This boutique hotel sits right in the heart of Helsinki, steps away from the esplanade and the excitement of downtown. Most of the rooms look down onto a central courtyard and large windows throughout the hotel bring in an ample amount of sunlight, even on gloomy days. The entire hotel has complimentary wi-fi. Our room had stylish elements of old Hollywood, plus eco-friendly bath amenities. Some rooms even have their own entrance from the inner courtyard, those that are designed for longer staying guests.
Hotel Fabian’s lobby is exceptionally comfortable, with lots of plush seating options available. At night, the lobby desk transforms into a bar. A complimentary traditional Finnish breakfast happens in the adjoining kitchen and dining area, with adorable humorous maps of downtown Helsinki, offering language lessons like saying “my hovercraft is full of eels” and “that hat is incredibly ugly” in Finnish. Although the hotel doesn’t have a full-service restaurant, the staff up front will happily suggest some of their favorites for dinner.
Perhaps my favorite thing about Hotel Fabian was the personality of the staff. Everyone was incredibly nice and helpful. I was always greeted with a friendly smile, and they even offered to hold our luggage while we took a three-day side trip to the north of Finland—even though we weren’t staying at the hotel again when we got back.
From US$162 per night
– Great central location.
– Excellent staff who went above and beyond to help guests.
– The MP3 player in the room allows you to stream your own music through the sound system.
– The elevator can go pretty slow.
Jennifer Billock
Review Team
Jan and Rachid, the managing owners of The Repose Luxury Riad, know how to treat guests well. They anticipate guests’ needs and wants, at all stages of their stay, and ensure they deliver. Jan gave me incredibly helpful information to make finding my way to Rabat easy (a surprising rarity, even from the perspective of a travel writer!), and ensured a driver met me at the train station and escorted me right to their door so I wouldn’t get lost. Jan welcomed me with delicious mint tea and homemade treats, and patiently explained all Rabat’s sites and several options on how to get there, giving me their hand-drawn annotated map. The hotel even provides guests with tram tickets at cost, making it incredibly easy to get around.
The riad is on the Salé side of Rabat, across the estuary which leads out to the Atlantic (take the 20 cent rowboat across, the 60 cent tram, or walk a little further across a bridge). Salé is the smaller, more traditional side of Rabat, with a pretty medina with real people going about their daily lives. Refreshingly, I found kids playing (and asking if I’d take their photo) rather than touts calling out to me to buy their wares. A short walk along the medina walls brings you to a marina with an abundance of modern restaurants with patios overlooking the water.
But make sure you eat at least one meal at The Repose. The kitchen is a highlight. My breakfast was different each day of my stay, featuring eggs, yogurt, pastries, fruit, and fresh juice, all prepared from scratch. I was very impressed with my 5-course dinner. Billed as “local, home-cooked wholesome vegetarian cuisine”, it was also surprisingly sophisticated. Everything except the butter was homemade, and it was absolutely delicious. Nice weather means dining on the large rooftop terrace.
Flipping through their photo album, you’ll be amazed that Jan and Rachid were able to transform the old dilapidated building into The Repose, which opened in 2010. There are just four suites at this micro hotel. I stretched out in the large crimson Arabian suite, but would have been just as comfortable in the cheery Mango suite or in the deep blues of the Chefchauouen suite. The African room is lovely too, its tribal prints and animal silhouettes reminding you of Morocco’s neighbours further to the south. As in all riads, suite windows open into an inner courtyard. There are shutters (no glass) to give you some privacy.
The Repose has lots on offer, from massage to henna designs to men’s shave, as well as cooking classes with market visit. They’ll even arrange afternoon tea with a local family (for a donation directly to the family), and Jan can translate if needed. I love it that you can choose to visit a middle-of-the-road family or a poor family (or both!) to increase your understanding of what life in Morocco is really like.
A stay at the Repose gives you a nice mix of hotel luxuries and the experience of real Moroccan life. The weather was gloomy during most of my visit — your photos will look cheerier than mine!
