Hôtel Bellevue — Hotel in Sidi Ifni

We three guys arrived at Sidi Ifni at 20:35 on Thursday 10/11/16 after a 4.5 hour coach journey from Agadir (the company said it would be 3). We thought we would be early enough to hunt around so did not book in advance and it was off season.||||We arrived at the coach stop in the town centre and found this hotel on our maps.me app. Luckily only 600m away in the dark with our 5kg bags each.||||From the ragtag town we entered a more and more upmarket district which included the town hall and the hotel at the far side of the roundabout/park/circus.||||On meeting the matter-of-fact receptionist we were pleasantly surprised at the price for a triple being MAD300 (£24). We were shown two rooms as choices: #22 on the ground floor, mid floor/open air corridor, no view, small window, three singles, smallish ensuite; #47 on the first floor end of corridor, obscure view from window, single and double bed, substantial balcony with better view of internal courtyard/car park and sea.||||Being in room #47 over the restaurant meant we picked up the (unsecured) wifi 'salon' which was better than most rooms it seems (two days other 'Bellevue CH & Coloir were unsecured networks were joinable but not on the net (something about Skype my friend worked out). The Salon wifi in the room was intermittent but useful starting at 08:50 and finishing at midnight when the restaurant closed to chucked out the local drinkers. Then the noises started, sweeping, emptying, dragging, clunking, opening & closing things at the end of the shift until 00:45. Oh well you can't have everything! Likewise from 08:00 in the morning as starting up for the 08:30 breakfast. Ear plugs could be useful but I slept through most noises as beds were comfortable (excessive blankets and long sausage double bed bolster removed as still warm in November).||||There was a nicely patterned ceiling, tiled floor and pistachio coloured walls.||||Tv and satellite unplugged by reception guy who showed us the rooms and he removed the remote because satellite said 'no signal'. (This was later rectified).||||Only two sockets in room behind beds, one dead behind the double bed (so bedside lamp not working either - tried on other, no go so lamp blown) so had to use tv socket to charge devices. Another socket on mirror lamp in the bathroom but a wet environment so not advisable.||||The big bath actually had a plug and was quarter filled by hot water at 09:00 no problem. The fluorescent above bathroom mirror was also missing but the main lamp was above the sink anyway so fun shaving was fun. There is a small ventilation window in the top corner. The big bathroom is nicely tiled and equipped. No hooks though as usual grrrrrrr. ||||The bedroom had a dim energy saving fluorescent central light and quite thick curtains (which kept most of the lighthouse flashing out and morning sun).||||The balcony was very useful for sunbathing, catching the afternoon to evening sun. On our last evening I borrowed a plastic chair from the underused top terrace to make up three in order to watch the sunset go down past the lighthouse and sit with a drink in the warm balcony. There is a balcony lamp which is brighter than the room lamp. It's impossible to swap them round, pity. The wifi does not extend to the balcony.||||We decided to skip breakfast to save a bit of money as the offerings were standard and we thought we might find better outside (the two joints further down the hill on the cliff are tempting). We did have morning coffees instead on the western terrace which overlooked the beach through the balustrade (not glass/plastic like the eastern terrace). On the bigger terrace is a secure wifi signal 'Restaurant' so use that for your online banking! It is fast enough for Skype audio calling (used to contact bank about stolen cards in Marrakesh).||||Evening meal skipped too as we had read about the alternatives in town, going to Nomad instead for a very nice meal (a treat for us, see review). When we arrived at the hotel originally a British group were happily dining with wine and being well served by the friendly staff. See pic of menu billboard. A fair few locals were drinking and being slightly merry on the balconies and inside. FYI This was found to be the case too in the beach bar and terrace just by the beach ramp for sunset (at an angle in November!).||||We stayed two nights over all (asking for sheets and towels not to be changed to reduce environmental impact) and were tempted by a third but need to move on further south as we have to return back to Marrakesh in 5 days.||||No coat hangers in wardrobe, not essential for us but others with bigger luggage allowances may appreciate it. A large pine coat stand was in the room and was useful for drying out our washed clothes out on the balcony (as others did their surfing wetsuits elsewhere).||||We had become quite happy here so stayed a third night. On booking I asked the receptionist and boss for a multi socket adapter, remotes for tv & satellite and new bedside light bulb and no changing of towels again. These were sorted quickly but the long fluorescent over sink and dead socket would wait for another day.||||The satellite box included BBC World for the first time so on our third and last evening we caught up with the Colombian Government peace deal with the Farcs, Demos against Trump in NYC and Sting playing at the anniversary of the Bataclan terrorist attack in Paris.||||Over all this is a great and spectacular hotel for the money (MAD300 = £24). 4/5 stars for the niggling omissions. Well worth staying in though for the facilities. Even off season it had a stream of bikers, retirees and mostly middle aged travellers. If they could sort a decent reliable wifi signal in the rooms that would be very useful. As it is it is intermittent and frustrating, especially when writing TA reviews or trying to book accommodation ahead! I am using an iPad and an iPhone 5s. My friend with an iPad and iPhone 4s seems luckier, my other friend's android luckier still. The 'salon' signal worked till 02:40 last night surprisingly! Maybe the guy in the cafe took a hint when I mentioned its being turned off...

