Houda Golf & Beach Club Hotel

We arrived back on the 27th having had a brilliant time at the Houda.
It was our first time to Tunisia and as in previous reviews, the medinas can be a bit off putting at first, but you soon get used to the banter.
The hotel is brilliant, all the staff work so hard for so little (we gave our DVD player to one of the bar staff you would have thought we had given her the world).
We met some lovely people, scotch Tommy and all his crew were great to sit with and have a few beers. I hope to return one day if only to see smiler the girl behind the bar with the biggest smile you will ever see.
One piece of advice if you are a whiskey drinker, take your own, they don’t stock it in the bar, also if you take a pint pot they will fill it for you instead of having two small plastic pots.

We have just arrived back from the Houda and can’t wait to go again. Yes the airport is a nightmare and really hard work both getting in and out of Tunisia
This is not my first trip to the Houda and each time is just better than the last. The accommodation is basic and the food is fine, the chicken pie is to die for but the rest can get a bit repetitive.
What makes the Houda is the cheerfulness of the staff and the way the animation staff interact and do all they can to make you have a good holiday, this time for the first time, the same staff were there and it was really nice that they remembered me.
There are various activities going on, but if there is anything that you want to try then just ask and if it can be done it is. We had an aqua gym session for just 2 of us.
This time we went as quite a large party and we all had a good time.
The bar down the road also makes you very welcome and it is nice to go somewhere different. It is also open very late!!!
I would recommend it without a doubt. Go and have fun - you will.

I have been visiting this hotel for the past 4 yrs and have been 8 times both with my family and girls holiday. I returned from girl’s holiday 2 days ago and every time we leave the hotel we cry!
We received a lovely welcome and are always remembered by the staff, they all asked after my children also.
The hotel is very clean and tidy and I have never had cause to complain, there is an English guest relations lady there Jan who will deal with any queries you have immediately.
The food has improved greatly in the time I have been going and we were all well fed, the staff in the restaurant, bars and reception are very friendly.
I have met a lot of different animation teams and they always make the holiday fantastic, I still keep in touch with them and the local Doctor throughout the year.
The staff work long hours for low pay and still keep smiling!!! As a family we went to Turkey last year and the children complained they wanted to go back to the Houda next time.
The trips provided by Fritz and Ben etc to the camels, quad biking and pirate ship are a must they are value for money and a great day out.
We never stop laughing the whole time we are there....until it’s time to leave!!
We are looking to go back in September this year.

Hotel was very good, it's clean and tidy, the rooms are basic but okay for a week, and the food was good in the main restaurant.
Not a lot to do at night outside of the hotel, and this is probably the only down-side to the holiday, but it's not a major problem for one week.
The pool area is good, plenty of sun-beds, the beach is right outside the hotel, and is clean.
We had outstanding weather, 6-13 of May, it was hot, and stayed hot until 19.00 hrs each evening.
We went on the El Jem tour, to the Coliseum and museum, and enjoyed it, take some snacks with you as you do get hungry, you can leave them in the bus till you need them.
Went to Monastir for the day ourselves, you will get hassled if you go near the shops and Medina, but we just kept walking and it was a laugh as you knew if you made eye contact with the shop keepers they would run over to you, and try and get you to go into their shops, it's nothing sinister, just move on, and eventually they will leave you alone.
The beach at Monastir is excellent, if you go take your towel and hit the beach, also the Presidents Mausoleum is very nice and free to go round.
Overall we really enjoyed the holiday, and it was our first time in Tunisia, we were a bit unsure how it would go, but we were pleasantly surprised.
I would go back to this hotel again, as it was fine, plenty to eat and drink clean and friendly staff, good pools and next to the beach, excellent for sunning yourselves.

Our first impressions of Tunisia weren't great - nearly 2 1/2 hours stuck at the airport waiting to get through passport control and baggage reclaim (about 4 flights came in together)...
Once we got to the hotel things improved massively. The driveway is bordered by flowerbeds and the entrance to the building is impressive. The hotel is very clean, in fact they always seemed to be mopping and dusting somewhere around the place.
Our room, on the ground floor, was quiet and adequate for the week we were there. The room was cleaned and the towels were changed daily.
All of the staff were friendly, smiling and bent over backwards to make the holiday special. The entertainment team worked very hard, with activities arranged for every age group. We didn't go with kids but what we saw of the children’s entertainment they seemed to be kept busy and happy.
The food was plentiful and of higher quality than expected; some people thought it got a bit repetitive by the end of the week.
There isn't too much to do outside the hotel at night, with only 1 bar within walking distance; although the taxi into Monastir only took 10 minutes and cost about 5TD (£2) each way. The hotels own show and disco seemed to be quite well received.
All in all a very good holiday, and we would definitely recommend this hotel, especially for families.

