Occidental El Pueblo Tamlelt Hotel

1 reader found this review helpful

I have just returned from a 7 night stay at this property and I was worried sick after reading some of the comments placed by other holiday makers, most of it I now realise was uncalled for but I guess it wouldn't do for us all to like the same........... On arrival make sure that you have a pen to hand as you will have to fill in some form of visa at the resort airport, please be aware that this is quite a lengthy process especially if there are a few of you travelling and they do not provide pens so if you don't take one you will have an even longer wait, my other advice is to take one of the forms with you to fill out ready for your departure as this will also save you a lot of waiting around. When you leave the airport there will be some men in grey suits trying to take your suitcases to the coach, they are completely harmless but will expect a tip and you probably won't have any money to give them as Morocco is a closed currency which means that you can only change your money once in resort and you will have to change it on leaving the country at the airport as outside of Morocco it's useless. Travelling into resort you will go through some very poor parts of Morocco and what can only be described as small shanty towns, please don't worry as it does start to get better nearer to the hotel. On arrival at the hotel you will again be asked to fill out some forms but you should be a pro at it by now ha ha.......... There is not much more I can tell you other than what people have put below, the rooms are spotless although don't expect luxury as it's not, but at the end of the day it's a base, we gave our maid 20 dirhams a day which is about £1.25 in English money, it wasn't a lot to us but meant the world to her and this ensured a brilliant job everyday. The food is ok and you will always find something to eat, we ate in the main buffet restaurant every day and the staff were very helpful, you will probably find that you end up with the same waiter everyday and that's because they want a nice tip off you at the end of your hols, but they honestly don't expect much so don't feel under pressure........ You have to book the themed restaurants between 10.00 and 12.00 and the queues were very long and the guys booking them were very slow and on speaking to people they weren't worth the wait anyway. I am an over protective mother and I was very wary about booking my son who's 7 into the kids clubs as I have never done this on an holiday before, anyway after much moaning from him I went down and had a good look round and they are fantastic, very safe and plenty for the kids to do and again the staff are excellent and it's also a good way for your kids to meet other cultures as there are plenty of French and Danish kids there, they run from 9 till 12 and then 2 till 5. I went for one of the 2hr massages as it was only 20.00 (bargain) anyway if you feel uncomfortable strutting round with a paper g-string on and having your bum and boobs rubbed then I advise that you don't go.......... I didn't like it and felt very uncomfortable but one of the lads that went with us thought it was amazing (typical). It does get cold at night and therefore Air con is definitely not needed in the rooms, make sure that you take a cardigan as entertainment is round the various pools and it does get choppy. The lads that we went with booked excursions galore; they did Quad biking which they said was fantastic (be prepared to come back filthy) Horse riding on the beach, jet skiing, surfing, fishing, the only one that they booked through the hotel was the quads and they felt very comfortable booking outside of the hotel as the locals are very friendly and believe me if the excursion doesn't exist they will create it for you. Would I go back to Morocco??? Yes without a shadow of a doubt it beats your mainland Spain and Balearic's any day of the week cause it is unspoiled and actually still as plenty of culture, it's not just Blackpool with heat so if that's what you want then you had better stick to Spain.........Enjoy!!!!!

1 reader found this review helpful

I and a friend went to Morocco intending for a relaxing holiday and not expecting much, but we ended up having an amazing time! All the staff at this hotel were extremely friendly and helpful especially the animation team who are really funny!
The food is buffet style but there is lots of choice and often very good. A la carte restaurants are available but at a supplement which was a bit disappointing as we were all inclusive! Surprisingly the range of drinks included in full board was larger than expected including many spirits!
The entertainment was more suitable for younger fans but very good and well organised as there was always something to watch or do! Activities during the day are fun and there is a large number of things to do... watch out for the water polo guy, he won’t take no for an answer!
All in all a brilliant holiday! I would definitely go back to this hotel! The staff are excellent and probably made the holiday its best. If you can, try the camel riding and quad biking, excellent!

