Sofitel Agadir Royal Bay Resort

Fantastic massage by Aicha

A magnificent hotel where I spent two wonderful days. I thank all the staff for their hospitality.

We booked the 5-star hotel for 10 days with breakfast included, as we preferred to try the local cuisine in the evenings. About the hotel: The first impression was truly stunning. You enter a roofless lobby/bar, which can actually be closed. Architecturally, it's very beautiful by Moroccan standards. From this point on, some frustration arose. While the reception staff were friendly, they provided no information relevant to our stay, such as the location of various places, the opening hours of restaurants and bars, etc. Our room was spacious enough and very nicely furnished, so I have no complaints, except for the fact that there was no balcony (it initially looked like there was one in the online photos). Although I only gave the service 2 stars, I must commend the extremely friendly staff, who are present everywhere. So why the 2 stars? - During our 10-day stay, it was nearly impossible to get relevant information or even ask basic questions, as very few people there spoke good English (most spoke French). Since the hotel felt somewhat deserted, there seemed to be only one staff member for every guest, which detracted from the overall sense of comfort. We were practically besieged in every department. Furthermore, we didn't see any managers. For example, there was one instance where an organized taxi ride from the hotel suddenly cost us the equivalent of €40 because the driver had been expecting a four-hour city tour (due to a communication error). Naturally, we wanted to complain about the ride and spoke with several staff members, but no one in charge appeared. We were then fobbed off with a taxi ride to the promenade for €2-3 and a two-hour rental of the hotel's bicycles. Not exactly satisfactory. For instance, there was an incident where an organized taxi ride from the hotel suddenly cost us the equivalent of €40 because the driver had been expecting a four-hour city tour (due to a communication problem). The hotel is located directly on the beach promenade, although it must be said that the heart of the promenade is a bit further away. Walking the 4 km takes a leisurely 35-40 minutes. Nevertheless, the entire hotel complex is beautifully designed and would certainly be even more lovely with more guests. The breakfast buffet was very plentiful and delicious. However, the food ordered via room service at night is only worth 2 out of 5 stars. This hotel has a service charge policy that adds 5% to all food and beverage bills, regardless of type. This leaves a bitter taste, especially considering that this isn't mentioned at check-in and the late-night food wasn't good. As the first few days passed, we gradually realized that the prices of food outside the resort vary considerably. Once you visit three different restaurants and venues within a 100-meter radius, you immediately get a sense of their pricing policies. Prices for the same products vary significantly, but you can be 100% certain that they are considerably lower than hotel prices (including the Sofitel). In conclusion: All in all, our Morocco vacation was fantastic. This was mainly because we planned our days and meals ourselves and didn't stay at the hotel. While the hotel is nice, it's nowhere near worth the money we paid. A large breakfast buffet can't compensate for all the missing amenities. The pictures you see when booking lead you to expect a different level of service. I don't recommend it, but it's up to you.