Tourism

Hotels

As one of the biggest tourist cities in Africa, Marrakech has over 400 hotels. Mamounia Hotel, also known as Hôtel La Mamounia, is a 5-star hotel in the Art Deco-Moroccan fusion style, built in 1925 by Henri Prost and A. Marchis. It is considered the most eminent hotel of the city, cited as the "grand dame of Marrakesh hotels." The hotel has hosted numerous internationally renowned people including Winston Churchill, Charles, Prince of Wales and Mick Jagger. Churchill used to relax within the gardens of the hotel and paint there. The 231-room hotel, which contains a casino, was refurbished in 1986 and again in 2007 by French designer Jacques Garcia. Other hotels include Eden Andalou Hotel, Hotel Marrakech, Sofitel Marrakech, Royal Mirage Hotel, Piscina del Hotel, and Palmeraie Golf Palace. In March 2012, Accor opened its first Pullman-branded hotel in Marrakech, Pullman Marrakech Palmeraie Resort & Spa. Set in a 17 hectare olive grove at La Palmeraie, the hotel has 252 rooms, 16 suites, six restaurants and a 535 square metres (5,760 sq ft) congress room.

Festivals

Festivals, both national and Islamic, are celebrated in Marrakesh and throughout the country, and some of them are observed as national holidays. Cultural festivals of note held in Marrakesh include the National Folklore Festival, the Marrakech Festival of Popular Arts, in which a variety of famous Moroccan musicians and artists participate, and the Berber Festival, to entertain tourists. The International Film Festival of Marrakech, which inspires to be the North African version of the Cannes Film Festival, was established in 2004. The festival, which showcases over 100 films from around the world annually, has attracted Hollywood stars such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Susan Sarandon, Jeremy Irons, Roman Polanski and many European, Arabic and Indian film stars.

Transport  and communications

Marrakesh railway station is well linked by rail transport with several trains running daily to other major cities in Morocco such as Casablanca, Tangiers, Fez, Meknes and Rabat. There is a night train which runs from Marrakesh to Tangier. A modern high speed TGV (French: Train à Grande Vitesse, meaning high-speed train) rail system has been planned. The main road network is well surfaced. The major highway connecting Marrakesh with Casablanca to the south is A7, a toll expressway, 210 km (130 mi) in length. The road from Marrakesh to Settat, a 145 km (90 mi) stretch was inaugurated by King Mohammed VI in April 2007, completing the 558 km (347 mi) highway to Tangiers. Another new road connects Marrakesh to Agadir, 233 km (145 mi) to the west.

Marrakesh-Menara Airport (RAK) is 3 km (1.9 mi) southwest of the city centre. It is an international facility that receives several European flights as well as flights from Casablanca and some of the Arab world nations. The airport is located at an elevation of 471 metres (1,545 ft) at 31°36′25″N 008°02′11″W. It has two formal passenger terminals, but these are more or less combined into one large terminal. A third terminal is being built. The existing T1/T2 terminals offer a space of 42,000 m² (450,000 sq ft) and has a design capacity of 4.5 million passengers/year. The blacktopped runway is 4.5 km (2.8 mi) long and 45 m (148 ft) wide. The airport has parking space for 14 B737 and 4 B747 aircraft. The separate freight-terminal has 340 m² (3,700 sq ft) of covered space.

Museums

Marrakech Museum

The Marrakech Museum is located in the old centre, housed in the Dar Menebhi Palace, built at the end of the 19th century by Mehdi Menebhi. The palace was carefully restored by the Omar Benjelloun Foundation and converted into a museum in 1997. The house itself represents an example of classical Andalusian architecture, with fountains in the central courtyard, traditional seating areas, a hammam and intricate tilework and carvings. It has been cited as having "an orgy of stalactite stucco-work" which "drips from the ceiling and combines with a mind-boggling excess of zellij work." The museum holds exhibits of both modern and traditional Moroccan art together with fine examples of historical books, coins and pottery of Moroccan Jewish, Berber and Arab cultures. 

Dar Si Said Museum

Dar Si Said Museum, also known as the Museum of Moroccan Arts is located to the north of the Bahia Palace, right from the Rue Riad Ziroun el-Jedid. It was formerly the house of the brother of Bou-Ahmed, Sisi Said. The collection of the museum is considered to be one of the finest in Morocco, with "jewellery from the High Atlas, the Anti Atlas and the extreme south; carpets from the Haouz and the High Atlas; oil lamps from Taroudannt; blue pottery from Safi and green pottery from Tamgroute; and leatherwork from Marrakesh." 

Museum of Islamic Art

The Museum of Islamic Art (Musée d'Art Islamique) is a blue-coloured building located in the Marjorelle Gardens. The private museum was created by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in Jacques Majorelle's home, who had his studio there. Recently renovated, its small exhibition rooms have displays of Islamic artifacts and decorations including Irke pottery, polychrome plates, jewellery, and antique doors.