Tigmi

The hotel’s setting was disappointing. It’s far from the surrounding area, with no places of interest nearby, and the roads leading there are in very poor condition, making the drive in a rental car unnecessarily risky. Although the hotel is advertised as a yoga retreat, no yoga classes were offered. At around 6:30 PM, check-in was frustrating from the start. Nobody at reception spoke English, and I had to fill out the whole registration form and enter all my passport details by hand. I’ve never had to do that at another hotel in this price range. In the restaurant, it seemed like just one person in the whole hotel could speak English. Staff also seemed to be in a hurry to finish work at 9:30 pm, although the information booklet says the restaurant is open until 10:00 pm. Breakfast was served only outside on the terrace at 8:40 a.m., when it was just 12 degrees Celsius (!). There was mostly sweet food like jam and butter, some muesli, and only stale bread (see photo). Eggs came out around 9:00 a.m., but cost extra. An omelet was €3, despite the room costing €130 a night. This was the most expensive hotel of our trip by far, and the worst experience. The value for money was clearly inadequate and seemed like a deliberate rip-off of tourists. The restaurant prices also felt completely out of proportion to the quality. The €13 appetizer was eggplant and tomatoes smothered in cheese, a Classic Parmigiana di Melanzane. Absolutely not recommended for independent travelers. Save your money! A retreat should at least offer basic comfort, honest services, and reasonable quality, and sadly this place lacked all three.

The wildlife around Tigmi was a delight, from splendid croaking frogs and roaming tortoises to all the birdsong. There’s also a brilliant viewing tower. The grounds are lovely, with wide paths, well kept plants, and very well watered grass. My room was spacious and clean, and all the meals were freshly cooked and delicious. I enjoyed the refreshing Moroccan tea, too. Staff were quiet, cheerful, and helpful, and the hotel booked taxis for trips, which made getting around easy. The hamams and massages left people glowing, and doing yoga on the roof at either end of the day was a delight. I had a lovely time and thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Tigmi.

Getting to and from Tigmi was easy, as the staff were kind and helped arrange transport. The hotel is about 25 minutes outside Marrakech, at the top of a totally unspoilt Berber village full of charm. It has two swimming pools with plenty of loungers and room to relax. I’ve just returned from an incredible trip and can’t wait to go back. Breakfast was delicious, as were the juices throughout the day. I’d strongly recommend choosing the set menu for dinner. Couldn’t recommend Tigmi more!

Lovely food, great staff, and two pools. Excellent massages and treatments are available too. It’s a beautiful yoga retreat about 30 minutes from Marrakesh.