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Holiday Reviews > Africa > Morocco > Agadir > Agadir Hotels > Occidental Caribbean Village Hotel > Read Reviews
Occidental Caribbean Village Hotel ReviewsPage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Sep 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs D Somerton |
| Overall
Rating: |
7/10 |
| Comments: |
My husband and myself have just returned from a week in the Agador (new name). I had read other reports before we went and wasn't sure what to expect. On the whole we were pleasantly surprised. The staff at the hotel were really nice and helpful and wanted to chat - even the lady who cleaned the rooms. The Moroccan and Sushi restaurants were really good (apart from being a little rushed).
The TexMex was not good - the only place we met staff who obviously didn't want to be there - food was very average there. The Oasis buffet was very good, the other buffet slightly less good. We ate far too much food - and probably drank too much beer - but we had no stomach problems. We were provided with 1.5 litres bottled water a day and there are water machines all over the place. Maybe some people were not drinking enough water - it is essential in the heat. We had no problems getting served at the bar, or getting a sun bed (and provision of mattresses and parasols) at the main pool.
I sometimes think people expect too much. If you're relaxed and friendly it usually works in return. This is a 3 star hotel - not the Ritz. Our room was a bit tired, but it was clean. When a hotel is open 365 days a year it's not easy to upgrade. Elderly and disabled would have had some problems there, but that was stated in the brochure.
Morocco is a relatively new addition to the tourist menu, with Agadir being a remarkable success story after their dreadful earthquake. Spain have been doing these sort of holidays for over 50 years - but even they can't guarantee the sort of weather we had last week - fantastic. Oh and the First Choice reps were excellent.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Sep 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
MyTravel |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs K Longsaw |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
After reading the reviews from previous holiday makers about this hotel I was very worried about what to expect. I need not of worried everything was great!!
Passport control was no problem, filling in the forms at the hotel takes about 3 minutes we were taken to our room very quickly so what other people were complaining about I can not understand.
The room was kept clean, the beds and towels made up every day. The food was great I ate loads whilst been there and had no problems. The specialist restaurants are also very good and we had no problems making reservations to eat in them. The staff are excellent and very friendly and nothing is too much trouble for them. The shows that were put on in the evenings by the animation team are very good, they work very hard during the day and into the night to entertain the tourists. There was plenty to drink and there was no problem getting served. There was no favourtism with sunbeds either if you wanted a sunbed for the day and there was not one available you only have to ask the pool attendants and they go and fetch you one. The beach is only 5 minutes away and yes there are beach sellers but if you did not want to buy from them you have only to say no, they certainly don’t cause any problems.
I can’t say enough good things about this hotel and hope that future holiday makers enjoy their stay as much as our party of four did. I can’t wait to go back to the same hotel next year.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Sep 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Panorama |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss LD Fairbrother |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
"FANTASTIC" thats all we can say from Linda & Trish.
After reading the latest reviews prior to our departure we were quite worried what we were letting ourselves in for. However, our worries were soon to be put to rest upon our arrival.
At the Airport the luggage carriers were more than welcome by some travellers although we ourselves did not require their assistance.
Upon our arrival at the hotel we were greeted by very friendly reception staff and could not see any problem with filling in the forms required, when all said you have to abide by another Country's customs and requirements. Once completed off to our rooms with the aid of this time a very welcome hotel porter. He showed little effort in carrying our cases up the stairs to our second floor room and once there showed us around, switching on the lights and ensuring we were happy before leaving us with a well earned tip.
It was only the next morning we realised how stylish and comfortable our room was and the fact that it had a seperate toilet from the bathroom made it all the better. Everything was well maintained and spotless and after meeting our maid 'Fatima' we knew we woul be looked after for the rest of the holiday. Clean towels whenever required and also any request for clean bed linen was not turned down.
Now down to the restaurant and all we could say was 'wow'. Do not go here if you expect to get bacon & eggs (It is not Blackpool). Instead you will be greeted with various breakfast cereals, fresh fruit salads (the like of which you will not taste in England), yogurt, warm breads & cold breads of every description, omlettes that just melt in your mouth with various fillings and of course you still can get the fried eggs. There is of course also the continental type breakfast if you are adventurous. As for the staff in the restaurant they could not be more helpful and will always give you a friendly greeting and assist with finding a table if you so wish.
