We stayed at this beautiful riad in Marrakech with our two daughters for four days and were very well looked after.

There are very many good things to say about our stay last week, starting with the excellent email communication from Oliver, the owner before we arrived.

Dar Najat provides a special combination of great service and comfort, making it very easy to relax. I agree with other reviews that it does feel like staying with friends- It was obvious that the staff genuinely cares about you, they make themselves available but also respect your space and privacy and that’s not easy to pull off. We never had to ask more than once for anything we wanted. Service was always friendly, fast and efficient with the staff putting themselves out for us on more than one occasion. Though seamless on the surface, I know that being able to provide this kind of guest experience actually takes hard work and great communication between the team of staff.

The location is really good- about 5-10 minutes walk from the main square but in a quiet and safe spot. The roof terrace with its new top deck is a peaceful place to spend time. There’s plenty of lush greenery around and parasols to give you shade if you want a break from the sunshine. The free Wi-Fi was a welcome bonus too.

The girls stayed in a twin room on the first floor which had higher ceilings than ours on the ground floor and therefore felt more airy. The riad is very clean and well looked after. The bathrooms have everything you need and the showers are powerful with plenty of constant hot water. Even little touches like decent quality hangers and bottled water showed good attention to detail.

We’ve returned feeling we had more than 4 days away because we relaxed so quickly and were well looked after in a special place.

We’ve been lucky to stay in a few of the best hotels in the world and Dar Najat is right there up at the top with those in terms of how well we were cared for. It’s not an easy place to leave.

N° 18 DERB LALLA CHACHA
DOUAR GRAOUA KENNARIA
40000 MARRAKECH MEDINA MAROC
Tél: 00212524375085
www.dar-najat.com
e-mail:black_zitoun@yahoo.fr

15 Minutes from Marrakech (RAK) aiport in the Medina.

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Duas Quintas is a countryside-based bed and breakfast located just outside of the town of Silves in the Algarve. I recommend them for bringing something different to the rest of the Algarve in that you can visit the countryside and see the Algarve for what it is, far away from the noisy high rise apartments.

00351309402079
www.algarveguesthouse.com

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Low Parkamoor is a remote Grade II listed farmhouse in the most spectacular location, 200m above Coniston Water in the Lake District. The house is let out by Grizedale Arts for writers, thinkers, artists or artists groups for 'uncurated residencies', a sort of remote artists' retreat. Parkamoor is eco living 1820s style, with no mains services, water from the well, composting toilet, no electricity and all cooking and heating from the 19th century range. To get to the house you must walk up the hill for one mile from the Lake shore, making this house function is an art project in itself. The house is £350 per week including logs.

www.grizedale.org/projects/park.a.moor

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Stayed at a couple of their apartments and enjoyed the locations and style of the places. Great value for money!

www.checkin.se/berlin

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Paradise is a small hotel in the totally unspoilt bay of Adrasan. It is very special, the tables sit in the riverbed where you are surrounded by ducks. It is a haven of peace and quiet with wonderful fresh food from the local farmers. Wonderful.

www.paradiseadrasan.com
Nearest airport Antalya. 94 kms away.

Google map: tinyurl.com/ydgykb6

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An absolute pleasure! If you are looking for affordable/mid-range accomodation in Paris, Le Manufacture certainly is that. After sitting on the internet for ages trying to find suitable accomodation in Paris, I found La Manufacture - it looked greated and I couldnt believe the price (80 euro for a double room). It was also just outside of the main tourist hub, so it was quieter and cheaper. Friendly and helpful staff, immaculate room, fantastically located. Don't bother staying anywhere else!

8 Rue Philippe de Champagne 75013
+33 (0) 1 45 35 45 25
www.hotel-la-manufacture.com/
Google map: bit.ly/l0SxKy

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A modern spacious and airy home from home just 8km from central Ramallah.

All mod cons including wireless internet alongside traditional Palestinian cuisine make this a place to refresh your batteries after exploring this fascinating land.

