Riad Lamane

The gardens are extensive, with plenty of nice corners to sit and unwind, and there’s a spa and pool too. Our room was large and clean, with a really luxurious bed. The resort has a charming feel, and the staff were all lovely and friendly. One older gentleman seemed to do everything, from reception and carrying our bags to serving dinner, and he was incredibly sweet and went out of his way to make us comfortable. Most of the staff we met spoke excellent English and French. It was an easy drive, with a designated parking area, for our romantic weekend at Riad Lamane. Dinner begins at 7:30pm. There isn’t a big menu, but the food was good and portions were generous. One order of Moroccan Soup came in a huge ceramic pot, enough for about four people. We had the viande makfoul and viande légumes tagines, with a big basket of bread, and both were cooked perfectly. Breakfast starts at 7:30am. We came after 9am, so much of the food was gone or cold, which was our own fault, haha. The beef sausages were delicious, and there was a wide spread of dishes, salads, bread, pastries, and more. The one bother was the noise from "Campement Afrique", the themed area near our room. Drums and performers shouting carried on past 10pm, all the way to midnight, while we were trying to sleep. Hopefully the shows won’t go on so late in future. Apart from that, we had a very happy stay, made special by the truly wonderful, charming staff and hosts. Thank you so much.

The mattress was hard as a rock, seriously uncomfortable. I even pulled back the bottom sheet to check if it was really a mattress. None of the outlets in our hotel room worked, so we couldn’t charge our phones. The light switches worked until we went to bed. In the middle of the night the power went out in all three rooms our group had. The hotel was advertised as having power, but there was no explanation or apology the next morning. At least the thick blankets in the bureau kept us warm. In the morning there was absolutely no water pressure and no hot or even warm water. The gardens and walkways are lovely, though poorly lit at night. Dinner service was extremely slow, and we gave up on dessert. Several people at my table had no soup spoons, napkins, or glasses when we sat down. We had to ask multiple times to get them, and by then the soup wasn’t hot. The kefta balls were the best we’d had, and the parsley rice and vegetables were delicious and served hot. The chicken tagine was dry. The cold still water was lovely. There weren’t enough servers, and the men working seemed very disorganized. It was also hard to get a server’s attention, since a couple of people in our group kept the waiters busy ordering drinks. My son never got the beer he ordered. At breakfast I was glad to see honey. We got to the buffet halfway through and expected the food to still be there, but there were no scrambled or over-easy eggs. I had a crepe with honey and two hard-boiled eggs. There were plenty of pastries and raw vegetables, but I don’t usually eat pastries for breakfast, especially without protein. The buffet needed more attention, along with basic things like having warm water in the morning.

The outdoor oasis at this Riad is beautiful, but the room wasn’t our favorite. After staying at other Riads during our five-day tour of Morocco, this was the least enjoyable one. Some staff were friendly, and dinner and breakfast were below par.

You can feel the care and soul that went into building this hidden paradise around the natural surroundings. The guest houses and suites are beautiful, and the people are so friendly. I’ll be back.