BYZACENE

My mother-in-law stayed for 12 days, and it was a nightmare. The mattress was very hard, ants were in the room, and the sink was clogged. There was no fridge unless you paid extra, and with no elevator, older guests had to take the stairs. The entrance was constantly blocked by cars parked there instead of in the lot, and the guards were rude. Reception was unfriendly too, especially when we had to check out at 5 am: the receptionist had been sleeping and acted as if waking up was a huge imposition. It's so sad that this is called a 4-star hotel.

The food choices were limited, the service was poor, and the bar service was a disaster. I gave it one star because that was the lowest rating I could leave. Don't go there, it was a waste of money and left me with bad energy.

There’s no lift, and the place felt neglected. For somewhere calling itself a 4-star hotel, it was far less comfortable and welcoming than many humbler, cheaper places we stayed in Tunisia.

Sbeitla is only a minute down the street and, to me, even more impressive than Carthage. The pool has a gorgeous setting with views of the ruins and the landscape, and walking out to the canyon at the edge of the property gives you breathtaking views. The rooms were spacious and clean, and dinner was a plentiful, tasty buffet. Freshly baked bread at breakfast was a nice touch. Reception staff were helpful and spoke some English. The downsides were echoing hallways, smoking permitted everywhere, and those fascinating LED displays.