My amazing holiday in North Africa at a luxury hotel with three pools – for a price ‘so cheap it’s actually disgusting’

Thought you’d never find an exotic African destination in the holiday bargain bin? Think again. A savvy traveller has revealed how he bagged a trip to Morocco for just £186 – including flights.

Rob Adcock, a BBC TV presenter and travel aficionado who posts to Instagram using the handle @robadcock, found himself ‘skimming through Skyscanner looking for cheap deals’ when he found a ‘good value flight’ with Ryanair to Agadir in Morocco that piqued his interest.

The travel content creator decided to look at hotels in the North African city and found what he calls ‘an absolute bargain’ with an overnight stay, three spa treatments and breakfast included for £270 for two people.

Speaking to MailOnline Travel, Rob says: ‘I’m a pretty sad individual, and whenever I’m bored, I just find myself skimming through Skyscanner looking for cheap deals. 

‘So when Morocco came up and Agadir seemed like a good value flight, I did some digging.’

The resort boasts three swimming pools (left), a bar, beach, three restaurants, a fitness centre and spacious rooms (right)

‘Whenever I find a deal, I usually skim around to see what hotels are nearby. We came across the Sofitel. I checked the reviews, and they were glowing. When I was looking through their website (I tend to do that rather than using third-party booking sites), I noticed they had something that looked like an absolute bargain.’

Now, it wasn’t entirely plain sailing to get the deal, as Rob claims it ‘wasn’t the easiest process’ to contact the hotel with ‘lots of calls and faffing around’. However, he adds: ‘I’m so glad we persevered.’

He says the resulting holiday was almost ‘too good to be true’ and ‘exceeded his expectations’.

So cheap ‘it’s disgusting’ 

In a video explaining the deal, Rob says: ‘I’m sorry I’ve been gatekeeping this absolute worldy of a holiday. The price to stay here and have a spa day is so cheap it’s actually disgusting. Me and a mate stayed here and it’s changed our lives for the better.’ 

Breaking down the cost of the holiday, Rob tells MailOnline: ‘For the treatments, overnight stay and breakfast, it was £135 each. Which, to me, is unreal. For that, you couldn’t even get a room in a bang-average hotel in some cities in England.

‘I don’t think you can argue with the price. 

Rob found a ‘good value flight’ with Ryanair to Agadir, pictured, that cost just £51 return

While at the hotel they enjoyed relaxing in the spa and enjoying the weather. On his treatments, Rob comments: ‘One was being covered in mud and put into a machine that enveloped you and got warm. The other was a fancy hot tub (right) to all intents and purposes’

‘[The Ryanair flights were] £31 out, £20 back. It’s one of their newer routes so it’s still really good value.’ 

He and his pal didn’t pay anything for flight extras, adding: ‘Regarding luggage, we only took our Ryanair under-the-seat specials from EcoHub. I hate paying for luggage, so I do anything I can to avoid it. It’s easier when you’re flying somewhere hot for a few days — it’s very rare I’ll need more than the contents of one of the small bags, anyway.’

It’s worth the long journey 

Flights from the UK to Agadir take just under four hours, but Rob claims it’s worth it. 

He notes: ‘I don’t mind the long flights. Yeah, it’s a few hours, but life’s busy. So I’m happy to not be contactable!

‘The early morning flight doesn’t bother me, either, because I just catch up on sleep when I get there. Also, let’s face it, it’s not exactly tiring when you get there.’

While at the hotel – the Sofitel Agadir Thalassa Sea & Spa – they enjoyed relaxing in the spa and trying out its numerous treatments.

Rob remarks: ‘One was being covered in mud and put into a machine that enveloped you and got warm. The other was a fancy hot tub, to all intents and purposes, and the final one was a massage. I imagine there are technical terms for them all. But I would be lying if I said I knew them.’

Guests at the Sofitel Agadir Thalassa Sea & Spa have access to Agadir beach (above) on the Atlantic African coast

Rob tells MailOnline: ‘For the treatments, overnight stay and breakfast, it was £135 each. Which, to me, is unreal’ 

Showing off the resort, which boasts three swimming pools, a bar, a beach, three restaurants, a fitness centre and spacious rooms, he comments: ‘Imagine having a naughty little cocktail down here. A Hugo spritz when the sun’s setting. 

‘It’s right on the beach as well. They’ve got their own little bar down there and the spa is quality. We went all in on the treatments and got all muddied up. Just thinking about it makes me tingle.’

Pointing at a trio of aqua bikes, Rob jokes: ‘It’s really kind of them to try and make me feel at home by chucking a few disused bikes into the water. It’s like I’m back in Stoke-on-Trent.’

Rob explains that he loved the hotel so much that he eschewed his usual habit of sightseeing.

He adds: ‘It’s the first time I’ve ever just stayed in a hotel for a few days. Usually, I’m up and around exploring – finding out what it’s like in nearby towns and cities.

‘But this place was so nice – we just used the spa and chilled by the pool. That’s really out of character, but we told ourselves we just wanted to relax before we left, so it worked out really well. We only left the hotel to watch the football in the local bar. Perfect!’