Hotel Riu Palace Tikida Agadir — Hotel in Agadir

Upon arrival at around midnight the reception staff were very helpful and the reception area of the hotel and lobby looked very high standard.||||We had a lovely room ( room 10 ) but we did email in advance and as for a lower floor overlooking the pool if possible so we were delighted when we was given this room.||||Rooms ||||The room was very clean and spacious and what I expected from a RIU hotel. The toilet was separate from the shower which I always find to be better but not all bathrooms are configured this way. You have a built in hairdryer in the bathroom with only 1 setting, a bidet next to the toilet and generous size shower with the rain head and a standard shower head which is great, also they provide shower gel attached to the wall.||Kettle and tea, coffee, sugar and milk is provided along with 2 cans of coke, sprite and Fanta orange in your mini fridge daily ( they did not top us up for 2 days so I had to call reception ), 2 large bottles of water are also provided daily, but they do not fit in the mini fridge so this was warm unfortunately. ||AC is free in the room but we found you could not change the setting from 23.5 to lower and the ceiling fan made no differ even either.||Towels are changed daily||Free safe inside the wardrobe and 2 extra pillows but we found these to be very lumpy and the mattresses were very very hard.||Only 1 single socket where you would do your hair and make up and this is also used for the kettle and lamp so personally I think another socket would be handy.||I would recommend you email the hotel reception.tikidabeach@riu.com to state that YOU DO NOT want to be anywhere near the Zanzibar as you will hear the music all night and vibrations from the club.||||Pool Area||||The pool area is very nice, but the sun bed wars started with people putting their towels down early and not using these sometimes until at least 3pm. Towards the end of our week the security started taking them off to let people use them. We had to be by the pool for 7am otherwise we would never of had a subbed if we left it later as we do stay by the pool all day. ||Swim up bar !!! Where do I start?? TUI state this is open from 10-5 daily but we witnessed on numerous occasions they did not seat serving until 11.15 and the latest we saw was 11.45 which is absolutely shocking and then the staff would wander off for long periods of time. If they need new stock or glasses surely you would think they could ask another member of staff to replenish the bar so this would mean it would be manned correctly.||The mixers are also served from large bottles ( apart from the bar near where you have lunch near the pool ) so on many occasions you would find them to be flat with no fizz at all. Lemon & Strawberry Daiquiris were not what you expect and both had bitter lemon poured in ( many drinks are ) so don’t expect these to be done the correct way.||My biggest complaint would be that they have no music by the pool, even for background noise as it’s very dull and flat sat there with nothing all day but they do have aqua aerobics in the pool every morning which was great to watch and some games to play that’s I’ll be on the TUI BLUE app for you to see times of everything.||Staff tend to clean the pool area in the morning which is not ideal when your sat there on a lounger and start hosing down the floor or trimming the palm trees ? As most hotels will tidy the pool area up in the evening once the pool has shut.||||Restaurants||||We did not eat in the 2 a’la carte so I cannot comment. Food in both restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner were ok, but, very repetitive and labelling on some foods were incorrect which is never good for people with allergies or special diets. There is a choice for everyone and the food was never cold but for us, we have had far better in other RIU hotels as the standard could of been a little better. Our main concern was that certain people/nationalities were getting the best tables reserved daily with the water and wine already on the tables before they even entered the restaurant and then we witnessed some getting steak made, special pasta dishes that was not available on the buffet, clearly heavy tipping is needed if you want something not offered to other paying guests. And yes, we did tip staff in the Casablanca bar and our maid as the service was good.||One lunch time we was sat outside at a table waiting to be offered water that they give you, 10 minutes went and still they walked passed and ignored us so my partner went to the bar himself and got a bottle which was warm and we still had no glasses to drink the water from. ||||||Entertainment ||||I cannot fault Sara, Isabelle and the male ( forgot his name ) as they are so genuinely lovely and do what they can when it comes to the daytime activities and evening. I do think TUI should do more in the day round the pool and the evening entertainment was ok and all the outside entertainers that come do their best, but again for a TUI BLUE you could do so much more at night as entertainment shuts at 11pm so then you have the option to go next door to the Zanzibar ( not under the all inclusive but free to get in ) which is separate to the hotel but still on the grounds or go to the nightclub Papagaya, again free to get in but drinks are payable and we did go for an hour one night and it’s very dark inside and we was charged 2 different prices for the same drinks so be warned. This club is really for locals and I would not recommend females going in on their own but each to their own.||||Check out is at 12, but to keep your room on for a further 4 hours is extortion, equivalent to £20 per hour !!! And majority of people need their room after 4pm as all the TUI flights are leave in the evening. You do get offered a 30 minute slot in a room to shower but we was told that it’s quite dirty as everyone is using this room all day with wet towels piled up all over the floor and people leaving their toiletries that are not needed to take home so we was lucky enough to be able to use a couples room that we met there.||||Overall, we did have a good time as the weather was lovely and met some lovely people which made our holiday and the majority of the staff were welcoming. Unfortunately we will not be returning due to the issues and yes some people come back year after year but it is not for...

