“You can tell the ideals of a nation by its advertisements. – Norman Douglas”
I read this little tidbit and nearly snorted tea out of my nose laughing:
“The first hotel de charme (slightly larger than a riad, so the tourist board has started a new category) in Marrakech has just opened in the Kasbah quarter of the Medina. The 18-room Les Borjs de la Kasbah, close to the Royal Palace, has been converted from six townhouses and a riad.
Fans of typical Moroccan architecture won’t be disappointed – there are the requisite coloured tiled courtyards with orange blossom and ornamental fountains. It also has a swimming pool, hamman, massage rooms and pool bar. The hotel uses solar power and only employs local staff, as part of a responsible tourism move.”
First of all, “responsible tourism,” my ass. They hired locals because that’s the easiest and most inexpensive option.
As for “hotel de charme,” oh, pleeeaaaaase. I love marketing crap like that. I’m going to have my own classification for hotels.
"hôtels qui ont des accords avec des vendeurs de tapis"
"hôtels qui jouent la musique forte dans le 'restaurant' jusque à 3am"
"hôtels que l'acte a offensés si vous demandez le papier de toilette ou les serviettes de bain"
Also, it’s really annoying when they mix French and English. They should have called it “Borj al-Kasbah” or “Les Tours du Casbah,” because “Les Borjs” is just gross.