We were by this time looking forward to our visits for the later meals and once again were not disappointed. Meat and fish dishes of various varieties cooked in their own style and we did not realise vegetables could be cooked in so many different ways and the variety available, well quite frankly you would have to see for yourself. You also had the option of a salad bar the likes of which we certainly had not witnessed before but which we certainly sampled on more than one occasion. The sweets were delicious and overall we gave the food 10/10 but it depends on what you like. Us we believed we had travelled to a foreign country and therefore do not expect to eat as we would in England, after all is that not what we go abroad for to sample their way of life if not then suggest you stay at home as perhaps Blackpool and Skegness would be more appropriate.
The Restaurants on the complex are also available with their set menus and we sampled them all and of course enjoyed some more than others, depends on your taste but yet again the service was excellent.
Now to the entertainment 'Fantastic' thats all we can say. Although we are not late drinkers, during the time we were out in the evening we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves with the entertainment staff who work really hard to assist you with enjoying your holiday. The shows they put on were well worth seeing and 100% effort was put into the performance by all concerned. On this complex there is something going on from morning until night for everyone.
We had no problem getting served at the various Bars and once again found the staff to be polite and helpful. Drinks were served in plastic glasses around the pool areas, but this is be expected as how would someone like to cut themselves on a broken glass discarded by someone, I think this is a very wise precaution.
We stayed around one of the smaller pools and had no problem with getting sun-beds and our pool attendant was fantastic and really looked after us all the holiday as did the waiter on the bar around the pool. Once again well worth their tips at the end of the holiday in fact we did not mind giving tips to any of the staff as quite frankly they work very hard to earn them and cannot do enough for you.
The beach in the resort is just golden sands miles of it with sea that is as warm as a bath and we thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent down there in the section partitioned off for our particular hotel. There are local sellers on the beach, but just be firm and say no thank you (no need to be ignorant) but you can also pick up some good bargains if you so require.
All we would like to add, if you are a couple of mature ladies like ourselves, who love to live life to the full and enjoy a good time then get this holiday booked, as we will certainly be returning to this place where we had the best holiday ever.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Sep 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
MyTravel |
| Submitted
By: |
Ms G Pullman |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
I read the reviews before going and was nervous about what we may find.
Having just come back from a week here are my thoughts.
Room- clean and functional- this was a 3* and was fine. Fresh towels every day.
Food- Loads of choice and no problems booking in for the al a carte restaurants. The best one by far was the Moroccan one.
Pools- slightly cloudy and a bit old looking but ok
Sunbeds- not a problem- we normally got to the pool at 8.30/9 ish most days and while lots were reserved (and not always used) we always got a couple and an umbrella
Beach and sea- disappointing and dirty
Entertainment was ok- not really our cup of tea and very loud but great for families I would imagine.
Complex overall is massive. Lovely gardens and nice to sit out in after dinner or before hand.
We ventured to the souk and you do get hassled but that’s just the culture over there. Have been to Tunisia and it’s exactly the same.
Yes we did both get dodgy tummies but reckon that it more to do with swimming in the sea rather than poor food hygiene.
A lot of the British people over there at the time did nothing but moan about things that were not the hotels fault such as having lizards and bugs on the balcony ( it is a hot country) and having to have plastic beakers by the pool ( surely a safety thing). There were far more French people over there but didn’t really notice any preferential treatment.
basically its was an ok holiday, the weather was great and that’s really what we went for - I wouldn’t go back to morocco but I would go back to Tunisia- my advise is just remember that its a foreign country and don’t expect things to be home from home.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Panorama |
| Submitted
By: |
jillybean |
| Overall
Rating: |
1/10 |
| Comments: |
Where do I start, the rooms were filthy, the food wasn’t covered, the pools were rotten and slimy, the rooms were falling apart, and that’s the good bits, 14 of us stayed in this hell hole for 2 weeks 10 were very sick 4 needing to stay in there rooms for days to be near a toilet, great start to our holiday, the bars were so busy the restaurants were bursting to accommodate the 2000 people there, I have read many reports on this hotel and I have to say that they are correct, the staff were ok they tried so hard but could not cope with the amount of people staying there.
I read in one complaint on here that the man who sells the spices was a bit rude, Yes we was very rude and insulted my 8 yr old son who has disabilities, NOT ACCEPTABLE , I would say to anyone who have booked this hotel GOOD LUCK TO YOU your going to need it .
