Iris Djerba Hotel & Thalasso

We ended up paying to move to another hotel, and I wouldn't come back. We gave this place a chance despite the mixed reviews, but it felt like a holiday from hell. We'd chosen it for the pool, spa, and bars, but only one bar was open, and you couldn't even get a pint. The outdoor pool was dirty, there was no entertainment beyond a pool table you had to pay to use, and both the spa and large indoor pool were closed. The beach was derelict and locked up. When we asked why nothing was happening, they blamed Ramadan, though other hotels had activities and entertainment. Food was limited and cold, with cats begging at your feet. The hotel was nothing like its website.

The receptionist was kind, but they said check-in could take 1-6 hours even though we'd booked in advance. Apparently room keys and other things were missing. I wouldn't recommend staying here.

I didn't regret staying, though I'm not sure I'd return. Some staff were doing a good job, including the gardener, chefs, bar workers, animators, and especially one of the beach bar staff. The food was above average. The beach was a little messy, but the sea was pleasant and sellers didn't bother guests too much. The hotel needs to improve the rooms' cleanliness and the competence of some receptionists.

We only found the hotel's beach on our last day, as nobody had told us about it. It's about 700 metres away, and the water was nice, though the staff there weren't the friendliest. The food was pleasant and varied. Reception staff were kind, helpful, and fluent in English, unlike the bar staff, who weren't very friendly, and the pool bar staff, who didn't speak English. The drink selection was limited. I spent three nights there. One was just two hours of sleep after arriving before a tour around Tunisia, and then our group returned for the final two days of the trip. The rooms could use refreshing, and cleanliness could be checked more carefully. Mine was fine, but some people in the group had complaints. A group of young guys ran activities such as Zumba and an evening dance show, which was a nice extra. They could be a bit pushy about getting people involved, perhaps because there weren't many visitors while I was there.