Marhaba Palace Hotel

Well, firstly let me start by saying that if you want to spend your Christmas holiday sunbathing, then Tunisia is not the place to go.
It is very pleasant weather but not get you are kit off weather. I would imagine that it would be scorching in the summer though, so don't be put off.
The hotel Marhaba Palace was gorgeous, very palatial, the staff are helpful, not like some of the reviews I have read about this place which states they are just out for a tip. This is not true, you obviously have to tip for some services like carrying bags and stuff but its not OTT.
The room was also very nice but doesn't have tea facilities unfortunately, but to compensate they have a very chilled out cafe in the hotel lobby which serves wicked coffee whilst you sit smoking your strawberry tobacco, through what looks like a very ornate bong.
The beach outside the hotel is nice and clean etc. During winter there are no water sports as such but you can go on a boat out to sea. Other activities to do at winter time are excursions offered by the hotel or your rep.
We went on the Sahara explorer for 2 days and the Zulu night. Both were awesome and well worth doing. The places to visit are the Medinas at Sousse and Tunis but you simply cannot miss Carthage which is just a taxi ride from Tunis which you can get to by train from Sousse.
Taxis are mega cheap but make sure they turn on the metre because they will try and con you so ask them and be assertive. Beware of the medinas shopkeepers, they will say anything to get you to look.
We were even grabbed several times by the arm when we walked past but again, you must say no thank you and be assertive in your tone.
Overall this was a really nice holiday and very cheap.
But, I will advise that if you are going to Tunisia to experience the real culture and be quite adventurous, there are restrictions when going on a package holiday. One of these is that you can only stay at the Sahara for so long on the excursion.
If you are going for the Sahara desert then book a hotel in Douz yourself and flights, then when you get there hire a guide from the local area to take you into the desert on camels. This way you can go right into the real Sahara and see the dunes.
Something you don't see much of on the excursion, only the edge of the desert. You could also hire a guide and a 4x4 either before or when you get there. Thomson did not offer this facility which was a little disappointing.
But this option is only for the brave and confident traveller. For families I would advise taking the safer option and staying in a hotel like the Marhaba Palace and going on one of the excursions.

My first impression of the hotel was one of "Wow! This is brilliant!!" Certainly the Reception Hall of the Hotel was first-rate and, as we subsequently discovered, so was the majority of the rest of the Hotel.
On closer inspection however some parts of the hotel were a little jaded but overall it was comfortable and clean. Our room was pleasant, with the laundry being changed every other day. I would have liked tea/coffee facilities in the room - but hey! You don't tip yourself do you??
The pool area was very nice with plenty of loungers available. We were on a B&B basis and sometimes paid for evening dinner. The food was very good and plenty of it - accommodating carnivores and veggies alike.
I would have preferred it however if the waiters did not always seem as if they were about to start scrapping with each other: all that yelling and scowling at each other was a little disconcerting at times!!
Talking of the staff - well, what can I say. We got the feeling that they were pleasant and courteous but only because they were after a tip. And more tips. Buy something - anything - such as a bottle of water at the poolside for example, without leaving a tip and you will be treated to a scowl and probably sarcasm.
Most of my money went on tips. I cannot stress too strongly to always have a few dinars available. And for heaven's sake - don't forget you have to tip the driver if you go out for any trips.
We went to El Djem for a morning's tour of the coliseum which was very good and I would recommend it. However we got collared on our way back to the coach by the peddlers. I mistakenly gave them my last few coins and so didn't have anything for the driver when we finished our trip.
Our tour guide was most incensed by this and threw a coin at us as our group alighted from the coach. An unpleasant way to end what was otherwise an enjoyable trip.
Take a wander around the harbour - it is pleasant, being able to actually walk around somewhere, rather than merely staying in the hotel. Just remember not to eyeball any of the suspicious-looking young men looking after the shops and who are hell-bent on flogging you anything you may give a sideways glance to.
Even if you're not looking you can still get conned. One of them showed me some bracelets as we passed by and then asked me my name. Oops. He then disappeared and came back with my name on it, dragging me inside and saying "25".
After my initial shock at having to pay for something I had no intention of buying I offered my dinars but was told "no! Euros! That will be forty dinars!"
Now - and this is the big one - BEWARE of going on the "free" trip to the carpet factory. I did. And will regret it for a long time. The trip itself is fine - I was quoted £85 for a couple of small mats. So much for a free trip! I paid by Visa and upon returning to England have found out I have been charged nearly £900. Beware those extra noughts.
I will return to Tunisia - but not anywhere near this resort!

