Hotel Riu Imperial Marhaba

, Port El Kantaoui
4.5 star
Jinene El Kantaoui 04089, Port El Kantaoui, Tunisia
hotel photo
At the port Hotel gardens and pool area Front of hotel
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Hotel Riu Imperial Marhaba Reviews

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Brilliant!
9 / 10
Sep 2010, kyle hanbury

8 readers found this review helpful

the enterance was incredible, felt like some kind of super star when i turned up. the staff, are so friendly, lots to do for kids, alot of activities, like quading ect.. Port el kantaoui isn't far away, which is amazing, the musical founting is brillaint. its easy to cut... more

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forget the bad reviews :)March 2010
9 / 10
Apr 2010, Nicola Stanton

17 readers found this review helpful

We were fortunate to be staying at the hotel when the ash problem occured it couldnt have come on a better holiday . This is my 4th holiday in Tunisia but the Imperial Marhaba is the best hotel ive stayed in there . The pool and sunbeds were always easily avaliable , short... more

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Not As Good As It Could Be!
7 / 10
Jun 2009, Mr K Hawkshaw

13 readers found this review helpful

On arrival, the Rui Imperial Marhaba Hotel is very impressive. A long driveway surrounded by well maintained gardens and water features leading up to the marbel and glass entrance lobbey. Once inside the lobbey area is huge, again all marbel with four glass elevators... more

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What a place!!!
10 / 10
May 2009, suzypaul

8 readers found this review helpful

My husband and I have just returned from the Imperial Marhaba where we stayed for 11 nights. What can we say? The letter we received from Thomas Cook about the building work was totally unnecessary - there is very little noise and what there is certainly does not worry... more

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not up to expectations
5 / 10
Apr 2009, portsmouth2

4 readers found this review helpful

Stayed at hotel 11th to 18th March09 Very impressive when you first walk in. However when we were shown our room the first thing that struck me was the very strong smell of smoke,My partner and i were not happy with this. We booked a sea view all we got was a view of the... more

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My husband and i have just returned...
10 / 10
Jun 2008, Mrs K Lawrence

6 readers found this review helpful

My husband and i have just returned from our two week holiday.All i can say is what a fantastic time we had.The hotel is lovely, really impressive ,marbel everywhere in the massive reception area with four glass lifts.The staff were so friendly and made our holiday one to... more

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I've stayed at this hotel twice in...
10 / 10
Mar 2008, Mr P R Allen

2 readers found this review helpful

I've stayed at this hotel twice in three years and can only say that if top price London hotels (that I know very well) adopted the same attitude towards service they would be worth the extreme prices they charge. In fact they do not, and the Imperial Marhaba staff and... more

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My wife and I have had two holidays...
9 / 10
Oct 2007, Mr R Parson-Wills

2 readers found this review helpful

My wife and I have had two holidays this year at the Imperial Mahaba and both times have found it an excellent hotel. All the staff were very friendly and could not do enough to help us wherever we were in the hotel; reception, restaurants, bars, beach, and chamber maids... more

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On first arrival at the Imperial...
8 / 10
Aug 2007, Mr P Maylard-Mason

1 reader found this review helpful

On first arrival at the Imperial Marhaba, it is hard not to be blown away by the huge marble-floored lobby (even if your scheduled 1910 flight has been delayed by SIX hours!) and there is plenty more to like at this impressive hotel. Service and food (we went on a... more

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My stay in this hotel and Port El...
10 / 10
Aug 2007, Miss R Elliot

1 reader found this review helpful

My stay in this hotel and Port El Kantaoui was fantastic, I didn’t want to leave. I was a bit nervous before going because I had read all the reviews and there were quite a few comments on the Tunisian men and we were four teenage girls travelling together. The men were... more

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My husband and I have just returned...
10 / 10
Jul 2007, Mrs IC Avrinte

1 reader found this review helpful

My husband and I have just returned from a 7 day stay at Riu Imperial Marhaba and we're absolutely impressed by the services provided by this hotel. The lounge area is impressive, with four glass elevators, interior water fountains, marble tiles, huge fresh rose bouquets... more

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Where do I start on this hotel?...
5 / 10
Jun 2007, Mr D MOORE

Where do I start on this hotel? First of all if you are told that the currency exchange rate is set by the government and is the same throughout the country do not believe it. We noticed different hotels have different rates and this hotel was the poorest out of four that... more

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More Traveller Reviews of Hotel Riu Imperial Marhaba