Where Do I Begin? I Went On The 4th till the 11th and I want to go back for much longer!
The plane:
I was quite scared about going on a plane but as soon as we were moving I was ok. The people that worked on the plane were very polite and made sure everyone was alright.
When we arrived:
When we got there we had to wait till 2pm to get into our rooms but that was ok, because we had a quick look around the hotel to see where everything was.
After we had been shown to our rooms we got changed and went straight out to the pool. The weather was a bit over cast but it got much better in the week.
That night:
We went up to our room at about 5pm and got ready for the night. The food was good because you have a main food bit then a salad bar and a desert bit. You had many choices of meals and the seats were reserved for you.
When we first got to the disco we were watching everyone dance on the stage, but as we learnt the dances and made friends we was up on the stage dancing.
The bedrooms:
The rooms were bigger than I thought and they would be and were always clean. The maid were very nice and worked all the time.
The staff:
The animation team were great and were always making you feel welcome. Everybody loved Jeo because he was nice with all the kids and would talk to you and make you laugh. He was always saying "I love my job" it was really funny. The night shows were really good. I liked the tap dancing one.
If I could I would go back because it was the best holiday I’ve had so far.
I would advise you to go because you would love it and so would your kids.
From JD.

My boyfriend and I visited the Houda for my 20th birthday for one week from 4th-11th April.
We spent our first 24 hours feeling extremely on edge and unhappy.
AIRPORT:
The airport in Tunisia is a nightmare - take a pen - they make you fill in a form for a temp Visa but ours was in foreign and when I asked one of the security to help me they were very arrogant and didn’t listen to what I was saying - which I find to be a common trait among some Tunisians.
Everyone is miserable in this airport! Once we got through customs we had porters literally prising our fingers from our cases to take them to the coach.
PLEASE don't let them. They do except a tip and frankly you can pull your own case!
BEACH:
Once at the Houda we found nothing at all to do in the local area. We went to the beach and immediately had sellers coming up to us trying to put "ali baba" robes on our heads and necklaces round our necks.
We said no, but they insisted it was a gift, and then asked for "Small English money" we refused, and they were tapping my boyfriend pocket where they thought his wallet was.
When you do go on the beach, don’t buy anything from these men, it's all fake rubbish. I suggest not even taking your wallet, then you can't be tempted to cave in to get them to go away, but please don't let them put you off.
The beach is nice. There are some creepy crawlies and a cool sea breeze. There is a lot of sea weed, but this is the sea side....there are also watersports such as parascending on the beach which is only £8 if you haggle a bit.
STAFF:
The hotel staff are very friendly in general, except the middle aged man at reception; he's very miserable and doesn’t listen to what you have to say.
On the first night I had a problem with my TV and he took our key, and told us to return in half an hour. 90 minutes later he still had our key and said we couldn't return until ALL the rooms had been serviced on our floor.
I went mad because I’d been up since 1am and didn’t understand why I couldn’t just have my key and wait in the room for the engineer.
It turned out that they hadn't listened to what I was telling them, and there was no need to look at the other rooms at all.
We did get a bowl of fruit as an apology. The rest of the staff are lovely, the animation team are hilarious and will keep your kids amused all day. The cleaners are nice too, the hotel is IMMACULATE they are ALWAYS scrubbing!
They tidy your room every day, and even folded my PJ's up into a little fan shape!
The bar staff are a bit touch and go - sometimes in a good mood, sometimes not. The restaurant staff are very friendly.
FOOD:
There's a lot of selection of food, I’m sure you will find something you like. I'm fussy and a vegetarian and always left the restaurant feeling full.
There's lots of pizza and chips, pasta, potato gratin, salad and cauliflower cheese. We arrived half board but upgraded to All Inclusive because there is literally nowhere else to go to eat unless you want to get a taxi every day.
And the local towns Skanes and Monastir are a nightmare with people trying to sell you things, and even try and trade your (female) partner for goods. (Take padlocks for your bags)
ACTIVITIES:
The hammam and Jacuzzi are lovely; I really enjoyed them, and had the full body massage which was £25 equivalent. Maybe not quite worth that much money (and ladies beware of your self conscious, they take your bikini top off) but left feeling very clean.
Fritz will be in the reception trying to sell you camel caravan. This is a fun half day out; you can ride a horse if you don’t like camels. They take you to see how the Bedouins live, which is interesting, and you can feed the camel some cactus with your mouth!
There is also a pirate ship trip, which was fun but a bit lengthy and drawn out. They only make an effort to entertain you as you’re returning to the port, presumably to make it look like LOADS of fun to the public. For £12 I can't complain though, they do give you dinner on board.
Apparently the Quad bikes aren’t worth it, but I can't comment cos I didn't go on it.
Henna tattoos are available - they do not last 2 or 3 weeks. They start to peel off after a day or two. I had mine done 6 days ago AND re-done for free the day before I left - and it looks awful now!
The guy with the camera, he actually takes some really nice photos, I’d recommend having one done as a souvenir.
The nightclub and evening entertainment is fun, they will get you to join in, and it’s great for the young ones though.
The pool is bloody cold but it’s ok once you get in, and the slides are really fun. The bottom of the pool is padded so the children should be safe.
WEATHER:
It’s really cool at night, take a jacket or cardi with you, and a few jumpers. It’s usually warm with a breeze in the day but the sun is VERY strong so please take high factor with you. Mosquitoes weren’t a big problem for me but some people had 40+ bites, so take some repellent.
So all in all, it's a nice holiday. If you want to keep busy you're going to HAVE to use the excursions because Tunisia as a country is, well, a bit of a dump.
But the hotel is nice enough, and if you just want to relax while your kids have fun this will be a nice place for you. Just don’t expect a 5* in Spain, it’s not what you're going to get.

