Tour Khalef Hotel

4 readers found this review helpful

This was the worst summer vacation of all!
When we arrived, the stuff gave us room without the sea view, though we paid extra to have the rooms with the sea view. When we came back, it took them nearly an hour to give us rooms we paid for.
The hotel is dirty - some unknown spots on the floor everywhere. Rooms are not clean as well (though they clean it every day, the floor is always dusty). We even tried to leave tips for the woman who cleans (hoping that she would do it properly), it didn't help. The linen is old and worn (sometimes even with holes), the pillows were awful, too hard, it was impossible to sleep on them! The dining also left much to be desired - though the choice was rich, there was nothing more or less tasty... They mix Coke and othe soda with water - impossible to drink. Service in the dining room was bad!
One of the biggest irritations were seller on the beach - very bold. They would approach you and nearly by forth make you buy something (if you refuse, they will start to put their stuff on you or your children, and then demand that you pay).
I'm not talking about lots of Russians, whose behaviour is just shocking.
This hotel may be ok for those who will come here to drink all the day (and night) long - like Russians did.
I don't know who and how gave this hotel 4*. It's not even worth 3... Any European 3* hotel will look like 6* comparing with Tour Khalef.
In general, I don't recommend this hotel to anyone, except Russians, who seemed to be very satisfied with everything.

3 readers found this review helpful

the hotel was very clean and the maids were really helpful. the only downside was the russians who were bad mannered and push past you to get to the food. it would have been nice to have a fridge in the room, as it was we had to put drinks in the sink with cold water to keep them cool.

4 readers found this review helpful

We have just got back from our 1st family holiday abroad with 2 kids and despite being quite nervous of what to expect and how the kids would handle the trip - it was absolutely fabulous.
From the point we got to the airport, the kids were looked after and throughout the whole holiday they were doted on.
The hotel, despite being a little tatty round some of the edges was very clean. The pool was great, warm enough and plenty of sunbeds if you needed them. The beach was always busy and full of locals selling their wares - so be careful as we and many others got stung by the 'necklace' man. The evening entertainment was 'interesting' but the kids enjoyed the mini disco and bingo each night, so they were kept busy. Momo; part of the animation team was brilliant with the kids - felt very comfortable leaving my littlest one with him for the clubs.
Food wise was interesting, yes the menu was quite repeative but we did find things to eat each day, lots of different foods to try if you felt adventurous, and plenty of it. A word of advice if you are bringing kids, bring plenty of snacks or cereals they like. Basically, like most kids, ours didn't want to try much or indeed liked much of the food on offer and as such lived on bread, chips and fruit - not a brilliant diet!
The pirate ship trip wasn't worth it and we found others organised by the tour operators were also quite expensive for a family of 4.
Money wise - take sterling travellers cheques or just cash. The commission on euro's is really high. Most things pretty cheap to buy, water, snacks, drinks, biscuits, gifts and stuff but things like tolietries and especially suncream was really expensive. Nappies are also in very short supply.
We loved the hotel, the location and the people there so much we want to go back next year!

5 readers found this review helpful

My husband and i recently visited tunisia for the first time for a weeks holiday with another couple and they 10 year old child.
Upon arrival of the hotel we were greeted by the porter to transport our luggage to our bedrooms we could not believe the state of the carpets in the hall to our room and the smell it looked like someone had been sick and carpet all stained outside our room.
The pool area was very clean but pool really cold. Beach was very nice.
We were all inclusive in the hotel and were treated different to paying guest we had to use a special bar and were only allowed certain drinks the food in the restaurant was very poor and repeated every day.All inclusive snacks was food left over of lunchtime.
The hotel staff were not very pleasant and the hotel was 80% Russians and only 20% British (we were not informed this when booking).
Would not advise trip to El Gem were on the coach longer then the visit did not arrive on the boat till 1.00pm after been picked up a 8.00am boat was very dirty and food was rubbish.
We will never visit tunisia again. This hotel has the wrong rating it should be 2-3 star.

