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| Holiday-Truth Readers Reports |
eee from Lincoln travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2008 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness |  | | Location |  | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: Well here goes! Marhaba Palace PEK......first impressions were very good.
Very large hotel with grand sweeping driveway and impressive entrance. Huge marble cathedral sized reception with massive crystal chandeliers and fountains with lots of nice sofas and chairs dotted around.
Staff were very helpful and told us to abandon the luggage and booking in until we had eaten our evening meal (arrived at about 9pm). Nice suprise as we weren't expecting to be fed on arrival. Booking in was quick and painless and we were in our room on the 3rd floor within 15 minutes. This is where it started to go a bit wrong!
The floor of the room was swimming in water from the fridge de-frosting and there were bulbs blown so the room was really dark. They had crammed an extra bed into the room and it was up against the balcony door so we couldn't get out onto it. If we moved the bed away from the window we had to climb over them to get into bed as there was no room to walk round them! I went down to reception and to be fair they sent someone straight up to sort the water out and mend the light bulbs. The spare bed however was a different matter. It was badly broken and the mattress had totally collapsed and was stained and dirty. By this stage we were very tired and decided to make the best of it and sort it out the following morning.
I have to say now that our initial thoughts were that it was more 1 star than 4 star based on the room. I will now defend the hotel and the Thomson rep Ash. I very quietly and discreetly had a word with the rep after the welcome meeting and explained the problems we had. I said that I would be satisfied if the bed was replaced and the room cleaned up a bit but he was not happy just to do that and went to speak with the manager of the hotel. Less than 10 minutes later a porter was moving our bags up to a larger room on the 6th floor with fantastic views across the sea and masses more room. We were really impressed by the way it was dealt with and the sincere apologies that we got. It pays not to make too much of a fuss initially I think!
One quick tip though...the air conditioning is not brilliant and needs to be on for a good while before it takes effect. The only problem is that to activate the power in the room you have to slot the room key fob into a cradle near the door and when you leave the room and take the key out the air con stops working, so, we just removed the fob from the key ring and left it in the cradle all the time and just took the key with us!! The hotel aren't too keen on people doing that but the room was lovely and cool every time we got back to it!!
After this the holiday was very good. The hotel is large and very clean with lots of amenities like a well stocked shop (reasonable prices) 4 different bars (limited choices of alcohol of course and not that cheap)a hairdresser, a well equipped fitness centre and massage/spa. The restaurants were very attractive and if anyone went hungry at breakfast or dinner then it was their own fault. The choice of food was enormous ranging from fresh omelettes, cereals, fruit and cold or hot meals for breakfast to delicious soups and 5 meat choices and salads, full cold meats and cheeses, ice creams and delicious sweets for dinner. I couldn't fault the food at all. You kept your own table for dinner throughout the stay and your own waiter which was good. Although we were only half board the choice of food at lunchtime was also good with a nice menu at the beach cafe.
I can also thoroughly recommend the crepe bar near the pool. Lovely fresh crepes with a choice of fillings (cheese, pineapple,honey, chocolate etc) for only 3.5 Dt ( about £1.75) just enough to keep you going until dinner, and the most gorgeous melon smoothie freshly made and served in the hollowed out melon (3.5 DT).
Location of the hotel is excellent. 50 yards from the pool to the private beach through the beautiful and well kept gardens. Plenty of sun beds but not quite enough shade unless you get down early! No charge made for the beds, just tip the chap a dinar and he carries them out for you! Plenty of water sports available (para gliding, jet ski, kayaks etc).
A 5 minute stroll takes you out of the hotel and down to the main harbour area. Always felt safe walking around here as it was busy and well lit with not too much hassle from the traders and plenty of security staff.
The hotel staff were very friendly and couldn't do enough for us, everyone spoke to us from the doorman to the maid and we were made to feel genuinely welcome, they all seemed interested in talking to us and finding out what they could about us and were always making sure we were happy with everything. I admit I did take some half bottles of whisky with me and gave one to our waiter and one to our barman and the service we got was excellent!! Even the cleaning staff were excellent as we found out one evening when we found a huge cockroach in the bathroom and we were sent 2 young girls armed with an industrial hoover to sort it out!! It was hilarious watching them deal with it while trying to be very brave in front of us!!
Entertainment in the hotel was a bit poor to be honest although they are obviously trying to improve things. I didn't care that there wasn't music blaring out round the pool or a noisy disco at night as this is not my scene at all. There was a guitarist playing at the beach cafe in the evening and the 'Marhaba Band' (!) played at the pool bar every other night. By band I mean duo who were unintentionally hilarious as they spoke no English but played all classic British songs and the trick was to guess what they were playing and singing!
There was a pianist in the main bar who played for about an hour most evenings and on certain nights there were some kind of local dancers etc who did a bit outside.
They had just started water gym in the pool every morning before we came home so I assume this continues. Also for the first time the hotel decided to hold a 'Bedouin Feast' night. This meant that the whole restaurant was moved out onto the golf course at the side for one evening, and I do mean the whole restaurant!! Chairs, tables, cutlery, cloths, cookers, spit roast, serving tables...everything! It was an almighty task for the staff and took them all day to prepare for it and all night clearing up and they weren't too happy about it and got very stressed. The queues for the food were horrendous and there were people that couldn't even get seated who didn't turn up at 7pm.
The entertainment was good with musicians and dancers, camel rides and a genuine(!) bedouin encampment and it was all free. I understand that they had a meeting about it the following morning and are looking at doing it every other week! The staff were not very impressed but I feel that if they get it sorted a bit better it will be a nice change for the guests.
All in all it was a very good break and I would definately recommend the hotel unless you are seeking a 'wild' time, then I would say go to Benidorm or similar!
Click here for more information on this hotel, resort and region
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Brian Thomas from Rhondda travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2008 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: My wife and I stayed at the Marhaba Palace hotel in Port El Kantaoui for one week from May 18th to 25th 2008. I had read before going about the queues to get through passport control at Monastir airport and sure enough it was absolute chaos. In fact there were no orderly queues as such, just a large room full of people and a “free for all” to get to the desks and even after spending 50 minutes in that hot and unpleasant space, we still had a further lengthy wait for our cases to arrive at baggage collection.
The transfer from the airport to the resort is not exactly a pretty one. We weren’t sure if most of the buildings on the outskirts of the towns were being built or being knocked down. Some areas looked as though they had just gone through a series of bombing raids and you can’t help noticing the condition of some of the buildings that people are actually living in. Once in the resort the scenery gets much more pleasant, however this is North Africa so if you are planning a trip to Tunisia, do not expect the resorts to resemble Maguluf or Benidorm because they don’t.
We were glad to arrive at the hotel – and what a hotel the Marhaba Palace is. Even before you set foot inside the door, you can’t fail to be impressed with the exterior and its long private driveway and grounds. Once inside, its cathedral like lobby is breathtaking with an enormous chandelier dominating the reception area. The porters will not let you touch your bags, but like everyone else in Tunisia they are only after one thing – your Dinars. In fact, one of them broke the handle on one of our bags and still expected a tip.
The rooms are quite large, clean and comfortable with a nice balcony although ours was overlooking the entrance of the hotel and in hindsight it would have probably been worth paying a little extra for a sea view room. The only criticism we had was that because it was May, the air-con was not switched on even though it was 30 degrees for the last 5 days of the holiday.
The pool area and gardens at the back of the hotel were very impressive. Beyond that, the hotel has its own private stretch of beach which was absolutely magnificent with free sun beds and parasol (just a tip for the guy who fetches them), soft white sand, clear blue sea and a hotel-run restaurant which was open all day for lunch or drinks.
The hotel (like all other hotels in the resort) lacked entertainment. There were only 2 shows through the week staged in the hotel night club for which there was an additional charge, otherwise it was just a pianist in the main bar and a crap guitarist in the other bar.
The food was generally good in both the beach café and the hotel restaurants although anyone looking for a good full English in the mornings will be disappointed. The drinks are reasonably priced with a good selection of cocktails etc, although the Tunisian beer is not up to much.