Nice but Not 5*! from A TripAdvisor Member
Myself and my husband stayed here for our honeymoon recently. While it is no where near a 5 star hotel we found it to be a plesent place to stay. The rooms are dated but extreamly clean and the bed was one of the most comfortable I have ever slept in! We we put in a horrid little room at first with twin beds (on our honeymoon!!!!!) but we only had to ask once and we were moved. The food was fantastic (even for my husband who is VERY fussy!). Breakfast was a little repetitive but the food was always fresh (omelettes and pancakes cooked while you wait!) and dinner was really lovely. The hot and cold buffet starters were very tasty and it was easy to just fill up on these! Main courses were delish and we never had the same thing twice in our 2 week stay! The area is quiet as people have said but it is a nice walk along the beach into the marina and taxis are as cheap as chips! There is no entertainment so to speak in the hotel (kareokee and bingo! Not our scene!) so we often went down to the Irish Bar in the evenings (Near Sousse about 6 dinar in a taxi). I would visit Tunisia again as it is only a short flight with great weather and very cheap to get to and stay in but I probably would not stay here again as it was a bit to far out of the Marina and I like to be in the centre of things! PS If you do visit you have to try the Mediteranee restaurant in the Marina! Amazing food and service!
Food and entertainment from A TripAdvisor Member
We paid for five star food and accomadation and unfortunately that isnt what we got. The food wasn't even worthy of 3 star! In a word it was slop! This was the fouth time we had gone to this hotel and definetely the worst, I only hope the Riu takeover changes things. Another negative was the entertainment, this was the first time we had seen entertainment at this hotel and it was nothing special, you go on holiday to relax not to be pressured into playing darts and volleyball.
had a great time from A TripAdvisor Member
Me and my family stayed at the imperial in july,if your looking for a fantastic beach holiday then this is for you.Great weather in the summer thats why we chose this destination.Beach is immaculate best beach i have seen compared to others in the mediteranean.the hotels section of the beach is not very big but you can take a walk through the other hotel's beaches aswell.Beware of tiny jellyfish in the sea i got stung but it only lasted 10mins just rub some tomatoe over the sting.Hotel food is good,they have a wide selection buffet something for everyone,you can always ask for something thats not on the menu like chips or sirloin steak.Beach bar was good for pizza at lunch time or a baquette.The hotel's grounds are kept very nice.There is a pool but was always full,beach was a much better place to relax.Not alot to do at night at the hotel so i would advise to go to the marina where there is loads of restaurants and bars and shops.Rooms are basic i would say this was the only downside to the hotel considering the brochure says its 5star.The rooms just need updating but they are clean and you dont spend alot of time in them.You can take a catamaran excursion from the marina which is great if you wana catch the sun and see dolphins.There is also quadbiking which is fun best to do it later in the day when its not so hot.You can get a taxi to the marina for hardly much money or you can catch the noddy train from outside the hotel which is an experience as there are some crazy drivers out there.Overall a good hotel i would say 4star.
The Best Holiday We Have Ever Been On !!!!! from A TripAdvisor Member
We stayed in the Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Port el Kantaoui for 7 nights. There were 9 of us in our party, ages ranging from 11 to 76. We all had a fantastic time. The hotel is beautiful, the bedrooms are bright and airy and are spotlessly clean. The food in the hotel is very good and has a varied choice each evening. There are 2 entertainers round the pool each day, Wissem and Zou-Zou. They play music and organise games. We had fun playing darts, boules, water keep-fit, Arabic school and various other games. In the evening the boys ran a Mini-disco followed by various organised evenings all of which were excellent. One of us had a birthday when we were there and they made such a fuss of her all day and arranged for a birthday cake and cocktail in the evening. We would definitely return to this hotel and we all agree it has been our best holiday ever.
Not as great as the brochures say! from luxey
Having booked this hotel earlier in the year and subsequently hearing bad reports, we went with an open mind. The hotel is very run down and in bad need of a make over. The rooms are clean but shabby. Our room had a definite smell about it. We asked to change but were told that we would have to wait until the next day. On further inspection of the hotel it seemed best to stick with what we had - it was only for a week. The food in the hotel is not up to much either. We were HB. Breakfast is ok but dinner could be a lot better. There is an option to sawp dinner for lunch. That is what we did and then went out for dinner and that was much better. The saving grace for us was the pool. The beds are very comfortable and there were plently of them. We spent all our time there. It does say that there are complimentary towels. There are but they are limited to 1 per person so maybe best to take one of your own too. The staff are ok but nor overly helpful or friendly. When chaning money, make sure you receive the full amount as there was a tendency to round it down! There is a major issue with seating at meal times which was a pain. They like to put groups of 2 together, which I refuse to do and this causes many problems. We wouldn't return. This hotel is certainly not 5 star as advertised more like 2. If you have already booked go with a low expectation and then you won't be disappointed. A local waiter told us the Royal Kenz was a good hotel because it is managed by a lady from Manchester not a Tunisian. Something to bear in mind for future.