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr Kevin Isaac |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
What a fabulous place. The hotel staff cannot do enough for you. Rooms very basic but you are not on holiday to stay in your room. Cleaned every day with fresh towels no problem,
You can hire pool towels for 100 dirhams per towel per week but you do get this back
When going home. The hotel staff looked after us, give them a tip it’s worth it. We had our sunbeds saved every day that beats getting up at a ridiculous hour to beat the Germans or the French.
We liked to sit outside the lobby bar in the evenings, nice and quiet, tip the barman and he will bring your drinks out all evening, better than queuing up at the bar. The all inclusive snacks are only served between 1pm -4pm at the pizzeria. You are seated at a table, given a menu and the staff will serve you. You can also get snacks in the evening from 10pm, there is an area by the pool bar, where again you are given a menu and the staff will come and serve you.
DONT BE PUT OFF BY OTHER REPORTS ON THIS HOTEL, we enjoyed it so much, we have already booked to go back in February 2007.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss A Connors |
| Overall
Rating: |
1/10 |
| Comments: |
When I read the reviews to this hotel I was very worried and I had every right to be!
My husband and three children have just returned from this awful place! We didn’t realise that the Tamlet and the Occidental Caribbean village were two complexes joined together and when we arrived (after being at the airport an hour too like the other holidaymaker mentioned!) we were taken to the "tradesmen’s entrance" and we thought we were in the wrong place!
We had to fill out forms, given luke warm drinks and then taken to our room. The smell of damp and urine that hit us when we walked in was indescribable and I just felt like crying. We complained the next day but were told we could change the next day so by now two days were wasted out of our weeks holiday!
The bathroom floor filled with water whenever we had a shower and the shower curtain was covered in mould, my husband who is asthmatic was coughing and wheezing all the time! The next day we were given a choice of two rooms and chose a much better cleaner room, but in the morning we were greeted by builders painting the balcony and all surrounding areas!
There was a ladder on the balcony and all paint pots. By then my husband suggested that we book loads of excursions to get away from the hotel which we did or we would have gone crazy! The beds by the pool were always taken even sometimes by people who were gone for hours which was really selfish, the buffet restaurants had terrible food, luke warm and the same rubbish every day, with cats and birds coming in.
It’s no wonder that the whole family came down with food poisoning and after being home a few days we are just recovering. The thing that made me angry the most is that a woman and her son who we became friends with took us to their room and theirs was much more superior to ours, new shower room and all freshly decorated and they had paid the same rate as ours, it’s pot luck where they put you!
The a la carte restaurants were all booked except for the pizzeria, we had miserable waiters serving and the quality of food was disgusting, don’t ask for the pizza royal as you get a raw egg on top! The only nice thing about the food was the omelettes in the morning they were lovely, the rest is not worth putting out! I am not a whinger, I have stayed at many hotels but this one is the worst ever!
I feel sorry for people who have saved all year to go there and if it hadn’t been for the lovely people we had met and the excursions, (Marrakech is fantastic ,so is the 4x4 to the desert) we would have gone mad. If you have booked to stay here please try and make the most of it and stand your ground, insist you move rooms if they are not up to standard.
The private beach is ok if you want to be harassed by people selling donuts or jetskis and women giving you dirty looks and the men leering at you especially your young blonde daughter! All I can say is never ever again
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs L Wood |
| Overall
Rating: |
7/10 |
| Comments: |
I went on this holiday with my husband & daughters 14 & 15. I had read the comments before going on this holiday & was dreading the experience. Yes we had to go through passport control & this caused a delay but no worse than when we had to buy visas in Turkey last year.
On arriving at the hotel we had to fill in the forms but asked for a pen & the reception found us one. The room wasn't cleaned on arrival but we changed & left the cases on the settee in the lounge 'area' found the cleaner & when we got back later the room had been cleaned. We were short of towels a couple of times but they were sent up later.
The room was clean but the bathroom was in need of a upgrade, yes there was mildew & lime scale but we had enough water, if you want a more powerful shower do as you nearly always have to do on holiday & avoid peak times. We were only there for a week; we may have felt different if we were there for 2.
I never had a problem getting served at the bar, we went to the pools on the Tamlett Side & got parasols upon asking. The bar staff I saw were friendly. Also use the restaurant on the Tamlett side its smaller & less busy. Yes there were flies but we are in Africa.
