"We booked our stay via a travel agency, and we got a lot of information regarding the hotel and Tunisia in general beforehand. Right after arrival, we handed over our registration cards. The reception man looked very dodgy and sketchy, like he was going to be caught doing something illegal. He asked me for 100 EUR for an upgrade to a “nicer room,” which I said I would decide after seeing the room.
Then he asked for 64 dinars for the tourist tax, but my daughter is only 10, so she should not pay. He had that on the registration card. I said it’s free for kids, and then he agreed for only me to pay. I wanted to use a card, but he said the “machine doesn’t work.” I insisted, so suddenly it worked :D
The room he gave us looked okay, but it was very far away and faced an area where they had garbage (a lot of it). Also, the staff lived below and were grilling meat right under our room, so we couldn’t open the balcony door at times. The AC didn’t work, and there was no Wi-Fi in the room. But then I spoke to people in sea-view rooms, and they had AC and Wi-Fi. I mean, I didn’t care about having a superior room, but treating some guests as second-class is a bit too much. They could have AC and Wi-Fi for everyone, but instead they expect you to upgrade for 100 EUR and then treat you better. Because I didn’t upgrade and didn’t pay the tax in cash, it felt like they were taking it out on us (for example, the card didn’t work three times, so we had to go back). When I wanted to exchange money for tips, they said they didn’t have any, but I saw them do it for others. Very rude reception.
Next, the room looked okay in terms of cleanliness, but there was only one sheet to cover ourselves, and the nights were colder. I found duvets in the room cabinet, but they were dirty and looked like they had been used before without covers. I left them on the bed expecting the cleaning staff to put covers on them, but it didn’t happen. They just left them on top of the sheet meant for covering yourself. Weird and a big minus. At least they cleaned the room daily, made the beds, etc.
The food on the first two days was terrible—some meals looked like from an old-school cafeteria buffet. The grilled meat or shrimp could have been nice if they cleaned the grill, but they didn’t scrub the burned pieces, so everything tasted overburned. The next few days improved in some aspects (especially the traditional Tunisian food, which was good), but there was still a lot of inedible and weird-looking food. Same with the desserts—some strange Tunisian cookies, then cakes that all tasted the same.
Breakfast was even worse. I ate just an omelette and some vegetables every day, as it was the only decent option (cheap bread, cheap ham and cheese, etc.). One day we had an à la carte dinner, but there was no menu, and they brought three courses that were basically from the main buffet :D
The restaurant and bar staff were a disaster on their own. During lunch and dinner, they didn’t pay attention to who was leaving or arriving, so people had to wait for tables that were still full of plates, and it took them 10 minutes to clean up. Many times it was easier for me to clear the table myself and get new cutlery rather than wait 15 minutes. Don’t expect to get drinks on time either. If they were organised, they would have a system—one cart collecting dirty dishes, another bringing drinks. Even when I went to get a drink myself, the bartender gave it in a plastic coffee cup :D or told me they had no beer and sent me to the main bar (over 100m away).
On the fifth day, another guest told me that the staff prioritise those who tip them from the start. I was planning to tip at the end, which is normal when you are satisfied, but here they expect it upfront. A pity. I did tip the pool bar barman at the end, as he served me well without expecting anything, and his service stayed consistent—quality.
Now for the positives: the hotel is really pretty, both the outside areas (pool, gardens) and the inside (reception, lobby, bar). Everything is clean and well-maintained. The pool was clean and warm enough, and the sea and beach were nice too. There were waves in the last few days that brought dirt and plastic, which unfortunately wasn’t cleaned, which is a shame.
The animation team was great—funny, active during the day, good for kids in the evening, and entertaining shows at night (bingo, strongman, drag show, etc.).
So… if you are not too picky about food (you can always find something decent) and you tip the staff upfront, it can be a good stay. We had great weather; I could relax, read books, and swim, so we enjoyed our week as much as possible—but I don’t think I would come back here."
