Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
General Topics => All things that have nothing to do with Turkey => Topic started by: Scunner on July 13, 2013, 21:32:37 PM
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10 days all inclusive at the Riu Tikida Palmarie (4 star+) in Marrakech, Morocco. For members who enjoy somewhere else, and because a few people said they were looking forward to a review - here is a brief assessment - also comparing to Turkey. Personal but honest:
Weather: Hot (Up to 42C) but more air movement than Fethiye, less oppressive. Last 3 days, heavy rain for 1-2 hours in afternoon. Much disappointment around pool, the rest of us enjoyed the pool (and now empty pool bar).
Hotel: All inclusive is not everyone's choice, mine too - but the kids loved it and cliche as it may be, if my kids enjoy their holiday, we enjoy our holiday. They loved it. Big room, pool huge, food almost entirely all day long. Breakfast included just about everything, pork is not an option here for religious reasons (unlike Turkey where Tesco Bacon signs line the prom, bacon is turkey, sausages are chicken, but actually very good!). Two 'speciality' restaurants, Moroccan (good) and Italian (not bad).
AI headaches: Sunbeds - no problem. If you want to be literally at the pool, you need to be up early. If you don't do up early, plenty of sunbeds available 5-15 metres back from the pool perimeter. Tables in restaurants: No problem trying to find one, ever. Waiters greet you at the door and escort you to a table.
Staff: In-cred-i-ble. Every single one, cleaner, gardener, receptionist, waiter, barman, animation team, man who operates barrier at entrance - 100% smiles, 100% happy, 100% chatty, and totally focused on whether we had a good holiday. It's a nice touch now and again to be shown to a table, then told "relax sir, I'll get your coffee" or "go back to your sunbed and I'll bring your drinks over". Never once a suggestion that a tip would be nice (although of course they are subtlety but gratefully received). Not once did anyone in the hotel have a Moroccan price for an apartment, or want to sell their uncle's villa to us. They just wanted to make sure we had a great holiday.
Drinks: Certainly much better selection than the likes of Letoonia or Majesty Tuana - and very good. Whisky good, white rum good, beer (served from Red Bull sized cans) always fresh and lively, really nice AI red and white wine, cocktail list (and kids cocktail list, went down well that :) ) - oh, and lovely coffee (most important).
Entertainment: As people who know me will be aware, I hate hotel entertainment. But they were quite good, all the kids including mine thought they were brilliant. If people miming (badly) to other people's tracks, and games where whoever collects the most shoes from the audience wins are your sort of things, this is for you.
Marrakech: My God, it was exactly what I thought it would be but still a shock to see. Every aroma/smell in the World, from amazing to overpoweringly awful, in one square mile. "Guides" target you from the moment you get off the bus and will not leave you be. Two such people were attacking each other physically and violently because they had both decided to target us at the same moment. As they did, another one came to explain that they were unofficial guides, and he would be looking after us. We told him to (go away) and my God, he would not give up. We walked and ignored him for ages, and he would not leave us alone. This was incredibly annoying, but more importantly very disturbing and upsetting for the girls.
Everything you saw in the Arabian Knights is here - the walled city, the snake charmers ("friend, friend, take photo, take photo" ) - men with monkeys on chains that they are desperate to get onto your shoulder, and the moment they achieve that, you owe them money - restaurant hawkers who work to an amazing plan - they want you to take a glossy leaflet for their restaurant, then when you give in and do, they take that as some sort of verbal contract that you agreed to eat there and they lead you to it. Now is the time to escape. Cavfan (Maria) mentioned in another topic that having been to Sharm in Egypt they always found a way to avoid the hassle, but to be honest it is almost impossible to do in Marrakech. You escape one, straight into the arms of another.
Drinks in and around the Medina are very expensive - whisky for example around £8 plus the French-inspired service charge. You can't help thinking that 10 minutes bus journey away from 500 whiskies, each one free.
The Medina: Incredibly colourful, amazingly confusing, all types of tourist tack for sale and no end of people wanting to sell it to you. Compared with other resorts, 10x more expensive. Nothing is free - snap a cobra being charmed, you pay. Amongst the tat a handful of incredible shops selling breathtaking Arabic furniture and art. No photos, they don't even have a website as what they have is unique and photographs spawn copies. Vases, 6000 euros.
