Hotel Riu Tikida Palmeraie 4*

Love this hotel. Would definitely come back. The best bits. The food- Absolutely delicious. We’ve stayed at many 4&5 star all inclusive hotels but the food here has been our favourite. Especially the Moroccan options. The evening restaurant- The service is excellent. Cheerful, helpful and very professional. The decor feels very clean, modern and classy. Dress is casual, some people in shorts and T shirts, some in dresses and heels, both ok. The entertainment team- A great asset to this hotel. So happy, full of energy and not pushy at all when you don’t want to be involved. I especially liked that they made a real effort with teenagers. We have 2 teens who are rather shy and wouldn’t usually get involved but they made them feel comfortable enough to get involved in activities around the pool. Reception- Really helpful and made us feel welcome on arrival, nice to be greeted with a friendly smile. Helpful advice when booking the free shuttle to and from the main town. Bar staff- Like the common theme above, mostly cheerful & professional. Amazing service all around. ( I have made a comment that may feel a little contradictory further down but over-all great service) The rooms- very clean and comfortable. The beds were super comfortable. No noise at night so feeling well rested. Shower gel in shower. Tea and coffee making facilities but the coffee at the bar is so good we rarely used in room. Alcohol- The single only down side I can think of. They don’t like to pour full alcohol measures here. You can ask for more but occasionally you get a funny look or almost a huff; feeling a little awkward. The white wine and beer are good. The best cocktails for me has to be pina coladas and sangria here. The evening entertainment- we never really bothered with. We preferred to stay in the lounge playing cards and chess so difficult to comment on that. Perhaps if it were amazing we would’ve caught on and made a point of going but we never got that impression. Spa- My husband had a treatment, involving exfoliation, steam, clay and massage. He said it was amazing and reasonably priced. This has to be one of the best hotels we have ever stayed in combining all the different areas I have mentioned above. The outstanding service and food really stand out here with the free shuttle service being a nice touch. There are plenty of sunbeds. We got around the pool around 9am every morning and always sunbeds. We’re a family of 5. The grounds are very well kept too.

Writing this from the sunbed…… Firstly, Morocco is a hot country. So if you don’t want to be hot or see a few flies don’t come! It’s a very big hotel and there are lots of people. This is as per the advertising. Huge pool, very clean and warm, lovely. Surrounding areas very well kept, beds, umbrellas, etc. Beds do get bagsied very early. Loud music most of the day, we could do without it but it’s not terrible. All the staff around the pool are fun and friendly, plenty of daft activities but they’re not pushy. Rooms better than expected. Quite modern, very clean, aircon and fans work a treat. Zero bugs of any type. FOOD and DRINK! Generally very good, food is fresh and high quality, plenty of variety. It does get a bit bland/samey which, I think, is always a problem with all inclusive. Beer and wine (red, white, rose) are all excellent (genuinely). Cautions on the spirit measures are valid, it’s a bit of a joke really. I reckon a cocktail gets less than half a single measure. Not a massive thing but I’m not really sure why they’re so stingy on this one thing. Bars, restaurants, communal areas, all really nice. Staff can come across a bit too friendly/boisterous which gives it a bit of a stag do atmosphere but they’re all well meaning, attentive and just trying to make your holiday a good one. Bus to town is handy. Paid about £1.2k per person for 10 nights (5 people) and, for that, it’s great value and a good holiday without breaking the bank. No complaints but wouldn’t come back.