1 reader found this review helpful

i was abit juvious about going to tunisia as it was mine and my fiances first holiday but we thorughly enjoyed ourselves, there was plenty of food for choice but i think that there could be more choice for breakfast but hey i still had a great time. the staff are great esspecialy charlie and mohammed in the restaurant they were fantastic, when i was on holiday it was my birthday and it was great the personnel department were in touch with my fiance and organised some flowers and my bed to be decorated with roses petal.

4 readers found this review helpful

I was worried sick after booking this hotel AND THEN reading these reviews. BUT.... have just returned from a fantastic holiday. The weather was great, the flights superb and the hotel good. The rooms were spacious and clean, plenty of choice for food - bearing in mind it is a foreign country, they tried hard to provide something for the English, germans, Russians etc. The entertainment was good if you wanted to partake - there was no loud music, no discos til 4am, nothing. The staff were very friendly and couldn't do enough. The pool was great, though the water a bit cold, the rep was friendly and helpful, the beach facilities lovely. There was some building work going on next door, but you barely knew it was happening. Maybe it helped that the hotel was only half full, but we would thoroughly recommend this hotel. There's not a lot to do in Sousse, and the locals pester you to buy everything, but it is cheap to get around and you can get a good deal if you barter. The Tunisians seem to love children and loved to make a fuss of the children. AND FINALLY only a handful of Russians in sight! Perhaps they prefer the warmer weather in the summer?

Hey this hotel is great all the animtion crew and waiters are excellent, there is only one bad thing THE RUSSIANS well one russian man let his child Urinate into the pool another thing a russian was drunk and he left human waste in the pool yes horrible. everything is great at this hotel exept the russians.

2 readers found this review helpful

After reading the last review,well what can i say ,we loved our stay at the tour khalef 2 adults and 2 children we have just got back and would love to go back again, we went in 2004 and not alot has changed,they are building a new spa which i cant wait to see,we also stayed in the mahaba club in 2003 what a improvement the hotel looks brand new with a bigger swimming pool, the kids reps at the tour khalef were fantastic and my children loved going to the club there,we also had a room with two single beds and bunk beds and found this fine,yes the air cone my leak but they will come and repair it if there is something wrong,yes there is a open air disco but we were at the back yes we heared it but it didnt keep us awake.that is why you have aircone to keep the cold air in.we didnt leave our patio doors open all night,the food was great yes there were russians,but the staff opened up the snack bar by the pool which was nice, the staff were very friendly and the entertainment was good, the beaches are lush, cant wait to go back

The resort and hotel were excellent and everything was as described in the brochure. The weather was fantastic however BE WARNED there is an OPEN AIR DISCO next door to the hotel which plays VERY LOUD MUSIC until 4am EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK. We have come home more tired than when we went and feel very disappointed in Thomas Cook for not warning us about this before we went. We took our children and had we known about this disco we would never have booked to go there.

i was very apprehensive about going to tunisia even thought about changing the holiday to spain. how wrong i was it was one of the most safe places loads of tunisian families out at night swiming in the sea the hotel staff loved it when one said lpease or thank you as most foreign guests didnt bother to do so. the hotel food was fantastic the staff lovely. it was one of the cheapest places ive ever been to took £500 for the week came back with £150 thats after all my drinks and presents ! the Tunisians were lovely great sense of humour. if u speak french use it. Its great cos you dont seefolk drunk at night like in Spain. just make sure you set a price before buying anything that includes haircuts tattoos jewelry taxi rides but dead cheap holiday. all designer bags clothes belts sunglasses cheap and sold everywhere. plenty of shops that have set prices and still dead cheap. the potery is gorgeous. all the stories about the russians being pushy etc i can honestly say they didnt bother us . if u want drunk british singing land of hope and glory at the end of the night then go to spain. my kids loved it paragliding pool great gym at next hotel indoor pool volleyball really good holiday. tunisia is so relaxed very western and handsome men so go with open mind and im certain you will enjoy !