Stayed in this hotel for a couple of nights almost over a week ago, March 2016. The town is super quiet, and the hotel itself is in a great location. And the views of the rooms are much better than the rooms I saw at the competition. Actually, the views are amazing, and the sound of the roaring waves is soothing and lovely. Best room is the one at the end of the 1st floor - left side (2nd floor for me). It's large, its bathroom too, even with a bathtub, instead of open shower. Hot water is good. The restaurant offers meals. But we just had their breakfast, which are not included, but are affordable and basic. I loved meeting Larson - at the front desk, I think that's his name. He is very affable and quiet. Say hi from me if you decide to stay with them. But everyone at this place was nice too. We just paid 300 DH/night. it was super low season. So you get an idea. Price may vary depending when you go.||||P.S. I cannot say this for sure, since we changed rooms in the middle of the stay to the 'best' one. But just an advice, make sure the sheets are fresh. For some reason I felt the first bedroom had clean sheets, but I got the impression that the second room (or best one in my opinion) didn't have a proper change of blankets after the previous guests left. They will be more than helpful if you ask for a new set of sheets, super...

Het hotel is goed en goedkoop en heeft een art deco buitenkant in gerestaureerde staat. Sommige kamers hebben balkons en uitzicht over de oceaan. Mijn kamer was ruim, helder en schoon. Het balkon had wel wat plakkerigs. ||Het geluid van de branding is zo hard dat je 's nachts aan oorwatten denkt.||Het personeel is aardig op het restaurant na. Dat is duur en niet de moeite. 's Ochtends kreeg ik na eerst bijna woorden te krijgen over een vuile tafel waaraan ik moest gaan zitten en die de kelner aanvankelijk niet wilden schoonmaken (er lagen etensresten en andere viezigheid ook nog eens met opzet koffie met zure, schiftende melk voorgezet. Echt schandalig hoe dat ging. Ik ben toen ontploft en heb er een filke rel van gemaakt zodat het hele hotel wist wat er gaande was. Al zijn verontschuldigen niet meer accepterend ben ik rellend weggelopen zonder te betalen. Vlakbij kan je in alle rust, veel goedkoper en beter onbijten met aardige mensen. Vooral bij cafe Madrid (het ziet er heel slonzig uit) hebben ze geweldige koffie en een onverwacht geweldig aardige service van een ranzig uitziend zich als heel aardig ontpoppend mannetje. Daarnaast ligt de bakkerij waar je broodjes, verse jus, milkshake en zoetigheid kan krijgen van een wederom heel aardige frisse jonge man om alles aan een van de tafeltjes voor hun deur op te eten. En ze zijn oprecht aardig. Het is in de grote straat richting dorp rechts tegenover het hotel aan de andere kant van het plein.||Het hotel ligt hoog boven de oceaan op een rode klip. Lange blauwwit geschilderde trappen uit de Spaanse koloniale tijd leiden naar het strand. Onder aan het strand staan een paar heel lelijke hotels. Betonblokken die niet allemaal even goedkoop zijn.||De oceaan en vooral de heldere vloedlijn is prachtig en het strand goed ware het niet dat er zoveel afval ligt en de jeugd van het dorp het strand 's middags als voetbalveld (3 stuks) gebruikt. Het pleintje waaraan het hotel ligt is ook prachtig. Het is deels gerestaureerde Spaanse koloniale architectuur van rond 1930. Art deco, het hele plein en de aangrenzende straat met kleine villa's uit dezelfde periode. Heel mooi.||De mensen in het dorp zijn zachtmoedig en ongewoon vriendelijk. Ook tegen elkaar. 's Avonds is er de passea. Het hele dorp maakt een wandeling door de mistflarden die van de oceaan over het pleintje drijven. De stille atmosfeer en de immer brandende kersverlichting maken het tot een Fellini film. Het is wondermooi. Toeristen komen er niet of zijn niet te zien.||In het centrum van het Arabische dorp dat tegen de kleine Spaanse kern aanligt kan je eindeloos vanaf het terras samen met de bewoners naar de kleurige sari's van de Sahara vrouwen kijken die in de warme avondbries om hun lijven heen wapperen. Om 22:00 is het bedtijd. ||Ondanks de nare kelner en het nogal vieze strand zou ik graag...