TL;DR? Super hotel in a great location. Don't hesitate to book if you're planning to visit Agadir.||This is a gorgeous hotel that looks every bit as good as in its official photos. Apparently it was refurbished quite recently and they've done a fantastic job - all the public areas are beautifully decorated and even the corridors look really attractive. All staff were very friendly and helpful and spoke excellent English (among other languages).||Our bedrooms (standard pool view) were much larger than expected - more like a junior suite, with a sleeping area and then a step down into a lounge area with sofa, chairs and table. Plus a walk-through dressing/wardrobe area leading into the spacious bathroom. The beds were comfortable (firm mattresses and a selection of pillows and coverings) and the curtains block out all the light. The only thing missing was a proper desk/dressing table with chair and mirror - there was nowhere to sit and do your hair! And there weren't many sockets to plug appliances into. It was just about possible to plug into the kettle socket and see yourself in the full-length wall mirror or the bathroom mirror, if your appliance cord is long enough. I recommend bringing a portable travel mirror along. Air conditioning worked well (slight damp smell when you switch it on) and there's a ceiling fan too. Cleaners replaced the towels every day despite me hanging them on the rails for another day's use!||The pool area was also spotlessly clean and very attractively landscaped. The sunloungers were the comfiest ever, and the parasols were high quality (a bit heavy to move and complicated to put up, but pool staff were always on hand to help!). The pool itself was kept pristine and had plenty of shallow areas - in fact more of it was shallow than deep. You could only enter via metal steps or by clambering over the side, which could be difficult for less-mobile people (otherwise the hotel seemed to be pretty good for disabled guests). The swim-up bar was great, although it could definitely do with more staff as they were rushed off their feet on the sunnier days when the pool was busy. There was a 'land-based' pool bar too which was less busy. We only used the beach for a short walk, but there were free sunloungers for guests there too. ||The hotel is very well-stocked with bars and restaurants. Near the pool/beach you also have a snack restaurant (we didn't use this but it always smelled good) and the main lunchtime buffet with indoor and outdoor seating. This also became the steakhouse a la carte at night (very good with loads of non-steak options). The other buffet restaurant (upstairs) serves breakfast and buffet dinner. As buffets go, the hotel does it pretty well - food was plentiful and varied, with comprehensive allergen labelling (which is not the case at most hotels!). Sometimes some of the food would have run out or gone cold, even under the heat lamps, but we always found something to eat.||There are other two a la cartes; a Moroccan and a fusion/fine dining, Krystal. The Moroccan one was fabulous, very authentic and plenty of choice. Unfortunately we didn't get to try Krystal because they couldn't adapt the menu to cater for our allergies (dairy and fish), whereas the other restaurants could. It's worth checking this in advance - reception told us it would be fine, but we insisted on talking to the Krystal manager to make sure. You can book the restaurants on the hotel app, but we were in two rooms and the app can't figure out how to put two rooms on the same restaurant booking, so we always booked in person at reception.||The lobby has a bar and a cappuccino bar, plus there's a sports bar open 24 hours (we popped in occasionally to catch some football but sadly it had no atmosphere - it was quite clinical and sparse and had uncomfortable seating. There's a better vibe for watching sports at Le Maxwell just round the corner from the hotel). |Entertainment took place each night in the theatre area and was decent. Usually it was the hard-working hotel team, but sometimes they had guest performers in. The Moroccan dancers and musicians were a highlight. In the daytime you've got aqua-gym, yoga, darts, boules, bingo etc. The team do come round the pool to tout the activities but they're not pushy - they are super-friendly and love a chat.||While the hotel has enough to keep you occupied, there are lots of good places outside too. Heading out the front, you'll soon find a few souvenir and convenience shops, a pharmacy, and some bars/restaurants. We went to Le Maxwell sports bar/restaurant a couple of times for drinks, and we also went twice to Le Mauresque, a traditional restaurant with delicious food and live music. You can get taxis from the front of the hotel, to visit the marina for example, but beware - they will charge you more (still only about a fiver) because you've come from a posh hotel. ||You can also exit the hotel on the beach side and walk in either direction along the lovely beachside promenade to find more amenities. We would recommend Amore e Passione (Italian) and Le Nil Bleu (Moroccan/Middle Eastern with fantastic live music). Down at the marina (which would probably take you at least 45 mins to walk from the hotel) there are lots more bars and restaurants. We liked Les Blancs beach bar and a lovely fine dining restaurant called Pure Passion. We heard about this from hotel guests who claimed that if you booked it via our hotel, the restaurant sent a limo to collect you! This is not quite the case - it's an ordinary taxi - but it's still worth doing as it saves a taxi fare!||We took a taxi to the local souk (El Had) which was a bit disappointing as it mostly sold factory-made tat and didn't feel very authentic. One thing that's definitely worth seeing is the kasbah on top of the Agadir mountain, which you can visit via cable car or by road. It's mainly a ruin after the 1960s earthquake but they've put wooden walkways in so you can walk around the site and see images of how it used to be. ||Back to the hotel - it's a lovely place to spend two weeks, whether you get sunshine, cloud, fog, drizzle, or sandstorms (we had all of...

