Marhaba Beach Hotel

This hotel was of superb quality, the four star rating is justified in my opinion. All staff go out of their way to help you, are very polite and make you feel very welcome.
The location is spot on, set directly on the small private beach which is kept really clean and the lifeguards are great with helping to organise sun beds and parasols - though try to get to the beach early due to certain other non-UK holiday makers who make a big point of nabbing the decent sun beds with brollies at the break of dawn! We found the people selling various goods on the beach lots of fun and there are plenty of them! Things on offer varied from fruit to smoothies to miniature palms!
The food was OK, breakfast was pretty limited- never have I come across popcorn on the menu before- dinner was better though. The evening entertainment was a bit on the naff side- its not really a place for party types. One thing I was would say was a small negative was that there are no tea or coffee making facilities in the room, or a fridge so that was a bit of a pain.
Also, you need to insert your room key into a slot to operate the electric sockets- all a bit bizarre, but you get used to it! Having never been to Tunisia before I wasn't sure whether I would like it, however it turned out to be great and I would recommend the area and the hotel to anyone.

I have just arrived back in the UK after a week spent at the Marhaba Beach Hotel in Sousse. Whilst Tunisia itself really was not my cup of tea, we really landed on our feet as far as the hotel is concerned.
It is spotlessly clean, the bed linen was changed 3 times in our weeks stay. The reception and bar were comfortable and sociable although they really don't have the knack of making cocktails. We went B&B but ended up eating at the hotel every evening. They provide buffet food which has a great selection, I was pleased I didn't have to live on chips all week - they serve a huge amount of fresh salads, fish and meat. The only negative is for those vegetarians who I think would struggle a bit unless they can live on pasta the whole time.
Inside the hotel there is a snack bar which is open to about 10pm, a fixed price shop so no haggling needed (ideal when you have forgotten your sun cream. They also sell crisps/biscuits/newspapers/souvenirs etc).
You can buy water in plastic bottles from the reception.
Can't comment on the outdoor pools as it was a tad chilly to be using them but the area surrounding was immaculate. The pool bar also serves fab smoothies during the day. After seeing some of the other hotels in Sousse I really wouldn't have wanted to stay anywhere else, this was ideal.
Things I learnt in Tunisia that I wish I'd known before hand:
* Give a tip for almost everything! Although as 1 Dinar is about 50p it's not too bad.
* Beware of pickpockets befriending you on the beach or in the market.
* Never get your money out on display - another holiday maker went to pay for something but they just grabbed his wallet and done a runner.
* Expect to get hassled a lot. Although I got 4 marriage proposals I would much rather have been left alone to read my book in peace!!!
* Do some excursions that show you the real Tunisia. We spent 2 days traveling all over the country, seeing how they really live which is a bit of an eye opener.
* Remember you are going to a poor country - buildings aren't finished, there is litter everywhere and when I moved from the hotel I was a bit dubious about the hygiene element.
All in all, the hotel was fab and although I don't have any inclination to visit Tunisia again, I was on a trip with a lady who was back for her 15th time in 4 years so each to their own!!

1 reader found this review helpful

Location next to safe sandy beach is excellent. Gardens are well kept and very attractive. Good natural shade from many palm trees. Good range of facilities. Rooms and communal areas are cleaned well. Hotel management was very responsive to request for change of room.
Food was plentiful but much of it was rather bland. If you like spicy local food eat out. Entertainment was on a weekly cycle so a second week is a repeat. Staff very friendly and helpful. Main gripe was the weakness of the hotel ventilation system in clearing the cigarette smoke of what seemed like a large number of smokers. Not pleasant at times. Also some people complained of noisy disco music in the early hours but this depends on where your room is.
Easy to get into Sousse by taxi. From there try taking the cheap local train to Monastir or Mahdia. Tour operators may not tell you about that as they are trying to sell you their organised coach tours, which are good. The 2 or 3 day trip that they offer into the desert is very memorable and is a 'must'.

The perfect place to relax this hotel is quiet, clean and comfy.
Food is tasty and plentiful, even fussy eaters can find something amongst the choices. Although the breakfasts were nice don’t expect bacon, beans and black pud or you’ll be disappointed, however there was plenty of toast, cereal, eggs, sausages etc.
Drinks are fairly cheap but apart from pernod, a couple of whiskeys and martini, everything else is locally produced and not at all the same as the locally produced stuff you get in spain etc.
One limitation with the main pool is you might find it difficult to get back out once you're in as the step up is very high, you need to be able to pull your self up to take the first step and then there’s a big gap between the last step and the edge of the pool. However as you are able to use the pool at the tour kalef, which is straight out the front door(and doesn’t charge for the use of sunbeds),this is something that you can easily get around.
Overall the hotel is aimed at adults(and they do have guests that return year after year), so those with children would find it difficult to keep them entertained once they got bored of the pool and on an evening.

Excellent hotel in beautiful location, very clean throughout with very pleasant, friendly staff. It really is as beautiful as it looks in the brochures. Hotel has its own bank, hairdressers and shop which sells sweets, souvenirs, leather bags, postcards and stamps and safety deposit boxes are available at reception.
The beach snack bar serves delicious milkshakes with plenty of fresh fruit. The view from the bedroom balcony was amazing and the weather was glorious. We had no hassle from the locals and will definitely go back to this hotel again. Tunisia is a beautiful country which has so far remained unspoilt by tourism. Can recommend the daytrip to Tunis and Carthage and the half day boat trip along the coast.