Airport: Eerily like Dalaman old terminal. Nowhere near as expensive. Smiley staff. Unlike Dalaman. Very colourful (unlike Dalaman where concrete grey is the look of choice).
In conclusion: This place feels like the backdrop of films from James Bond movies to Disney Aladdin cartoons. Hard to cope with in 42 degrees. But the hotel is incredible value for money and the key to everything is the staff. All of them.
I always said that if you want AI, you need to go to the Caribbean as they know how to do it better than anyone. I'd add the Riu Tikida Palmeraie to that, and at around £400 each cheaper and 6 hours closer, it's a winner.
I hope that was of interest to a few fellow sun seekers here on CBF :)
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Thomsons Link if you fancy a look at the hotel: Riu Tikida Palmeraie (http://www.thomson.co.uk/destinations/africa/morocco/morocco-marrakech/marrakech/hotels/clubhotel-riu-tikida-palmeraie.html)
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Super review - thanks for sharing.
Sounds very like Tunisia.
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Jealous!!! Definitely on my "places to visit" list ;) Glad you all enjoyed it.
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Great write up - thanks for that. I won't be rushing there.
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I worried about you in that heat! I couldn't bear it but I suppose if you can be in the pool a lot it does help. It looks fabulous though. Happy, helpful staff really puts the icing on the cake for any holiday. Great review, will you go back?
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We all agreed that if we got a cheap deal for a week we'd definitely consider it - for the hotel, rather than for Marrakech. The hotel provides a shuttle bus all day and evening right into the main square and back and prior to the holiday I had imagined maybe using it every other day or so. After the first visit I would quite happily have never used it again. But we did, once more, without the kids and maybe a little less green looking - and it wasn't so bad from a hassle point of view.
Glad to have had the chance to experience it, but I have no great desire to get back to Marrakech and I doubt that will change :)
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Oh heck! Couldn't cope with that! Hassle I mean that's taking it to a whole new level, makes Uzi look shy and retiring! The hotel on the other hand might be on our list of possibles for a week in the sun out of season. Sounds fab and your photos look ace.
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I don't want to put people off going there but if I was drawing up a list of 10 places never to visit, Hell would be in second place! ;D
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Oh, I forgot to mention one important thing.
Unlike Turkey All Inclusives, no Russians. Whether you think that is a good thing or not is up to you. For me it is one of the greatest positives imaginable.
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One of the most abiding memories of my holiday in Marrakech was seeing an old man on a moped weaving through the early morning traffic. He held two live chickens by their feet, one in each hand. How was he steering you may well ask, that was being done by his granddaughter who looked to be around seven years of age and standing up at the front. Neither of them were wearing crash helmets and the other drivers didn't bat an eyelid or toot a horn.
Life but not as we know it Jim :)
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Done Tunisia twice for winter hols. Sounds similar. Not for me. He hotel staff were great but outside was a nightmare. Hassle everywhere and every trick to get you into their shop ( and not let you out).
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I hated Tunisia for the hassle, and I don't think I could take too much of Marrakech for the same reason, which is such a shame as it sounds amazing. The only real problem we've ever had in Turkey, was a very nasty rude carpet shop owner in Istanbul.
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Yeah I have found all these countries in Africa non stop hassle. Some lovely places too
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Yes and that is why we would only consider going back for the hotel - and that from someone who despairs at people who visit Fethiye and never leave Letoonia.
Nothing outside the gates is easy - for example even the idea to go off and explore further afield - what could be easier than getting a bus ticket and heading off? Well, the bus station is impossible to find - and too far to walk to - so you take a taxi (cheap enough) to it - but the second you tell the taxi driver you want the bus station, he won't give up trying to strike a deal to take you to the place you are going to on the bus! It's never ending!!
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you cannot beat a rui hotel for their service
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Off to Marrakech to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. 4 nights in a quiet resort in the Atlas mountains then
3 nights in Marrakech! Will be lovely to experience it. Tripadvisor reviews says our hotel is a real antidote to all the hustle and bustle! So can always run back there if it all gets too much lol!