A change of scenery for the whole family at Hilton Tangier Al Houara

During the last All Saints’ Day holidays, we stayed at the Hilton Al Houara. Here are our impressions.

The hotel is only 10 minutes from Tangiers airport, which is very convenient when travelling with a child. We found the flight short, about 3 hours from Brussels. Even though the hotel is close to the airport, we did not see any air traffic during our stay.

The hotel staff are very friendly and welcoming, as is often the case in Morocco. The hotel is on a human scale and blends in perfectly with the landscape, with buildings no higher than two storeys. The decor is tasteful and the surroundings very clean.

We stayed in a spacious room and our son slept in a large comfortable sofa converted into a bed. It was a garden view room, but in fact from our large terrace we could also admire the sea and the beautiful sunsets.

The hotel is primarily designed for relaxing and playing golf. Don’t look for a very lively atmosphere here. However, the day is punctuated by entertainment for children, such as the 5pm football match that Achille and I played in every day.

The kids’ club is very pleasant and the activity leaders are very friendly. A great Halloween evening was organised there during our stay. The games room next to reception serves as a meeting place for the younger guests, who enjoy playing table football, PlayStation and arcade games together. This games room is really well thought out. Our son loved going there and made several friends.

Outside, there is a petanque area, a basketball hoop and a playground for the children.

The hotel’s clientele is mainly families from France, Morocco and England.

The spa is very pleasant. Once a week, women benefit from a 50% discount on treatments. The hammam, sauna and jacuzzi are available free of charge.

The hotel offers direct access to a long sandy beach. The sea is very nice but some parts of this public beach contain some rubbish. Perhaps in high season the beach is cleaned. The hotel has several swimming pools, including a huge paddling pool with a magnificent view of the sea: perfect for families with young children!

The hotel has two main restaurants: a traditional Moroccan à la carte restaurant and a buffet restaurant. There is also a sports bar that broadcasts football matches and serves sushi and burgers. The food is very good and varied. Meals are reasonably priced. For an evening meal at the buffet, expect to pay €40 per adult and €20 per child, including water and soft drinks.

Every day, the hotel’s shuttle bus takes you to Tangier free of charge (departure 10am, return 5pm, approximately 35-minute drive). Tangier is a very pleasant city to visit, with its marina, traditional souks and Portuguese-inspired architecture.

Our stay exceeded our expectations. The value for money at the Hilton Tangier Al Haoura is really excellent. We had a very pleasant stay and came home feeling really refreshed!

Useful addresses:

– In Tangier, I recommend lunch at the traditional Salon Bleu restaurant, overlooking the old town. The decor is very nice and the food delicious. The restaurant is not recommended for babies with pushchairs, as you have to climb a long flight of stairs to get there.

– To visit Tangier, we used the famous double-decker tourist bus. The price is reasonable: €35 for two adults and a child. This option allows you to see the city’s main sites in a minimum amount of time.

– Two hours’ drive from the hotel is the famous town of Chefchaouen, nicknamed the Blue City. We didn’t go there because we didn’t have time, but we’ve heard a lot that it’s well worth the diversions.