"Almost 20 years on Trip Advisor and we have never been to Tunisia!? I guess the incident 11 years ago had a part to play in that however we are glad we made the trip. I had read a load of great reviews of this hotel on here so arrived with a lot of anticipation.
We arrived late in the evening which isn't the best of times following a long trip from the airport stopping everywhere until we were let off the coach last. The reception however was just as you wanted it - welcoming, smiling, helpful and getting us checked in as quickly as possible. We found our way to our room which was at the end of the corridor but a great spot. The humidity was quite intense to start with but it was something we got used to.
Air Conditioning was on but not making a massive impact at the time but it was functioning. The room was spacious, tidy and clean and we had a lovely balcony looking out over the sea - we always upgrade our room to sea view where possible as it makes a lot of difference to the holiday.
Our only gripe with the room was the bathroom which had no ventilation so it had that musty smell around it which you get used to but it is a shame that this wasn't considered in the construction and lay out of the rooms.
Breakfast was the usual "scrum" as I call it, where you are manoeuvring around everyone else trying to find what you want without bumping and spilling food and drinks. the choice however is plentiful and good quality.
When we headed for the pool we realised what a small hotel it is because you feel a lot of people are crammed around the main pool area despite there being a beach just a short stroll away. We got to know the main pool guys and with some gentle "persuasion" we were set up in our preferred spot every day for the duration of the holiday.
On that first morning we decided to go to the Spa for a body scrub and massage. Body scrubs are good on arrival as they get rid of a lot of dead skin to allow good tanning to take place. The body scrub was pretty brutal to say the least, the person doing it was not taking prisoners!
The pool area is good with the swim up bar open from about 10am. They work relentlessly behind that bar and it is disappointing when some people get a bit agitated when they are not served quickly when so many others are expecting the same and there are only two servers on duty. Be courteous to them and they will be courteous back.
The animation team do their best to get people involved but leave you alone if you are not interested. There are aerobics in the pool, darts, archery and the occasional day time foam party which is good fun.
Lunch can be in the main restaurant or down at the beach bar where there is less choice but a nice setting.
The one real gripe I had was with dinner as you are expected to be given a table to sit at and use the table for the duration of the holiday - this can be on one of two sittings. The early sitting is best for the families with children so we went for the later sitting not knowing about the table rule and sat where we wanted to sit where no-one else was sitting. This caused some angst with the waiters and floor management who had words with us which resolved the matter to our satisfaction. To be honest we never used the restaurant for dinner much as we had late lunches or we went out to a nearby restaurant for a change. Why they can't just allow people to sit where they want on a first come first served basis I just don't know?
We caught a couple of the evening entertainments and even got involved in one of them - the karaoke evening! It passes the time but we also managed to install our Firestick into the room TV so we could relax and watch movies on demand.
One of my favourite times of the day was to go to the inside bar at around 5pm and sit in the cool with a nice cold beer. Around that time they bring out some snacks like small pizza pieces and hot peanuts in bowls - both very nice! The waiters behind that bar were also hard workers and did everything they could to make our stay a pleasant one.
A couple of other things to be aware of is that they have a bank in the hotel which is useful exchanging money however they do not accept cards for payment - you need to give cash. Failing this there are ATM machines nearby. Along from the bank is a shop selling gifts and some snacks, such as crisps and chocolates - you can also buy cigarettes there. Lastly, there is a hairdressers which might be useful to some of you.
Overall, we enjoyed our two weeks at the Marhaba Beach Hotel and thought it was a good introduction to Tunisia. I doubt if we would go back to the same hotel as it was a little off the beaten track for me as I like a lot of places to walk out to nearby. I'm sure there will be other places in the country where this is the case and we can enjoy some more Tunisian hospitality as demonstrated by all the staff at this hotel."
