Situated on Morocco's southern Atlantic coast, Agadir, resuscitated from the earthquakes and upheavals of the century, is now a city where the art of wellcoming becomes a baner. The View Agadir 5 * is a manifesto for hospitality that combines transparency, refinement and a sense of place. Combined with an outstanding hotel experience, its chic, elegant design echoes this setting: natural stone, soft tones, lush vegetation, rooms with a view.
The building, with its geometric elegance, stands out on the seafront like a belvedere facing the Atlantic. With two major assets: a beach of fine sand and a green environment. The smooth, immaculate whiteness of the concrete contrasts with the blue of the bay, as if to underline its primary purpose: to offer a panoramic view. The name, The View, is no understatement: everywhere, the sea is a spectacle, whether shimmering in the morning sun or darkening in the slow Atlantic twilight.
Inside, the bay window of the vast lobby opens onto an immense exotic garden, surrounding an undulating swimming pool. The waxed concrete floors capture every reflection, amplifying the clarity of the space. The architecture here is resolutely contemporary in design: straight lines, generous volumes, glass façades that capture the daylight: wide windows open onto the ocean, extending the view to the horizon. The wide corridors lead to the bedrooms, all of which open onto the ocean.
A stopover facing the sea
The 272 rooms stretch along an elegant wing. Large bay windows open onto private terraces, where the shade of a palm tree grazes the railing while the soothing sound of the Atlantic rises. Rooms range in size from 39 m² for the classic rooms, all with balconies, to 60 m² for the executive suites. There are also two 156 m² 'prestige' suites and two 255 m² 'royal' suites. Inside, the furnishings are simple in design - light wood, brushed metal - made cosy by meticulous attention to detail: blue headboards, beige stone bathrooms that look as if they've been plucked straight out of a decorating magazine. There's no ostentatious luxury here, but every detail reflects a quest for balance between comfort and simplicity: light wood, natural fabrics, enveloping soft bedding, technology that's present but discreet. You feel invited to suspend time, to reconnect with what's essential. I've heard whispers that this place has all the makings of a favorite, and I admit: The View Agadir does not seek to tell a local story or to engage in a dialogue with Moroccan architecture. Its only narrative is told through the view, an absolute treasure that even gave the place its name.
The View Agadir has gone beyond its primary function to reflect the modernity of a city undergoing a complete metamorphosis.
The spa: the heart of rejuvenation
At the heart of The View AgadirThe Amaya spa (Berber for beauty and serenity) is a 1500 m² space dedicated to relaxation and beauty, with an indoor heated swimming pool, hammam, steam room and relaxation zone... It's like entering a haven of silence, surrounded by smooth marble and the scent of eucalyptus. The treatments on offer - argan oil massages, ghassoul wraps, rituals inspired by the ancestral hammam - weave a dialogue between Moroccan traditions and techniques from elsewhere. Here, the art of the gesture reigns supreme: one that soothes tension, relaxes the body and, more subtly, awakens the mind. In the softly lit cabins, every detail, from the discreet music to the measured warmth of the stones, contributes to a feeling of rebirth. One emerge from this inner journey as if washed by the nearby Atlantic, feeling lighter, more open, almost renewed.
A wide range of gastronomic choices
The View Agadir offers a wide range of gastronomic options: a panoramic restaurant where international cuisine is tinged with Moroccan accents; a chic brasserie celebrating the freshness of seafood; and a more intimate area dedicated to local flavours.
Le Sensya: Italian restaurant at The View Agadir
At its helm is Francisco Franzese, a master of flavours. The man cultivates a smiling Mediterranean frankness, speaking more through his dishes than through his words. His language is that of a revisited tradition: the vigour of Naples and the freshness of the Ligurian coast combine with the light of Morocco. Born in Campania, Franzese grew up surrounded by the scents of olive oil and the flavours of the sea. Trained in the rigorous establishments of Naples and Milan, his credo is "To respect the material is already to create." © M. Lasseur
Here, every meal is a journey. His fresh pasta, made every morning, is an ode to perfected simplicity. His risottos oscillate between land and sea, sometimes enhanced by a zest of local citrus fruit that recalls the bounty of the orchards of the Souss. We're talking about a sourdough pizza, as fine as lace, whose crust contains all the know-how of Italy and the fragrance of the wood-fired oven. And we'll never forget this fillet of fish, caught off the coast of Agadir but treated with an elegance that's all Transalpine: just cooked, noble olive oil, basil picked the same day.
The decor reflects the chef's philosophy: the ocean is there, behind the terrace where we are having lunch, as if it had come to witness this dialogue of flavours. At the table, you're not just in Agadir, nor quite in Italy: you're travelling between two shores, with a gourmet passport on your plate that unites the Mediterranean and Atlantic shores.
