Riad Lamane

Air conditioning was terrible. It was so hot. Dinner was nice and they sold wine and beer. Breakfast was terrible however, with rotten boiled eggs that stunk out the dining room, and the food old and stale. Nice pool (good size) but no shade. Generally the place was rather untidy and unkempt, but the staff were friendly and appeared to try their best.

We spent a night at this Riad before our next day's adventure, a tour to the Sahara desert camp. The reception at arrival was awkward, the gentleman didn't seem to work there for a long time or just didn't feel like it, it is hard to tell but we didn't feel sincerely welcome. Overall amenities were a bit run down, we think it must have been very nice at one time but now it is just in need of a big renovation. Although we had an OK night in nice beds, it was during breakfast we realised how poor the place actually is. All served buffet style was cold, old or tasteless. On top of that they had zero gluten-free options, whereas weeks before (and even the night before) they reassured us this would not be a problem. It was then we decided we would not return to this place after our desert experience and we booked an alternative in Zagora.

We spent a night at this Riad as part of a private tour coming back from the Sahara desert camp. We were two couples, looking forward to a nice Riad experience promised in the tour brochure. When we first arrived at the reception we were encouraged by the prominent Rotary International wheel sign, since we were also Rotarians. Our mood quickly changed when the person at the desk seemed frazzled since he had another group of 6 people checking in at the same time. He just gave us two forms to fill, gave us two sets of keys and we were told to find our way to our rooms. The compound was nice enough with vegetation and walkways, but there were no signs pointing to where our room might be. There was also construction going on across from the open-air restaurant. We finally found our rooms, but I had to go back to the reception because our room was not acceptable. The fact that the door could not be closed shut should have given us the hint. Well, we finally got another room after waiting 20 minutes, and the room was spacious and well decorated, but the shower barely worked. Anyway, we got the distinct impression the hotel must have been very nice at one time, but it was in much need of repairs and TLC, and the staff, although wanting to help and be of service, were run off their feet and unable to provide excellent service. The pool looked nice, but we were not able to go in because it was not heated, and the water was quite literally colder than Lake Ontario back home. There were also no towels by the pool. The place has great potential if the construction would fix all its facilities issues, and they get more staff which will give them capacity to provide the service to satisfy the guests.

We spent the night here on our way to the Sahara Desert. Although it seemed to be "low season" and their were few guests, the staff were friendly and helpful. Our room was amazingly spacious, and allowed us to spread out and reorganize for the next few nights in the desert. Food was tasty and promptly delivered. The riad was in the process of construction on part of the grounds, but there was no big construction noise to disturb the peace of the grounds and gardens.