Rawda and her husband Issa will also take you on any tour you'd like. Their local knowledge keeps you safe and saves you money from some of the higher prices charged foreigners at some tourist attractions.

Have visited the Separation Wall, two refugee camps, Bethlehem and Jericho with them.

Highly recommended if you want to make your first visit to Palestine.

Jifna Ramallah, West Bank, Palestine
Contact: Rawda Khouriya
Email: rkhouriya@yahoo.com
Tel: 00972-2811485 Mob 00972(0)599587476

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An absolutely stunning bed and breakfast situated on the shores of Loch Linne on the west coast of Scotland. Set in a beautiful location with great local restaurants, the house and grounds are full of character and very cosy, with a great art collection and a superb breakfast of local and homemade produce. Run by a most interesting and generous couple, it's a great place to discover the highlands.

www.arddaraich.co.uk
Ard Daraich, Ardgour, Near Fort William, Inverness-shire. PH33 7AB

Google map: tinyurl.com/ybbquh4

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A country house for accommodation and two special activity holidays, cooking and walking. I have just spent a week cooking at the finca - great fun, Iberic, Moroccan and Levant cuisine. Great walking country too. A really undiscovered, very laid back part of Spain, precious secrets without any hype.

www.finca-al-manzil.com Nearest airports Madrid, Lisbon or Seville. Tel. 0034670743296

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Alpine Ski and Golf operate a catered chalet in the Chamonix valley. We have just returned from a half term walking trip where we stayed in the company's catered chalet. The food was great and the service even better. As a holiday this was amazing considering the cost.

www.alpineskiandgolf.com
0033(0)633308849
info@alpineskiandgolf.com

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This is a beautiful 'rifugio' located high up in the Italian Alps which has changed little since it was first opened in 1878. It is accessed by a short ski path running just off the piste itself. But this characterful restaurant is a little known gem in the area, favoured by experienced Italian skiers and climbers (situated just beneath Mt.Rosa). The cooking is simple, hearty and traditional and the owners are always friendly, plus their wine cellar is excellent. The Rifugio provides rooms which are traditional and unpretentious with wooden cladding, candles and quilts. A really beautiful little secret.

Rifugio Guglielmina, 2880mts up, between Alagna and Gressoney valleys,
www.rifugioguglielmina.com/en/rifugio
Taken from their website:
The refuge is located at the foot of the Monte Rosa south wall. We suggest you to use the Monte Rosa sky lifts starting from Alagna Valsesia up to Passo dei Salati at 2900m. From there you reach the refuge following an easy path (or by skiing during the winter season) in about 15 minutes.

Google map: tinyurl.com/yzby4ej

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This is an excellent, modern B&B offering fantastic value for money. The breakfasts are awesome: tasty and gut streching! Sue is a model landlady, super helpful without being instrusive!

Swanage, Argyle Road
www.agreatescapeguesthouse.co.uk/

Google map: tinyurl.com/y9gx4as

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It is a great accommodation, a warm, cosy and little hotel, with chairs and tables on the patio in summer. It is situated in the center of the city with easy acces by bus from the station, or walking even, to many places, like the cathedral, Raathuse and old city, or museums. The breakfast is fantastic and the room was classic but charmy.
It is worthwhile paying the price.

www.hotelguldsmeden.com/home/

Google map: tinyurl.com/y9rcqdc

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The Omena Hotel chain has done away with human staff. You just turn up, punch your reservation into the computer terminal at the door and are given a room number and access code.
You can even reserve a room on the computer if you haven't done so beforehand. For about 60 - 70 euros you get a modern room with widescreen TV, microwave, fridge and free wifi.

There are two in Tampere - the nearest one to the train station is Tampere II.
www.omenahotels.com/

Google map: tinyurl.com/yclmftw

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Ask for the lone log cabin by the creek, very spooky. It has the tallest dark trees and a sense of history in the hand built rickety wooden house - slightly red riding hood feel. And there are many years of visitors books to read.
The great restaurant is a walk away though.

