TUI BLUE Riu Tikida Beach

Just returned from a wonderful week stay at Tikida Beach! My partner and I were a little anxious about our stay as the reviews were a little mixed, but I can say this was one of the best holidays we have been on! First of all, weather was a lovely and warm 22 degrees, quite chilly and breezy in the mornings and evenings so would advise taking jumper/jackets especially if you want to walk on the promenade as it can be super windy! On arrival at Tikida Beach, we were welcomed with a mocktail and a quick and easy check in process (Thanks to Yassine on reception who is a true gem!) We weren’t totally happy with our assigned room as it was overlooking the refuge area, so we went to reception and Yassine was able to move us to a really lovely and spacious room over looking the pool area! It was blissfully quiet and dark at night too, which was a real bonus! The room itself is large, airy and spacious! It had kettle, tea facilities, flat screen TV with a few English news channels. The beds are large (2 large singles pushed together with separate duvets) with extra large pillows if needed! There is air con but as I understand it is not turned on in the cooler months, but there is a ceiling fan which was good enough for us! There is safe in the wardrobe which is free to use. There’s also a mini fridge which is stocked with bottled water (daily) & cans of fizzy drinks (every other day or so) (fanta, sprite & coke). The bathroom is beautiful, decorated with marble and stone, with toilet, bidet, sink area and a very large and powerful walk in shower! (there’s also a body wash dispenser in the shower!) There are 2 pools, the big one is FREEZING and the smaller one Is advertised as heated but a few people including myself and my partner found it uncomfortably cold to swim in. There are plenty of sunbeds which had all day sun exposure, as well as actual lounge beds with large pillows which are a dream to sleep on! Now… if you like cats... this place is HEAVEN! There are a group of gorgeous and very friendly cats and kittens that live in the hotel and are cared for by RIU and guests who are a part of a charity that helps care for them. The hotel also says guests are welcome to feed them as long as it isn’t in the restaurant areas (a rule no one adheres to! Haha) Tikida beach has 1 main restaurant for breakfast and dinner and 1 beachfront restaurant for lunch as well as a Moroccan a la carte! The food is tasty and very fresh, large salad area, 4 types of different tagines, soups and hot counters with show cooking, as well as delicious dessert section! A big surprise was breakfast, plenty of choice including full fry ups, bacon, sausages, beans, potatoes as well as waffles, pancakes etc! There’s the Casablanca bar which Is just off from the main lobby and is where the evening entertainment is. There’s also another bar I think is the Yellow bar with outdoor balcony. I personally really enjoyed the entertainment, Mr Omar the piano player is lovely to listen to and then there is live music with a mixture of well-known English and French songs, as well as occasionally outside acts coming in to perform! The Casablanca bar staff work incredibly hard and they have a new fresh drink down in front before you’ve even finished your first! The hotel is beautifully situated on a long promenade (takes about an hour to walk the whole length) and the hotel has its own private section on the beach. Along the promenade there are local sellers selling excursions, Moroccan touristy bits etc (haggle!) a polite no thank you and they will move on. A 20min walk towards the marina will take you to a small souk, leading to Valley of the birds (free entrance and a good way to kill an hour of time). There’s also a little train that goes around Agadir (about 45min tour) and costs 18 dirhams (£1.80) for adults and lower rate for children and would highly recommend! There’s also more bars, restaurants and shops towards the marina end (shoutout to McDonald’s, pizza hut & KFC!) ¬¬ There is a large and very busy souk \ market (Souk El Had) which sells; spices/fresh fruit & vegetables, souvenirs, clothing & gifts (fake goods!) Haggling is ESSENTIAL!!! You can get a small orange taxi outside the hotel that will take you to the souk for 20dirhams – the taxi driver will say 30 but you can haggle! If you want to walk, its about a 35 min walk! Unfortunately, my partner and I had a bad experience of getting royally ripped off and taken advantage of, which tainted my opinion of these places. But down the road from Valley of the birds there is a indoor-market called Uniprix where you can shop fairly priced goods without being pressured to buy anything. They sell all the normal bits; magnets, t-shirts as well as essential foods, booze, crisps, sweets etc! definitely recommend going there before the souk so you have idea of what price everything is meant to be! Overall I would highly recommend staying here and I can’t wait to come back! Room tip: We had 906 (Ask a room away from nightclub/reception area) Also, tipping the staff a few dirhams now and then goes a long way if you want a little bit of extra service!

What a beautiful tranquil and well appointed hotel. The terrace bar is very quiet and well attended by the excellent waiting staff. The pool area is beautiful with well kept gardens and sweet bird song no noisy music and interruptions during your relaxation. The food is the best I have ever had on my numerous holidays. It’s just superb the chefs take such pride in the presentations and service. Staff service in the restaurants outstanding, no waiting for plate clearance they second guess your every requirement. Really nice lunch buffet restaurant overlooking the sea. Rooms have comfortable beds and wonderful bathrooms. Special thanks to Mustapha and Yassin and all the staff who made us feel very welcome and assisted us in every way. I will certainly return. PS a really nice touch by Riu looking after the hotel cats, they look healthy and happy - well done.