The lure of the all inclusive...

The buffet, the drinks, swimming pools and resort facilities. I almost forgot to leave the Iberostar Palmeraie to explore the city. It was the reason for picking Marrakesh after all, I always like to go to somewhere I haven’t been before.

Firstly, it has such a beautiful setting. The well maintained gardens, colourful flowers and chirping birds, all helped me to relax within a few hours of arriving. Then there’s the sunshine, it was great weather and I’ve enjoyed soaking up the rays and relaxing by the pool, with a pina colada!

I stayed in a Garden view room which is light and spacious. It has a lovely balcony with a view only of tree tops and the occasional resident peacock coming to say hello.

The complimentary bus to the city is a great perk and it’s easy to spend a few hours or the whole day exploring the charms of the city. From where you are dropped off, you can navigate yourself on a walk to the old town or new shopping areas. I would suggest a guided tour, especially if you are short on time and want to hear about history and culture.

All the staff in resort were attentive and helpful, especially in the restaurant. Though it is worth brushing up on some French as this is mostly spoken there. The resort is a perfect add on for a few days as part of a bigger trip to explore Morocco or if you’re looking for the traditional week of all inclusive just a few hours flight from the UK. It's around 30 mins transfer, but there can be quite a bit of traffic. Couples or families will be well catered for as there is the main big pool with daily activities, next to the children splash pool and then a quieter pool, perfect for those that like to get a few laps in.

Finally, I wanted to visit an Iberostar hotel because of their substantial green efforts and Wave of Change programme (and their covid reassurance policy). It’s a habit for me now to take my water bottle everywhere with me and refil. They have the water stations here plus there are no single use plastics, those miniatures in the bathroom have been replaced by large refillable bottles which is what I want to see - why cant all hotels choose to do this?

My last tip, download the Iberostar App before you go and make sure you are a signed up as an Horizons member too, that's their loyalty programme!