All in all, the hotel was excellent (apart from the lack of air-con and entertainment) and for anyone looking for a relaxing beach holiday doing nothing but spending every day by the pool or on the beach and having a quiet drink in the evenings, I would highly recommend it. However, as much as we like doing all of the above, we also like exploring and sight seeing and that is where the problem with Tunisia and the Tunisian culture begins. It is just so much hassle and after a while it gets so tiring and irritating. The local traders have no idea how to treat tourists and most of them think that is OK to step in front of you, invade your personal space and to touch and grab you in order to get you to part with your money. Surely all of their shops and restaurants would be full of people if they did not do this, but they were all empty because they were probably frightening people away. The only shops we saw in the resort which had people in them were the government-run stores where all goods were price tagged and you were allowed to browse without being hassled. We decided that we had to visit a medina or two just to see and experience it, but be warned – it is like running the gauntlet.
We went on a camel ride which was an experience to say the least and we also went on the Thomson “three cities” excursion which was excellent as it took you to some very interesting places, although during the bus journeys from one city to the next you have to endure some of the most uninteresting countryside and worst roads that you may ever come across. We also went to the Thomson “Showstoppers” night in Sousse which was a show put on by all of the Thomson resort reps and we thoroughly enjoyed it. For the last 3 days of the holiday we did not set foot outside the confines of the hotel grounds and beach as we had just about had as much as we could take of the hassle.
We have travelled to many different places and experienced many different cultures throughout the world but this was our first trip to a North African country. We are glad that we went and we did enjoy certain aspects of the holiday and the experience but we will not be rushing back to Tunisia.
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gerald anderson from stanley travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
first choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2008 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: First impression on arrival was wow it looks so good, bus pulls up and a swarm of porters rush for your bags short delay as we fill in our forms then off to room 616 not a sea view but view of town and countryside magical.
Room big and airy plenty of wardrobe space, TV, fridge, shower and separate netty(toilet) air con and a built in radio that did not work.
Reception was very light and full of marble, money change place not open I'm my opinion long enough I think 0900 till noon and 1700 till 2000hrs.
Three bars good service prices not too much dearer than resort.
Food excellent, service good.
Right on beach and the cleaner was brilliant room cleaned every day she was an angel.
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Alan Thomas from Llanboidy, Carmarthenshire travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2007 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location |  | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Marhaba Palace
Port El Kantaoui
Tunisia
Alan Thomas
December 2007
Being an wheelchair user, I was very cautious about the accessibility of the hotel.
Even though the ramps, in Tunisia, are STEEP (some times there is NO “dropped Kerb” the step down to the road is fairly HIGH.
Within the hotel, access, is very good, with ramps on all steps. Most floor, coverings, are Marble (NB marble is slippery, especially when damp). On my stay, I met a few “mobility impaired” people, who found the hotel, good for the area
The staff are very helpful, if you tip them, they will do all they can.
There are four lifts, ( as well as stairs), to seven floors, at opposite ends of the huge (flat) reception, which has magnificent centre candelabra. Short pile carpet, on all other floors, does not hinder wheel ability.
Rooms are big, (sea views, to the rear, town views else where) bathroom with over shower-bath, basin, Hairdryer, Towels clean every day. Separate toilet (which is on the small side). Hotel is a VERY LARGE H shape (with the beach side in the shade, after mid-day).
Maid service every day, very thorough, even art sculptures with the bed linen and bed clothes and net curtains. A Laundry service available.
Restaurant has 3 levels (accessed by steps or ramps) Food is “Buffet” style, plenty of choice, and plenty of it. (you always have the same table, every night).
Breakfast is in a different room, again buffet style, plenty of choice. Waiters direct you to your table, some tables are wider than others (good for a wheelchair).
The hotel has a shop, hair salon, Al a Carte resturaunt, Fitness centre, tennis courts, mini golf, sauna and massage suite, indoor (heated) and (large) outdoor swimming pools. NB you may encounter very small ramps, or even a STEP, within the grounds, of the hotel, A (very) short path to the beach 100 mtrs. Pool and beach bar.
Entertainment was abit scarce, but it was December (not the high season).
Christmas and New Year GALA dinners were waiter service, 7 course meals (menu issued in advance, so you can notify them of any dislikes/allergies ). With music and dancers, during the celebrations.
On Christmas morning the children have gifts from Father Christmas (and even WHEELCHAIR users!!).
A short walk to the Marina (along the beach or via the road).
The town of Port El Kantaoui is only 2minutes walk, along cobbled pavements or “wheel” on the road (as I did), but beware in a wheelchair (or even crossing, on crossings) you feel a bit of a target, from any form of transport. You WILL get plenty of attention, for locals, trying to sell you things or get you to go to their shop or restaurant.
Many tour and excursions are available, from the hotel (or tour operator).
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d keeling from west mids travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
thomson
on a friends holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2007 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: should have gone to skanes but due to refurbishment we were asked to choose another hotel we paid an extra £100 and went the marharba palace .best move we could have made.the hotel was very impressive from the outside inside the hotel was spotless as was the bed rooms. couldnt find fault with the food either really enjoyed the home made soups it was our fourth time in tunisia and will definatly be going to this hotel again
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Watson from Nottinghamshire travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Tomsons
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2007 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: When we arrived at our hotel it was about 8pm, due to the length of time it took to check in at reception we missed our evening meal and no one really seemed that bothered - not a great start. Our room on arrival was musty and looked like it had not been dusted for quite some time, the hairdryer didn't work and it took three days of constant requests before a new one was brought to the room. The food at breakfast and evening meal was good, plenty of choice. We were a bit miffed that as a 4 star hotel you are charged extra to have a sunbed mat and to have use of the gym/sauna. The evening entertainment was very limited, we tended to have our evening meal, go for a few drinks in the lounge bar or the Irish Pub across the road and then to our room - not a hotel excitement in an evening! The staff were friendly enough but as in some other reviews they seemed a lot more helpful on your last day of holiday - tips!! We would go back to the Marhaba Palace but not in a hurry. Its ok if you just want a few days to chill out and relax with a book but there is very little in the way of entertainment and the weather when we were there was not that great so it seemed to make it a very very long week!
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Chris from Chester travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomsons
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2007 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Just returned,our second visit to this hotel,and wasnt disappointed.Excellent choices in food,lots of salads,three meats and one fish,pasta,roasted potatoes,and always chips,and fresh vegetables,although the first week I found the meat quite tough,we filled in a questionaire after a couple of days and I stated this,and it definetly improved,lots of desserts to die for and always a choice of four icecreams.Breakfast is served in a different dining room,nice and light,but can get quite busy,chefs making you fresh omlettes,fried eggs and pancakes,along with the choice of cereals,coissants,fried potatoes,doughnuts,and lots more,staff bring you pots of coffee or tea and hot milk nice change from queuing up at a coffee machine.Bedroom was larger than most hotels we have stayed in,kept very clean,and the cleaner would arrange the bedspread in the shape of a fan and leave a few sweets on the bed for us,she always liked to talk and always smiling.We had a room overlooking the front of the hotel,always had the sun,so left our room nice and warm,very little or no sun on sea view rooms.The outdoor pool is beautiful,sun beds are free but if you want mattresses they will cost 2dinars each.Sun beds are free on the beach,not very comfortable,the man will put your beds wherever you want,most people give him a tip,which payed off for us when it rained,we had left our towels on when we when to lunch,I thought they would be soaked,but he had folded them up and put a small table on top of them under a brolley,they also had water sports,Jet ski,banana boat,parasailing,very cheap I thought,£3.20 for banana boat,and you can also book the camel trips there.Hotel staff were very smart and polite,nothing was too much trouble.Downside for us is the evening entertainment,a piano player,some nights resident duo who couldnt sing,and a guitarist in the american bar occasional evening,not a lot of seating in the bars for the amount of people,so had to sit in the lobby most evenings,can be quite boring after a week,so took a trip to other hotels for some entertainment,didnt even have a night with fakir or belly dancer.Although the hotel is nearly 20 years old it still deserves its 4 stars,a beautiful Hotel.