The food, only my youngest daughter found it difficult to find something to eat but she is a fussy eater. The food was similar every day but just give it a try.
My husband & I both suffered slightly with upset stomachs but nothing too bad & it has taken a couple of weeks for it to settle.
We went on the day trip to Marrakech, which was 4 hours travelling both ways & an experience we found tiring but worth it & got some great pictures. I wouldn’t recommend it if you have small children as it’s a early start 5am ish & you don’t get back until 9:30 ish.
On that morning we saw evidence of the towels on the sun beds this mainly by the main pool, but we never used that pool. We prefer to lye in on holiday. The quiet pool is ok, its up by the Tex Mex restaurant.
I didn't see any evidence of the French getting special treatment but we only went to 2 shows & the Miss Agadir, it was a laugh. The team speak in all languages. The humour is very European. Just think Eurotrash & have a laugh, you are on holiday!!!
In the evening we drank in the Lobby Bar or in the gardens outside we had 2 drinks & there was no problems, just don’t be greedy!!! Take cards or a board game & relax.
We went outside 1 night & yes we were hassled but no worse than in Turkey last year & you are in Africa we got just as much hassle in Turkey when on the beach or walking outside a 'no' does work.
The ala carte restaurants aren’t brilliant but make a change we managed to book with all of them by being cheeky! Book the pizzeria on your first morning as it’s the only one booked in advanced the others are only on that day but split up I think we managed 3 before they caught on to us. You are expected to leave a tip after the meal. If you are still hungry go to the buffet restaurant!! it is included.
We had a relaxing week as we went for. Perhaps we were more tolerant than some & we wouldn't say it was brilliant but we got a good deal & hardly spent anything. First Choice up to 16 are classed a children.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr P Arthur |
| Overall
Rating: |
5/10 |
| Comments: |
Flights + transfers to and from very good with First Choice
However the accommodation was a disappointment. The rooms where grubby, towels old and well washed and the bedding grey.
The food initially appeared very good, however it soon came apparent that it was undercooked and not kept hot enough, 4 of a party of 6 had stomach upsets lasting up to 8 days, when I spoke to the reps they seemed surprised, to which I was surprised as the majority of UK visitors we spoke to where suffering the same! Reps with their heads in the sand?
Once over the 1000 ruck to book an "a la' carte" meal, its is good a prompt service, we tried the Sushi and pizza restaurants, the service is backed up with the pushy request to tip, do not bother with the lunchtime snack bar, over 1 hour of burgers and chips, appalling service, with kids very frustrated
There are 6 bars open during the day, however at night only 1 is open, with a one person maximum of two drinks rule, a waiter service for parties greater that 2 is advertised on every bar, but never appears, the service is slow and inconsistent, unless you are willing to tip heavily, something I objected to given that I had paid for all inclusive.
The refusal of the Staff to serve 10 -13 year olds a hot drink in a china cup was frustrating, they where given two plastic cups for what we found out was a very hot drink.
There where problems with some 17 year olds having adult wrist bands, and hence beer etc on tap, and others who did not, the tour company will happily charge an adult price, only for an individual not to get adult privileges due to local laws, NB my oldest was 13.
The pools where clean, however there where problems with dislodged drain covers in the pool and inspection covers that came loose and popped out around the edge, I saw at least 4 people step on the external covers and trip up. The pool has a surround of polished smooth tiles, which are very slippery when wet and caused numerous trips and falls for my party when staying.
The entertainment is unrelenting in its delivery and volume, however the ability to speak French would be bonus, English added as an after thought, the thought of having a kids mini disco next the edge of a swimming pool which had electric lights placed along side it filled with dread for what could potentially happen
The Traders who set up on site are a rip off, you can buy everything they sell for about 40 - 50% of the price within a 15 - 20 minute walk
The Beach was a 10 minute walk away, and well run, the kids all enjoyed the bookable boat trips, with a very pleasant bunch of guys who spoke very little English
Excursions,
City tour don't bother, who wants to see a smelly fish market, the Souk which is all fresh fruit and household appliances. Go to the Medina instead by local taxi of the bus from the nearby hotel.
