Ksar Ouled Debbab

It seems like everything here costs extra, whether it’s coffee or a museum visit, even for hotel guests. The place itself is a neat destination and the staff are kind. But be careful with the price. A notice on my room door quoted 340dt per night, though they charged me 380dt. Their card reader was broken, so I had to pay for a taxi into town, make two ATM transactions at my own expense, then take another taxi back. That experience cost them my recommendation and any interest in returning.

I only visited the café, and it was a nice, calm place to spend time with family or friends. The customer service was okay, and the waiter helped make the visit pleasant. There should be a range of choices for customers, though, and here we couldn’t find that.

The waiter at dinner and breakfast was the one bright spot. He was a lovely man and the service was good. The rest of our night at Ksar Ouled Debbab was the worst stay we had in Tunisia. The food was just okay, and the lamb was dry and badly overcooked. Our room AC didn’t work properly, the toilet dripped all night, and the shower and bathtub wouldn’t drain. Beside the hotel and within the archaeological site there’s a municipal landfill, which is disgusting and sad given the place’s potential. They charged 35 dinars per child, ages 2 and 4, for plain pasta with butter at dinner. This is luxury hotel pricing in Tunisia for mediocre value. You can definitely find much better for a third of the cost. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

The hotel is in a convenient spot for visiting the different ksars, and the dinners were very nice, with the room warmed by three fireplaces. We stayed with the children and really appreciated how the managers and staff went out of their way to make us happy. The service was warm, and the food was very good.