Since 1993, classified hotels have been allowed, regardless of star-rating, to set their own prices – and to vary them according to season and depending on demand prices and ratings should be on display at reception and behind the bedroom door, but if in doubt about value for money, don’t hesi­tate to ask to see the room in question; indeed, you will normally be invited to do so.

At the…

Unclassified (non-classé) hotels, (mostly O and 8 in our price code box), are mainly to be found in the older, Arab-built parts of cities – the Medinas – and are almost always the cheapest accommodation options. They offer the additional advantage of being at the heart of things: where you’lI want to spend most of your time, and where all the sights and markets are concentrated. The disadvantages are that the Medinas can at first appear daunting – with their mazes of narrow lanes and blind alleys – and that the hotels themselves can be, at worst,…