4x4 trip very good, although briefing on what was happening & how much to take was poor
Things I recommend you take, diarrhea tablets, French phrase book, sense of humour
I spent the first two days kidding myself is was all OK, the next eight running to the loo, and the final four wanting to come home.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr G King |
| Overall
Rating: |
6/10 |
| Comments: |
I was extremely dubious about this holiday having made the mistake of looking at other reviews shortly before going away, however, we'd booked so we were going, myself, my wife and two children aged 12 & 13.
Rather than try and give a completely new review, I'll pick-up on some of the other comments I've seen and also make my own observations.
Despite all the security problems, our check-in at the First Choice was fast and trouble-free (even though the woman on the desk had obviously been on leave the day the Customer Care Course was held). We queued for about 10 minutes at security but once again, very smooth and no hassle.
Good flight, Al- Massira Airport small but civilized, yes it did take about 15 minutes to get through immigration but maybe the Moroccans are a little bit more careful who they let in to their country than Great Britain is - I wouldn't criticise them for that!
Plenty of porters who will take your luggage to the coach, and yes, they'll put their hand out for a tip - remember though that you can say no and take your own luggage.
About 35 minutes to the hotel, and yes, a form to fill in but nothing complicated and the First Choice Reps were helpful. A porter took our luggage to the room and yes, he did put his hand out for tip but once again, we could have said no but having just traveled all that way and having three large cases, the small tip I gave was worth every penny.
The room (room no. 3214) was a good size, clean and comfortable and was kept spotless throughout our stay by 'Jalila'.
There are two main restaurants, one of which (the one by the main pool) is a little 'tired' and could do with an update, the other is much more modern and 'cleaner'. The food in the main restaurants is not to the standard found in most good Spanish or Greek hotels but there is reasonable choice, plenty of it and if you take the bother to try the various dishes then you should be able to find more than enough to fully satisfy ourselves.
The 'themed' restaurants, Medina, Chinese, Sushi, Pizzeria, Mediterranean and 'Tex-Mex' are all very good and you can use each one once a week, booking was a little annoying as many people (French and English) don't know how to queue but once again, not really a problem and the end result was well worth it.
Availability of bars was an issue at times - they seem to want only one bar at a time open in the evening which on a complex of this size is a pain.
The only 'loutish' behaviour we witnessed was from British youths and not the French and if there was any tendency to serve the French first (although I didn't witness this), it was probably because they weren't being rude and obnoxious to the staff.
Sun beds were an issue but at the quiet or 'relax' pool, the attendant always found us a bed and would, if necessary, remove towels placed there by absent guests if they hadn't been used for an hour or so. This same attendant refused any bribes or tips but we as with many other guests, tipped him on departure for having been so friendly helpful and attentive - once again, our choice.
Outside the hotel, not a great deal to do and the local shops are pretty much limited to Wood, Leather and other gifts, the salesmen are a bit of a pain, but either just carry on walking or say no but remember, you're in Morocco, this is how they do business.
Overall, we had a good holiday, we enjoyed the complex, had no problems with staff attitudes and whilst I remember, the three main First Choice Reps, Claire, Nasser and one whose name I can't recall, were all excellent, particularly Nasser who was a great help when my wife needed to get some treatment for a pre-existing eye problem.
Having read some of the other reviews, I really wanted to give a 'balanced' view, the British often expect everything to be like it is at home and are all too willing to blame the French, Germans or anyone else when really they need to look at they're own actions, behaviour and pre-conceived ideas first. I hope this may be of help to anyone who’s booked this complex.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs G Dransfield |
| Overall
Rating: |
4/10 |
| Comments: |
Not the best of hotels I've ever stayed at. Too big, too many people, not enough staff, the usual suspects.
3 out of 5 of us got upset stomachs. Don't know if it was the food as I ate quite a selection including the fruit and didn't suffer. May have been the water from the coolers? Hard to say if it was mineral bottled or tap!
Waiters are friendly if you speak to them first but did expect tips. The wait coming into Morocco and going back through passport control is absolutely incredible 30 mins to an hour each time. Checking in and out of the hotel the same organised chaos!
The reps try to be good from First Choice 3 of them we had and at least they came round and asked us if we had problems.
Wouldn't go back and if this is the first impression people like myself get of Morocco, they won't go back to the country again which is a shame.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
MyTravel |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs GB |
| Overall
Rating: |
1/10 |
| Comments: |
After reading the reviews we decided to keep and open mind. That is until we arrived at the hotel from hell. After a long flight we then had to wait at the morocco airport for one hour to check passports ect. Then when you go out of this hotel you have very helpful men waiting to take your cases however they require a tip.