I have just come back from this holiday and I have been crying ever since. I loved it that much!
Before going I was a bit skeptical, as I had heard that in Tunisia you have to be careful, as you will get pestered. But I found that all part of the experience.
The Hotel was wonderful and the staff were a delight. Smiling every time that you walked past, asking about your day. The animation team were the best, Jeo with his amazing personality, Adel with his fantastic dancing. I enjoyed the shows in the evening and even participated with the group dances (which is a very rare thing for me to do).
I found the food very delicious, especially the Italian style marrows, although I understand that it's not the right food for everyone. My parents weren’t satisfied with the food.
All Inclusive drinks are amazing (if not very strong) but the cocktails were absolutely delicious. The staff were so efficient that sometimes I didn't even have to go and order the cocktail, they would just bring it out for me.
Shopping in the Medinas is an experience in itself but it's not all horror stories. There is a tourist centre in Monastir with some very friendly staff, and the prices are very cheap.
I loved the hotel so much that I am returning with my friend in July and I can not wait :)
I hope you read this review and consider staying at this hotel.

1 reader found this review helpful

We went to the Houda for a week with our daughter her boyfriend and our son to celebrate our sons 21st birthday.
The foyer to the hotel is lovely but don’t be fooled the rest of the hotel is fairly dingy and scruffy, although not dirty very basic. Apparently this was the wettest march they’d had since 1980, but we only had two bad days out of seven, we didn’t find it warm enough to use the outside pool, although the inside one was lovely.
The Animators that everyone mentions were brilliant, talented funny and amazingly patient and kind to the little ones!! Jeo makes a big noise around the place with his big personality, but the talent he leaves to most of the others! They loved the young English girls and gave them LOTS of attention! Actually they loved everything English, watch out if you wear your England shirt, they will plead with you to give it to them!
My son gave his new shirt away on the last day to Mejc ,a young lad who collects dirty glasses etc. He saw the shirt and his eyes lit up, My son finally gave in to his constant although polite pleading, it was worth it to see the look on his face! He looked as though he had won the lottery, but when you think he only earns one pound a day it’s hardly surprising!!
The food in the hotel was fine, we enjoyed most of it, although breakfast for me was scrambled eggs on toast EVERYDAY!! Don’t expect bacon this is a Muslim country, although apparently this is the only hotel in the region that cooks bacon a couple of times a week don’t bother it s horrible!
If you like fresh orange juice you have to pay 2 dinar for it but it is worth it as it s freshly squeezed the drinks are not all that special and we thought probably diluted, I stuck to the rose wine and couldn’t remember walking home most nights!!
I read about the pestering when you go out ,but it was FAR worse than I imagined! Especially in Sousse, but it is fairly good natured on the whole, it does get on your nerves after a while. If you don t smile ,but say a firm but polite NO THANK YOU, they leave you alone.
All in all, Tunisia was a good experience, and we all enjoyed it, especially on our sons 21st when the staff cooked us a special meal, and baked a chocolate cake with candles and the animators came and sang happy birthday to him at our table, it really made it special.
Our TWO waiters looked after us SO well all week, again they earn very little, so we gave them a nice tip on our last day. You’ll be lucky if you get abdul and Samir like us!! Go with the right attitude, remember it s only a 3 star Hotel, and if you don t go in March the sun will probably shine Everyday.

Just back from this hotel with my partner had a brill time. Already planning to go back at end of year. Everyone is very friendly and every thing was basic but very clean.
Staff very helpful as I was recovering from a operation. Animation team superb, waiter we had was brill, really make a fuss of you.
I even had my birthday out there, spot on fantastic, all round holiday. As for the cats people keep going on about, we only saw 3 and they were no bother at all. We go out to Tunisia twice a year but this hotel and staff 10 out of 10