Amadil Beach

Right on the beach

I went to Agadir for two weeks recently, travelling alone with relaxation in mind although the trip was to include a stay in Essaouira sometime in between. Hotel Amadil was booked online through Travel Republic at €34 per night on half board basis although previous experience of buffet food has not been forgotten.

Main access to this hotel, as well as for the Founty Beach, Palais des Roses and others, is from Chemin des Dunes, a fairly quiet road leading from Boulevard du 20 Aout and about 10 - 15 minutes walk into the town centre.

Access to the beach is direct from the hotel although works to the promenade did cause some problems. A walk along the beach one way reaches the kasbah and port and in the other direction one will be summarily stopped by a lone police officer at the approach to the Royal Palace which is a shame as the beach just beyond is by far the best.

The hotel is large and comprises 336 rooms and was reasonably quiet at this time of year. There are several shops onsite for souvenirs and gifts, books, clothing, sun protection products, postcards, newspapers etc. There is also a booking point for day trips and an ATM is situated in the lobby area which accepts all major cards (notify your bank before travelling to Morocco).

My room had air conditioning, a TV, seriously large bed (6ft wide), ample wardrobe space, dressing table, table and armchair. What was missing, though, was a fridge and kettle although Moroccan hotels rarely if ever provide the latter. I went prepared in light of this and took a travel kettle which was a life saver; this I kept out of sight so as not to upset the management. I used only bottled water for making tea as tap water is very unpalatable and one should only ever drink bottled water; tap water is, however, safe to clean ones teeth and wash with. There were sliding patio doors leading onto the balcony (which all rooms appeared to have) with the usual plastic furniture, the view from the room overlooked the pool and garden area and the Atlas Mountains were visible in the distance.

The bathroom was in the main clean but would benefit from a thorough steam clean to remove suspicious stains from the walls. There were plenty of towels but none of those bottles of shampoo and shower gel which most hotels provide; anyway they are totally inadequate and I bring my own toiletries which I kept in a transparent bag which for some reason the cleaner felt the compunction to open on each visit.

The room had an interconnecting door but the people in the next room were heavy smokers, only smoking in the room and not on the balcony. This permeated my room but luckilly they had mysteriously vacated the next day, leaving a “do not disturb” sign on the door but the smell still lingered, thankfully, they did not.

Breakfast was a sad affair, as said already buffet food is always inadequate and this was no exception. The food was probably hot when first placed in the dining room at 5am but this was not kept warm by any means. On offer was imitation ham (so adored by some european visitors but even the cats would not eat this), overcooked baked beans, harira (Moroccan soup), scrambled eggs either very runny or cooked solid and overcooked merguez (spicy sausage), all stone cold except the soup. Various fruit salad was on offer and also freshly made pancakes and fried eggs. Several cereal varieties with cold (or warm) milk were always a good starter and to finish those very buttery cakes and pastries with tea or coffee.

Evening meals were not much better I fear, cold from start to finish. Occasionally pork on the bone was served which is not to my liking in any event, other dishes were prawns and rice, beef stew, chicken, various soups, lamb and kebebs made with poor quality meat. Bottled water was available at 18Dh for 1.5L, three times the price of local shops. Desserts were plentiful and sweet, as a substitute for water I would eat melon, which was sweet and juicy.

For those unfamiliar with Agadir, the tourist area is clean and very presentable, almost like a postcard. There are some problems with footpaths though and street lighting is obscured by the densley populated olive trees lining the streets. This can lead to major problems for the unattentive as there are many holes which even after five years have not yet been repaired.

After one week I went to Essaouira for three nights and then back to Agadir, staying at the Ramada al Mohades for the remainder.

On my departure during February I noticed part of the hotel was being demolished but did not make enquiries as to why.

Unique Quality: Good sized room, plenty of towels in the bathroom, TV with remote control (but no batteries), direct access to the beach, reasonably close to the centre of town and to restaurants and bars, large swimming pool, panoramic views of Agadir.

• Opinion of Price: less expensive than average
• Related to: Family Travel, Romantic Travel and Honeymoons, Seniors

Amadil Beach Photo: Front of hotel

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