They had taken my 11 year old sons case and required a tip from him, he was shocked and just climbed onto the coach. The man then shouted to every adult i want my money for helping with the case.
Once we arrived at the hotel we then had to fill out more forms but nobody gave out any pens, so everyone was sharing each others. You are then given a map of the place and a porter helps you to your room, but requires a tip.
On our first morning we arrived at one of the pools, (main Pool) yep you've guessed there was no room. So we strolled over to another pool, we had to sit near some steps on the floor as there were no beds available. People were walking by to get to the bar and stepping over us. We spoke to some people who advised us the only way you will get a sun bed is to be awake by 5:30AM as the beds all go.
So the next day I was up strolled down and yep there are towels already on most beds at this time. So for the next 2weeks I joined the rest of us mad fools on the sun bed run.
There are not enough Parasols around the pool either. There is a pool man that will bring them to you if you ask. You are not allowed to help yourself. Most of the parasols are broken or torn and let the sun through.
You cannot get near the edge of the pool as sun beds are placed to close. Even around the baby pool, it is so dangerous for the little children. The french will have preference and get spoken to by the animation team to join in games around the pool.
Don't leave the sun bed unattended or the french will take it. It's best to ask someone to watch it while you go for lunch. My son was on his sun bed and this french lady was pushing him off to take it away.
The french did cause quite a bit of trouble when we were there. This was very disturbing when you are on holiday walking around at night and have children. My two children are 11 & 14 years. I did speak to the security guard patrolling the complex, however that was a waste of time as he just laughed at me.
I did speak to a first choice rep, but you don't get very far. We booked with My Travel the rep was about 60 and from Morocco, he was not there very often so we felt we should talk with First Choice reps, about sun beds and the French and barstaff food. ect.
All we got was its so busy and if we had come in April or May things are different. Not much use when you have booked for August.
The food was horrible all we ate for 2 weeks was french bread & pasta for lunch. Pancakes for breakfast or eggs. You had to keep asking for dirty tables to be cleaned and laid before you sit down I had to ask at least 5 times.
You can't just lay the table yourself as knives & forkes are hidden, There are 5 other restuarants on site however you are given vouchers one visit per week however we could not book this the first week as french had taken all the places.
We did manage to get 2 sitting for week 2 this was tex mex which is steak full of fat and jacket potato then we went to pizzaera which was just a margarette pizza nothing special.
We did have to change rooms as there was no water for 2 days to have a shower or flush the toilet and the noise of a policeman blowing his whistle all night, the stench of sewage on the balcony.
So we packed up and moved to the next block with no help from the porters, if i had been French i may have got help. So me and the kids carried 3 cases up 30 steps into our new room, Oh no we are now facing a building site and the delivery stores. The gardeners shed is at the back so 4pm all you can hear are flip flop, or chit chat from the people arriving for work, good job as I have a sun bed run to do at 5:30AM.
The bars are awful you have this amount of people and only one bar open at night. And dont forget 1 drink per person. Our party collected two wines each and sat down at the table then the waiter came over and removed 2 wines and said only 1 drink but we had been given two at the bar.
We went over to the bar and hid to watch how many drinks were being given. Yep the french could collect 6 coffee's or 4 beers whatever they liked.
The pizza area at night if your french you will get seated and served pizza first. My daughter sat and waited half hour then i complained to the barman and he collected pizza for my daughter. I did complain to reception but that was a waste of time.
Watch out for the man selling spices near reception he gets quite nasty if you don't buy.
The complex I felt was very dangerous for children entertainment was near pools every night with little children so near the edge of the pool One five year old did fall in lucky he could swim.
The beach was filthy with men hasseling you as you walk along and men peeing, we only went once for a stroll and that was enough, so we felt like prisoners on this complex.
If you went out all you had were people hounding you best price asda price.
Reception staff are very rude, I had something taken from the safe in our room, and was told i had given the key to someone to help themselves. I telephoned the rep and then asked to pay for this call which I refused, the rep arrived the next morning to give out our leaving cards. I then asked him to speak, to the hotel which was a waste of time.
I was of the understanding if you booked a holiday and got told there are reps, they are there to help, No reps on the complex helped you.