Deetjens Big Sur Inn
48865 Highway 1
Big Sur, California 93920
+ 1 831-667-2377
www.deetjens.com

Google map: tinyurl.com/yj8vswd

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All of Rye is spooky when night comes and the wind whips in from the estuary. But the Mermaid is definitely a ghostly experience. Our room had a massive four poster bed and dark pannelling across the walls. The whole house is Tudor but the cellars are from Norman times and there are apparently secret passages crisscrossing the building from smugglers' times.
There are apparently a few ghosts at the Mermaid. We didn't see any but fancy we heard quite a few knocks and creaks. If nothing else it's a great place to let your imagination run wild.

The Mermaid Inn Rye East Sussex TN31 7EY www.mermaidinn.com

Google map: tinyurl.com/yh2rrh9

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Enter Dar Najat and you feel like you are in an African palace that speaks style from every piece of furniture, picture and light fitting. The most family friendly place we have ever stayed. Great ensuite room, air con nice shower, matelat bed provided for our three-year-old. Oliver the owner is charming and his staff are wonderful. Amin, Saeed and Aissan spent the whole week entertaining our son. The riad has a resident dog and tortoise. Lovely breakfasts on the roof top terrace. Afternoons in the jacuzzi with funky but relaxing music. Our son delighted by chicken and chips for tea, his mum and dad delighted by superb Moroccan dinners eaten at a table a few feet from the bedroom where he slept soundly.

Dar Najat
Douar Graoua, Derb lala Chacha
No 18 -Marrakech
Tel (00212) 524 37 50 85
www.dar-najat.com

Google map: tinyurl.com/yzmlv6y

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A small friendly riad with a charming owner Peter and wonderful staff - Hassan to whom nothing was too much trouble and who let our three-year-old help water the plants while we finished breakfast. Fatima the cook produced a meal for our son at tea time and a superb later dinner for us. We loved the 3ft deep marble effect sunken bath in our ensuite.
Through Peter we had a wonderful family excursion to a restaurant and swimming pool for lunch in the Atlas Mountains with a great driver - Cherif

Dar Zaman
29, Derb Bouelilou, Sidi Ben Slimane
40000 Marrakech Medina
www.darzaman.com

Google map: tinyurl.com/yhmy8lu

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This character pub in darkest Devon has been officially inspected: it’s one of the 8 most haunted pubs in the UK. The spook certificate is in the bar. The landlady retells some good stories: at the last inspection people in the bar asked the child spirit to appear and everyone saw a coat being pulled strongly - and someone trying to touch it put her hand into an area that was icy cold. When the spirit left the curtains moved and the door closed without any wind assistance!
When my sister-in-law lost a necklace down a tiny gap between the floorboards it looked as if there might have been some supernatural assistance. Then we couldn’t find our keys… Across the square is the devil’s stone, ready for its annual turning by local heavies on All Saints day with the church bells ringing to keep the devil away!

The pub food is good, there are 4 real ales in a friendly bar much used by locals, and the refurbished bedrooms have managed to combine history with some modern amenities. The owners couldn’t have been more friendly or helpful - and they let the dog stay free. So the appalling bangs and clatters in the morning after the clocks went back were quite unexplainable, until we found a very loud Chinese couple who knew nothing of our time change and were determined to wake everyone up for an early breakfast!

In the square at Shebbear, Nr Holsworthy, Devon, EX21 5RU.
www.devilsstoneinn.com

Google map: tinyurl.com/yzrnxo7

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The Böd of Nesbister lies on a spit of shingle on Whiteness Voe on the west coast of Shetland. Originally a stone built bothy for fishermen during the fishing season, the Böd has been converted into basic accommodation by the Shetland Amenity Trust. Its location, overlooking a lovely inlet with winding views to cliffscapes and the open sea, is remote and romantic. With no electricity, the candlelit Böd is the perfect place to encounter a ghost. It felt like a kindly soul and, obligingly, stopped its noisy business when we asked it to. In the morning we came across the visitors’ book and discovered that we were by no means the first to have had a haunted stay.

www.camping-bods.com

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