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Morocco is one of those countries that have an incredible amount of things to offer, even the most jaded of travelers. There's the incredible shopping, the exotic foods, the rich history, and of course, the magnificent hotels. The Moroccan people are proud of their culture and they take pride in showing off that culture to travelers. Most likely, the first exposure you'll get to Moroccan culture is the hotel you've chosen to stay in. Hotels in Morocco are permeated by the local culture, from the impressive quality of service to the stunning architecture. However, just as the cultural elements are diverse, so are the hotels in Morocco.

There are, basically, three major categories of hotels in Morocco, with each one having something different to offer. If you happen to be the type that travels the world to see the natural beauty of different countries, then the desert hotels near the Sahara desert are probably your cup of tea. For those among you who, like famous traveling chef Anthony Bourdain, prefer to travel for the food, then there are numerous hotels in Morocco that also double as restaurants. Finally, if you are more of the type that prefers to bask in the culture and history of a place, you can always book a room in a "converted" palace in Morocco. Each of these types of hotels can have distinct differences from the others, so you might want to read below their basic descriptions before making a final decision.

1. For the food

Foodstuffs in Morocco are exotic things, with dishes like the sweet almond pastry kab-el-ghzal and the famed couscous. There are plenty of places to go to get a taste of those dishes, but you can barely do better than picking a hotel-restaurant that serves the native dishes. The typical hotel-restaurant in Morocco can be smaller than your average hotel, with less rooms, but the excellent food will more than make up for the lack of ambiance. One thing in particular you shouldn't miss out is the local mint tea, which is both a very good drink and something of a local tradition. The perfect example of a hotel like this is Hotel Chez Bassou in Northern Morocco.

2. For the history

Maybe food isn't really your thing when you travel, and you'd rather bask in the rich culture and history of a place. In that case, you are definitely in for a treat if you book your stay in one of many palace-hotels in Morocco. The Moroccan countryside is littered with palaces from past rulers, along with fortified homes for the old aristocracy. If you've ever wanted to just stay in one place and marvel at the wondrous architecture of the past, a palace-hotel is a good place to start. Most of the staff of these sorts of hotels in Morocco possess a working knowledge of the history of the palace itself, and sometimes they have useful information about the surrounding area too. Among the hotels in Morocco of this type, a fine example is the Al Madina Palace Hotel, which is located in the city of Aqadir.

3. For the sands

Of course, there are travelers who wish to go to Morocco to take in the natural beauty of the country. It is a stunning country to look at no matter where you go, looking for rooms amidst the desert hotels in Morocco will get you in close proximity to something that many would call a natural wonder. The desert hotels specialize in providing comfortable accommodations for travelers who want to be near the Western Sahara desert. Hotels in Morocco like these are built to be cool during the day and warm at night. A few that are really near the sands are former fortifications of the French Foreign Legion. Desert hotels, as the name implies, are very near to the Western Sahara, if not actually in it. Most of the cities in Morocco have hotels that are in close proximity, but very few can match Fort Bou Jerif in terms of closeness to the sand dunes.