As previous comments have clearly attested, Club Med Agadir is by no means the crown jewel of the world famous franchise. In some respects this resort would be lucky to be called "Camp Med" if properly rated with other Club Meds. To be fair, it is the oldest Club Med in the world, operates at nearly full capacity year round, and is in an environment challenging for even routine maintenance, much less a full remodeling. That said, it operates fairly successfully despite these challenges and even excels in some areas as every Club Med must.
Let's start with the positive. The beachside setting is beautiful as are the pristinely cultivated grounds. The architecture, although only modestly adorned with classic Moroccan features so as to distinguish it from concrete bunkers, works well with the collection of garden rooms and suites that populate the large compound. It's a good layout that offers a sense of privacy for every group of suites in every unique garden.
We found the food at the open buffet during the entire week to be outstanding -- a tribute to the Club's and Morocco's French heritage. Breakfast was the consistent exception to this, which was ordinary at best, but perhaps most Club Med visitors would not count breakfast as a real meal anyway. The daily menus varied sufficiently to make them interesting and nearly everything tasted freshly made. The daily specials, of which there were 2 or 3 at every meal, were exceptional and every evening featured a "themed" menu of regional or international cuisine. House wines were always Moroccan and actually quite good. On balance, the food was 4+ stars in quality, selection and taste.
Another plus was the staff, which was, almost without fail, approaching Disneyland-level in their constant friendly and courteous demeanors despite occasional language barrier problems. Also, the selection of programs and range of facilities was impressive, particularly for children. As for services and equipment, all of the essentials were easily available and working, although perhaps not always at a standard of excellence expected from Club Med.
Now, for the areas for improvement... Upon our arrival we were offered no tour of the large compound and no printed information about the facilities or programs of activities during our stay. They did not even provide us a map to help us navigate. Many things we did not discover until nearly the end of our visit. No one explained to us how to make purchases at the Club not covered by the all-inclusive booking (which require a Club Med card), and of the deluxe rooms we were shown, only one was actually available. Even the upgrade we were offered turned out to be unavailable in the end. In any event, despite the apparent management problems, our deluxe room was adequate for our needs.
Although our room was small for a "deluxe," it was nicely appointed with Moroccan fixtures, architectural touches and handicrafts, but it was the small details that took it from shabby chic to just shabby. Torn cushions, poorly fitted drapes, broken tiles and electrical fixtures, and damaged furniture, not to mention the pest control problems – ants and roaches -- combined to rob the room of any rustic charm. I do have to admit, however, that the bed was quite good. Our very nice cleaning lady was as helpful as she could be with the pests, but it seemed nearly impossible to get our minibar stocked or toiletries replaced regularly. We learned in our desperate hunt for instant coffee, for example, that such things were kept under lock and key and only one person had the key, so it was nearly impossible to get it stocked daily.
The age of the 1965 complex shows, but the lack of proper external maintenance makes many of the aging buildings seem even older. Minor architectural improvements, more attention to painting, and regular replacement of rusting fixtures and broken tiles could make a big difference. Similarly, many of the so-called amenities needed substantial updating. For example, the antiquated washing machines and outdated fitness equipment should be replaced, and the primitive Wi-Fi, only available in the bar and which barely operates at a dial-up speed, definitely need upgrading. Also, it is unclear why optional services offered on the compound, such as the spa, recreational and excursion services, must be priced up to 10 times the rates offered just outside the gate. Many visitors considered this among the most serious problems. Many believe the quality is no different and the outside services are easier to book. During our stay the majority of visitors seemed to be divided between young families and retirees, although a number of hip 30 and 40 somethings were out and about as well.
Would we come back and recommend it to friends in spite of the shortcomings? Probably, but with some appropriate warnings. It does not seem to deserve to be a three trident Club Med, but the friendly staff, good food, beautiful grounds, and family friendly environment make it a reasonably good value and, overall, an enjoyable stay. We had the good fortune to make some new friends there as well.
Room Tip: No matter what kind of room you book in advance, ask to see other rooms before you settle in. Avoid...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
7 March 2012
Dear Great Member,
We would like to thank you warmly for writing this detailed and well-informed review on Trip Advisor after your stay in our Agadir Club Med Resort.
We are pleased to see that you enjoyed the quality and variety of the food, our staff friendliness and involvement, and the family friendly environment of our Resort.
On the other hand, we would like to inform you that your constructive comments in respect of the lack of information, the problems in your room, the lack of external maintenance and the cost of non-included activities have been taken most seriously and forwarded to the relevant departments within our organisation for their attention.
We hope to see you again soon in one of our Resorts.
Kind Regards,
Your Club Med UK Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC