Houda Golf & Beach Club Hotel

I have just arrived home from Tunisia and feel quite strongly that people should read all reviews of this hotel fully before booking.
Myself, my boyfriend and friend booked our ALL INCLUSIVE holiday back in January and have been looking forward to it ever since. We had booked a double room and a separate single room so imagine our surprise when arriving at the hotel at 2am in the morning we were all ushered into a "suite" which comprised of a double bed and bathroom in one room leading directly into another bedroom, very cosy for a family but inappropriate for our party and certainly not what we booked! It took 2 days for this to be rectified and we feel that this was mainly due to the intervention of our rep who advised that hotel that they would have to pay us compensation if they did not move us, the mention of money did it!
The mention of money seemed in fact to do alot at this resort, various people advised us that the staff would look after you with a little cash incentive! We felt however that we had paid for an all inclusive holiday, and although not adverse to "tipping" following good service, we did feel that we should not have to pay extra in advance to receive a decent service!
The staff were quite friendly and attentive, particularly if you are young, slim, blonde and female and we found that the most entertainment they provided was their numerous attempts of chatting up various groups of young girls which they did regularly, particularly when a new group of people arrived!
The entertainment in general is bland with comedy sketches taking forever to get to a punch line and we felt that sometimes they were inappropriate for the children as was some of the music that was played.
The food was recycled - so the stuffed aubergine that had sat out for 2 hours at lunchtime returned in a slightly altered form at teatime and the queues are long.
Unfortunately after day, two we were hit by a ‘stomach bug’ as were at least 23 other English guests! At which point the smell of the food is unbearable and we sought solace in eating at other places, which strangely did not give us the same stomach cramps and upset!
Here I must mention Bonaparte’s in Sousse which was recommended to us by our rep, I cannot rate this restaurant highly enough, it became our oasis in the desert with its fabulous food and friendly atmosphere.
Some of the activities that are claimed to be all inclusive are not at all so if you want a Jacuzzi you pay 7 dinas, massage is charged at various prices, tennis is charged at 20 dinas which although sounds like a deposit is actually non-refundable, the indoor pool was empty, the gym had no free weights and a number of the machines did not work, I would question whether or not the staff are qualified to run aqua aerobics/aerobics classes and there are no life guards around the pool, which is dangerous and we were aware of at least 3 incidents happening around the pool.
The hotel is a cheap taxi ride to Sousse or Monastir which are both an experience but I would suggest you have a look at both/either as after 2 weeks of the same sight of the hotel we would have had cabin fever!
I could go on and on but I would suggest you save your money and go to Port El Cantoue which is much prettier and we heard was a nicer place to stay!

After reading the mixed reviews from the hotel we went with an open mind, the hotel its self is absolutely spotless and you can not fault the cleaning and house keeping staff.
the food was fine I am a very fussy eater and managed to find something different to eat every meal, also I have never been to a hotel with such a wide variety of cakes and puddings at least 10 every meal, talk about heaven.
staff very friendly and try there hardest, all the children seem to love fou fou..
Over all a very enjoyable holiday, very relaxing but maybe a little noisy during the day on the beach and the pool but you soon become used to it.

Having read all the reviews, my family and I went on holiday with great expectations from The Houda. We were not disappointed!!! It surpassed our wildest dreams! To say it was the best holiday we’ve ever had is an understatement! :-)
On arrival we were bowled over by the palatial hotel facade and foyer. The porter couldn’t have been more helpful. We had a room with a sea view, which necessitated him lugging our four heavy cases across the garden and up four flights of stairs, with no word of complaint! There are no lifts here, which helps in keeping off the extra pounds you pile on from all the delicious food! We had no Dinar, having only just arrived, but the porter was happy with a couple of £1 coins for all his hard work!
The room was large, air-conditioned, and very clean. There is little in the way of storage space, so you do have to live out of suitcases when there are 4 sharing, which was no problem for us. The children loved their ornate bunk beds, and the different positions the maids put their cuddly toys in every day! The maids were very polite, efficient and hard working. I took extra toiletries with me to leave for them, knowing how poorly paid they were, but was gob-smacked when I saw shampoo on sale at £4 for a standard bottle!
The food was superb. I fail to understand how even the most fussy of palates could not be satisfied! But I was surprised at the amount of people who were complaining about it. Breakfast offers a wide choice, from cereal, toast and croissants to eggs cooked to order any way you choose. (I recommend the omelette!) Lunch can be eaten either in the restaurant, where there is a varied choice from the salad bar, and numerous hot dishes to choose from. Or you can have pizza and chips from the poolside snack bar, where a small choice of salad and hot dishes are also available.
Dinner is a massive affair with 2 salad bars, and such a variety of hot dishes to choose from, always including at least one Tunisian speciality. For those with a sweet tooth there are fantastic desserts, the gateaux are works of art! Chips are always available in the restaurant at lunch and dinnertime, as is ice cream. There is a selection of fresh fruit at each meal.
There are also the 2 A la Carte restaurants, Tunisian and Italian, which you are told to book on arrival, one night each per week, but don’t be fooled, if you go direct to the restaurants you can book for any night! The Tunisian was superb!
The waiting staff are most helpful and attentive. They appreciate an alcoholic beverage left discreetly on an empty table as they are not allowed to drink in the hotel, even when off duty!
Ice-cold water is available all day, as are soft drinks. The choice of alcohol is limited to lager, and a few spirits, and of course the cocktail bar! Scotch is not available. I regret not having taken a bottle with me to barter with, as I had been advised to do!
The pool and garden are breathtaking, so green! Cleaning/gardening staff are hard at it all the time to keep it immaculate. Likewise the beach, where a man rakes up the seaweed by hand, early every morning, and a pony drags a rake across the sand!!! The beach activities include parascending, banana boat, and ringos, all very enjoyable and reasonably priced. Beach vendors will try to sell you anything from Arab headdresses and palm trees to cigarettes, the latter working out to only 75p per pack, compared to £1.25 in the hotel shop!
There is a 24 hour doctors surgery, although be warned that each consultation cost 35 Dinar, with medication on top, but that’s what insurance is for, and it saves a lot of aggravation!

The one thing which made our holiday for us was the entertainment team, known as Animators. I can’t sing their praises enough. :-) They work so hard, from 9am to 2am with only one day off in 7, for very little pay. They are all very talented in their chosen field, and also speak up to 8 languages fluently!! Fou Fou, the main children’s Animator, is a real star. He has time for every child there, and the ability to make each and every one feel special. How he manages it I don’t know! Aziz is his main helper and is excellent with the kids too. He also takes other activities, (as do all the animators!) including aqua aerobics (a really good work-out!) and Arabic classes. Watch out for Mimo and Ahmed, The Crazy Boys! (Club dance, aqua aerobics and more!) They are brilliant! I’ve never seen dancers like it. They are quite a double-act and have you in stitches. Ramsey takes football and aqua aerobics (did I ache!) and dances beautifully. Stefano teaches archery, which my 10yo thoroughly enjoyed. Amir is the new Mr. Bean!! (You have to see the shows!) Among Souley’s list of activities are volleyball and water polo. He was instrumental in getting my hair extensions done, which was above and beyond the call of duty!! Unfortunately he is leaving at the end of the season. :-(
There are some whose names I don’t know, but they all work equally as hard at ensuring everyone has a brilliant time. When not teaching their specialised field, they socialise with the guests making sure they are having a good time, including at their meal times!!! God knows when they have time to rehearse for the nightly shows! These are fabulous, a different one for every one of our 14 nights stay! Michael Jackson, Lord of the Dance, Travesty (?), Comedy Sketches, to name but a few! Their drive, dedication and enthusiasm have no bounds. Thank you Animators one and all!!
Skanes itself is made up of hotels. The Mirama Hotel next door has an English run bar where I’m told you can get a cup of Tetley’s tea and a load of washing done for 5 Dinar! There is also a small supermarket there, which is adequate, but don’t expect Tesco!
We had no reason to leave the hotel, due to there being everything you could possibly wish for there, but felt we should have a trip into Sousse. We travelled by local bus which was an experience, but very cheap! Sousse is just what we had been led to believe, but we were pleasantly surprised by the local shopkeepers. We found them very polite and not at all pushy.
The taxis are very good, but be prepared to haggle for a good price.
The First Choice rep was very good, but we didn’t really need her for anything!
I would recommend this Hotel to anyone looking for a memorable family. We intend to return next year!

We just returned from a 3 weeks' stay at the Houda, being a family of 4 with 2 rooms. Hot and very crowded.
We booked a room with balcony with the preference sea view. Of course this preference can never be confirmed, but when we asked for it at the reception desk, one man said it was not possible and the other said it was possible at the a surcharge, which we did not mind. After checking again it was not possible again.
We had the same problem when making a reservation for the Italian Restaurant. One man said it was possible and the other said it was not possible for the first week.
To solve the problem we had a talk with the Manager of the Hotel, who spoke and understood English better and we agreed to go to the Italian Restaurant twice in the second week. We immediately made a reservation for the third week as well in order to avoid irritation again.
At the reception they really did not know how to do their job. Or they say: "Come back later" or "come back tomorrow ".
The rooms we had were very noisy at the beginning of the corridor and we did not sleep well during our total stay. There was a lot of shouting and running in the corridor also in the middle of the night. The cleaning lady was very friendly, but usually knocked, opened the door and entered at the same time, so we had to push her back several times.
The Calypso Restaurant was very POOR and very crowded and we always had to stay in line, especially for the lunch and dinner. When we got to our tables, the food was already cold. They did not have much variety in their food. Besides the waiter we had at our tables at the windows, near the pool was not friendly and pushy and did not know how to clear the tables, stretching out his arm in front of someone’s face to pick up the empty plates. The Italian Restaurant was EXCELLENT, with good hot food and a friendly service. So not everything in this hotel was bad.
Another positive thing was the " Infirmary " where the male nurse helped me out very friendly with a medical problem because of this food.
The swimming pool was very beautiful and the sunchairs we had were good, although you have to be there very early in the morning to get some chairs (approx. 06.15 hrs).
What can I say about the animation team? Some of them were friendly, some were pushy. Music around the pool as well as during the evening shows was very loud. This was a disadvantage to the quality. Being a Travel Agent for approx. 30 years now, I have seen quite a lot of hotels all over the world. If I had known everything before, I would not have gone there and I definitely will NOT go back there. Of course this is my personal opinion and everyone has a right to his or her own opinion.

1 reader found this review helpful

All I can say as a matter of advice is please, save yourself the hassle, don’t go to this hotel!!! I had the worst holiday experience I have ever had. I have had several experiences of All-Inclusive Holidays and this hotel was THE poorest I have ever the miss fortune of experiencing.
The hotel does not cater for British guests in any way. The food is so poor, the diet that you will live on for 2 weeks is Chips and Fruit, as this is the only food that you can be assured is not going to give you food poisoning. The meals were definitely re-heated and re-heated until they were cleared.
Entertainment was appalling. We gave up after 2 nights when we had the pleasure of witnessing a show that showed how people used the loo in various countries, but to top it off, it was all in French. The hotel has a priority for FRENCH, GERMAN & ITALIAN guests, so if you can speak any of these languages, you will be fine, if not, you better learn otherwise you will not be understood...
The hotel itself looks really nice; the rooms are really small but are cleaned daily. Yet the towels are not so be careful not to use your 2 towels in one go...
The pool area in really nice, especially in the night, yet if you want to sit here in the day, you will seriously have to be there for 5am, as German guests reserve all beds around this time and the hotel does not have enough for everyone... The beach is slightly better but you will also need to be there not later than 9am... The beach is safer also as you are away from the German Men who insist on walking round in thongs, which is the most unpleasant sight!
The Drink is very poor also, I would bet that you could drink and drink and you would still not feel the affects. If you are looking to get tipsy, stick to wine as it is the only fluid that attempts to do its job. The Disco has real potential yet the DJ will only play foreign music and trust me, even if you are slightly drunk, you still can’t dance to it...
Fritz in the Hotel is the BEST... He makes a real effort with the British, he sells the camel rides, its much much cheaper than going with your tour operator... They offer all trips at your hotel, much cheaper...
Monastir is Lovely, had a great day there, beware at Sousse, some locals do not appreciate British and we were chased down the mediva (there shopping places), all for being English, so just be on guard.
Prices are so cheap, so if you eat out it only costs around £15 to £20 to feed 4, plus a drink. Next to the Houda is the Bedrock Cafe, visit here. £4 for a Pizza, it is huge and very nice. The hotel has pizza, yet its very dry and lacks the main ingredient; CHEESE...
I would never ever visit this Hotel ever again, in fact I would never visit Tunisia due to our experience, yet there is so much to see and it is a lovely looking country.
P.s. There is a Sewer right next to the Hotel and unfortunately it does smell, the smell comes mainly in the night and as soon as you hit the hotel gates, it is a rather nasty smell, so beware, smells like dirty nappies...

1 reader found this review helpful

Ages of party 32, 33, 32, 28, 11, 7, 3, 14 days
Room -Basic but clean
Staff -1 or 2 were fantastic others were very rude unless you got your hand in your pocket
Entertainment -Lively or noisy!
Food -Hideous
When I booked this holiday I wasn’t aware I would be pregnant a while after and taking a 14 day newborn with me!! It was my best friends honeymoon as well as they had got married 2 days earlier.
When we arrived we thought WoW...mmmm that certainly changed as we were pointed to our room which seemed to be the furthest from reception even though I had asked for a ground floor near to reception as I had only just had a c-section....yes I know I probably should of cancelled it but I just couldn’t lose out on all that money. Anyway our first rooms were on the 3rd floor and our friends were on the other side of the hotel and their room smelled so bad you couldn’t sleep in there.
I was in so much pain after walking up 3 flights of stairs that i went to reception and believe it or not showed them my VERY SORE SCAR to which they found us a ground floor room but again on the other side of the hotel. Reception staff seemed to pretend they didn’t understand English with 1 person then speak fluently with another. lot were down right rude. It took 3 days just to get an extra pillow. I tried to speak French as much as 3yrs at high school would let me as I don’t think we should invade someone’s country without making an effort not that it did me any favours. The food was awful we all got poorly and had to see the on site nurse who was lovely.
I think if we hadn’t got our 2wk old baby we would have had a worse time as he was like a magnet to all the staff, we have 3 other children who also hated the food and trust me they are brought up to eat allsorts of different tastes. Oh and none and I mean none of the children drinks machines ever work and if by chance one does everyone was like opening day of the 'NEXT' sale!!! So rude! The room was basic with a very rusty bunk bed but the cleaner we had was absolutely lovely, she idolised the baby and she come and find me after her shift had finished to have a cuddle.....Every day!
I completely agree with the other reviews about the entertainment it was loud but Foo Foo was amazing....and rather attractive if you don’t mind me saying!
I definitely picked the wrong month to go it was so hot but that’s my own mistake. A little boy was worked on with CPR after collapsing in the pool because of the heat, for 30mins before the ambulance got to the hotel and we really didn’t think he was going to make it but we found out thankfully he did, after that I just wanted to come home and it was only day 9. All in all I had a horrible time but I did lose weight!

Having read comments on the hotel Houda Beach & Golf Club we were so excited about our family holiday. Well how very very disappointed we were to find that we had entered the noise capital of Tunisia.....
On arrival at the hotel, which looked impressive, we dumped our bags in the room & went to the bar. Enter the entertainment!! Our very own karaoke king or should I say JESTER. We sat down with our beer and went along with it, well it was only one night ( or so we thought ). After every other night with the same tuneless songs it gets a little bit mind numbing. Don’t get me wrong down near the pool the entertainment team were putting on there own shows. All I can say is we chose the JESTER!!!. At least he was organised having taken so long to do a small comedy sketch by the time you finally get to the punch line you’ve totally forgotten what the sketch was about.
We changed rooms as quite a few times, some rooms do not have balconies. We left a very nice clean room for a rather dated smaller room with a balcony, this being our choice as a balcony with small children is a must if you want to get the children to bed early on the odd night, giving us somewhere to sit rather than in the room. If we had been informed that the next night we would be overrun above and on each side by approx 50 children between the ages of 6- 16 yrs supervised by 2 teachers we would not have moved. After being kept up until after 3.00am with unsupervised children running rampage through the corridors and from the noise trashing the rooms they were in, upon talking to reception, we thought ok they have arrived that night we will give them the benefit of the doubt. Once again we were proved wrong with toilet rolls, pillows, sheets and chairs being thrown from their rooms and the noise continuing into the early hours. More complaints to reception and rep we were informed that because the hotel is not fully booked it has been opened to Tunisian school parties.
After sleepless nights we thought we could have a relaxing chill out time by the pool. NO CHANCE the very loud music and banter in 7 or 8 languages including bits of English started at about 10.30 am and carried on through the day, we did however find one sanctuary THE SLIDES that were great for children and adults. Try to get to the slides early, as there is limited shade from the very hot sun.
Although the food is very nice and well presented be prepared to use your muscle to get to it. After the Tunisian children’s party had left the holiday was a lot more relaxed (we finally got a few nights of sleep). Then came the last night of our holiday. This hotel plays host to Tunisian wedding receptions which is very nice to watch but this in itself has a down side as the entertainment has to be moved, not a problem we thought. But on arrival back at our room at midnight, which I think, is fairly late for children aged 7 and 9, we thought they had moved the entertainment to our room. It had been moved to the beech approx 200mtrs from our room, as we were sat next to each other on the balcony we had to shout to each other to be heard. I’m sure the Tunisian entertainers think that all holidaymakers are deaf.
On returning from our holiday we have had to turn up the T.V and radio, I’m sure our neighbours think we are now the family from hell. We have travelled abroad many times and this is the first time we feel strongly enough about a resort to make such a damming report. In our opinion this hotel is not suitable for families with young children. Oh, one more thing doesn’t leave your towels or swim stuff on the balcony as our little lads (aged 7) was stolen.

Having arrived home at 4.30 this morning (5th July 04) I couldn’t wait to get my review of this hotel known.
What an absolutely fantastic holiday! My six year old daughter cried buckets yesterday afternoon as she wanted to stay with her 'best mate' Fou Fou (head of kids entertainment). He is such a character, so friendly and full of energy with both kids and adults alike.
All the animation staff work extremely hard day and night to ensure you have a brilliant time. There were only a handful of Brits and several different nationalities but all got along nicely with the aid of the animation team who are required to speak no fewer than seven languages as part of their employment at the resort. They put on a show every night for the guests and the kids club get to do their own show once a week.
There are loads of water sports on site to enjoy for all ages. The water slides are fantastic and you have to have at least one go at parasailing.
The food is really good and even the waiters and food servers are full of humour and fun. Look out for Jan the Guest Relations lady. If you have any questions or complaints she’s the person to see, she’s extremely helpful. Also speak to her if you want to go scuba diving - she can arrange this for you with a local guy at a very reasonable price.
If you’re into sports there’s a vast variety of things to keep you busy - from the gym to archery and aerobics.
The beach is lovely and clean and only a few steps from the pools. Plenty of shade if you need it and frequent calls from the locals selling cigarettes, toy camels, fruit, jewellery and especially donuts (chi chi).
On a trip to Sousse we were absconded by a local lady called Layla who took us on a guided tour of the Medina. Everyone around the Medina knows her. What a very interesting couple of hours that was, not only shown the best shops to go to but info on the culture of Tunisia.
If you’re looking for souvenirs and gifts to take home look out for a shop called La Grotte, it’s the best. You can buy cigarettes there for 10 dinar (about £5) for 200.
All in all a superb holiday and can’t praise the resort and staff enough. I would definitely go back!

What a fantastic place to go! The weather was great, the staff amazing and the pools out of this world! The animation team really make this hoiday, their endless energy and fun in amazing. This is a great place for families, with kids of any age. Fou Fou is a saint I'm sure, and Amir and Ramsey must also have a special mention. These staff work from before 9 am till 2am 7 days a week, and then have to fit in rehersals for their great shows too!
The food is good, but a little boring. Chips, pasta, pizza and salad appear every single day, but you will never go hungry! Cakes and ice creams round it off nicely too.
Book the camel caravan trip with Fritz in the hotel foyer as his trip is far cheaper than any you will be sold by a holiday company rep, it's a great morning out.
Taxis are dirt cheap, either agree a price before you set off or ask for the meter to be on. Leave a dinar tip (50p) and you make their day! Visit Sousse, Monastir and Port e Kantoui, all within 10 - 15 minutes taxi ride. Be prepared to barter hard though as you will meet the worlds greatest salesmen in Tunisia! If you dont want to barter, go to the soular center in Sousse, where you will find 4 floors of fixed price goods and no one will hassle you.
The beach is nice, with free beds and plenty of them! Go horse riding along the beach for a few dinars (barter for this one!) or go on a banana boat for £3.50 or parachute behind a boat for a tenner - all well worth it.
Back in the hotel, you can join in with the many games or just relax by any of the fantastic pools. You wont be hassled to join in anything you dont want to - do as much or as little as you fancy. Dont miss the slides pool, the lifeguards love to join in the fun with you, they are a great bunch of guys.
I can't recommend this hotel enough - go along and have the holiday of your life. No tipping is required at all in the hotel, but I did give out my remaining cash on my last day to my fave animators, and they seemed very grateful. Their pay is dismal, and they are lovely people so a couple of quid to us may not be a lot, but to them it makes all the difference.
If you have any spare shampoo or bubble bath etc, dont take them home but give them away to the staff as these are dead expensive there and again, they really appreciate it.
Tunisians are friendly and love a good gossip and a laugh. Dont beleive the bad things you hear about them as they just arent true. A perfect pace to visit - go and enjoy!

Hotel Houda is one of the best hotels I have ever been to it was Fab. I have no idea who gave this a 3 star rating, think there mad, as it was more like 4/5 star to me.
All the staff were very helpful and friendly. the entertainment was just great and the animators were out of this world. fou fou Ramsey and amir were just great I would highly recommend archery to everyone . the water slides are great the adults had more fun on them than the kids. The hotel was kept very very clean and the maids were just lovely. the food was good. I would recommend this to any one. I’m 100% sure I will be back again! great holiday ! three cheer to Ramsey and Amir !