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Dancaster from Stevenage travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2007 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Having just returned from our holiday, I felt it important to let others know how our stay went. The hotel is generally very clean, although our friends and I were eaten alive and are convinced that there was something in the carpets. We had ants in our room, the room smelt very musty.
I thought the food was very good with plenty of choice for most people, although you had to keep asking and asking before you were given tea or coffee in the morning, except on our last day they couldn't do enough for you they were after tips.
If you wanted a cover for the sun bed around the pool you had to pay 2dinar each (5 people for 14 days adds £70 to your holiday) the guy on the beach would only give you a bed if you tipped him and at one point he took a bed from an elderly man because someone else had finished with it, so the man sat on it, but as he hadn't tipped he wasn't going to get it - disgraceful.
When doing any of the sports on the beach, make a wise choice and go down the beach a bit as you get a longer trip for your money and pay less, our friends son had a water ski and they gave him one pull for 30dinar.
The biggest problem was money going missing from the safety deposit box in reception, when we spoke to the reps they didn't say much but didn't semm supprised and when we spoke to other guests who had been before they said not to use them. This probem left a bitter taste, so I will never be going back.
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Mark & Jackie from Widnes travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomsom
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2007 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The hotel cleanliness was very good, the reception are was emaculate and the rooms were kept to a good standard. We thought the food was quite poor and for a 4* rating it was very disapointing! The hotel location was ideal, only a short walk into the Marina where all the main shops are situated. The staff on the whole were very friendly and helpful, but we did have trouble with some of the reception staff who were very unhelpful to say the least, especially when it came to exchanging money. Also during our first week, we found that our maid was steeling from guests, we had all our baby's equipment stolen and we had to buy more supplies from the local Pharmacy, also the lady in the next room had money stolen and another resident of floor 6 had a gold bracelet stolen. We reported this to the Thomson rep and also the Manager, but little was done, no compensation was paid, but we did receive a fruit bowl as a gesture! The hotel will only change travellers cheques etc at certain times during the day, which most guest found very inconvenient, especially if you have just arrived and have no local currency. I think the hotel entertainment was non existant, at least if there was entertainment, we didn't see it! However, if you are situated at the front of the hotel as we were, the Irish Pub over the road will keep you entertained with loud music until the wee early hours of the morning! After all that happened to us in this hotel, there willbe no chance of us returning. We also think this hotel should be downgraded to a 3* rather than a 4*!
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Marc, Eve & Louis from Newcastle upon Tyne travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2007 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Just returned from two weeks at the Marhaba Palace, and we were very happy with our choice of hotel.
The hotel has 7 floors, and the location is excellent - only 5 minutes walk from the Port/Marina and town square of el Kantaoui.
We didn't book a seaview room, but we had a room overlooking the main entrance of the hotel, which also featured a golf course, and some lovely gardens, so we didn't feel we missed out on a view.
Our room was on the 6th floor, and was clean and spacious enough, with a bathroom and seperate WC. The room also had a mini fridge, which was very handy for keeping drinks cold for us, and prevent chocolate from melting for our 3 year old son. The room had satelitte TV - among the german/french channels were BBC Prime, and an english speaking movie channel. The room was air conditioned, and there was maid service every day, including sundays.
To the rear of the hotel is a large Pool, and small childrens pool, where we spent most of our mornings. There is a poolside bar, and a path leads right onto the beach, where there is a small snackbar/cafe. This snackbar stayed open late if you fancied a drink watching the sun go down.
Inside the hotel, was the main bar, and a number of restaurants, but we only used the breakfast room and the dinner room (men need to wear long trousers for evening dinner - I was sent back to change out if shorts on the first night!!). The food choices at both breakfast and evening dinner were very good, and there has to be something for everyone - even our son, who is a very fussy/picky eater!
The staff, and in particular the waiters are all very friendly, and loved our 3 year old - they made him feel very special, and made us feel very welcome - and nothing seemed to much trouble. Yes, they are after a tip, but they also seem to respond well if you show appreciation to them.
Overall, we thought the hotel was very good - but the only thing that really let it down, was a lack of entertainment for children, and a lack of any real evening entertainment for anyone! The main bar either featured a small resident band basically playing 'lounge music' or an instrumental pianist laying background music, but that was the extent of any activities. During our two weeks, there was only one show - a 'Fakir Show' which featured a man who lay on beds of nails, had swords pushed into him, and the like, and ate fire. I was one of the 'lucky' participants on stage!!!
As a result of the lack of evening entertainment, we found oursleves spending quite a few nights at the 'Puca Irish Pub' which is over the road from the hotel, at the neighbouring Hotel Kanta. This is a very good pub, which has live resident band, Karaoke (ok - thats pretty naff), and a solo singer. But it just had a better atmosphere.
Also, some of the decore was a little 'tired', and in need of redecoration - some of which was going on when we were there, but nothing to disrupt any guests, so dont panic!
The main percentage of the guests during our two weeks seemed to be british, though there were some german, french and arabic guests also.
Overall, we would recommend the Marhaba Palace, and would go back - buit hopefully they will improve the evening entertainment, and cater more for children.
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nick jones from denbigh travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
first choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2007 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Hotel was great except for poor bedroom furniture + air con, though air con in main area was great.
Pool area was large with enough space for everyone, had to be up early to beat the Brits grabing all the beds underneath brollies-plenty of beds without brollies.
Waiters are ok, but made it obvious they wanted a tip on last day but service was that good you didn't mind. Room was cleaned every day, our lady saw it was my birthday and left me a lovely present, the Tunisians are a lovely, friendly people and can not wait too go back to Marhaba Palace.
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melanie bartholomew from sheffield travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
thompson
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2006 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The hotel was stunning and very clean.The staff were lovely,nothing was too much trouble.
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McLoughlin from East Yorkshire travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Airtours
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2006 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Just arrived back from 2 wonderful weeks at the Palace. The staff were lovely bending over backwards to help you. The room was very spacious and cleaned daily our maid Latifah was lovely - wish we could have brought her home with us.
The Hotel is very grand the pool fantastic never overcrowded as of course the beach is down a 5metre path, the beach is amazing white sands aqua waters.
The food was delicious even for a picky eater there was plenty to choose from, eggs fried while you wait, cakes for every sweet tooth, any dish possible, with a pancake man and a restaurant on the beach selling loads of meals including Pizzas.
The room service was fast 2 teas and a coffee at 2am for £3 what more would you want. The complex also has a fitness centre and the massages are to die for Indian head massage for £12.50 the girls there were wonderful, Wided, Sokina and Gigi, looked after us well.
The hotel bar is lovely Piano most evenings, there is a nightclub and a small cafe too, the entertainment is the only thing that lets it down, however the hotel Kanta across the road does some entertainment and we saw a fantastic drag act on the Fri evening there (Dolly Parton is not to be missed).
Overall it was like being at the Hilton I can not tell you how fantastic the place was. We had a sea view room which was worth every penny. The supermarket at the hotel is fab selling all sorts of gifts, open 9am ish till later on.
Our rep was crap he was never around, only really for welcome meetings we had a complaint about a trip we went on but could never catch him there, we went over to the Kanta hotel as the rep there was always around and very friendly.
The Zulu trip is very Poor the food is supposed to stretch between 6 as they seat you with other people, and to be honest 2 pieces of lettuce, 1 potato quartered and 6 titly pieces of chicken is very poor, there are 4 courses however the soup was cold, the first table we were sat on the bread was swarming with ants, and the table we moved to another however half way through the meal cockroaches dropped through the window on to our plates ugh.
My only advise if you decide to ignore the warnings is make sure your not sat near the windows.
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G S Collings from Par / Cornwall travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Firts Choice
on a 18-30s holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2006 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: My wife/son and myself have just got back from an excellent holiday, staying at the Palace.
First impressions on pulling up outside this hotel is the impressive facade, not being disappointed when you enter into the spacious air conditioned reception area with its focal point of the water feature and tall columns.
A well lit and delightful area. our room was plenty spacious enough for 3 people sleeping and was of a high cleanliness.
We had a room overlooking the front of the hotel which was a welcome not having to wake up to blazing heat to start the day. The staff on the whole were friendly. Our waiter always made you feel welcomed and our chambermaid was so thoughtful and did everything to make our stay so wonderful, keeping our room well cleaned at all times.
The decor was no worse than others Ive stayed in, infact much better than others.
The food was always well prepared and was of good quality although it was much of a muchness but no worse than other hotels catering for the mass and different nationalities.
The pool attendants always managed to find us beds in the shade no matter what time of day we went down and was always helpful. You only pay 1 dinar for a days rent for the mattress which is well worth it, the sunbeds at the pool are free otherwise.
The entertainment was of low key, piano player few times a night and a group plus there was a show but cant comment as we were out both nights it was on. The rep was great always ful of information and again extremely friendly. We did a three day safari by 4x4 and was and it will an experience I will never forget.
We covered around 950 miles and was very tired at the end but dont miss it. It was the highlight of the holiday without question.
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G S Collings from Par / Cornwall travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Firts Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2006 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: My wife/son and myself have just got back from an excellent holiday, staying at the Palace.
First impressions on pulling up outside this hotel is the impressive facade, not being disapointed when you enter into the spacious air conditioned reception area with its focal point of the water feature and tall columns. A well lit and delightful area.
Our room was plenty spacious enough for 3 people sleeping and was of a high cleanliness. We had a room overlooking the front of the hotel which was a welcome not having to wake up to blazing heat to start the day.
The staff on the whole were friendly. Our waiter always made you feel welcomed and our chambermaid was so thoughtful and did everything to make our stay so wonderful, keeping our room well cleaned at all times. The decor was no worse than others Ive stayed in, infact much better than others.
The food was always well prepared and was of good quality although it was much of a muchness but no worse than other hotels catering for the mass and different nationalities.
The pool attendents always managed to find us beds in the shade no matter what time of day we went down and was always helpful. You only pay 1dinar for a days rent for the mattress which is well worth it, the sunbeds at the pool are free otherwise.
The entertainment was of low key, piano player few times a night and a group plus there was a show but cant comment as we were out both nights it was on.
The rep was great always full of information and again extremely friendly. We did a three day safari by 4x4 and was a experience I will never forget.
We covered around 950 miles was very tired at the end but dont miss it. It was the highlight of thr holiday without question.
| | |
Miriam from Liverpool travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson
on a family holiday.
There were 5 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2006 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The hotel was spotless and very attractive. Although categorised as 4/5 star, I would say it's more 3/4. This is because the rooms, although large and extremely well looked after, are rather dated and could do with refurbishment. There's too much dark wood and dated furniture.
The entertainment also pulls down the rating - basically there isn't any! On one night we were there there was some sort of show at the pool but hardly anyone there. Other than that there's just a piano player in one of the bars. I was surprised at this as there isn't any entertainment in the resort - it's mainly shops and restaurants and only a handful of bars. Even the nightclub (which closed early) only had 2 people in any time we looked.
The food is of a very good quality and wide choice. Something for everyone and believe me I'm a fussy eater! Every night the buffet menu is different and there is always at least 1 or 2 carvery meats or fresh pasta or stir fry. Couldn't fault the restaurants, food or service.
We didn't use the pool as it was far too hot there. We always went to the beach which is very nice. A beach man will provide you with beds when you arrive. When you leave in the afternoon, give him one of your towels and tell him where you want to be positioned the next day (providing it's free). At 6.30am the next morning he'll put out your sunbeds and towel so it's ready for you whenever you arrive. You just give him 1 dinar per bed for this (about 90p or so). After that, just give him your towel at the end of each day and he'll always remember to reserve your beds for you.
One thing I didn't like. The Tunisians are quite greedy when it comes to money and getting tips. They will blatantly put their hands into your face and TELL you they want money. My mother in particular was bullied on a few occasions when the rest of us were okay. Maybe it was because of her age (69) and they could they could con her. There was a doorman at the hotel and as we would leave of an evening we'd give him a dinar for opening the door. When my mother was by herself, he told her to look in her bag for 5 dinars for him!
You also have to be very careful on watching your change. You will be ripped off even in the hotel or beach bar so keep your wits about you. This happened to us on a couple of occasions and you just can't prove you gave them a 20 dinar note and only got change for a 10.
All in all a nice relaxing holiday in pleasant surroundings but I'm glad we only went for a week as I'd have been bored stiff if I was there for a fortnight. You'd definitely have to pay for some trips out. I wouldn't go again.
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Brian Hurst from Liverpool travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2006 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: What a waste of a wonderful hotel in an ideal location.
Evening entertainment does not exist, despite having a disco and an American bar which frankly has the atmosphere of a library.
My biggest gripe was the staff who where fine if they thought they where going to benefit from helping you, otherwise they where rude and unhelpful.
The pool and beach bed staff are open to dropsys to ensure you have the same bed everyday. This might sound fine if you are an im alright jack type, but there are not enough beds for the size of the hotel and this means people who are not prepared to give out back handers are stuck. This caused murder around the pool in particular. I thought the Germans had a reputation for selfishness but us Brits are far worse. Nobody agreed with this carry on and it was either go down with your towels at 7am or if you can't beat'em, join'em and pay the staff. Despite complaints to the management continued regardless.
| | |
Janine from Manchester travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson
on a family holiday.
There were 1 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2006 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Very impressive hotel. Very clean both inside and around the pool. Rooms are quite large with a separate bathroom with decent shower and toilet. There was a range of food at breakfast and dinner. Unfortunately I fell really ill the day I returned home and tests showed I had salmonella. I dont want to blatantly blame the hotel food but the only other place I ate other than the hotel restaurant was once at the hotel beach bar. I was even using tap water to brush my teeth.
We had to set the alarm for 7.30am to get sun beds around the pool and it was almost impossible to get a parasol. I think this was due to the fact that the sunbed attendant reserved them all (in return for a fee of course!) The beach is lovely and we went paragliding which was brilliant. We also went on the Camel trip, booked with the man sat near to the beach in the hotel grounds. This was good but beware that it is not the trip that you will go on with Thomson even though he says it is. Watch out as they will try and put a piece of white cloth on your head and then say they want 2TD for it so wear a hat.
What the hotel and PEK lack is entertainment. The marina is just a 5 min walk away but theres only so many times you can walk there and wonder round the shops. I travelled with my 14 year daughter and her friend and I have never had so much hassle in my life!! To be honest, there isnt really much else to do in the evening.
We went to the medina in sousse and loved it. Even though we were 3 females we felt quite safe and got some brilliant bargains, so good that we went back again.
This hotel is lovely, however I feel that it is definitely more suited to older couples and groups of friends.
| | |
Janine from Manchester travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson
on a family holiday.
There were 1 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2006 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Very impressive hotel. Very clean both inside and around the pool. Rooms are quite large with a separate bathroom with decent shower and toilet. There was a range of food at breakfast and dinner. Unfortunately I fell really ill the day I returned home and tests showed I had salmonella. I dont want to blatantly blame the hotel food but the only other place I ate other than the hotel restaurant was once at the hotel beach bar. I was even using tap water to brush my teeth.
We had to set the alarm for 7.30am to get sun beds around the pool and it was almost impossible to get a parasol. I think this was due to the fact that the sunbed attendant reserved them all (in return for a fee of course!) The beach is lovely and we went paragliding which was brilliant. We also went on the Camel trip, booked with the man sat near to the beach in the hotel grounds. This was good but beware that it is not the trip that you will go on with Thomson even though he says it is. Watch out as they will try and put a piece of white cloth on your head and then say they want 2TD for it so wear a hat.
What the hotel and PEK lack is entertainment. The marina is just a 5 min walk away but theres only so many times you can walk there and wonder round the shops. I travelled with my 14 year daughter and her friend and I have never had so much hassle in my life!! To be honest, there isnt really much else to do in the evening.
We went to the medina in sousse and loved it. Even though we were 3 females we felt quite safe and got some brilliant bargains, so good that we went back again.
This hotel is lovely, however I feel that it is definitely more suited to older couples and groups of friends.
| | |
Jan Harper from Swansea travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2006 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food |  | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Marhaba Palace Port El Kantoui
Super location,clean. Most of the staff were friendly the exeption being the chap who is in charge of sun beds around the pool. Preferred beach beds and the chap in charge there was a pleasure to meet every day. Unfortunately my husband fell ill just hours after arriving home. We have just been informed by environmental health that he had suffered salmonella poisoning. Whilst this is still being investigated to try to establish the source I would like to make people aware and if possible avoid re-heated or food which appears uncooked.
| | |
Hill from Wolverhampton travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thimson
on a family holiday.
There were 4 adults and 4 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2006 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Fantastic. Have been to Tunisia before so knew what to expect but after reading some reviews was getting a little worried as we were taking a 1,2,4 and 11 year old with us.
No need to have worried, hotel spotless, staff wonderful especially with the kids mine were spoiled rotten by the staff all the time. Ihave to mention the waiters in the breakfast room and dining room who were fantastic, even entertained the kids whilst we went to fetch our meals. Food great good variation every night ie salads, rice, pasta, meats cooked fresh if you want, fantastic puddings and two massive bowls of strawberries every night and other fresh fruit.
Towels changed daily if you wish. Room cleaned evry day to a high standard and we really needed it there was sand everywhere.
We were on the back of the hotel and still had a lovely view and we could even see the sea.
Entertainment was possibly the only let down although the guy who does the kareoke Tuesdays and Saturdays is great very infectious personality and made a star of my 4 year old. Thanks for that. If your looking for a rest the entertainment generally won't keep you up all night. My only critisim.
Overall great would definately go back.
| | |
Haworth from Lancashire travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson
on a family holiday.
There were 5 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2006 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The hotel staff were welcoming and we soon settled into our pool /sea view room. The room was spacious and accomodated 2 adults and one child easily. There was plenty of wardrobe space and a separate toilet and bathroom was convenient for our needs. There was a plentiful supply of sun beds around the pool which also had an efficiently staffed pool bar. The beach bar adjacent to the pool was well staffed and no queuing was necessary. drinks served to your sun bed! the beach bar adjacent to the hotel was great for the children at lunchtime, serving good food at reasonable prices.
Hotel food was plentiful, varied and in the main good with a good choice for children and vegetarians. The wine was inexpensive for a hotel.
Hotel entertainment was low key and added to the relaxed atmosphere. Cocktails before dinner were inexpensive and coffee after dinner in the spacious coffee lounge was a good accompaniment to premiership football playing on the TV (not available anywhere else in the resort)
We would certainly visit the hotel again. Very good value for money overall.
| | |
Williams from London travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2006 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: There are certain things you expect with any package holiday: flights rammed with chavs, suspect food and service tailored to the herd, not the individual.
With these things in mind, all we really wanted out of this holiday was some guaranteed February heat in pleasant surroundings and within easy flying time of England.
We arrived late on a Sunday night, following the seemingly inevitable transfer delays, and settled down in a modest room in anticipation of a much-needed night’s sleep. But at 6.30am we were awoken by the sound of gushing water in the corridor outside out room. Much of the second floor was flooded, including our room. Staff rushed around outside our room trying to mop up the deluge with noisy vacuum cleaners. No assistance was forthcoming. We had to gather our sopping possessions and make our way reception where staff eventually agreed to provide a replacement room [here the plumbing was sound, but the electrics haywire], but refused to offer any apology.
Not wanting to have our holiday spoiled by a shabby hotel, we got on with things, avoided the chavs and had a remarkably pleasant holiday. In particular, we enjoyed a two-day trip taking in the Sahara - and not only because this meant a night away from the Marhaba ‘Palace’.
Back at the Palace, eager as we were to put the day one wash out behind us, it was difficult not to notice that almost every aspect of the hotel was not up to scratch.
In particular, the food, even by package holiday standards, was at best repetitive and arguably bland and even unhealthy—hardly what you want from a week of relaxation in a location where the local Mediterranean catch is second to none. What made the eating experience worse were the Communist-style waiting arrangements. Hoards of dickie-bowed and frankly rather gormless ‘waiters’ seemed incapable of clearing plates, setting tables and fetching drinks, their only tasks in this self-service establishment. At breakfast, one man was assigned the task of clearing teapots, another charged with doling out coffee and another still with dishing out the napkins. A novel system of running a restaurant and probably one which I would not have noticed had it worked. The plain truth is that it did not work. If you asked the napkin man for a fork, he would agree to get you one and then carry on regardless with his paper distribution. Meanwhile the fork man was nowhere to be seen. Yes, such niggles may seem small, but they cropped up at every turn – with reception staff, in the bar, the gym and by the pool - and as such grated.
There was a constant sense that the Palace over-promised and under-delivered. Had the hotel been described as 3 Star and not an implausible 4, we may have tempered our expectations accordingly. In the absence of such candour, I feel unable to rely on Thomson ratings again. We didn’t expect much, but we got significantly less than we expected. Avoid.
| | |
Jean & Roy from Ruskington travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
First (Last!) Choice
on a singles holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2006 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The Hotel is very imposing and in our opinion probably abit too big. The room (the 2nd one!)was very comfortable and the maisd did an excellent job in seeing it was always clean with clean towels and plenty of shower gels etc.
However the hair dryer caught fire on our 2nd day and although it was reported to the maun desk immediately, it took our absence on a 3 day safari and two further calls to actually get this sorted out.
Also their answer to repairing the heating was to put a 'wadge' of toilet paper jammed in the frame of the patio window!
The Hotel food was always hot and plentiful but totally lacked any taste. We have never seen so many people putting copious amounts of salt and pepper on their food to give it some taste. It seems a shame that there also had to be a large tray of chips with every meal!!
We also experienced a problem with not being given receipts for our wine at the dinner table, it seems that this may heve been 'diverted' , always ask for a receipt.
Our rep was never in the hotel when he was supposed to be, and infact gave us very untruthful information with regard to a safari. The pool area seemed to be very crowded and all 'higgeledy piggeley' with beds all over the place, I dread to think what it must be like in the summer.
The beach however was very nice, the staff were very helpful in supplying us with deck chairs on the days we wished to have the sun, and a very nice pizza could be had as a take-away from the ala carte restuarant.
The beach bar had not opened for business when we were there (which was why it was nice and quiet) We also enjoyed several games of table tennis near the pool bar.
| | |
jean johnstone from whitburn, west lothian travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
thomsons
on a singles holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2005 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Appearance pleasant and clean although the rooms were a bit dated but spacious. Bathroom was okay. Food was quite varied and quite enjoyable. Staff tended only to smile and walk about. You were left to get on with it and help yourself. Very busy.
Pool area was pleasant and access to beach was easy. Plenty of sun beds. As I enjoy walking I did not mind walking to the Marina and Centre.
Staff were rather distant. You had to watch when changing money,often coins were not offered and you had to check that you received the full amount. In reception there was a lot of waiting around. When we arrived it was like organised chaos waiting for our key and room number.
Entertainment was music. No disco open. You felt rather like you were sitting in a cathedral setting.
I would not visis this hotel again as I found it too big and unpersonal. I actually transferred after my sedond week to another hotel which I much preferred.
| | |
Claire and David from Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson Holidays
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2005 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The Marhaba Palace Hotel was very grand and clean. The pool and restaurants were lovely and the staff were both pleasant and helpful. Tips are appreciated but not a must - although we always gave something.
