Kenzi Club Agdal Medina

The amazing stay at kenzi hotel The staff were super friendly and professional from check in to check out. The best part was definitely the animation team they were full of energy all day long (games sports,)activities for kids and adults .and the evening shows were incredible . I highly recommend kenzi for anyone who wants a great vacation with amazing service and top animation

I’ve decided to write an honest review of our stay at this hotel, based purely on our own experience.

As a well-travelled couple who have stayed in all-inclusive hotels around the world, from 3-star properties to mostly 5-star resorts, we’re very familiar with the all-inclusive concept. I also appreciate that star ratings are largely based on the facilities and services a hotel offers — such as spas, gyms, restaurants and other amenities — rather than simply how luxurious or well-maintained everything looks.

First impressions

Our first impression was good. The hotel has a lovely ambience when you walk in, and the staff at reception were cheerful and welcoming, helping us get settled in for our holiday.

Our room was a good size. It was advertised as a Deluxe Double, although, if I’m being completely honest, I’m not sure what made it “Deluxe”. That said, it was perfectly adequate for a week, and we spend very little time in our room anyway.

The sheets were clean, the towels were soft and white, and there was a kettle and coffee-making facilities, although we didn’t use them. The hairdryer was definitely one that looked like it had come straight out of a museum! 😂 Thankfully, after years of travelling, I’ve learnt to take my own hairdryer and extension lead, so that wasn’t an issue for us.

The air conditioning worked, although it possibly needed servicing. After around three nights we both developed sore throats, and we heard from other guests who were experiencing similar problems.

The balcony, unfortunately, wasn’t very inviting. The plants were overgrown and dusty. I appreciate this is a desert environment, but the balcony didn’t appear to have been cleaned during our stay. The metal chairs were also rather basic and didn’t really add to the experience.

Grounds

The hotel grounds were reasonably well maintained, and credit where it’s due — the gardeners were working incredibly hard in very hot conditions.

Food & drinks

The food was tasty and well cooked, and the restaurant staff were friendly and helpful.

The biggest issue for us was the lack of variety. The food was virtually the same every day. Pasta was pasta every night, along with pizza, chips, salads and similar options. By day three, we were already finding it rather boring.

The drinks, however, were very good. It was also great that you could take full-size bottles of water and soft drinks away with you. The coffee and tea were good too.

Entertainment ⭐️

This was one of the highlights of our stay.

The entertainment team worked incredibly hard to involve guests and make everyone feel welcome. From the daytime activities through to the evening entertainment, they really did go above and beyond.

The evening shows were good quality and definitely worth sitting down to watch. The seating area was comfortable and relaxing.

And now for the MAIN EVENT… THE POOLS

For us, this is where the hotel really fell short.

Being an inland hotel with no beach, the pools are obviously a huge part of the holiday experience. There are two pools and an outside snack bar.

Unfortunately, this is where our experience changed considerably.

The snack bar is very small and mainly serves finger food. Food that was supposed to be hot was often only lukewarm. We also found the staff here considerably less friendly than those in other areas of the hotel. That said, we did witness some pretty poor behaviour from guests too, including arguments and even fights between grown women, so perhaps the staff have their reasons for becoming frustrated.

The drinks were good and consistent with those served at the main bars, although it would have been much better to have a proper drinks bar serving both pool areas.

The main pool

The main pool itself is a great size and shape, with gradual steps into the water and a small seating ledge around the edge.

Unfortunately, the condition of the pool was shocking for a hotel advertised as 5-star.

There were broken and missing mosaic tiles around the pool, meaning you had to be careful not to cut yourself. In places, the sides of the pool were green, and there were large areas of the pool floor where the surface had completely broken away, leaving sharp edges.

We witnessed people hurting themselves on these areas.

There were also missing filter covers, leaving holes where you could potentially catch your foot if you weren’t careful.

The pool was being maintained each morning and appeared to be cleaned, but the water often had a cloudy appearance rather than the crisp, clear look you would expect from a 5-star hotel.

The surrounding pool area also looked grubby and desperately needed a proper deep clean and jet wash. Instead, it appeared to receive a quick spray, sometimes once guests were already arriving around 8:30–9am, leaving the area wet while people were trying to use it.

Sunbeds & pool area

The sunbeds themselves were actually very comfortable because of the padding — but they were also very dirty.

The metal frames were old and rusty in places, many of the daybeds were broken, and generally they looked as though they had seen much better days.

The slides were fun for both children and adults, but again, they looked tired and dirty. The surrounding area was particularly disappointing, with fixed beds that looked as though they were ready for the skip.

There was also a swing/slide play area that we never saw a child using during our stay. Looking at the condition and cleanliness of the area, I can understand why.

The frustrating thing is that so much of this could be improved with a proper deep clean, some repairs and a little investment.

Pool towels

The pool towels were actually very good — large, fluffy and clean.

The usual towel wars were happening, although nowhere near as bad as we’ve experienced at some other hotels.

One thing I did notice was the pool maintenance man, dressed in normal clothes, appearing before 6:30am and placing towels on various sunbeds before daylight. He then appeared later in uniform for his actual shift.

It certainly gave the impression that he was reserving beds for certain guests before starting work. If you’re not prepared to get up early and do your own pool run, it appeared you could perhaps get some assistance for the right incentive.

The gentleman working at the main towel hut could also benefit from a few lessons in customer service and politeness — it really does go a long way.

Our overall verdict

This hotel has 5-star facilities on paper, but unfortunately the condition and appearance of many of those facilities no longer feel 5-star.

I imagine that in its prime this must have been a beautiful resort. There are still plenty of positives: friendly staff in many areas, good drinks, tasty food, fantastic entertainment and lovely grounds.

But for us, the pool is a huge part of an all-inclusive holiday, particularly at an inland resort with no beach. The condition of the main pool, sunbeds, slides and surrounding areas let the hotel down massively.

Would we recommend it?

Sadly, no.

Would we return?

Again, sadly, no.

This is simply our honest review based on what we personally saw and experienced during our week. Everyone has different expectations when travelling, and we completely appreciate that.

Unfortunately, on this occasion, ours just weren’t met.