This was a fantastic hotel & holiday, rooms well looked after cleaning the rooms every day and replacing towels when you want them clean sheets on the beds every 2nd day, the staff and people in the hotel were absolutely fantastic the service and food were great, the variety of food in the buffet was good always 5 or 6 choices salads and lots of different sweets to choose from.
The hotel swimming pool is well looked after and so is the beach which is located about 100mts from the pool area, they have some water sports located on the beach although not run by the hotel they were good too. beware of the guys selling fruit they will rip you off if your not careful I would advise not going to the port early in the day we made this mistake due to the fact there aren’t too many people around you are hassled by every shop keeper to go into there store they all speak good English but try to speak cockney using slang like "cheap as chips" or "Asda price"& "come and have a gander" although funny now it can be a bit intimidating but as I say if you go later on in the day or early evening when it is busier its much better.
Don’t be put off though as its a great place to visit, we went on a few excursions the sunset cruise which is a galleon and also went to the African dream night which is linked to a zoo both of which are good we also went to EL Jem which has a 3rd century Roman coliseums there, its a must its only half a day visit but you should try to go.

I cannot express strongly enough that there are plenty of excellent hotels aside from the Marhaba Palace. The staff are friendly here...but only if you tip - Call me old fashioned, but I prefer friendliness followed by a tip - not have staff demanding a tip for the sake of it!
I have never had such a horrible experience as at the Palace. Indeed, it is very grand in design but the food and kitchen hygiene was disgraceful. On one occasion, the chef preparing the fried eggs etc dropped his fork on the floor. He checked to see if anyone noticed and then carried on using it, (didn't even bother to wipe it!).
Every morning, the breakfast staff would rush people out, (because there were not enough seats), and would consistently snatch away the plate from our two year old son while he was still eating, (most days).
Add to this that our entire group suffered food poisoning and after informing the reception of this we were told we must be mistake. It happened that the gentleman that made the diagnosis was a respected heart surgeon and he himself suffered the symptoms so we were slightly doubtful of the receptionists brush off.
No follow by the staff was made to investigate the food poison claims and when we asked about it after it happened a second time they once again told us this could not be.
Just to sum up the attitude of the staff - on the last day as we were waiting to leave, one of the gentlemen in our group asked to borrow a pen from the reception to complete a form. The receptionist, whilst holding a pen said "No, go and buy one".
I find this to be the single most shocking statement to hear at a reception in a four star hotel but it captures the attitude of the people accurately.
So long as they can see you as walking $'s they will smile. The moment that they think there is no more money available from you then you no longer hold use to them.
The town is very nice and I do recommend El Kantoui - just choose a different hotel!

My holiday in Tunisia was great it was so much better than I had expected. The hotel was lovely and it was very good service all round.
The one thing I must say the hotel lacked a little bit was nightly entertainment, they did have some live music some of the nights, they did have a night club which was alright but not great.
I would recommend this hotel to anyone and to go by Thomas cook because the one person that really did make our holiday special was our rep Nedar XXXX

Just returned from an excellent week at the Marhaba Palace. The hotel had everything we wanted - the pool area was lovely with plenty of shade, lots of sun beds and a handy bar.
The beach was 2 minutes walk at the most, again with lots of sun beds and a good choice of water sports. Our room was a reasonable size for three and the third bed was a proper bed, not a camp bed as in some hotels; there were also three chairs provided for the balcony.
The hotel seemed to be very well run - staff were friendly and helpful but not intrusive. There was a good choice of food with the opportunity to try different Tunisian specialities.
The highlight of our holiday was a two day trip to the Sahara which enabled us to see the real Tunisia (as Port el Kantaoui is pleasant but a bit fake!). Although it involves a lot of coach travel it was well worth it and you learn a lot about the country just looking out of the coach window.
Finally a word of praise for First Choice for employing Tunisian reps. Fethi was knowledgeable, proud of his country and very conscientious.

