and lunch area and the hotel makes an effort to welcome guests in a personal way, sitting down on a sofa to fill out forms. We had a nice little balcony overlooking the harbor and broad beach. But the service at the pool was both surly and nonexistent. It took three tries over an hour to get a drink. Overall it made us, well, homesick for La Maison Arabe in Marrakech.

The hotel is situated on the beach front only two minutes walk from the old town but although Le Medina boasts 5 stars and high prices it is not a luxury hotel. General maintnance and cleaning leave a lot to be desired. Tiles are falling out of the bathroom walls and the carpets are disgusting. Worst of all, the showers are not working, a fact that has also been commented on by other guests. My wife went to the hairdresser at the hotel to have her hair washed, they also had a problem with the water pressure so the problem seems to be general.
We had our young son with us and stayed three persons in one room but not once did we get three towels or three glasses. The floor in our room was never washed or sweeped during our one week stay.
The staff is friendly and helpful but there is only so much they can do to remedy problems of a fundamental nature.
The prices in the restaurant are ridiculous. The price of a coninental breaksfast, 180 dirhams, will buy you breakfast for a week in any café in town.

We booked 3 rooms, all of them were either stuffy and too hot to sleep in or freezing cold. Leaky pipes in the toilets and in the ceiling in one bedroom. Breakfast is rather unacceptable for 18 euros per person, cold coffee and watered down juice (from chemical powder anyway). At check-out we were charged for in room mini bar drinks that we had never touched...So all in all a nice hotel but be prepared for surprises, and it is by no means a 5 star de luxe hotel! I would advise to consider staying there only when the internet rates are reasonable and that guests keep copies of booking references, and keep track of every meal and drink at the hotel so as to prevent being overcharged. Excellent service and food at Dar Dada and Côté Plage.

Very efficient check-in, room with sea view was spacious but would benefit from double glazing some nights. Very comfortable bed although bedding not changed in 4 nights! Good size bathroom, separate toilet, very good shower pressure. Excellent buffet choice at breakfast, hot & cold. Ate in the promenade restaurant with beach views, great service and good food.