Extremely Disappointed with RIU Hotel Agadir – Unsafe, Unhygienic, and Completely Mismanaged

Our recent 7‑day stay during the Easter holidays at RIU Hotel Agadir was extremely disappointing. We were a group of 11 people, and what was meant to be a relaxing holiday turned into a frustrating and, at times, unsafe experience. The issues we faced ranged from serious health and safety concerns to basic service failures — far below the standard expected of a RIU‑branded hotel.

Dangerous Mislabeling of Food Allergens and Ingredients (Including a Deeply Personal Experience): This was by far the most serious and upsetting issue of our stay. Food at the buffet was carelessly and incorrectly labeled — dishes marked as vegetarian were not, and items labeled as egg‑free actually contained egg. This is not only misleading but dangerous, and in our case, deeply offensive. • For the first five days, we trusted the food labeling. We assumed, as any guest would at a resort of this standard, that the signs could be relied on. • On the fifth day, I picked up a spinach roll labeled vegetarian, took a bite — and immediately discovered it contained chicken. As strict Hindu vegetarians, this was devastating. Consuming any meat is completely against our religious beliefs, so this was not only a safety concern but a profound violation of our faith. • When we raised this with staff, the response was dismissive: “You should have asked the chef.” I even asked how one staff member would feel if he unknowingly ate pork in a Halal‑labeled restaurant, and was told again, “You should ask.” This attitude is utterly unacceptable. • Our vegan friends also struggled daily, left to subsist on plain salads or bread because staff couldn’t confirm ingredients or offer suitable alternatives. • On the last day, we spoke to the TUI representative, who was very apologetic and understanding. He raised an official complaint on our behalf.

Poor Hygiene in the Gents Toilets: The gents toilets by reception were consistently filthy — smelly, dirty, and clearly not cleaned regularly. For a hotel of this size and reputation, allowing the men’s facilities to reach this state is unacceptable.

Accessibility Requests Ignored: One of our guests has a disability and requested a shower mat multiple times — the hotel never provided one. Ignoring such a simple, reasonable request shows a glaring lack of care for guests with additional needs.

Inadequate Room Service and Supplies: Water bottles, tea, and coffee in our rooms were not replenished throughout the stay. We had to repeatedly chase even the basics. In an all‑inclusive resort, this is inexcusable.

Chaotic and Underserviced Breakfast: Breakfast each morning was stressful and unorganised. Clean tables were almost impossible to find, and we had to ask staff daily to clear one. Getting tea or coffee required multiple requests. The area was clearly understaffed and poorly managed.

Health and Safety Risks: Trailing electrical cables were left exposed in public walkways with no warning signs — a serious trip hazard, especially for children and elderly guests. The hotel’s disregard for basic safety is shocking.

Poor Cleanliness and Pool Area Management: Sunbeds were always in short supply, forcing guests to wake up before dawn if they wanted one. Dirty glasses and plates lay around the poolside for hours, with staff showing no urgency to clear them.

Room Power Cut and Maintenance Delays: Our room experienced a power outage, and despite reporting it immediately, it took several hours — and multiple complaints — before anything was done. There was no communication, apology, or urgency from staff.

Final Verdict: Hotel failed us on every level, from food safety & hygiene to service, accessibility, & basic guest care. The most distressing moment was being served meat despite clear vegetarian labelling and then being blamed for it. placed our trust in the RIU brand and spent our holidays here; instead, left upset, disappointed, and concerned for future guests, especially those with religious dietary needs...