Hotel de Charme
“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.
May 15th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
I like your classifications, but I think you run into trouble with the first category. Wouldn’t too many places fit into it?
May 16th, 2007 at 12:07 am
Heh…perhaps. They can always have more than one classification!
May 17th, 2007 at 6:10 am
Please, it puts fhoto of Madeleine in your Bloggue
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May 24th, 2007 at 11:12 am
I’ve stayed at this hotel, and would suggest that you do too to correct your mis-apprehensions. There were no pushy sales tactics, no “organised trips to their local carpet shop” and no loud music till 3am. The bathroom supplies were plentiful too! I’d rather stay at a place where they employ locals, who see their job as a career in the hotel rather than some spotty student who is on a year’s work experience and couldn’t give two monkeys about their customers.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Loz, sorry, but you’ve completely lost the plot. First of all, I was mocking the cheesy marketing concept of “hotel de charme,” not the hotel itself. I’ve never been there. The pretend hotel classifications were for OTHER hotels that have been guilty of the crimes mentioned.
Secondly, I think it’s great that they hire locals, but it’s ridiculous to claim it’s done as part of a “responsible tourism” program. By the way, there are just as many Moroccan hotel employees that don’t give “two monkeys” about their customers, and I think I would know a bit more about this than you.