Sousse Palace Hotel & Spa

"Just back from an end of season stay at this not 5 Star hotel. Spent a week here and wanted home within 3 days! Tired accommodation throughout and very dirty. The hotel only accepts cash and have no card facilities, we were all inclusive but had to pay cash for pool towels (refunded) and local tax. Rooms must be over 20 years old as is everything here. Food is awful and most people were ill. Drinks are clearly not full strength and basically there is one restaurant as all the food is moved by trolley from the buffet. Never went in the pool as animals constantly drinking from it. Outside the hotel you are 2 minutes from the famous market. Venture outside for people begging and the market is unsafe. This will shock you but, 90% of the male staff are hugely inappropriate in the hotel. I had to ask staff to stop touching, hugging, staring and make suggestive comments to my partner, over female holiday makers were exposed to this. They state just our culture but be warned do not encourage them as they will get more full on with you. Our room was beach front and stunk of sewage. All in all a disaster and I would normally add photos but, really want to forget the experience."

"I really struggle to grasp some of the bad reviews left on this site, were we actually Staying in the same hotel? Pauline and I found all the staff to be friendly, warm and welcoming, with a real positive attitude. A special mention to Ahmed, Mohammed and Jamal who looked after us at the pool and lounge bars. Skander who looked after us in the restaurant and the other hard working waiters and Chefs. Our lovely Maid and finally but not least to the hard working but crazy (like us) Mahjdi, who genuinely wanted everyone to have a great experience. Thanks also to his wife for working so hard on the Halloween decorations. We had our room upgraded to a pool and sea view room, thanks to the lovely Yasmin in Guest relations. All spotlessly clean, fresh towels daily and just in keeping with the Tunisian style of the hotel. Falling asleep to the sound of the Sea was lovely. The food was excellent, loads of choice, really tasty and some amazing spicy dishes. The Tunisian night was great with a wide selection of Tunisian fish, meat and vegetable dishes plus lovely desserts. As with many other reviews, please invest in more serving spoons and tongues for each dish, as it could be a serious issue for anyone with allergies. The grounds, Swimming Pools, beach are fabulous and well maintained. You can always get sun beds, cushions and towels from the attendants and security. The location is literally a few hundred yards from the Médina and all of its vibrancy and history. Will we return again? 100% We really did not want to leave."

"Disappointing customer service, despite a lovely location On arrival, I was advised that check-in was not for another two hours, which was absolutely fine as this was in line with my booking confirmation. However, the welcome from customer service was far from warm or friendly. There was very little information provided about where guests could get a drink or have lunch while waiting for their rooms to be ready. When the advertised check-in time arrived, I was informed that my room still wasn’t ready and was simply asked to wait near reception. I then noticed other guests arriving on the coach transfer being shown to their rooms ahead of me, despite my room actually being ready. This was a disappointing start to the holiday. The room itself was a decent size, with a lovely balcony overlooking both the pool and the sea, which I really enjoyed. However, the decor is looking rather dated, and the standard of cleanliness left a lot to be desired. Finding dust and hair left behind by previous guests was not particularly pleasant. Unfortunately, there were also several maintenance issues that were never resolved. On the first evening, I discovered that the air conditioning wasn’t working. When I reported this to reception, I was told that the air conditioning had been switched off across the entire complex towards the end of September. This was despite temperatures still reaching 29°C on some days, making the evenings particularly uncomfortable and the room extremely stuffy. I was told the matter would be looked into, but nothing further happened. The television was another issue. It had no working aerial connection and, without an internet connection, couldn’t be used as a smart TV either. Despite reporting this several times during my stay, it was never resolved. Customer service was, generally speaking, very poor. There was one notable exception: a member of staff working mornings by the poolside, who was consistently pleasant and helpful. Unfortunately, this level of service was not reflected elsewhere. The experience in the main restaurant was also frustrating. On numerous occasions, I had to ask for clean cutlery or for tables to be cleared. As a solo traveller, I often found myself having to walk around the buffet area searching for a member of staff to assist. Some of the staff responsible for welcoming guests or overseeing the restaurant appeared unwilling to help, or simply ignored requests rather than directing guests to someone who could. The food selection was decent, and I have no particular complaints about the variety on offer. However, another major disappointment was the lack of information provided on arrival. There was no proper explanation of how to book or access the other restaurants across the complex, what additional facilities were available, the pool opening times or even what activities the animation team offered. These are basic things that should be explained to guests, particularly when arriving at an unfamiliar resort. Overall, I felt the hotel missed a real opportunity to make guests feel welcome and valued. Good customer service is such an important part of the holiday experience, and unfortunately, this was consistently lacking throughout my stay. Although I absolutely loved Tunisia and thoroughly enjoyed the destination itself, the hotel’s service, cleanliness and failure to address basic maintenance issues have left me disappointed. Sadly, despite some positives, I would not choose to return to this hotel."