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All 6 Matmata hotels »
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Hotel Marhala

Matmata, Tunisia
Matmata, Tunisia
Ranked #1 of 6 hotels in Matmata
4.0 of 5 stars 21 Reviews
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Date Rating
Ibehi
Tunis, Tunisia
Contributor
12 reviews
3 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 November 2011
1
person found this review helpful

This hotel is a typical dwelling in this remote area of the desert. The people are very modest and have perfected the art of building with what they have available, to beat the harsh climate: very hot in summer days and very cold in winter at night. The enigma in these type of dwelling is that it is cool when... More

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Joyazz
Tunis, Tunisia
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews
5 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 November 2011

I spent 2 nights in Matmata, one in Sidi Driss hotel and another in Marhala hotel (we also checked Matmata and Kousseila hotels). After a horrible and cold experience at Sidi Driss, I can say that Marhala is by far the best hotel in Matmata. It seems the hotel has been renovated since 2009; the new management are very hospitable... More

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BalhamWolf
London
Contributor
15 reviews
7 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 November 2011

The actual hotel facilities are pretty basic - shared bathrooms, very little in the rooms and a basic restaurant. But that's missing the point - everyone comes to Matmata to see the cave dwellings, and what better way to experience them than spending the night in one! Having seen the Sidi-Driss, I'd say Marhala is far superior, with the Sidi... More

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Nomad_bug
Bangalore
Contributor
17 reviews
29 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 November 2011
1
person found this review helpful

One of the very few well-maintained underground options to stay. Friendly staff & good food. Some of the rooms are very spacious & hence not claustrophobic. Toilets are very clean. Bar is handy for a chilled beer after a hot day. Few writers have complained of locks- i actually slept with the doors open. With a friendly village, you need... More

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GamerGirl-STL
GamerGirl-STL
Contributor
14 reviews
14 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 February 2011
1
person found this review helpful

By city standards this is a backpacker-level hostel, but for Matmata, it's tops for the experience of staying in a troglodyte dwelling. Shared bathrooms, but they were clean, and our room had an electrical socket. Be aware though that the light switch controls both the light and the electricity, so if you need to leave something running or charging overnight,... More

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MountainFrancis
Ware, Hertfordshire
Senior Contributor
26 reviews
12 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 January 2011

As well as the intriguing use of part of a pedal and a padlock to clamp the door shut on the outside Room 13 has a couple of pieces of wood on the inside frame that shift and slide to bolt the door at the top when you are in the room. I suspect that other rooms are the same... More

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EllieChan
Hong Kong
Contributor
18 reviews
14 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 November 2010

As I have been stayed in the Cave Hotel of Cappadocia in Tunkey, I do expect they are of the kind - that with its charater. But Hotel Marhala is only a cave with a woodern door (no lock inside, so you can't lock the room inside at night ). The bed is full of dust and the door has... More

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mikeCastricum
castricum
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews
12 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 October 2010

Hotel Marhala was a delight to stay in. Authentic rooms around a tiny courtyard. Lovely restaurant and it seems to attract nice travellers. Its a good base to explore the surroundings from. More

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ioksin
Taipei
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews
13 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 September 2009

Staying in a cave is a unique experience and a must if you travel to Matmata! It's well-maintained and clean (heard that some of the troglodyte hotels are poorly maintained), I enjoyed the local specialties served in the restaurant-cave as well! Don't have much to say, just look some of the pictures that other people have uploaded and come experience... More

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HamnMaus
London, UK
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews
2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 August 2009

This is a basic hotel carved out of caves in this troglodyte village. It's great for novelty value and to visit the nearby Hotel Sidi Driss where parts of Star Wars were filmed. Our stay was super-cheap (£13 pppn including dinner). The rooms are very basic with just two mattresses on a stone shelf in the small cave, with a... More

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Hotel Marhala Also Known As

  • Marhala Hotel Matmata
Address: Matmata, Tunisia

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