If you feel upon leaving you cannot fill out your comments card say you will do this later. If you refuse you will not be given a voucher to eat or your exit card to get on the couch for the airport. All you get told its very busy.
Some English left after 3 days and came home. Some English moved hotels but had to pay £800.00, If I had taken my visa I would have asked to move as well.
If you are going to this hotel make sure if you have children they don't loose there yellow bands, if you loose this band it will cost £12.00 or if you take the broken one back you have to pay 60p a big difference.
Not a bad money maker as most children had theres replaced. When you come to leave all bands are removed at 12AM and however many in your party all bands must be accounted for or you will have to pay £12 or you will not be allowed on the bus to travel to airport.
This happened to our friend at the hotel, The pool guy found her one, as she was crying near the pool area, thinking she would not get home with her child who was 8 years old, they just don't seem to care.
When the rep arrived You guessed it he shrugged his shoulders and replied hotels decision. Under all this stress another lady fainted outside the hotel and they stood and watched did not help at all. This was the hotel reception people and the security guards.
I am sorry if you are going to this place for your holiday. I wish you all the luck.
Hopefully it will not be as busy hope this will help you on your stay here. Check you rooms as well for unwelcome bugs and lizards YUK. Loads on flies on the food, birds flying through the restaurant. Don't drink the hot choc as ants are crawling all around this.
There are loads of cats and kittens on the complex, if your children pick them up to stroke them always tell them to wash there hands as some of the cats have termites.
We did take care of a little kitten near the main pool area we called him pudding he's a little grey one and loves fish and water to drink. If you go please look out for him and give him a plate of fish. Thank You
I would never go back to this hotel even for free I have come back wanting another holiday, it was so stressful.
No need to mention about feeling ill as everyone does.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Panorama |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr GE Williams |
| Overall
Rating: |
1/10 |
| Comments: |
I read the reviews to this hotel and thought some people have nothing better to do than complain. We were very wrong. If you pay for seven days you only get six, first day we got there at 20:30 and the last day the all inclusive perks finished at midday.
For the whole week we were unable to get a sun lounger, the norm is that the French speaking Moroccan staff would place a towel on the loungers for the French. Then after a lengthy lie in they would come and occupy these at approximately midday.
The bars closed at 23:00 sharp, there was a pool bar which never opened. The place was overflowing with people and yet all the bars weren’t open. Getting served in the bar was never an easy task unless you were French, they would always without fail be served first.
The entertainment staff never approached us unless it was for activities that required paying for, however they seemed to now all the French groups by name.
The Panorama rep was a local and all he had to say was how good his country was. When we refused to fill in the questionnaire at the end, he refused us the visas and transfer details that we required to leave this hell hole.
One of the entertainments laid on was a casino night, this was a absolute sham, we found that the staff would cheat to ensure that the house always won.
All in all this place is an excellent holiday if you are French, however if you are British stay away.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs D STEPHENS |
| Overall
Rating: |
1/10 |
| Comments: |
Having read a mixture of reviews on this site we had mixed feelings about going to this hotel but it was a little too late for us to make any changes so we hoped the bad reviews were from people a little fussy.
HOW WRONG WERE WE!
I have to say this is the worst holiday we have ever had. The hotel is over crowed and cant cope with the amount of guests it tries to accommodate. You need to get up around 6.00am if you would like a sun bed or keep tipping the pool guy! Which even then he will be more helpful if you were French.
The food is disgusting apart from bread and chips which is all we ate, that is apart from my husband who spent 5 days in the hotel room ill with what we think was food poisoning. He is still ill now even though we bought antibiotics over there.
The rooms are very basic and not clean even though the maid did try very hard the room facilities are poor and we were in a recently renovated room. I did moan about being on a high level 57 stairs to our room.
On our last week it was very difficult to take a shower as the water was none existent which meant we also couldn’t flush the loo, great when one of you cant get off it!
No air conditiong in rooms. Make sure you take lots of money with you my 2 children lived off ice cream cookies and crisps all of which you pay for. Ice creams are not all inclusive and cost 80p each. You also need to pay for tennis after you have had two hours per stay and you pay for a hairdryer in your room as well a the safe.
I am sorry if you have booked to go and have not got time to do any thing about it but if you can change to another hotel DO NOT GO TO THIS HOTEL!
