Hotel El Mamoun

For MAD300 (about $30), the price and quality work out well if a basic room is what you want. We got a good night's sleep. There’s another hotel in the village, but we didn’t look at it. We arrived without a reservation and got the last room, #11, on the top floor. It had six beds for the four of us. They were simple but comfortable. The sheets, pillows, and blankets looked old, though they seemed clean, and we saw no roaches or other critters. The bathroom was small, barely 6’ tall, with a hand shower. The drain cover was missing, so there was no water trap for sewer gas, and the toilet seat was too small for the bowl. There was no toilet paper or hand soap at first, but staff brought both promptly when we asked. We were beside the top floor dining area. People were still eating and talking when we went to bed around midnight, and we could hear them, though it didn’t disturb us. Breakfast downstairs was okay: eggs in Moroccan style, swimming in olive oil, plus olives, fresh cheese, and bread. I didn’t care for the mint tea. The first cup was far too sweet, and the second, with sugar cubes on the side, was bitter. This is a one-star hotel in a small fishing village, so don’t expect 5-star amenities. For one night, it was a very basic place that did the job.

As a solo woman traveler, I felt very comfortable here. Foued welcomed me warmly and is such a cheerful guy. He speaks French and Arabic, which I don’t understand, but he still tried to chat with me. The food was great too. Definitely try for a table on the roof terrace.

There’s no soap or shower gel in the rooms, which I found bizarre. The shower is just a hole next to the toilet. Breakfast was cheap and good, but dinner wasn’t as good. The salad was served warm, like it hadn’t been cooled properly; the calamares was overfried, and the fish was just okay. The boat was another problem. I asked a waiter how to walk to the beach, and he told me to take a boat instead. He said he knew someone with a boat and that I could go free with other people, though I could give the captain a small fee if I wanted. He called his “friend,” but at the harbor I saw it was the hotel’s boat, with “Hotel El Mamoun” written on it, and I had to pay the same price as everyone else. The sea was very rough that day, and it felt irresponsible to take those tiny boats out. They went anyway. I was nauseous and prayed we’d get back safely. I couldn’t enjoy it, and even a free ride wouldn’t have helped. They make you pay to get seasick and stressed. I stayed in August, during high season. The restaurant has terraces on the ground, first, and second floors, and it’s open 24/7, so there’s noise all night: people shouting, chairs scraping around upstairs, and restaurant toilets on every floor. I couldn’t sleep, even with earplugs. At 3 in the night, three buses stopped so people could take a break at the restaurant. They shouted and even sang wedding songs, “slat u slaam,” though there was no wedding. At 4 in the night, I’d had enough and went down to speak to a staff member. He laughed and said, “didn't they tell you we are open all night”.

The hotel has a magnificent view of the fishing port and the Mediterranean, but I had a bad experience and can’t recommend it. I’d booked and paid for a room with breakfast for 3 people. The evening before, I asked when the restaurant opened and was told 7:00. I said I’d come by at 7:30 because I had a long journey ahead. At 7:30 the next morning, the restaurant was closed, and there was no one at the hotel to talk to. I hit the road and ate somewhere else.