There is more than one "house" at Heart of the Medina Backpackers Hostel that was converted into a hostel -- this information pertains to "House #1."
The Location
Take the Navette Airport Shuttle Bus to stop #8 (Jemaa El Fna). Go straight through the square and bear right into the Souks. Make your first left after Le Marrakchi Restaurant. After that left, make your first right. Ensure you print the map that will accompany your confirmation. These directions will lead you to the Riad where you check in and consume breakfast. Someone from the Riad will walk you to the hostel, which is only two minutes away. The location is central to many tourist attractions. You will be in the heart of the Souks.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorm rooms can be booked with two, three, or five beds. The beds are very narrow and made for only one person. To compare these beds with bunk beds, a bunk bed is much wider if you can at all imagine. If you are traveling with a group which is sharing the room, you may want to ask for the key to the room. If not, it may not be possible to receive a key. There are no lockers and storage areas. Some rooms have closets while others do not. As for linens, they are free and consists of one sheet per bed. On cold nights, you may receive a blanket,but there are no pillow cases. A fan is provided in the room.
There is an American-style toilet on the first floor of the hostel and Asian-style toilets on the second and third floors. There are no shower curtains in any of the bathrooms and the hot water does not work on the second floor. The bathrooms are cleaned daily but still there were sightings of roaches. There are knobs on the back of the bathroom door to hang your clothing and shower essentials. Toilet paper is provided. Although the site says that towels are provided for free, they are not available. There are no outlets in the bathrooms, so think of alternatives to using your hair dryer.
Common Spaces
The common area we saw was the rooftop and it has no furniture. We never saw anyone go up there to "hang out." There is a common/dining area in the Riad where you take your breakfast. Breakfast is from 8 a.m. to noon and consists of bread, butter, marmalade, orange juice, and tea or coffee. You are more than welcome to use that area to relax and pictures are available on the website. The WI-FI does not always work and is slow.
Summary
If you are thinking of staying at this hostel, it is safe and a good value for the money. Book online as the in-person rates are higher. The staff speaks Arabic, French, Spanish, and some English. They are very helpful and will recommend and take you to travel agents if requested. There is a curfew of 1 a.m., despite the site saying otherwise.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
September 2007
Location/Contact
2 Average from 2 Ratings
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