"**A very good stay overall, with a few areas that could be improved**
We stayed at Iberostar Selection Kantaoui Bay for seven nights at the end of August 2026 as a couple, on an all-inclusive basis. Overall, we had a very pleasant stay and there are several things the hotel does particularly well.
First of all, the hotel feels very safe and well secured, while the staff are generally friendly and welcoming. Our room was spacious and the sea view was genuinely relaxing, with palm trees, the pools and the intensely blue Mediterranean in the background.
The all-inclusive buffet offers a very wide variety of food. There are so many different dishes available at every meal that it is almost impossible not to find something you enjoy.
We also appreciated the hotel's approach to drinking water. Instead of relying entirely on plastic bottles, guests are provided with reusable glass carafes that can be filled from water dispensers whenever needed. The dispensers offer sparkling water, cold still water and room-temperature still water. The filtration system appeared to be professionally maintained and displayed several certifications. Bottled water is also available upon request from the main hotel bar in 1-litre plastic bottles, although during our stay we could only get the sparkling version.
The swimming pools were another strong point. They were extremely clean, very well maintained and the general atmosphere around them was pleasant and relaxed. The beach was also clean, and we particularly liked the sunbed service: you can order drinks from the beach bar and a waiter brings them directly to your sunbed.
The fitness room was also a nice surprise. It is air-conditioned, spacious and usually very quiet, with enough equipment for a basic workout. It is obviously not a fully equipped commercial gym, but it has more than enough for some cardio and strength training when you feel like getting a bit of exercise during the holiday or simply start missing your usual gym routine back home.
There are, however, a few things that could be improved. None of them ruined our stay, but they are worth mentioning.
The hotel operates largely on a cash-only basis for additional purchases, and we were not given receipts or invoices for purchases made inside the hotel. The hotel shop also sells a surprisingly large number of counterfeit or imitation branded products, although this seems to be done quite openly rather than being presented as anything else.
Food quality at the main restaurant is somewhat inconsistent. While the variety is excellent, some of the ingredients are clearly on the lower end in terms of quality. This was particularly noticeable with cheeses, processed meats and cold cuts. Some cheeses were extremely fatty, while certain processed meats had an unusual reddish colour and porous texture. Do not expect premium cold cuts such as prosciutto or similar products.
Desserts are generally enjoyable, but many of them have a rather industrial character, with light or diluted flavours and quite a few creams that taste more like margarine-based pastry cream than traditional butter or dairy-based desserts.
The so-called à la carte restaurants were probably the most disappointing part of the experience.
There is an Italian restaurant and a Tunisian restaurant, but they do not really operate as traditional à la carte restaurants. Reservations have to be made approximately 24 hours in advance and you are asked to choose your main course beforehand. In our case, there were essentially two choices: chicken with rice or lamb with couscous.
We chose the Tunisian restaurant because we specifically wanted to experience more local Tunisian cuisine.
The restaurant itself was quiet, with around three waiters looking after only six occupied tables. The staff were very attentive and clearly trying to provide good service, although perhaps slightly too attentive: someone would come to the table every couple of minutes, which interrupted the natural flow of the dinner somewhat.
Unfortunately, the food itself was the bigger issue. We were served several mezze-style dishes, but many of them did not taste freshly prepared. This was particularly noticeable with some of the seafood, including the shrimp and mussels. They appeared to have been prepared considerably earlier and plated later for the dinner service. Some dishes also seemed very similar to food available earlier at the main buffet, which made the experience feel less like a dedicated Tunisian restaurant and more like a repackaged version of the main restaurant.
Despite these criticisms, our overall impression of Iberostar Selection Kantaoui Bay remains positive. It is a comfortable, safe and visually beautiful resort with excellent pools, a pleasant beach, spacious rooms, friendly staff and an impressive variety of food.
With better ingredient quality in certain areas, a more authentic à la carte concept and a more transparent system for payments and receipts, the hotel could offer a noticeably more premium experience."
