Le Casablanca Hotel

You come here for a city stay with the useful parts close at hand: somewhere to sleep properly, eat without setting off on another expedition, and take a quieter turn when the day is done. Le Casablanca Hotel has 68 rooms across four floors, with a garden, terrace, pool, spa and fitness space giving you several ways to come down from city pace.

The team speaks English, French, Spanish and Arabic, which removes one of the small frictions of travel. The atmosphere moves between the Lobby Bar, the restaurants, the terrace and the Jasmin' Spa rather than trying to turn the hotel into a theme park. Sensible enough.

The address is 19 Boulevard Moulay Rachid in Casablanca, around 3 km from the city centre. You are near the beach and within reach of the Mohammed V Stadium, Casablanca Twin Center and Sacré-Cœur Cathedral, so the hotel works as a base for combining city sights with time by the coast.

The setting is urban rather than remote. That matters when you have plans beyond the hotel: the concierge can help with excursions, and car hire is available if you want to make your own way around Morocco.

The room choice is unusually broad, from single rooms and double rooms with either a double bed or twin beds to triple, quadruple and sextuple options. There are also family rooms, junior suites, suites, apartments, villas, cottages and a chalet. For a couple, the double rooms keep things straightforward; for a group, the larger room and suite categories avoid splitting everyone across several bookings. A few options offer city, garden, pool or water views, while some suites and deluxe rooms include a balcony.

The practical differences sit in the room details. Standard rooms can include air conditioning, a private bathroom, shower, coffee-making facilities, safe and television. Superior rooms and suites add combinations of air conditioning, heating, blackout blinds, soundproofing, a minibar, tea and coffee facilities, toiletries, bathrobes, slippers and Wi-Fi. Private bathrooms are common across the room categories, although the dormitory option uses a shared bathroom. The better-equipped rooms are the ones to favour when proper sleep and an easy return from a long day matter more than simply having a bed.

Three restaurants give you more than one answer to the evening question. La Pergola serves Mediterranean cooking from breakfast through dinner, with a terrace and a contemporary brasserie style. El Glissa turns to Moroccan cuisine for lunch and dinner, which is the natural choice when you want the food to reflect the country rather than merely the hotel kitchen.

Terrasse Jasmin serves breakfast, lunch and dinner outdoors, with an Art Deco identity. Breakfast is available as a buffet, while the hotel also has a café, a snack bar and one bar: the Lobby Bar, specialising in cocktails. You can therefore move from coffee to a proper meal, then to a drink without making the lobby a transit lounge.

The outdoor pool is the obvious place to spend an unhurried afternoon, with pool facilities, a sun terrace and garden space for the less aquatic version of relaxation. A library and the terrace give you somewhere to sit with a book rather than another screen, which is not a bad idea after several days of early starts.

Jasmin' Spa offers massage, facials and hammam treatments, using Biologique Recherche products. The residents' fitness area covers the straightforward exercise option, and a golf course is 3 km away for anyone who still wants to chase a ball after leaving the water. The hotel can also arrange excursions, so a non-diving day can be spent exploring Casablanca rather than simply negotiating the minibar.

Reception runs around the clock. Check-in is from 14:00 to 22:00 and check-out is by 12:00, with express check-in and check-out available. Airport transfers can be arranged by the hotel, either as a private service or a shared shuttle, and car hire is available if you want more independence. Parking is available on site, with a charge applying.

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel. You also have a lift, luggage storage, concierge service, currency exchange, laundry and dry cleaning, while the property has wheelchair-accessible facilities and an accessible restaurant. Room service and toiletries are available in the rooms. Children are accepted from the age of 7, and extra beds or cots depend on the room category. Couples checking into the same room must present a valid marriage certificate at check-in; a security deposit is also required on arrival.