Dar Tadout

The road is rough and unpaved, so don't let that put you off. Getting there was worth it: during our 11-day Morocco trip, this was our best experience and the best food. Our flight was delayed, but they waited until 10 pm for us and served the best tagine we ate in Morocco.

The service left us feeling unwelcome throughout our stay. We had been to many places in Morocco where we felt looked after, but here it felt as if we were intruding in the family's home instead of being paying guests. The very small pool was being used by the family, so we weren't comfortable using it, and the noise and running around made it hard to relax. After dinner we sat outside chatting quietly, while the host hovered as though waiting for us to go to our room. Later, around 10 pm, he knocked several times, then emailed to ask for our passports for check-in, though we'd already checked in. My partner went out to hand them over and mentioned he was going to shower; the host said there would be hot water, but there wasn't. When we raised the shower problem at departure, the host argued that there was hot water and asked us to come back in and test it. At checkout we were already frustrated and wanted to leave, but he kept pestering and arguing. Customer service was terrible. The room was uncomfortable too: the bed wasn't good, the bathroom was extremely tiny, and I saw several bugs. Worst of all, neither of us had any hot water in the shower, one showered at night and the other in the morning. The food was okay, but the price felt like a rip-off. For 12 euros each, we got a tiny starter salad of just lettuce and tomatoes, plus one tagine to share. For a 24-euro meal, we expected more effort. At checkout they also charged us 3 euros for a bottle of water without telling us it would cost extra. This was probably the worst part of our trip to Morocco. We stayed in several towns and cities, at different riads and guesthouses, and felt fortunate to experience Moroccan hospitality elsewhere. We found that badly lacking here. Do yourself a favour and stay somewhere else.

We only stopped because we needed a break from driving, and I'm so glad we did. This place was a lovely little oasis, with gorgeous gardens, a small plunge pool, and amazing food. Safir, the incredible owner, showed us to a lovely room. Highly recommend.

Finding Dar Tadout took some effort: the road is narrow and unpaved, and there are no signs to show when you've arrived. But once we got there, we were surprised by how beautiful it was. Samir welcomed us warmly into his house, offered tea, and showed us our room. It had a very large bed and a separate bathroom. Dinner was really good and served right outside the room. We had a great stay and highly recommend Dar Tadout and Samir.