1 reader found this review helpful

The rooms were very basic but were always clean and tidy; the cleaners came to clean the room everyday. I shared the room with my sister and friend and we were happy that there was plenty off plug sockets in the room for straightness etc. We had some trouble with the door at first because you have to pull it towards you whilst unlocking it or it wouldn’t open but we got the hang of it after a couple of days.
The food was alright I just tended to stick to the same food everyday, sometimes if you went for your food near to the end of serving then it would be cold, so if you do go for food go for it the earliest time possible you are guaranteed that it will be hot. The staff in the restaurant are very friendly and helpful.
The pool and surrounding area of the pool was also clean and tidy. At night we all went to the main bar where all the entertainment was it was great, the animation team were lovely bunch of people, they work very hard to keep everybody happy. I enjoyed the dancing and the different shows they had on every night. You couldn’t ask for a better animation team and bar staff they made your holiday, making you laugh always.
After the shows and entertainment finished at 12:00 there is the Techno bar on the complex that is open till 4am but you have to buy your drinks. It is lively and plays all the music we have over here, mainly RnB and dance which was good for us.

Me and my sister enjoyed it that much that we have already booked to go back again at the beginning of October 2007.

1 reader found this review helpful

With this hotel you really get what you pay for. For a three star hotel the rooms were spacious (although lacking in air conditioning), they were clean and the maid's were very friendly. If you forgot to put the do not disturb sign on and came back once you had left!
The food in the main dining hall was acceptable but very basic lacking in seasoning and with very few local dishes, however the a la carte restaurants were considerably better.
We ventured out into the town and there was plenty of reasonable restaurants with a really wide menu. We got our money's worth on the all inclusive bar so weren't bothered eating outside the hotel!
The bar staff were friendly but slightly pervy, as with the animation who were incessant with the pestering to be our boyfriends, but travelling with a partner or as a family this would not be an issue!
Overall fairly well priced but just a few naff touches such as plastic cups for wine and bland food let the hotel down.

1 reader found this review helpful

The Tamlelt is a basic hotel, but the food, entertainment and especially the staff are the best I have ever encountered.
I will definitely be back, everyone from the gardener, cleaner, bar and animation team, through to the management made this a holiday to remember.
Give Morocco a chance, its a wonderful country, with possibly the friendliest people you will ever meet, cheers!

1 reader found this review helpful

Just got back from 2 weeks here and it was absolutely brilliant again! This is my third visit this year and plan to return ASAP!!
The complex had everything you need, 4 pools, 2 main buffet restaurants as well as a Chinese, fish, sushi, Moroccan, pizzeria and steak house restaurant. You’re spoilt for choice!
The rooms are basic but you only sleep in them! There cleaned daily with new towels etc. Very spacious, large balconies but not much wardrobe space!!
You don’t need to take beach/pool towels as you can hire these from the hotel for 100 dirham (about £6.00) and you change them every two days and get your money back on your last day. You can hire hairdryers too for 15 dirham per day.
The staff are very friendly and make you feel so welcome. Always smiling and willing to help you. Entertainment was amazing!! The shows are not to be missed, I was in fits of laughter. The Lion King show and Moroccan night are not to be missed, there brilliant!
The Animation team work so hard, sometimes up to 12 hours a day and they still keep smiling, especially if you get them a sandwich at the end of the night as they don’t get fed that well, bless em!! Kids will love it too, my daughter cried yet again when we left as she made friends with a lot of the animation team.
You’ll be coming home singing Agadir, hasta La Vista and Chocolatey and everyone in England will think your crazy but the memories well never forget!!

1 reader found this review helpful

Having just returned from a fantastic 2 week holiday to this hotel, I felt I really had to add my comments.
Being used to more modern and expensive European hotels we found our room to be very basic, but it was cleaned daily and was spotless! Our beds were extremely comfortable and our towels and sheets were changed daily. The shower was magnificent and we were never short of hot, hot water. All the staff from our cleaner to the hotel manager were respectful and polite and friendly.
The food in the main restaurant was piping hot, with plenty of local and European choices and we all found the salads, fruit and vegetables to be very fresh. The a la carte eateries also offered plenty choice of freshly cooked dishes and the snack bar offered freshly made rolls sandwiches and salads.
The entertainment on offer was the same as any all-inclusive holiday package and the shows at night time varied every evening, and the entertainment staff were some of the most polite and funny people I have met. They were very professional.
We found the 4 swimming pools and bars perfect and the very inexpensive spa (facials, massages, waxing, pedicures, manicures, sauna etc) was a welcome change from lolling about on the beach.
However, we felt the tipping culture to get a bit overwhelming when people relished we were due to leave the hotel and were at one point actively pursued by waiters and bar staff who we had given small tips to all week who were looking for a large tip on our departure! And the other bugbear was that the bar-staff did not know (or did not care) how to actively run a bar and tended to (try) to serve all the males first. The other thing that I was very angry about is that our AI bands were cut off at 12.00 noon even though we didn't arrive on our first day till 10.00pm. We couldn't even buy a drink after this because no one knew what to charge us! We just bribed the bar staff to keep the vodkas flowing!
Overall this was a great holiday for the price we paid and a good introduction to Morocco. You can't expect 5 star facilities when you pay a 3 star price!

The rooms are less than basic and the bathrooms are very shabby with tiles missing of the walls. We was unable to use the balcony as a family of 4 it was far to small and the 2 plastic chairs and small table just about filled it up. The safe was free standing and could easily be picked up and it doubled as a TV stand.
This is a huge complex and feels like a holiday camp great if you like volleyball, crazy golf tournaments, competitions, aerobics and step classes etc, as all these activities and an endless list of others are constantly being offered to you all day every day, if you want to experience Morocco first hand this place is not for you.
Due to the size of the complex food is mass produced with lots of choice but not local dishes made from fresh local produce.
My partner and I became very ill (not usual holiday tum) for days with fever severe stomach pains chronic diarrhea headache and discovered that every one we spoke to had experienced the same & some for even longer than us.

1 reader found this review helpful

The rooms were less than basic and the bathroom awful with tiles missing off the walls and very tatty. The safe stood on the floor and could be easily picked up. And the balcony was too small for our family of 4 to use.
During our stay clothing went missing from our room and when reported the manager was dismissive, I finally took up the matter with our rep and magically the clothes turned up wrapped in an old blanket under the sink and had obviously been worn as they were dirty and smelled. On our return to England I have discovered several other items missing of my daughters clothing missing.
One guest changed rooms because the smell kept them awake at night. She discovered the cause a decomposing rat in the wardrobe!
My partner and I were ill for several days with fever stomach pain chronic diahorreah and headache all the guests we spoke to said they had suffered the same and some for much longer.(not your usual holiday tummy).
The complex is like a holiday camp but with great weather, and Agadir offers no typical Moroccan culture.
However the waiters work hard and are friendly. Would we go back to Agadir? NO. But would consider visiting Morocco based on the day’s trips we went on. Essouaria is a must.

1 reader found this review helpful

This was the worst holiday I have ever had, the rooms were very basic and were lucky to get hot water, you even had to pay for the TV. remote at reception!
The hotel staff seemed to be very rude to English people and had stupid rules like only 2 drinks per person (which is hard in a group of 14!) and the hotel also has a vegetarian restaurant which we thought was great having a veggie in the group but even though the veggie restaurant and normal restaurant were separated by iron we weren't allowed to take a veggie meal from the veggie restaurant into the normal restaurant which in turn meant that the veggie's either eat on their own or eat what they can in the normal restaurant.
At night there would be a snack bar in the main bar serving pizza etc, you weren't allowed to just go up to the bar and grab a piece, the staff made you sat down at a table and serve it to you!
The hotel does have it's own beach but you have to walk out of the complex over a busy road and onto the beach front, it has umbrella's and serves soft drinks in plastic cups (this is a regular theme throughout the hotel).
If you have paid for an all inclusive holiday, you would expect that everything is free once you get in the complex but it isn’t, tennis is about £7 per hour and you have to put a £10 deposit down for 2 shocking table tennis bats and ball.
Has the food was so bad (most of us had a bad stomach) we did venture into Agadir to dine, we went to Pizza hut one night which was really nice and we also found a nice Mexican in the town with live music. The best restaurant we found is right outside the hotel entrance, it shows live football and the menu has lots of variety and is cheap.
I probably would go back to Agadir but definitely not this hotel.