Hotel Koutoubia

Hotel Koutoubia is a hotel in the Old Town of Chefchaouen, with the exact street shown on the booking confirmation, rates from about 480 MAD (around US$52) and an 8.6/10 score from 570 reviews on ma-hotels.net. The property sits inside the Old Town (medina) of Chefchaouen, the blue-washed hill town in Morocco's Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region. The medina is a compact maze of steep stepped lanes, whitewashed and sky-blue walls and small squares, and most of its sights are reachable on foot within about 5 to 15 minutes. Plaza Uta el-Hammam, the main square with the 17th-century Kasbah and the Great Mosque, anchors the centre, and the Ras El Maa spring at the eastern edge of town is a short, signposted walk away. Cars cannot enter the medina lanes, so luggage is usually carried by hand or by porters from the nearest gate or taxi point. Rooms are private doubles and twins of the kind found in mid-range Moroccan town hotels, giving a practical base inside the medina. Breakfast is offered on the property; for other meals guests usually rely on the cafes and restaurants of Plaza Uta el-Hammam and the surrounding lanes, which serve tagines, couscous and grilled meats. Service is aimed at general leisure travellers and small groups looking for a central address, with staff able to arrange taxis and advise on day trips. Rates are listed from about 480 MAD/night (~$52), varying by season and room type. Within Chefchaouen's accommodation range this is a mid-range option, offering more comfort and service than the cheapest guesthouses without boutique pricing. Rates rise at weekends, in spring and autumn and during Moroccan school holidays, so booking ahead for those periods is sensible, and the property can usually be asked about breakfast times and late arrivals. Chefchaouen sits at roughly 600 metres in the Rif mountains, so evenings are cool for most of the year and winter can be wet, while summer days are warm and dry. The city is known for its blue-painted streets, wool weaving, goat cheese and local bread, and hiking in nearby Talassemtane National Park. The nearest commercial airports are at Tetouan and Tangier, with regular CTM and Supratours buses and shared grands taxis linking Chefchaouen to Tetouan, Tangier, Fes and Casablanca. Visitors planning a stay usually combine a few unhurried days of photography and walking with a day trip to the Akchour waterfalls.