Our room looked out over the front of the hotel and, although the back would have been better, it was still lovely as the grounds are pretty and well maintained. The cleaners were friendly and did a brilliant job, coming in every day and replacing towels and bedding. The room was fairly dark but the sunlight cam in through the huuge doors onto the patio so it was never a problem.
The food was gorgeous and - although I can see what people mean abouth it being repetive - it's bound do be at times as there are so many dishes on offer each night. There is something for everyone (and I'm picky!!)
The entertainment is low key but that's what I'd expect in Tunisia anyway - it's not known as that sort of place. However, the piano player, band, karaoke and bingo caller create a good atmosphere and a laugh. There is a nightclub but I must admit we didn't venture into it. However, the bar was always busy and they don't hurry you out to close.
If we go back to Port el Kantoui we would definitely stay here again.
| | |
Ruth and Keith from Hull travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomas Cook
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2005 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We have travelled quite extensively in Europe but never to Tunisia so I managed to book an excellent deal and was really surprised at how impressive this hotel was on first impressions.
Even though I felt the rooms were a bit dated they were comfortable and very clean, in fact cleaned every day by our maid of which we tipped but in Tunisia they expect it and it does make up a lot of their wages which is very poor in general. The view wasn't of the sea but as we were quite high up we could sit on our balcony and listen to the birds, especially first thing in the morning.
The food was great, lots of variety but I would have preferred more of a Tunisian feel as I love couscous and all the rich lamb dishes they favour. The breakfast was good as well and they made the effort to provide an English one even though not to every ones taste but more than made up for it in the fact that you could have fresh ommeletes and freshly cooked fried eggs. We did swap a dinner for a lunch one day and that was fantastic.
You could not have wished for a better location walking through the pool area right onto the beach which was kept spotless and even though the weather was cloudy (in fact we only really had 2 proper sunbathing days out of the 7) I could see what a buzz the beach/resort would be in the height of Summer with all the watersports being so cheap and great fun.
One word of warning if you take a taxi into Sousse to look around the Medina ....Do Not be fooled by a Tunisian coming up to you and pretending to be a waiter from your hotel, they get the tip off from the taxi driver and you are then taken to various shops and made to feel uncomfortable if you don't buy a carpet, leather bag, piece of tat at very inflated prices even though you are encouraged to barter. Wear some shades and just say No Thank you.
We went on a few excursions but found the Sahara Explorer which was a 2 day trip, long and very uncomfortable spent on the coach sometimes up to 8 hours out of the whole day, saying that we did feel we had seen the true Tunisia and the trip did cover 1,200 kilometres so you can get the gist of how long you have to travel for.
My partner said he would visit Tunisia again, maybe in 10 years time when they have tidied up the country but I felt outside of the resort the place needed a huge face lift and I would not be coming back. But all in all if you want a great hotel in a great location at the best resort in Tunisia I would recommend this hotel and P E K as the best resort.
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Kevin and Bernie from London travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
panorama
on a singles holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2005 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Wonderful hotel. From the moment you're greeted at the door, the staff bend over backwards to help you. Yes I know they are after a tip - but I get the feeling they would be the same if they weren't, as all the Tunisians we met were really friendly.
The room was of a high standard, with a lovely view from the balcony, where we watched the sun set most evenings. Maids cleaned everyday, and the room was spotless.
The food was great, with lots of choice both for breakfast and evening meals. The one thing we missed was a nice glass of wine - the Tunisian wine left a lot to be desired. The two bars, were lovely, with a nice relaxed atmosphere - and don't miss the Moroccan bar, where you can get wonderful mint tea and date liqueur.
Entertainment was ok for us, as we weren't looking for anything particularly lively and loud. Karaoke, piano player and an hilarious Tunisian band, who crucified some great songs (which was very entertaining) was more than adequate. As was the Fariq show in the nightclub, where to my horror I was dragged up to do some belly dancing.
Outside the pool and pool area were stunning, with plenty of beds and a lovely bar to get drinks and snacks.
A short walk takes you to the beach and again a bar with drinks and food. Watersports are very cheap here. A short stroll down the beach takes you to the harbour which was lovely.
Can't fault the hotel in anyway and would highly recommend it. However, I would say that it is definitely an adults hotel, which children and teenagers might find a little too quiet.
| | |
John & Rosemarie from Bordon travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Returned from 2 weeks in tunisia 02-10-2005, stayed at the hotel marhaba palace half board basis was excellent, cleanliness high standard.
Hotel food very good a good selection of different dishes, hotel location was perfect 2 mins from beach and 5 mins from town centre.
Hotel staff were excellent looked after you very well nothing was too much trouble for them, entertainment was a little scarce I have just booked another 2 weeks for 19-02-2006.
| | |
Mark & Carole Taylor from Poole travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomas Cook
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We have just returned from our 5th visit to the Marhaba Palace and we are already looking forward to returning in 12 weeks time for the New Year celebrations.
The hotel and grounds, as always, were spotlessly clean and well kept.
Having discovered that the restaurant had changed to all buffet service for evening meals, we were apprehensive about whether or not we would enjoy mealtimes as much. However, we found that this worked out better for us as I was able to maintain my low-carb diet and my husband was able to try a bit of everything! Also, this enabled the hotel to put on theme nights. The Italian night was wonderful, though not so low-carb! and the Oriental night made a pleasant change. However, for us, the Tunisian night won hands down for the great food and the cute little traditional red waist coats the waiters wore. We had the same waiter (Komel)as our last 2 trips and he continued to provide the same wonderful service, despite not serving our main course. It was lovely to be able to see the chefs at work and to be able to commend them on the great food!
We have never been able to find anything to complain about when it came to breakfast, but we were stunned that they had managed to improve it further. The addition of biscuits, pancakes and fried 'eggy' bread was brilliant, if not damaging to the waistline!!
Even though this was our 5th visit, it was the first time we had eaten in the A La Carte restaurant. This is an experience not to be missed. The food was wonderful and varied and the service provided by Adel was faultless. The bill came to only £15 per head for 7 of us and that was with a very decent tip.
To be greeted by the members of bar staff by name was wonderful. Especially as they remembered what we like to drink, despite it being 9 months since our last visit! Our thanks to Kamel, Chakib, Ramzi, Samir, Hamsel and all the other members of bar staff for the great service and chats, giving us an insight into the Tunisian way of life.
The Marhaba Band (Rouf and Hamid)were enjoyable as always and the fact that they don't always get the words to the songs right only adds to the enjoyment. This year they had even learnt to sing 'Oh Carol' for us which we found really touching.
This hotel may not offer as much entertainment as others in the area, but we find this one of the most appealing aspects. Along with the friends we have made over the years, we are more than capable of making/finding our own entertainment.
In the winter months there is more entertainment provided, but in the summer, when people tend to go to the port for drinks, dinner etc, the entertainment is more limited. There are plenty of hotels and clubs in close proximity if you want to go in search of entertainment.
We cannot fault any of the hotel staff, who we have always found polite and only too happy to help. When you consider how little they earn, the standard of service in comparison is amazing. We have never begrudged tipping anyone, if anything we're probably too generous, but they earn it.
We are already counting the days till we return to the Marhaba Palace (85 days at the time of writing this review!) but we are also looking at how many visits we can fit in next year!
| | |
jane from jersey travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thompson
on a family holiday.
There were 6 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: This was our first stay at the marhaba palace and i can say its the best hotel I have stayed at in Tunisia.
The staff were friendly and more than happy to look after you and make your holiday enjoyable.
The rooms were fine with comfy beds and clean linen and the maids came daily to clean.
Food was excellent there was plenty of choice for breakfast and dinner, even my dad who is the worlds fussiest eater didnt go hungry. You get plenty of choices of salads, pastas and main courses and the ice creams and little pastries are lovely.
We ate most lunchtimes at the hotels beach bar which has a good choice and is very good value for money.
The swimming pool and beach areas were kept very clean as was the inside of the hotel.
The sports centre at the front of the hotel is worth a visit as the jacuzzi and spa is great.
