Riad Jnane Ines was built over a period of three years, almost exclusively by local Berber artisans using traditional techniques and materials. Food is good – if not gourmet – and plentiful, while prices remain attractively low.
Tucked away down a winding track, the property is just outside the typical Moroccan village of Machraa Al Ain. It’s a bumpy ride to the hotel, along an unpaved road, past locals’ front doors and quotidian shops. The seclusion is welcome, but it is best to book a transfer as taxi drivers may not know where it is.
The hotel is beautifully finished in classic Moroccan style, incorporating intricate painted ceilings and arched doorways typical of Islamic architecture. It’s natural, not too shiny or polished, and I could have spent hours admiring the low, kilim-covered chairs, brick fireplace (Moroccan winters can get chilly), terracotta-tiled floors and ditty octagonal side tables. There is a pool in the central courtyard, surrounded by elegant sun loungers, greenery, and the casual twitter of birdsong.
Service sometimes felt on the wrong side of casual: my room was clean on arrival but wasn’t serviced throughout my two-night stay. Breakfast is served at the hour of your choosing but its contents might be rather random: eggs were served boiled or as an omelette without my having stated a preference. Alongside the pool and lounge, facilities include massage and laundry on request, and plenty of parking space.
The 11 spacious rooms and suites are decorated with beautiful dark wood-carved furniture, dinky shutters with heavy bolts, kilim rugs, free-standing full-length mirrors, and gentle bed sheets. They are also equipped with mini fridges, air-conditioning and soap and shampoo in the great bathrooms, which have deep, step-sided hammam-style showers. Some have secluded terraces, too. The downside? Those Moroccan lanterns are delightful, but they don’t let in much subtle: my room felt quite dark, especially as outside illumination is limited after nightfall.
Food is classic, in plentiful portions: with a typical Moroccan round of bread sliced into triangles, I dug into a chicken, lemon and olive tagine, chopped tomato salads and delicious olive tapenade. Breakfast was enormous, comprising eggs, bread, pastries, juice, honey, oils…
Rooms are all on ground level but floors are uneven in places and showers are not accessible.
Yes. High chairs are available and some rooms have a third and fourth bed (although no cots).
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