What a fantastic holiday in a first rate hotel, having never been to this area before and hearing differing views from so many people, we were a bit dubious.
Amazing how you can be proved wrong, one of the nicest, friendliest, well kept hotels we have ever been to.
The service was excellent and friendly, the food was equally excellent and varied night after night, with theme nights thrown in now and again.
No complaints at all about this place.
Watch out for the head barman though, he's a bit of a joker, nice guy though!

Our first choice rep - Fethi was fantastic, nothing was too much trouble. The hotel was lovely. Air conditioned, lovely staff. The food was incredible, lots of choice all freshly cooked.
The staff were so friendly and helpful, always helping us to understand the Tunisian money. Yes we got a bit of hassle but nothing to complain about, I would definitely go again!
There was a Russian guy in the restaurant every day (a visitor not a member of staff) he was drop dead gorgeous, he helped to make the stay an interesting one!

First of all, Tunisia as a country is a fantastic place for holiday. Unfortunately the people are not the friendliest in the world. Port El Kantaoui was very nice, very "chic" and glamorous. You will enjoy El Kantaoui as long as you were not expecting to see the real Tunisia, which you will not if you spend all your time here.
The Marhaba Palace Hotel was a bit of a disappointment really, the hotel and facilities/amnesties were excellent and fully deserve the 4* rating. however the general attitude and service of the staff deserve nothing more than what you would expect from a 2* hotel.
The general attitude and service all the way from the porters to restaurant waiters, to sports facilities management to restaurant management and even hotel management were extremely poor. In all my years of traveling the world, and having sampled a range of hotels from 2* all the way up to 5*. I can honestly say that this hotel is at the top of the list for absolute worst in service. This is definitely not an over-reaction.
On our arrival to our hotel, the hotel room we were given was shockingly unsuitable as the main bathroom mirror was cracked and removed. They then preceded to offer us a another room, upon which when entering we found to our disgust was still in use, they had not bothered to even check to see if the room had been checked-out of before offering again. Finally, we were given one of the last rooms available after waiting around in the lobby for over two hours and going from room to room to check suitability.
The service from the staff in the restaurant is absolutely shocking, we were flabbergasted at the fact that our table in dining room was never available, or always missing essentials like the napkins or even cutlery at times. The most annoying element and pure laziness exhibited by the staff is when they are asked to get you something as simple as a napkin or fresh cutlery, you will be extremely lucky if you get what you want after asking the first 3 times.
It really is a shame, the hotel is in a perfect location for access into Port El Kantaoui marina and town area, excellent access just a 5 minute walks into the PGA approved 18-golf golf course. The beach area is excellent, and the porter on the beach who puts out the sun beds deserves a special mention for his willingness to help and deliver great service with a smile.
The food in the main restaurant could be a whole lot better, especially if you are a vegetarian. My wife and I are both vegetarians, and at times it really was a struggle to eat the same foods every single day. They seriously need to think about the variety of food they offer and cater to more than just meat-eaters.
A final word, definitely do not be put off by going to this area of Tunisia, there is lots to do and you will have a great holiday, just make sure you do not book to stay at this hotel!

Just returned from the above 14 day holiday. Can recommend hotel and very friendly staff. Our third trip to Port el Kantaoui. We found it restful with a superb beach stretching northwards for a substantial distance. No problems re religion/politics with locals and the English are highly regarded.
Hotel very good although our room was a little 'tired'. TV in room with all World Cup football available. Food excellent. Not enough sun beds however. Three or four bars with 'Happy Hour' facilities. Very little evening entertainment thank goodness. Hotel Night Cub adjoining but no noise. Normal 'hassle' with local traders and best to stick with 'fixed price shops'. Most sports clothing appear to be not genuine (as an opinion) but is cheerfully cheap.
Noddy Train to Sousse good value. Souse is dirty and noisy but is a working port. Forget the Medina and use the Soula Centre fixed price shop next to the medina. Wasn't too impressed by local wines. Good value holiday and under 3 hours from Bristol.