Latest Reviews for Monastir

I was very worried about this hotel when i read reviews.How wrong i was the hotel was very clean the food was ok ,the entertainment staff were brill something going on all day,the only thing there is'nt much for children to do apart from the pool(the entertainment staff don't cater for children).we went for 1 week and wanted a relaxing break which what we got.well worth a visit.The beach was'nt very far and it was beautiful with water sports available. The staff in the hotel were very friendly and i have never seen so many cleaners of a morning scrubbing the outside court yard.Watch the waiters in the dining room can be a little forgetfull while you are waiting for your change.Didn't go of the comlex much as you got mythered by the taxi drivers and the men with the horse and carriages.The beach wasn't far and its lovely with water sports available The trips were very cheap would definately go back to this resort for 1 week.(2 weeks may be a little too much)

just returned from the worst holiday in my life,if you dont mind bad food,no entertainment,and nothing outside the hotel this is the place to go.
believe me dont take kids there is no food for them to eat and what is left to eat i would not give to dogs.
the airport is only just across the road so dont expect a good night sleep because if the planes dont get you the trains will.
you will regret it if go to this hotel belive me never again

Hotel Saadia Monastir

Not Recommended

This hotel is filthy, full of flies, mozzies, broken tiles, broken and chipped crockery, broken windows, very tired decor.

It's only redeeming features are it's gardens and pool, which was very clean, the gardens could be lovely if they were weeded and taken care of, very pretty grounds, shame about everything else.

Our room was on the ground floor, it was so basic all it had was four beds and a dressing table, the sheets were not changed at all whilst we were there, we put the towels in the bath as requested to get clean ones and they hung up the damp dirty ones again, but on the whole the room was cleanish and tidy.

FOOD:

On the whole we found the food inedible, we are not particularly fussy about what we eat, but it has to smell appetizing and look 'good enough to eat' the only thing that we found we could eat was the pasta and bolognese sauce, not exactly the international and Tunisian cuisine we were expecting, and everything tasted bland, as though it had no gusto to it. Which was just as well because within days of arrival several guests started to get very bad 'delhi belly'to the point that they had to spend 3-4 days in their rooms, which for the majority spoiled their holiday as they were only there a week, we don't know for sure what caused this but they were advised that on arrival back in the UK to get checked by their doctor for food poisoning, on the whole not good.

I personally don't know what the entertainment was like but I've heard that it was pretty dire.

We didn't like Sousse, bit of a rat race round the medina, but Port el Kantaoui is lovely.

Please think very carefully about going to this hotel, IT'S HORRIBLE

Just arrived home after a week at the Rosa Beach Hotel,the hotel was great,the food excellent,the hotel staff very friendly and most spoke English,there is a full sports and entertainment programe from 9.30am - 10.00pm in the evening,there was something to do all day .

The entertainment team was run by a group of around 8 young people not many were older than 20 years of age, they were brilliant they made everyone welcome, they all spoke five different languages.There are a few things we were not happy about, you could drink the beer all day and night and you were still sober at the end of the night,the prices of imported drinks were very expensive e.g two whiskies would set you back £15.00 ,so make use of the duty free shop before you go,also you could only buy water from the hotel bar at a greatly inflatted price the hotel shop did not sell water.

We only ventured off the complex once and that was enough,we took a taxi into Monastir town ok plenty of shops but the hassle you got from the shop owners was unbelievable ( a have been to turkey this was 10 times worse), we felt very threatend we left very quickly.

Overall the holiday was very good the weather was dry and sunny much warmer than back home in England the hotel made the holiday,would recommend it to anyone.

We heard the stories about holidays in Tunisia being a little more than ";Rough around the Edges";, but as we we're offered a very good deal, we threw caution to the wind, and went ahead and booked.

And what a good decision we had made!

Tunisia is a closed economy, So change a Travellers cheque at the arrival airport so you have a bit of money for a drink.There are approx 2 Dinars to the Pound, so quite easy to work out!

