Hôtel Nagjir — Hotel in Laayoune

I stayed at the Hotel Nagjir Ville for one night only in March 2013, paying 49 Euros (including 2 Euros city tax) for a large room with two single beds pushed together. Breakfast was not included in the price. The hotel is officially a four star hotel, but would be regarded elsewhere as a three star one.||||Frankly, you are not spoiled for choice in Laayoune as far as hotel accommodation is concerned and it is quite possible that the Nagjir is the best of the bunch in town. I found the bed comfortable and the room reasonably well-appointed, with a working wi-fi connection free of charge. There is also a TV in the room, which I didn't turn on. The soundproofing was fine, as was the standard of cleanliness. Everything in the bathroom was fine, though there was no plug for the bath and the 'hot' water was rather lukewarm. My room was on the fifth floor (accessible by efficient lift) and had a small balcony; the view, however, (of a building site) was deeply uninspiring. In general, I found the hotel staff pleasant and helpful.||||I had dinner in the hotel restaurant and thought that the food was fine, although no alcohol is available and the restaurant was far too brightly and harshly lit. Breakfast (served in the first floor cafe) was a pretty dismal affair, however. I was given a very strange look when I asked for some cold milk to pour over my bowl of cornflakes! Did I not want hot milk?!||||In the highly unlikely event of my ever returning to Laayoune (a place I would say that lacks both character and charm), I would probably stay at the Nagjir Ville again and would also recommend it to visitors to the town. As with most of the 'top' hotels, most of the residents seem to be UN staff, who are there (I believe) to monitor a ceasefire, as the territory of which Laayoune is the capital (the former colony of Spanish Sahara) is disputed - though it has effectively been annexed by Morocco. They can be seen driving all over town in clearly marked UN vehicles.||||The location, by the way, is great - just two minutes' walk from the CTM 'bus station. I flew from Laayoune on Binter Canarias to Las Palmas and it took me only five minutes to get to the small airport from the hotel. ||||I would also recommend a small restaurant called Le Poissonnier (183 avenue Mecka al Mokarrama), which is located close to the hotel (a five to ten minute walk). As the name suggests, it specialises in fish. The fish soup and grilled calamari I had for lunch were both excellent and very reasonably priced. Sadly, no wine was available to wash...

First, the majority of the staff at this hotel are excellent. Really friendly and considerate. The front desk staff and the 5th floor cleaning lady in particular, were exemplary. At around 55 euros a night, the price you might pay for an average chain hotel in Europe, you get a comfortable enough and extremely clean room with working aircon ... but only enough hot water in the shower to last on average 90 seconds (i timed it each day and it never erred!) and an incredibly mediocre breakfast of cheese and bread, fresh OJ too if you get there early enough to avail yourself of the very limited supply. I would add that at breakfast one morning on my 7 day stay, there was a corner missing from my Dairylea triangle that looked suspiciously like a mouse had nibbled through it ... I have pictures and will try to upload! ||||The place is probably the best in town, but the quality threshold is very low among the competition. The Nagjir, as others have said, relies on UN trade (there is even an electronic machine that UN staff can swipe for their meals). The place, I was told by various locals, is also owned by a man who, although a Sahrawi, has close ties to the Moroccan government - an inevitability in this incredibly politically sensitive town. There is a constant secret police presence outside the front door. No that you'd notice unless you were really looking. Shame more grassroots Sahrawi aren't able to set up their own small B&Bs etc. But that kind of daydream is a long way down the priority list relative to the issue of Sahrawi...

This hotel has certainly seen better days. The lobby area is not so bad but the room I was in had been very battered by time and use. That said, it was immaculately clean each time I returned at the end of the day, so if you can see past the faded paint and the ancient bathroom tiles, it's really not that bad.||||The staff were all great - very attentive and helpful. And while the wifi didn't reach as far as my room, it was reliable in the lobby (and it was nicer to sit and do some work in the lobby anyway).||||The first two evening meals (fish and meat) were both way overcooked and the breakfasts were very spartan affairs. But just when I was giving up hope on the food, thee kitchen produced a great bowl of spaghetti that brought me back to life after a long day.||||Overall this hotel would get an average or perhaps even poor rating in a more developed part of the world. But in Laayoune it is by all accounts the best of the bunch. It's clean, the bed was comfortable, the Internet works and the staff always have smiles on their faces. And ultimately that's all you...