Entertainment was lacking a bit but its a nice hotel to be able to relax in, the painist and marhaba band have a good shot and keeping you entertained and theres a show in the nightclub once a week with a belly dancer,snake charmer etc which we enjoyed.
As for things for kids to do its not a hotel i would recommend for familys as theres nothing aimed at entertaining the kids.
All in all we really enjoyed our stay at the marhaba and will be booking there for our holidays in future.
| | |
Rona from Liverpool travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thompson's
on a singles holiday.
There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We stayed a fortnight and have just come back (Sept '05) The hotel was very well kept and generally clean. Carpets, lounge/bar seating etc... excellent condition. The gardens were well looked after and litter never seen lying about.
We were 30 seconds from our own stretch of the beach which had beautiful white sand and the cafe there, belonging to the hotel, we found that very good too - and reasonable. We used to get pizza, sandwiches etc... to take away and eat by the pool.
The 2 restaurants (Morning/evening) were excellent with lots to choose from - breakfasts just brilliant - loads to eat on both counts with only 2 nights out of 14 being a little below their usual standard. Our waiter (Habib) was very professional whilst also being friendly and excellent at his job.
All the staff were very polite and friendly. I'd definitely go again.
Entertainment was the hotel pianist but we usually went in the bar when the hotel group were playing, (which did make me smile sometimes but it was enjoyable) It was a talented duo who sang well known English songs (but sometimes got pronunciation/words wrong but it added to the fun)
Our rep was very helpful - from what I hear not everyones was a good as ours. Also, someone at the airport told us they had people going round the pool in their hotel trying to sell them stuff - that never happened here - I have to say it was a good experience.
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Mr & Mrs Paul & Nancy Sutton from Merseyside travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: This hotel was recommended to us by friends and we were impressed from the moment we arrived. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by friendly professional staff. Upon checking in, we were offered a seat in the gorgeous lobby and given a cool lemon drink within seconds! There was no hassel of waiting in a queue after our journey and our luggage was taken up by the porters once our reservation was confirmed.
We had paid a bit extra for a sea view and wow, was it worth it! As soon as we entered our room we were greeted by a view of what we considered to be paradise! Seventh floor view over the pool and a perfect view of the sea from all angles.
We rushed to the pool to get our first day in of sun therapy which was plentiful during our entire stay. The pool was large and the surrounded by palm trees and plenty of sunbeds. One tip however which was given to us by frequent travelers is when greeted by the pool staff, you have the option of reserving your sunbed daily or for the remainder of your stay. They appreciate a tip of 1 dinar per bed per day. If you pay for the entire stay ahead of time, they save your bed in the location of your choice so that you have it waiting whenever you decide to go.
The pool bar serves cool drinks, beer, wine and coffee or tea and between 10am and 1130am, the chef cooks lemon and chocolate crepes. The beach which is footsteps away, has a cafe which serves nice food at reasonable prices with the lovely view of the sea.
The restaurant for breakfast serves a wide variety of foods from omeletes made to order to fresh fruit, pastries, cereals, cheeses and hams, boiled eggs, bacon, german sausages etc. All staff are there to cater for your every need. Dinner is lovely. Theres something for everyone including salads, local cuisine, homemade soups, pasta, 2 varieties of potatos, and chef's specialties which change every night. (These include fresh fish, chicken, turkey, pork, beef, rice or cous cous their local dish). The desserts are gorgeous including the homemade ice creams and sorbets. The staff are extremely friendly and always smile! They have an amazing memory as well so expect after your first night to be offered what you ordered the previous evening.
I must say, for as little as the staff are paid (6 dinars per day), they offer a smile everytime! The service we received was 5 star quality. This country is beautiful, but poor when it comes to salaries. The staff work extra hard and will do anything for you, so please reward them with an adequate tip. Your rep will fill you in on what's expected. Keep in mind, 1 dinar is only 50p!
The evening entertainment was rather mellow and that's probably the only thing we would change if we were asked. We however wanted a relaxing romantic holiday and that's exactly what we got! The flower guy Adam comes around every night and offers to make a beautiful bouquet for "your lady". He is the most charming guy and never pushy. He gives away more than he sells! Keep in mind if deciding to bring children that this hotel was recommended to us as an "all adult accommodation", which is why we booked it.
Shopping and the local area is lovely. There's a supermarket nearby (5 minute walk), which will allow you to get soda, juice, bottled water cheap, as well as snacks and some gorgeous leather bags and trinkets.
(Try the Kebabs in the cafe located in the supermarket which are only 2.50 dinars).
It's only a short stroll to the marina from the market, where you can browse in the shops and haggle for a deal on the items that are not fixed price. A good tip is to visit a few shops and compare prices. This way you can offer the lower price when you finally decide which shop to go to and sound like you know what you're talking about.
If you decide to have dinner in one of the upscale restaurants on the marina, you can switch to lunch if you're half board at the hotel, so you don't miss out on a meal that you're entitled to. We had dinner at the Floating boat restaurant neptune. Delicous food both local and standard cuisine with 5 star sevice and a view of the marina at night to die for! We had a bottle of wine, beer, lobster dinner and filet of beef dinner for only 60 dinars! (that's £30)! It's customary to tip 10 percent in a nice restaurant. The other restaurant which was recommended to us is the Mediterranio. We ran out of time, but will visit on our next trip back. 4-5 star quality also at this one and others who had visited said it was gorgeous!
Since this was a relaxing holiday for us, we decided only to have 2 outings. We visited the Medina in Sousse which is an experience in itself! This is where you haggle aggressively and don't be shy! You get your best deals if you go to the Soula Centre which is fixed price and study the prices of items you want. (This way when you visit the medina shops, you have an idea of how much to pay). Set yourself a limit and be prepared to walk away if given a price too high. This is not considered rude... you're there to play the game with them and they expect it. Have a good sense of humour!
The second outing we went on was the organised tour through the rep. The Zulu night is about 45 mins on the coach to a park reserve where you are served a traditional Tunisian meal accompanied by Zula dancers, belly dancers and lively staff. Soda, wine and water are unlimited and included in the price of the tour. Great fun!
We met alot of lovely people which made our holiday even better, and we would reccommend this hotel and resort to anyone wanting a bit of paradise only 3 hours from home! Well done to all the staff and after only being back to reality one day, we miss it already!
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Susan from Liverpool travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
first choice
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2005 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: This hotel is definitely not a four star. The only thing I have to say about this hotel is to pay attention to negative reviews, we did't and went ahead and booked it. It was the holiday from hell.
We got huge compensation when we complained and produced 60 different complaint photographs of raw chicken, room flooding (four room changes all verified as wrecks by independent witness) etc. etc. etc. etc.
If you go to this hotel take the pillow cases off the pillows and see what you are sleeping on, yuk!
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Elizah from West Midlands travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thomson
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2005 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Me & My parents came back from the Marhaba Palace a week ago, having yet another awesome 2 week holiday there just as good as last year.
The hotel hasn't changed a lot since last year apart from the evening meal now being all buffet, where as last year the main course was waiter service, which me & my family preferred, but this didn't make our holiday unenjoyable, we still enjoyed ourselves just as much.
A lot of the staff from last year were still there, and they welcomed us even more, they made sure everything was okay for us & we had a great holiday. I think this was due to our tippings, be warned though don't over tip them as they will expect it every time (We found that out last year) We usually tipped up to the next dinar say the bill was 6 dinar 400, we gave them 7 dinar, they seem pleased with that. (1 dinar = about43p)
The sunbed commotion by the pool hasn't changed as you still have to get up at 7.30am to secure yourself some sunbeds (unless you do some chattering & tipping with the pool lifeguard), luckily for us we are beach people & we didn't have much trouble, by tipping the lifeguard who puts out the sunbeds on the beach & leaving him a towel the night before and you can have a lie in, as he does it for you. He's a lovely man & was trying to teach me Arabic - not the easiest language. I'll stick with English & French.