The African room is US$72, the suites are US$83 to US$105
– A fantastic kitchen, for breakfasts, snacks and fabulous vegetarian dinners
– True guest-oriented service
– Handmade soaps and traditional olive oil beldi
– Bathrobes would help make the stay more luxe (update: they’ve just arrived!)
Johanna Read
Contributing Editor
Riad Dar One is a stylish little boutique hotel, in the old part of Marrakech (technically in the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, rather than the medina, but just meaning the southern part of the old city). There are six rooms, all different, and you can rent out the whole riad if you’re travelling in a group. Dar One has been open for nine years, but it still looks very new.
I loved the fresh roses brightening my atmospherically-lit room with its dark walls and super high ceilings. The thick walls and curtained glass doors were very effective in muffling sound (often an issue in a riad, with the central courtyard and marble surfaces which bounce sound). Some rooms have fireplaces, and some have deep bathtubs. Space heaters keep you warm in the cooler months and there is AC for the summer.
Had the weather been better during my visit, it would have been difficult to drag me away from the two-tired rooftop terrace, particularly the day-bed looking out over the medina and the Atlas Mountains. Instead I enjoyed my pastry-rich breakfast in the courtyard next to the plunge pool with its floating flowers.
There’s a sound system and plasma TV available in the lounge, which is equipped with both fireplace and air conditioning. Unusually for the smaller Marrakech riads, there is a manager on duty 24 hours. Lunch and dinner can be provided upon request. Cooking classes, horseback riding and other excursions can be arranged.
From US$125 (mid-season), inclusive of breakfast
– No set time for breakfast, eat whenever you’d like
– Great location near to the Bahia palace, my favourite in Marrakech
– Helpful staff: they even know which petit taxis have fair prices!
– The foot-thick concrete walls are great for blocking noise … but also block wifi; it is weak or intermittent in rooms
– I liked the refillable pump-topped “test tubes” for bath amenities, but the old labels were hard to read
Johanna Read
Contributing Editor
‘The Hidden’ is an appropriate name for the hotel; we travelled via windy terraces and gnarly olive groves to find this a lovely corner of Spain. In May, clusters of scarlet and violet spring flowers seemed almost photo-shopped onto the sepia-toned landscape.
The hotel is owned by the ex-England football manager Terry Venables; the lawn actually used to be a football pitch! It was built in 1891 and opened as a 10 roomed boutique hotel in 2014. The hotel oozes character from its restored beams to original stonework, and plenty of attention has been paid to the communal spaces which are light yet cosy.
The bedrooms are beautifully decorated, with plenty of tasteful features. Although we were a little perplexed by the earplugs on the nightstand; the only sounds we heard all stay was birdsong!
A wander to the shaded viewpoint preceded a cocktail on the terrace as the shepherd gathered the sheep in and the sun set behind the mountains. Not a bad start to an evening!
Depending on where you sit in the inviting restaurant you can get a glimpse of the action in the busy kitchen. The British chef creates delicious dishes with the unusual mix of refined presentation and decent portion size. The tasty in-between course treats were an unexpected bonus.
Breakfast on the terrace was leisurely and glorious, with the aromas from the lavender beds and views of the almond groves creating a wonderful ambience to the generous a la carte menu (plus additional buffet style choices should you want more!) The service from all the team was exemplary; friendly, informative and helpful.
There is still some work to be done (private rustic cabins are due for completion in 2015) and planting was still underway in the herb borders and generous flower beds. But this hotel is definitely one to watch- and return to.
From US$220, inclusive of breakfast
– Excellent countryside retreat that is guaranteed to relax you
– Veggies from the hotel’s own plot used in the restaurant
– Monthly BBQ and music nights on the sunlit terrace
– The outdoor pool seems quite far down the garden!
– Rooms with space for kids is limited to 3 to keep the hotel quiet, a plus if you don’t have kids, perhaps a minus if you do.
Chris & Hannah
Directors