My husband and I stayed at the Riad des Golfs late September 09. The surrounding area is a bit of a wilderness and the riad is some way from Agadir centre - you will need transport or pay out for taxis. Paule and Bernard will help you source a hire car.

There are no restaurants in the area, so meals would need to be taken at the riad or drive/taxi into Agadir. Meals at the riad must be confirmed in the morning as Fatima (chef) cooks for the number who are booked. You won't be disappointed if you do eat at the riad - we stayed for our second and last night, with a different theme each time. Our last night was French and was a fabulous 4 course meal. The attention to detail, the table settings and the tasteful decor all adds to a wonderful experience.

When we arrived late in the evening, we were a little concerned about the area, but when the gates opened into the courtyard we were amazed at the oasis at the other side of the gates. Once you walk through the courtyard garden you arrive at the entrance to the house a combination of a French chateau with a very Moroccan feel. The lofty ceiling with silk drapes, French furniture with touches of Moroccan furnishings are so tasteful. This room leads to the garden and swimming pool, which is serene and very pretty.

Our room, (all the suites are the same) was amazing and very grand and equally as tastefully decorated as the main house, with open bathroom area, separate loo and sitting room area, with sofa bed for additional guests. There is a balcony, quite large, but no view and curtains screen it, which makes it feel claustrophic. It doesn't get much sun and with only one sunbed, wasn't somewhere either my husband and I felt worth spending time in. Although the balcony is a bit of a negative, it wasn't an issue as there is plenty of room to sit and relax around the pool.

One small negative and this may be because we couldn't work out the contols, but there was no satellite tv - just a few French channels, which meant we couldn't catch up with BBC world news - but a small gripe.

Breakfasts were relaxed, continental, pastries and eggs cooked to your choice.

If you ask for pre dinner drinks be prepared for an array of olives and selection of nuts to tempt you before dinner - very nice, but not so good if you are on a diet!!! Mustafa ,our waiter was helpful, polite and very attentive.

This is a great place if you want to relax, play golf , two courses a short distance away, but if you want to get out and about transport is essential.

Paule and Bernard are very welcoming, although we didn't speak much to Bernard, I'm not sure if he speaks much English, but Paule speaks perfect English, which was most appreciated as our French is a little to be desired.

It is quite expensive compared to the large hotels, but the tranquility and the beautiful decor more than compensate.

From the start, our relationship with Riad des Golfs was difficult: I had to ask three times wether they would provide baby cots until I got a more or less sufficient answer. Any email of my part aksing for a reservation confirmation or more details to the room were answered by a form answer with no regard to my special needs. After several tries I finally was able to book the room I had asked for.

When arriving, it was a total disaster regarding the riad's service. We admittedly arrived late at night I perfectly understand that serving dinner at that time may cause inconveniency for the staff. However, I believe it should be possible to have some minutes to see the room, wash your hands and get a baby to sleep. Instead, we were shood around, severly insulted by the owner, ended up having no dinner but having to pay for it.

We therefore had no chance to see any of the Riad. The room was ok, the balcony rather poor of quality, the gardens in which we finally ate our sandwiches that we found in town seemed to be nice.

My conclusion: I have never experienced such an unfriendly and less welcoming service in any other hotel. I would never stay again.

This small, eight-bedroom hotel is absolutely gorgeous in almost every way. Agadir is a very large, modern city not to my liking, but blessed with great weather, so our choice for a short holiday in April. As other reviewers say you are greated with drinks, the rooms are spacious and airy with every facility, the breakfast by the pool is faultless. The staff are extremely helpful and willing and any slight difficulties only occurred when our French wasn't quite up to it, but the owner speaks fluent Engish and is charming. The pool is heated, the sunbeds have nice comfy cushions and the riad offers complete privacy. Agadir is prone to strong winds, but only a slight breeze round the pool. The sitting areas are beautiful and lit with candles in the evening. Everywhere is immaculately clean. No need to post photos - it looks just like the hotel's photos.

Drawbacks - I am being picky. The bedroom curtains are very lightweight so the light comes in at dawn. Take an eye mask if that would bother you. Bathroom is seperated from bedroom by curtain that doesn't draw fully across. There is a mosque nearby so be prepared for early wake up call - take ear plugs! There is only a no-choice set menu every night. One night our food was wonderful, the next not to our liking at all. The hotel was full while we were there. Strangely there were only 12 sunbeds with 16 plus guests so at times when everyone was there some people had to sit in chairs or lie on the grass.

I would definitely go there again and recommend it to everyone except those with small children (unless well behaved.) This is a grown-up place!

We decided to take a chance on Agadir after reading about the wonderful beaches and riads that welcome tourists from Europe and North America. After extensive research, we settled on the Riad des Golfs. The reviews and write-ups both on the internet and in Moroccan travel books were all overwhelmingly positive, and with good reason.

The riad is about 20km from the Agadir airport, although we opted to take a car from Marrakesh to Agadir as flights are irregular and not always conveniently timed. The riad is quietly nestled off one of the main roads of Agadir. In fact, it’s so quietly nestled that it took our driver (an Agadir native) about 10 minutes to find once we got close by. Don’t let this deter you. Once we arrived, we were greeted by the Riad’s warm staff and offered a drink while we unwound from the long drive. Small note, the vast majority of the staff speak French and Arabic, however aside from the hotel proprietor, English is not very well understood. So brush up on your French if you want to engage in any lengthy conversations. We both speak enough French to get by, so this was not a significant issue.

The Riad differentiates itself from other riads in Agadir, and other cities in Morocco by its wonderful gardens and outdoor pool. There is a lushly decorated courtyard immediately as you enter, leading you into the main reception room, with lounge areas and a dining room. Despite the “new” feel to this Riad, the Brillhaume’s have made a concerted effort to maintain a bit of old Moroccan charm to the house. The outdoor pool and gardens are impeccably maintained by the Riad’s staff. The purpose of our trip to Agadir, the final stop on our trip, was for rest and relaxation. The pool area was the perfect place to unwind after a long adventure to some of Morocco’s busier cities.

The rooms at the Riad des Golfs are quite sizeable, and share in the same attention to detail and comfort as the rest of the Riad. There is a small sitting area, bedroom, lavish bathroom and a private courtyard or patio (depending on whether your room is on the ground or first floor). Each room has a TV with satellite cable, which apparently offers 500 channels when it works properly. Not a big attraction, because the cost is losing out on the weather that Agadir offers.

Breakfast is included in the room rate, and is offered in the morning by the pool or inside in one of the dining areas. Breakfasts varied day-to-day, but the service was always consistently terrific. The staff is very attentive, and quick to refill your coffee or tea. Dinner was primarily in the main dining area, and should be reserved either the night before or earlier in the day at breakfast. Also, if you plan to stay at the Riad during the day be sure to reserve lunch. The staff goes to the market on a daily basis, and may not have enough food around in the event you find yourself at the riad unexpectedly. The cuisine was always very well prepared and presented. One small note, Agadir is a port city and similar to many port cities around the world, fish is a key theme on the menu. Be sure to tell the staff if you have any preferences the day before so they can shop accordingly.