The beach is gorgeous, we found it to be not as clean this year as last year and found a bit more rubbish, but there was a big tractor come along the one day & clean it up, so I assume it is cleaned. The water is lovely too, didn't see so many jellyfish this year as I did last year, although I did get stung both years if you do, just run to the beach bar & ask for some tomato or vinegar or wet sand & then rub it into the sting, works wonders. There is another way but its a bit more tricky for the ladies!
Watersports on the beach is fantastic, we bought these tickets for 200 dinars (about £83) and got 50 dinars (about £21)free, in the last week me & my dad went on the little red jet ski everyday- wicked. The lads who work on the watersports are really nice & friendly could stand there all day chatting to them, they work from 8am till 8pm & get 10 dinar, which works out to about £4.30!
Thomson rep is good, she helped us with everything we needed. Thomson do plenty of trips, I recommend doing the showstoppers evening consisting with the Thomson reps & the dream girls, I really couldn't believe they were men until they took off there make-up! Also the Sahara explorer trip, we made the mistake of not doing it last year so went back to do it this year, and we were so glad we did it was absolutely amazing, especially the camel ride through the Sahara & the land cruisers through the atlas mountains, our driver took a little detour which made the trip, hair-raising!
Everything about the hotel is fantastic, only part of the hotel which is a bit of a downer is the entertainment. We thought coming back this year they would have done a bit more entertaining evenings as all they did was a belly dancing/ snake charming/ fire breathing evening & a bingo/Karaoke evening. The other evenings of the week was either the band playing or nothing unfortunately we didn't have no change there this year.
There is a night club in the hotel, which last year I was never out of, with the booming music, but I think I only went in a few times this year as it was deserted. On our last night when me & the friends I'd made (from last year, who also came back this year) went in it the d.j said only 18 year olds allowed in here, which was strange as a few nights before there were 10 year olds in there!
I think if they bring more entertainment to the hotel and decide what age you have to be to go into the nightclub then the hotel would definitely beat its 4* rating, because I do say that the entertainment lets the hotel down, and doesn't put it up to its 4* rating.
Me & my parents had no trouble entertaining ourselves though as we walked up to the marina most nights to have a wander or popped across to the hotel Kanta (opposite) as they have good entertainment at nights.
The marina is lovely for a walk and a wander round the shops, especially at night although the haggling from the shop owners can become a pain after the first few times. We found this year that they didn't seem as bad when we said 'no thank you' I think they're realising that if they leave us to look and not hassle us then we end up buying more.
It is fun trying to haggle, me & my parents had some giggles with plenty of the shop owners, but if you want to do some serious haggling take a trip to the Medina in sousse, you do get hassled alot but it's such an experience! Its an experience getting to the Medina by taxi or tuk tuk, they're not recommended as they all drive like maniacs, but you sure have a laugh and can't believe you've got in it! If you do go in a taxi ask them how much it is before you get in or tell them to put the meter on, as they're very sneaky with their taxi prices.
If you don't enjoy haggling there are a few fixed price shops about in the marina and especially the soula centre near the entrance to the Medina (in Sousse) is great for souvenir shopping, at fixed & not too expensive prices.
We had another superb holiday at the Marhaba Palace & hopeful will have more in the near future. I've already made a deal with my mum if I get good grades next year we get to go back! I'd do anything to have another week there.
You either love or hate Tunisia and in our case we love it, especially Marhaba palace (Port El Kantaoui)! You've got to take into consideration that Tunisia is a 3rd world country & nothing like Spain or England (so there's definitely no KFC's or MacDonald's) I thought that's why people went away to try different things, see different places, experience different cultures & get away from the usual fast foods of England & Spain, so if you do like doing that go to Tunisia & stay at the Marhaba palace, & experience what we've experienced.
I hope you enjoy it just as much as me and my parents have the both times we've been.(By the way this has come from a 15 year olds point of view!)
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Bob from London travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Thompson
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 3 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2005 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: 22/8/05 Just back from 2 weeks at the Marhaba Palace in Port El Kantoui. Smart hotel in comparison with others in the area but overall a pretty low key fortnight.
Good bits : If you travel with The Thompson group then the rep Emma is World Class and can sort most things without any fuss. She has been a rep on Tunisia for several years and knows the ropes well. There is a reps night of entertainment held at another hotel as a chargeable trip and if you book it you will find that Emma has one of the best singing voices I've ever heard in a holiday resort.
Hotel staff generally friendly and helpful. When you check in to the restaurant for your first sitting you are allocated a table and waiter for the duration of your stay. it works well 98% of the time. Meals were buffet style.
Rooms are tidy if a bit small - we were 2 adults with 11yr old child and the first room offered was a bit cramped. Emma was instrumental in arranging a move to something a bit better which was good. Fridge in room was most welcome.
Prices cheap in the local gift shops especially if you factor in the exchange rate which at the time of writing is 43p to a dinar. Like a lot of holiday places the Tunisians like a good haggle and you can achieve good value if you have a bit of front.
Good pools and the beach is seconds away - pure golden sand and chargeable but at reasonable price watersports.
Bad bits : Hotel entertainment is close to non existant especially for kids. There is no in house entertainment staff so if you rely on being kept amused during the evening forget what the hotel has to offer. There is a mini zoo, small amusement park and water park all within walking distance of the hotel but that only takes up a few hours of your time. If you take your kids to the zoo watch out for the perimiter fence which has sharp spikes right at kiddie level. Your local health and safety bod here at home would slap a closure order on the whole street, but the Tunisians don't seem to care too much bout it.
Hotel food is pretty bland and repeated often which is not good news if you are there for more than a week. Although I expect a foreign kitchen to cook using different oils and ingredients to the uk leading to a few tummy upsets I can honestly say that I had more than my fair share of loo roll. If you plan to escape to the nearest town for a quick Big Mac or KFC then dream on cos they don't exist here. Outside resturants are cheap but service is slow and portions of food small - a legacy of their french origins.
Not the hotels fault but the taxi drivers are maniacs and their cars are overall a poor standard and small ( Renault Clio as example). Avoid if you can.
Overall Holiday: Not the worst fortnight I have had by a long way but pretty disappointed after some reports I read about the Marhaba Palace. Several people return year after year. I must have missed why.
Overall Tunisia : Once you venture outside the tourist area of Port El Kantoui then its a crap hole - no kidding. The nearest large town, Sousse can only be described as a sewer with unswept roads and rotting rubbish laying around for weeks on end - hold your breath cos it stinks. Considering Tunisia has been an active tourist attraction for more than 30 years Im a bit amazed at their lack of development. Airport particularly poor if they have more than 5 flights about the same time to contend with then they just cant and dont cope. If you dont like being constantly touted for taxis, eating and tourist nick knacks then avoid Tunisia. We will !
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Caroline from Belfast travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
Panorama
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2005 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We have just returned from a two week stay at the Marhaba Palace Hotel. The hotel itself is impressive, if a little dated in places. The rooms were comfortable with great balconies, air conditioning and a very handy fridge.
We spent most of our time at the beach, which was kept quite clean and the water was crystal clear. The lifeguard did his best every day to provide us with chairs and friendly chat.
We were however surprised and shocked at times at the staffs’ eagerness with regard to tipping. Not only did they demand money but asked us for clothes and shoes on our last day. We were shocked that this came from all areas of the hotel - the porters, the reception staff and the maid! In fact the maid called to the room several times looking for money and gifts! We expected to get hassle outside when shopping but were surprised to find it so blatantly in the hotel.
We have traveled to Tunisia before and we really warmed to the people, but I am afraid that the experience with some of the staff at the Marhaba Palace Hotel has put us off returning to the country again.
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sandi from halesowen travelled to Marhaba Palace Hotel with
first choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2005 | rated the Marhaba Palace Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Had heard many differing reports on this hotel. But we were pleasantly surprised when we got there.
The room was spotless. As were the public areas of the hotel. Our maid was excellent.
The food at night was a bit hit and miss and the breakfast was uninspiring.
The lift |
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