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
MyTravel |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss L Russell |
| Overall
Rating: |
1/10 |
| Comments: |
We booked this holiday as a relaxing break as we had both had a very stressful time recently and wanted a beach holiday with lovely weather and some peace and quiet away from work. This is an honest review of our holiday that we felt others needed to know before considering booking this holiday.
On arrival at the airport in Morocco we had to wait over an hour and a half at passport control as everything is checked on the entry form. We weren't told about this when we booked the holiday so we found this annoying.
When we got to the hotel we were given yet more forms to fill in which again we weren't told about. Once we had done this we were given our keys to the room and our wrist bands and told to hurry to the restaurant before it closed at 9.30pm. As it was 9pm we just dropped our bags off and went for some food.
When we got back to the room and had a proper look it was very disappointing. I could smell a faint smell of urine and all the fixtures and fittings had long seen better days. The sheets were old and had tears in them and the blankets on the bed looked like they hadn't been washed. The bathroom was awful and the shower attachment fell off the wall. The taps were full of lime scale and the plug in the sink didn't work properly. At one point our sink became blocked. The flush on the toilet was so loud that everyone in surrounding rooms would have heard it without a doubt. The floors were filthy dirty.
The restaurants were ok, they had adequate choice but tended to be the same day in day out. What did concern us a great deal was that there were flies all over the food and there were birds flying through the restaurant constantly. The only thing I can say is that to ensure you get fresh food get up early and be prepared to get to lunch and dinner early. I saw flies all over the cheeses and fruits and salads. The Al A Carte's were a little better but we only went to two, The Mediterranean and The Moroccan. We'd heard that the Chinese was a waste of time and never got to go the Pizza place as when we booked it they put the wrong date down which was the day we came home.
At all costs avoid any drinks from the restaurants unless you see them come out of a bottle. The water is a definite no, no. We ended up buying bottled water by the litre but again weren't told we could get it free from reception. The waiters tended to be extremely over friendly, obviously wanting tips, and it got annoying when you're trying to have a conversation that is constantly being interrupted.
Outside the hotel was a little daunting as the locals hassle you to death and get very aggressive when you try to say no. The best thing to do is keep quiet and then they don't know where you're from. I felt very threatened at some points and this wasn't helped by a trip up to the Kasbah on our first day. Don't bother going, you won't get to see it. You'll spend the whole time fending off the local Berbers and looking over your shoulder rather than the wall. At one point I had a 6 day old goat shoved in my arms then the poor thing was snatched back when I refused a photo.
The beach was further away than we'd been led to believe and we had to cross a busy road to get to it (incidentally zebra crossings are not the same as here traffic won’t stop for you). The "scenic" route to the beach was like walking through a war zone with lots of litter strewn everywhere. Once at the beach you have to stay in a fenced off area as otherwise you'll again get hassled to death by aggressive sales men. Don't sunbathe too close to the fence: they lurk around by the edges and try to sell you things.
The whole resort seems geared towards the French and Germans. If there are any French in the queue behind you then expect them to get served first.
The entertainment was also geared towards French and German people and the same CD was played every night. Our room backed onto the pool, so we couldn't enjoy our balcony as we had to endure awful songs. We sat mainly by the lobby bar in the gardens or in our room. There was also building work outside our room so no chance of sleeping in as at 7.30am it all started. The gardens were extremely well maintained and this was the only aspect of the holiday we enjoyed. So why sit in our room or in the gardens? Because they were both near toilets. I am writing this review from my sick bed. We returned last Sunday 6th Aug. Within 36 hours of being in this hotel I contracted severe diarreah, which has got steadily worse. My fiancé has also had it, although he's back in work but still not 100%.
I have missed a week off work, been in serious agony, been rushed to an emergency doctor, almost hospitalized and I can't eat a thing. I am on powerful medication and am absolutely furious. I can't sleep at night as every 15 - 20 mins I am in the loo. The rest I will leave to your imagination. Every British person we spoke to while there said that someone in their party had a problem. Some said they saw bottled water being filled up from the tap. Everyone was angry and like us, couldn't wait to get back on British soil.
I thought we'd return with happy memories and feel relaxed. I'm far more stressed than when I went, and have returned with an illness I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I am that angry I could go on and on.
Still thinking of booking this holiday? Don't. It was a substandard hotel and a huge, huge disappointment for us. We didn't enjoy the pool or the beach as we had to be right near a loo. I didn't eat hardly a thing as everything made me ill. On the whole, this is not value for money.
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