Hotel RIU Tikida Garden

Last year I spent a week at the Riu Tikida Garden Hotel in Marrakech & I was very impressed. When you think it is full board for very little money, it is amazing. My room was large & comfortable. Food was great & varied, Staff helpful and friendly. The grounds are very nice and peaceful & I loved to sit there and just read my book. I arranged it all through Thompson & they took great care of us. I was so impressed that I have booked to go back in November of this year. There are trips that you can go that are not expensive, so well worth every Diram. Well done Thompson and the staff of the hotel, you all rock.

Arrived with friends on the 20th Nov 2015 around midday. Along with all the other guests we was just pointed in the direction of the main entrance where the door staff told us to leave the bags and then pointed to keep moving towards the doors towards the pool which we did and ended up by the pool restaurant, no welcome drinks served as other arrivals later in the week was served with a relaxed check in.Still a little dazed we made the assumption they wanted us to have lunch and then return to the check in desk which seemed a little rushed as no time given to unwind and unpack first. We then checked in at reception and was quickly processed from a polite and very friendly gentleman so this was a good start.

Room - corridors clean and given the Moroccan look with terracotta colours, room was very spacious with two singles making a double but very comfortable. No main light if require bright lighting for reading extra as a few side lights around the room only but for myself that was sufficient. Extra blankets provided for night time as did find it cold at this time of the year.

The room has a very small television, a little disappointing for a 4*, only the news channel and one channel for movies which you will have to find. Safe provided as did make the most of that after reading some reviews as a precaution. Plenty of space for luggage and clothing etc.

Aircon and heating also provided although my heating was not quite getting to the temp I needed and remained just about warm but it was something I could cope with.

Bathroom - clean with bath which was old but clean, shower is not powerful and pushes out water at extreme ends of girl and cold with losing pressure every other min so this was a let down but again something I could cope with myself but may annoy you. Plenty of soap and gel in sachets provided if required and hair dryer and tissues also . The towels where not your fluffy ones as you would expect but clean and plenty of them.

Restaurant - main one for breakfast and dinner, was greeted by our main waiter who was amazing and made the experience better and more became like friends.

They went over and above to what you would expect and remembered myself and my friends by name terms.

Food was more salad than anything and pizza and lentils. Meat was disappointing as mainly Turkey but labeled as chicken. So if you are a salad person your week will be easy but if you like a lot of chicken and lamb then you will find its limited and what little meat is available it's not that tasty and we was advised spices are very minimal to none due to majority of the English tourists finding the food hot.

Generally the food was the same morning to evening so we got used to that. Plates cleared as soon we had finished and drinks topped up also so a smooth service with plenty of banter from our allocated waiters which I cannot praise enough. The deserts was limited to small slices of chocolate pieces and some days a mousse but could have been better. Other days it was just Moroccan pastry but by asking the nice staff we did get chocolate instead from the back which was a good treat.

Breakfast again plenty of range of eggs and pancakes and cereals with juice of grape fruit and cucumber mainly, plenty of yoghurt and fruit and veg and lentils also for breakfast.

By booking a day in advance we booked the Al a carte restaurant by the pool which is worth while as the food is more better and so is the atmosphere with live music played by a local as it seemed.

The starters was lamb brain and lentils and choice of veg and fruit, followed by the main a lamb, chicken or fish tagine which was of generous portions and very well cooked.

Drinks - soft drinks dispensers around the hotel was not working and coke was coming out like dish water, coffee machine was flooding your cup with too much coffee or milk, this remains the same for the week apart from the one in the restaurant for dinner.

It was a shame no kettle provided in your room for coffee or tea. You only have a small fridge for cold drinks.

Outside the hotel are beautiful grounds to walk around and full of fruit trees and Palm trees and flowers to admire with the clear blue skies so this was very much relaxing.

The hotel is set 10-15 mins drive on the outskirts so if you do walk away from the hotel site it is all run down and you may get harassed by the locals and find it intimidating.

The hotel provide a free shuttle mini bus service which you must book with reception prior to any of the departure times which run five times a day from 9am to 6pm and collection times last being 6:15 from the centre back to the hotel.

The driver Hassan was amazing and very chatty and informed myself and my friends about the area as he is long serving with this job over thirty years.

Overall my experience was relaxed and stress free. Could have done with a larger tv and a fully working shower but it was one of them things you can over look.

Food could be better but overall the staff compensated for that side to make up. Reception staff and doorman do need to be customer friendly as they clearly picked and chose who to and who to ignore.

I found the cleaning staff very friendly and cooperative as I took daily towels etc as very little used but my friends room next door was cleaned even though very little used they also had no complaints. Very little English spoken but clearly nice people with manners.

Also the hotel rep Ameen was polite and he does provide details of all the excursions available and is on the site six days a week for info etc so found him useful to have on site and very polite man indeed.

Points to observe - taxi drivers at the front of the hotel will harass for business even though a free service provided by the hotel . They soon will give you looks and glares if and when you refuse the service.

If you take the free service it will drop you outside the kfc in the town and the taxi drivers will approach you straight away but they will make out they are part of the free service to get your attention and then try and sell you a taxi ride which soon increases in price once you are in as many I spoke to have found out.

This is something that hotel should pre warn but do not .

Checkout the reception guy was busy talking to begin with to someone else all polite and smiles, when I was served took my room key and did not say a word or smile or ask how my stay was, again picking and choosing for there own reasons... Not polite and not good for the hotel.

I would stay here for short stay if I had to but otherwise Defo seek a 5* to avoid any kind of bad service.