disappointing from A TripAdvisor Member
Stayed in October 2005 with my mother aged 80. We found the food excellent - lots of fresh fruit, dates and really delicious puddings. However, this hotel cannot be classed as 5 star. The rooms, whilst large, are basic and the toilet, thankfully separate from the bathroom, has a really unpleasant drain smell. Take air freshner with you! We had no problems with sunbeds on the beach however. Some staff more helpful than others. The main and overiding fault is the location - it is a long way to Port el Kantaoui and if you like a stroll after dinner this is not the place for you. We found little in the way of entertainment in the hotel and people looked bored and fed up in the evening all milling round the comodious lobby. Take Scrabble with you if you're already booked - if not - think twice if you prefer a hotel where you can 'promenade'.
Never Return from A TripAdvisor Member
I'm sorry but we expected 5 star and it is not. You don't need to say much more than that in my opinion. Many people we met were very ill, including myself and my daughter. The food was very average to poor. The rooms were dirty. Some staff were very polite but their motives were questionable. Others were just rude, and buying an alcoholic drink always seemed to raise a frown. It has put me off ever visiting Tunisia again. I class it as barely 3* with an impressive appearance.
joke from angel093
after hearing other people comment on how lovely tunisia was i booked a holiday with my family to port el kantoui with thomas cook,we booked the 5star imperial marharba.after a one hour delay without any explanation we were ready to go .we arrived at our hotel to be told there was not a room for us so they offered us a suite which we thought great.to say this hotel is five star is wrong ,the star rating is displayed on the plaque outside the hotel and was awarded in 1973 i think that was the last time the hotel was decorated.the slot that you place your key to work your lights ,fridge excectra kept flicking on and off continusly and ours wasnt the only room to do this.to make sure you got a sunbed by the pool you had to get up before 7.30 as all the germans tipped the pool attendant to reserve them.at breakfast we kept getting interrupted by germans stating that we were sat at their table even though the matre de sat us there.
would never go back from A TripAdvisor Member
at breakfast your told to sit at the same table througout your stay, but there were constant rows because thay was allocating the table to others which was very annoying!!!!! ( we spoke to the manager who just laugth) food was basic be prepared to wait in the alla cart (although it was nice) we could not leave the hotel without getting harrast by the locals!!!! if you want a sunlounger make sure you give the little man by the pool some money otherwise fiight for one because there all gone!! the sea looked very dirty and man made and at the beach thres a man you have to pay no entertainment other hotels near by were just the same there is nothing to do !!! NOTHING!!!!
definitely return from juem
Just returned after a 2 week break and found this hotel value for money. The foyer is definitely impressive, the bars spacious, clean and relaxing, the bedrooms are comfortable, well equipped with tv, telephone and minibar and bathroom adequate. All of the staff here are courteous, friendly and go out of their way to assist you. Meals here were good during our stay, a breakfast fit for a king and the evening meal provided a varied choice of starters hot and cold with the main meal being waiter service from a slightly limited menu. You are allocated your own table for the duration of the stay - the only downside being if in a couple some people had to share a table with strangers. The pool area is clean and tidy. We never had a problem getting a sunlounger with cushion even if arriving late morning or early afternoon. Pool towels are provided for your use at no charge. The beach area is also well equipped with sunbeds at no charge. Occasional activities took place during day such as water polo and aerobics. Music on occasion a little too loud by the pool area but did not last long. Entertainment unfortunately was a let down at this hotel, ok if you like the odd game of bingo but nothing very entertaining took place. The piano bar does have a resident singer but his piano is a little out of tune! Karaoke night, typical tunisian night and the usual mr & mrs "hotel" but nothing else really. Nothing much going on for children, no activities during day however the usual mini disco for an hour on an evening. There is a small childrens section of the pool and a playground. The only complaints I had was the poor entertainment and the smell of the towels in the bathrooms - they are old and foisty smelling although changed daily. Other than those areas we had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Im not sure if I would class this as a 5 star hotel, but certainly warrants a 4 star without a doubt, and is one hotel I would definitely return to if travelling to Tunisia. It wasnt too busy and provided a basis for a relaxing couple of weeks in the sun.
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Hotel Riu Imperial Marhaba also called

  • imperial marhaba
  • Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel
  • Address: Jinene El Kantaoui 04089, Port El Kantaoui, Tunisia
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Traveller Rating:
8.5 / 10
359 reviews
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Hotel AmenitiesHotel Description
  • Fitness Centre
  • Free Parking
  • Restaurant
  • Suites
  • Swimming Pool
Rooms: 272
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Hotel Riu Imperial Marhaba travel tips from your fellow travellers
  • The musical fountains near the Marina. - by suzypaul

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