Gary Robinson
Google
This guest house certainly has a charming, quaint feel to it. The building is beautiful inside and out. Upon entering, we were greeted by the wonderful, soothing smell of jasmine, which immediately made us feel relaxed. The common areas are tastefully decorated and capture the essence of a traditional Arabic home.
The staff graciously accommodated our late check-in request and we were impressed by their friendliness and attentiveness throughout our stay.
However, some aspects of our stay were less than ideal. Be aware that the very small, winding staircase is not suitable for people with mobility issues or large luggage. Once we reached our room, we were surprised by how small it was. While the decor was authentic, the room felt overpriced for its size and location. We did have a nice view, though it was unfortunately obstructed somewhat by the window grates.
We were disappointed to find there was no change of towels during our stay. The most significant letdown, however, was the pool on the roof terrace. Unfortunately a sizeable number of pigeons were using it as a drinking station and toilet, rendering it unusable. The pool was a significant factor in choosing the hotel. The roof terrace is an otherwise fantastic space with unmatched views over the bay and across Sidi Bou Said so this was a real letdown.
Overall, the hotel offered an authentic and original experience, but it needs to, where possible, address these practical issues to justify its prices and provide a more comfortable experience for guests.
Also, and whilst this is obviously outside the hotel's control, be careful with taxis. A member of staff arranged a taxi for us when we checked out however we later discovered that the fare paid was significantly higher than it should have been. Naive tourists we may have been, but if you are planning on using taxis during your visit to Tunisia you'd do well to install an app called Indrive.