The flight is only a little under 3 hours (long enough with a lively 18month old toddler!)from Luton and was very prompt.
Everyone MUST fill in an Immigration card before passing through customs, which took a little while in the queue, but nothing major. Baggage is collected as normal, and then you go to find your rep. who then informs you of which coach to head for. There are men willing to help you with your cases to the coach, but be advised, they are not employed by the airport, and they expect a tip.

We stayed at the Hotel Saadia, which is only about 10 mins from the airport, and we're greated warmly by the staff, with a complimentary drink (much needed!). Rooms are allocated promptly, and someone shows you where to go, whilst your baggage is brought up around 10mins later. Each room is basic but comfortable and clean,and has it's own Air Con, and if you pre-booked it, a fridge too! Most of the day will be on a sunbed or in the pool anyway, So no worries!
We had a fantastic view of the Pool and gardens from our balcony.
The Rep. Meeting in the morning was informative of local customs/excursions/information so is well worth the effort. We decided on El Jem, Roman Ampitheatre,the Walk on the Wildside tour, and the Aqua Park.
El Jem is a fantastic place to visit and is in better condition than the Roman Colloseum.It was also the place where the African Colloseum was digitally based in ";Gladiator";.The tour was a little rushed, but you do get enough time to wander around.

The Wildside excursion takes you to Naibul, and in particular, the 3km Market! An experience not to be missed! Selling everything to fake designer goods to Porcelein and spices,Haggling is the way to approach it, and don't be afraid to walk away if they ask to much. They know you'll find the same thing further down, so an arrangement can always be met!
(Tip: where darkglasses, and look with your eyes, not your head; Avoid the smaller shops; always start with lower price than it's worth with haggling, and fix a price in your head. The older Traders are the best to deal with-ignore the sob stories!)Very funny when your approached by locals Shouting ";Luvley Jubbly!"; and ";Hello Geeza-Fish n Chips; Cheaper than ALDI!!!";
Then we were taken to a large wildlife park. Very good, with lots of raised walkways to view the animals, and well worth the visit,but do bear in mind, that it is on a hill,and is not suitable for Wheelchairs, or the infirm. Tunisia does not have the same accessability laws as the UK, and there are inadequate rails and ramps due to the steep hill.
The ";ACQUA PALACE"; in Port El Kataoui, is a fun day out too, 12 dinar in taxi.
Back to the hotel, and there is a fair choice of food from the buffet style restaurant, Breakfast is continental, so expect Croissants;Eggs;Sausages etc and dinner is a little more formal with good variety, with waiter service for drinks. Tip a friendly waiter well at the start of the week, and we had a reserved table, with childseat, drinks waiting and flowers every evening!
The Entertainment staff, as do all the staff, work very hard to get to know you, and run daytime activites from Archery to Waterpolo; then after dinner, they put on a Kids Disco which is well recieved. On a stage near the pool, Caberet is on every evening which is a scream! Very funny, and we didn't expect a drag act by thr Local Entertainment team on the first night!
They also run an Arabian Nights BBQ- Well worth going to see as all drinks and Food Included. Belly Dancers and traditional dancers throughout. This is also on site and (Apparently better than the Bedowin Feast which can get very crowded)
The Hotel is very family orientated, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and hope to return soon.

A few tips:
It gets very hot in July/August (avg 45C)So take a high factor Suncream!
Tunisia is not Greece or Spain, so don't expect the bars and nightlife;
Fix a price with a Horse and Carriage before you go anywhere, and ensure it's for both ways AND for your GROUP NOT EACH.
Do get Jelly Shoes for young children as the pool patio is a little uneven, and tends to get hot in the daytime.
Drink Bottled Water, Tap is ok for teeth.
Ensuite Bathrooms have tiled floor and are VERY SLIPPERY WHEN WET. Take care.
Language is a mixture of Arabic French, but most also speak English.
Locals ";generally";(!) drive on the right, and don't always stop at crossings.
We found it un-neccessary to tip everyone regardless.