Now settled in the heart of the Moroccan Atlantic, the chef has nothing to deny of this heritage, but adapts it, opens it up, nuances it. His cuisine is a bridge: to the vegetables of the Souss, he combines the elegance of a pasta al dente . To the fish of Agadir, it offers the grace of Italian cooking without the fuss; To the citrus fruits of the country, it borrows the brightness of a condiment that awakens a risotto. In this way, each dish becomes a conversation between two shores. The restaurant has chosen to let multiple culinary cultures converse, making this dialogue a central chapter of its hospitality. Couscous, tajine and honey pastries remind us that Moroccan hospitality is above all a matter of taste and sharing. The chef plays with this palette with scrupulous respect for the terroir and measured creativity, offering guests a culinary journey as subtle as the architecture of the premises.
Nazka by Buddha-Bar: a mix "Latina and Moroccan cuisine
Hamza Zabri, the chef of Nazka restaurant at The View Agadir, is an alchemist. He proceeds discreetly, as if he wanted to let his dishes speak for themselves. And yet, behind this restraint lies a a deliberate boldness: that of a Moroccan chef who has chosen to create a dialogue between his heritage and the distant horizons of Latin America. In his dishes, chillies from Peru meet cumin from Marrakech, ceviche of sea bream caught off the coast of Agadir is illuminated by a hint of argan, while quinoa from the Andes is enriched by spices from the Souss. He slips the bold notes of a desert date into a Peruvian dessert. This fusion is never an artificial collage, but a stubborn search for the right balance: "I want my dishes to retain their soul.
Zabri works on alliances like a musician looking for the right chord, the meeting point between two cultures. Born in Casablanca, trained in the Kingdom's hotel schools and then honed in a number of international establishments, Zabri quickly realised that cuisine could be a universal language. The techniques and rigour he acquired fom foreign masters, he has combined with a deep taste for his own roots: the bustling markets of his youth, the spices of his childhood, the heady scent of coriander and cumin. His colleagues speak of a chef who pays attention to the smallest detail. His customers take a culinary journey that takes them from Lima to Agadir in just a few swipes of the fork.
Restaurant Mima Kitchen, Moroccan fusion cuisine
Mima Kitchen is the emblematic oriental restaurant of The View Hotel. It is headed up by the chef Assia Manar. Mima Kitchen offers what might be called a neo-Moroccan fusion cuisine, blending traditions and ingredients from different gastronomic cultures. The land speaks with its spices, its colours, its typical dishes rethought and sometimes reinvented.
I discovered the Harira Marrakchia, lamb liver with charmoula (a traditional North African marinade) with taktouka (a traditional Moroccan dish made with peppers and tomatoes), zaalouk (a cooked aubergine and tomato salad), caramelised pumpkin...! But the Moroccan classics (tajine, couscous, pastilla) are also present, bearing witness to Morocco's ancestral culinary heritage, with its flavours, spices, colours and traditions. The chef highlights her Moroccan roots without anchoring herself in folklore.
On the menu: Tfaya couscous with chicken and sultanas, lamb mouse: prepared Mrouzia style, with dried fruit, M'qalli cockerel tajine: cockerel marinated in preserved lemon and red olives, loup-bar in a green charmoula crust, Ghiyatia with smoked olive oil and red olive crackers, seffa Medfouna: sweet and sour angel hair, stuffed with chicken, decorated with almonds and flavoured with cinnamon.
Buddha Bar
You can also dine and be entertained at the Buddha Bar. The stage is filled with performers and signature cocktails. The magic of the shows, with live music, dancing and artistic demonstrations, are worthy of Hollywood films. The cuisine offers a fusion of pan-Asian flavours: sushi, maki... but with a modern twist (succulent lobster dumplings).
Excursions
See our report on Agadir https://universvoyage.com/en/the-view-agadir-5-a-contemporary-oasis-on-the-atlantic/
The Kasbah fort (Oufella) destroyed by the 1960 earthquake and recently restored, which offers a superb view over the bay of Agadir.
The Polizzi Medina (4.5 ha) recreates a medina on the edge of a eucalyptus grove, and is home to some fine boutiques.
Souk El Had, Africa's largest urban market, with its maze of alleyways and over 3,000 shops.
The hotel is close to some of Agadir's finest golf courses, and staff will be happy to book your green for you.
Numerous guides on Amazon.
The View Agadir
Boulevard du 20 Août, Agadir
www.theviewhotels.com
Text : Michèle Lasseur
Photos : Michèle Lasseur er DR
