Sousse Palace Hotel & Spa

Majdi, the entertainment organiser, was a great, very friendly guy and deserves a mention. We had a great holiday overall and got a cheap deal through love holidays. Would we return? Definitely to Tunisia, but probably not to sousse palace. The hotel was probably beautiful in its day, but now it feels tired and the online photos show a very different place. The air conditioning in our room barely worked, leaving it stuffy and making sleep difficult. Breakfast and the food in general seemed aimed more at Tunisians and Eastern Europeans. There are good points too. Staff were friendly and attentive, and a small tip of 5-10 dinar goes a long way. The drinks pours are huge, which sometimes spoiled the drinks for us. The pool area was relaxed and chilled, we had beautiful sunshine every day, and there was always a sun lounger available. The beach is only 50 yards from the hotel, with clear, warm water.

The kindness of a few staff members didn’t make up for the poor hygiene, lack of organisation, and weak service. I feel cheated. I paid for a five star hotel to relax, but instead felt stressed, disappointed, and neglected. At best, I’d call this a three star place, and even that comes with plenty of flaws. The receptionist and spa attendant were very kind. We booked a massage package for six people and got a discount, which we appreciated, but the experience was very disappointing. In the hammam, the massage lasted less than two minutes, and only afterwards the men were offered an extra 30 minutes. That didn’t undo the frustration. We came to relax, not feel stressed. At the bar, bartender Ahmed kept asking us to fetch our own glasses, which isn’t acceptable for a supposed five star hotel. At lunch, when we asked for another round of drinks, the waitress complained she was working alone and told us to get them ourselves. That was extremely embarrassing. Breakfast was disorganised, too. There weren’t enough glasses, so we waited over 10 minutes, and there were no spoons for yogurt, leaving guests to search around. No snacks were provided in the afternoon. My room had ants in the morning, and the carpet was stained or dirty. Cleanliness and maintenance overall were very poor. I’ve never stayed in a five star hotel where you have to pay a deposit for beach towels. At an all-inclusive resort, towels should be included and properly organised. This only added to the feeling of disorganisation and lack of care.

The beach behind Sousse Palace was the best part for us. It was lovely, and two security staff helped with sunbeds and kept locals who got too close away from hotel guests. The nearby view was less appealing, with an abandoned hotel on one side and Kiko Beach cafe set back on the other. We enjoyed the beach and bar area and stayed away from the Médina. It was a relaxing week overall, though I’d look elsewhere for culture. Coffee comes from machines, so coffee lovers may be disappointed in this tea-drinking country. The buffet had a decent mix of sweet and savoury food, including Tunisian dishes as well as pizza, nuggets and chips. There were no snacks, but the range suited different tastes and ages. Most waiters were friendly and a few could manage a little conversation in English. Their uniforms looked stained on several days, though, which was especially disappointing around food service. Tips seemed expected, and 10-20 Dinah, around £2.50-£5, felt about right for good service. The hotel looked attractive in photos and has pools, but on arrival we noticed problems straight away. The busy city street out front and littered surrounding streets made a poor first impression. At reception, two women seemed more focused on chatting and laughing with each other and looking me up and down than helping us. We paid about £43 in tourist tax for the two of us. No one explained how the all-inclusive food and drinks worked, or mentioned that pool and beach towels were available to hire. The outdoor pools had no chlorine, as far as I could tell. Cats and birds drinking from them made me worry they could be breeding grounds for bacteria. The pool area itself was pleasant, but the bar was understaffed and poured all-inclusive drinks into small plastic cups. Proper cocktails meant paying at the smart indoor bar, which wasn't for all-inclusive guests unless you spent extra. There was yoga, aqua aerobics and karaoke if you wanted to join in. Majdi was a friendly, sociable presence. The hotel looked pretty at first, but needs a lot of care, a proper clean in places such as the communal chandeliers, and some money spent on it. We stayed for a week all-inclusive through Love Holidays in October 2025. We made the most of it, and some staff friendliness helped, but it didn't feel like a five-star stay despite the facilities.

We paid £1300 for a week including flights, so we knew it was a cheap holiday and weren't expecting much. Still, the experience felt absurd, and I wouldn't choose this hotel again. Look into other options before booking. The worst part for us was the room, 5104 with a city view. It was dirty, with mould in the shower, on the bed and in damp spots on the ceiling. We had to call cleaners to bleach the bed to get rid of the mould. The food was cold and repetitive, with rotten fruit and vegetables. I ate out on six of our seven days. They used cheap toastie-style cheese instead of mozzarella, and the pizza stuck to your teeth like glue. For a place claiming five stars, that was shocking. The pool and sunbed attendant was hostile and unprofessional. He shouted at guests in his language in a way that sounded aggressive, threw towels, pulled faces and acted as if handing over towels or sunbeds was a favour. It seemed his attitude might improve if you slipped him a few quid. Other reviews suggest this could be his usual way of getting money. I don't mind tipping hard-working staff, and we tipped some of the good ones, but this guy was a flat no. The morning reception staff were the grumpiest, least helpful and least friendly we've encountered. I can't speak to the evening team since we didn't need them. Check-in was meant to be at 2 pm, but we got our room at 4 after waiting around two hours. At least we received wristbands and could use the canteen and bar while we waited. The towel cards weren't given to us until we asked the next day, when we were also told each one needed a €10 deposit. That should have been explained at check-in. Poor organization. At lunch, staff repeatedly told us to hurry because a conference for 250 people was going on. We understood the situation and had arrived late, but being rushed over and over felt unwelcoming. Drinks came in plastic cups that weren't washed properly. At the beach bar there was no dishwasher, just a cold-water rinse before reuse. There weren't enough cups, so we often waited for a bartender to rinse one, and eventually bought our own. This was a very disappointing stay, nowhere near what a five-star hotel should be. The rude service, food and cleanliness made it poor value, even at the price.