On our tour we had one night in this hotel. The room i was given, was occupied, and no other rooms available. Our guide gave me his room, and he had to sleep in the billiardroom. The water in the shower was only lukewarm, the room clean. The window was locked with a stick and when I tried to open it, it almost fell.
The food was good, this was the first place which served black bread.

The Hotel looks rather like an ageing motel or holiday camp. The bungalows need renovating, particularly externally. Having said that,
the rooms are clean, spacious and comfortable. The real plus of the hotel are the staff who are generally very warm, courteous and helpful, particularly with children. The drawback and it i a big one is the pool (which was why we chose the hotel in the first place). It was too cold to use in the morning and, in the afternoon, it was a pond, drinking fountain for flocks of seagulls - which put off anyone using it. The 5 days we were there were hot and the hotel was fairly full but not one person braved the pool.

More generally, Essaouira is delightful for families with a huge beach, decent restaurants at all levels and a souk to satisfy all but the most besotted shopper and the hotel is close to all of these.

We travelled to Essaouira on the 15.30 Supratours coach from Marrakech - based just next to the railway station. The journey took three hours and cost us a mere 65 dirhams each. Amazing value - around $7!
The hotel is beautifully located, overlooking the town's long sandy beach and just next to the walls of the medina with its labyrynthine and photogenic alleyways. We were put in one of the "bungalow" rooms just beyond the well-tended swimming pool and behind the main hotel block. The bungalow rooms look extremely ugly from the outside - concrete nastiness - but inside they are lovely and spacious. They have private terraces with sun loungers and though we had an opportunity to move into the main hotel block we chose to remain in our bungalow where we slept very peacefully. Though very clean, the bathroom held one disappointment - an unreliable hot water flow from the shower - much better in mid-afternoon.
Orson Welles stayed in the hotel during filming of "Othello" and I understand that this is where he met another guest - Winston Churchill some time in the fifties. The staff were very pleasant, professional and helpful and the breakfast spread was delightful - freshly squeezed orange juice, fresh pancakes with honey, boiled eggs, french bread, croissants and fig jam, fruit - all served in a palatial dining room.
Essaouira itself is often windy. There is a large and active fishing fleet, wood craftsmen and a bustling souk. Many Marrakechis take holiday breaks in the town. Mention the resort in Marrakech and people sigh and smile - "Ah! Essaouira!" I am so glad we visited the town and so pleased we picked the Hotel Des Iles rather than a cramped "riad" inside the medina.

I'd guess the Hotel des Iles was built in the early 1960s, when it would have been state-of-the-art. It was still OK, but could do with a touch of the 21st century. The location is good, just outside the old town and right by the beach. Our room was cottage-style in the garden, pleasant, if a little old-fashioned, with a verandah to sit out on.

The food was not that good by general Moroccan standards, and I wouldn't bother to eat an evening meal here again, though the breakfast was OK.

On our second night in Essaouira we stayed in a Riad hotel in the old town which I'm not going to name as I want to keep it secret so I stand a chance of getting a room next time I go! The whole experience there was far more authentically Moroccan.