This new series is designed for the "more urbane and and stylish traveller" and as "the ultimate guide for the discerning traveller" who wants "to feel like a well-heeled, sophisticated local". So it's hip, then.
The first thing you notice is how it looks. There are no photographs on the outside. It has a plain black hardcover like an expensive notebook, a bit like a Moleskine. When you pull it out of your bag in the medina, it won't scream "tourist".
After an introduction and simple maps to get your bearings, the book launches into the nitty gritty of the discerning traveller's essentials. Sleep, Eat, Shopping, Party and Play are each indicated by icons with map references.
In Sleep, the guide gives plenty of essential pre-booking information and anecdotal colour on 40 hotels. Rooms range from 150 dirhams (£9.50) per night in the Sherazade, where you can eat in a cushioned tent on the terrace; to 1,000 dirhams at Dar Attajmil, owned by an Italian fashionista; and beyond. Preceding the individual descriptions, the top five hotels are listed for style, atmosphere and location
It's part of the first batch released - other titles cover Prague, Lisbon, Madrid, Stockholm and Talinn - and there are a couple of criticisms. One page has black type set against a dark purple background, making it difficult to read. The photos are not all beautiful. With some of the outdoor shots, the photographer should have waited until the light was better. Worse, some images look like they've been stretched to fit.
But though it may be thin on culture and history, it is a useful guide for the target audience on a short break. It helped this traveller find a chic place to stay. And it looks good on the bookshelf.
