Houria Palace Hotel

The rooms were dirty, the hotel itself was dirty, and there wasn’t even a remote for the TV. It’s definitely not a four-star hotel. I stayed for 5 days and felt uncomfortable the whole time. The hotel was nearly empty, with just a few guests and the staff around, and staff openly stared at me, especially in the dining room. I’d be eating, they’d stare, then get food and stare again. Walking around a hotel I’d paid for felt awful. I expect to feel safe in a hotel I chose for a holiday. Please don’t come here. “Horrible” is too kind a word for my stay.

I paid Catchit a good price for all inclusive for two adults. People had warned me about this hotel, but since I come to tunisia every 2 months, I wanted to try it myself. Its location seemed ideal for regular stays. I regretted the choice as soon as I arrived. Before I even got to the hotel, my partner called to say they wouldn’t give him an all inclusive wristband because he was Tunisian. I told him it was paid for and that I’d sort it out when I arrived. At reception, they said our rooms weren’t ready and to come back in two hours. When I asked about his wristband, an exceptionally rude receptionist repeated the refusal. I asked for the manager, but was told he was in a meeting and to return. I went back three times. On the fourth, the manager told me my partner had to pay an extra €10.50 a day for all inclusive because he was Arabic. That may not sound like much, but considering a Tunisian salary, it was another 50% of the nightly price for context. I showed him the receipt proving I’d paid for two rooms and two adults all inclusive. He blamed Catchit and said this happened regularly. I asked where the extra charge was stated on the hotel website, but he couldn’t tell me. Instead, he pointed to a notice on the desk in Arabic and said it was explained there. He refused the wristband. When I asked for the refusal in writing so I could claim the money back and take it to Catchit, he refused and told me to come back at 9am the next day. Since I’d made the booking, I was trying to fix the problem, but staff wouldn’t speak to me and addressed my partner only in Arabic even though he was perfectly fluent in English. I returned at 9am as instructed, but the receptionist said the manager didn’t start until 10. At 10, they said to come back at 11.30 because he wasn’t there. This went on throughout the day. Eventually, they gave him a wristband for the last 2 days for an extra €10 as a “goodwill gesture”. All the time wasted at reception, the extra charges, and not being able to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or eat there together spoiled the trip from the start. On the first day, we were chased into the restaurant and told we weren’t entitled to food or drinks on our last day. I’ve NEVER experienced that at ANY hotel, and it was pretty poor when my pickup wasn’t until 4pm. There’s no bottled water, and a couple of times they didn’t have any water at all at the bar or restaurant. The food is good and fresh every day. The hotel is very dated, and the shower in my room didn’t work. I wasn’t going to waste more time at reception, so I used the shower in my partner’s room. The heating and air con were good, and the rooms were fine. The safes didn’t work. The pool areas are extremely old and dated. The choice at the one bar is poor, and the other paid bar is often unattended. There were lots of Algerians at mealtimes who pushed people out of the way for food, piled their plates high and left plenty behind, then didn’t even eat it. Some mornings there was no omelette and there’s no toast or coffee machine. Those things didn’t bother me much, as I’ve experienced worse. There was no entertainment or animation, possibly because it was winter. One morning I went to breakfast alone, sat at an empty table, and was told to move because it was reserved for another guest. I stayed at a different table until service ended, but nobody ever came for that one. I found it very odd. It felt like staff went out of their way to be difficult at every opportunity. This hotel will do absolutely anything to take your money for nothing. I’ll never forget the trip, for all the wrong reasons. AVOID.

Port el Kantouia makes a handy base, with plenty to do day and night, a lovely marina and boat trips, plus a water park beside the hotel in high season. The clean beach is about a five-minute walk away. Eating and drinking out is cheap, and even fine dining is available at a reasonable cost. I've stayed at Houria Palace several times and already booked four more visits. For the price, it's fantastic. Staff are friendly and helpful, the restaurant has a broad choice, and the two pools are kept in great shape by Sofian and his team. It won't be a five-star hotel, but it's good value in a great location.

It's a nice family hotel with two separate pools, and the location in central Hammam sousse is close to everything. The beach is about a five-minute walk away. My main complaint is that the menu feels the same every day. I hope they add more variety.