When i read the reviews before i went to this hotel i was worried sick at the bad reviews it had got. Our holiday was a gift from my boyfriends parents so i didnt have a choice and i was worried about traveling to tunisia alone nevermind having to worry about my hotel being a nightmare!
All i can say is that the people who wrote these bad reviews must have been to another hotel!
i will try to break it down into catagories
FIRST IMPRESSION
from the second i arrived at the nour palace i was taken away by the beauty of the building, it is very well designed and decorated and it was so clean it always smelled of carbolic soap which was lovely =] reception staff were very friendly and helpful concidering we spoke very little of their language and the ungodly hour we arrived
ROOMS
our room was lovely and spaceous with a kingsize bed and a tv. The tv didnt have any english channels so bad luck if you cant speak french/italian/german but then y do you want to go on holiday to watch tv?
our bathroom was big and very clean with all the necessities including a hairdryer but its not very powerful so if you have long hair i would recomend taking your own, the hairdryer also has an inlet for a shaver. balconies arnt very big but big enough for two and a table wonderful view of the pool and the beach =]
FOOD
the food we recieved was very tasty, well cooked, fresh and above all not procesed! even the chips were homemade =] my boyfriend is an extremely fussy eater and even he was very content. for breakfast crepes and ommellets were made fresh infront of you along with other treats, some of which i was not acustomed to but im sure locals or those from other areas of europe found them quite appetizing. lunch and dinner were very similar with a variety of fresh meats, fish, vegetables, pizza, rice, pasta and wonderful deserts. if you do not like the meats in the sauce you could opt for the meat being freshly cooked on the grill.
please remember that this country's standanard of food is different from others and almost all meat has the bones left in and do not expect "food" such as burgers, hot dogs or processed food- this hotel serves real food, not procesed junk.
CLEANLINESS
to me it seemed like the hotel was constanly being cleaned and as i said before smelled of carbolic soap, i dont think there was a day that went by were i never seen the maids cleaning the rooms (you can leave a sign on you door handle if you do not want them to clean the room) i cant say i seen one untidy or unclean area in the hotel even the beach was kept very tidy
STAFF
staff were extremely friendly and helpful and even worked hard to breakthrough language barriers, most staff however already spoke perfect english and other languages but i would advise learning some basic french to be polite as they really do appreciate the effort. please be aware that tunisian custom is to tip your servers, not a great amount 1/2 dinah a time. we always tipped our waiters at meals/reception and the bar and found them to be extremely greatful and couldnt do enough for us =] please do not shout at staff if they do not understand you, they are not deaf! they just dont speak english very well! personaly i think it is extremely ignorant to go to a forgien contry and not have the common courtesy to learn the basic please and thank yous in the local tounge >=[
ENTERTAINMENT
there is an entertainment board at the door leading outside next to the dining area which tells you all the various activities going on throughout the day and night, plenty to do so no problems there and the nightime shows were very amusing =] there is also a kids club to keep little ones entertained and some night a saxaphone player plays a few songs in the bar.
BEACH/POOL
the beach and pool ares were very scienic but if you are going to the beach please beware of street vendors as they can be quite troublesome but most are very polite and leave you alone, there is an attendant from the hotel who helps guests if he sees you being hastled by vendors
OVERALL
we had a fantastic time and i would not take any heed to the bad reviews all you need to have a wonderfull time at this hotel is some common sence, an open mind and courtesy oo and the flys can be a bit troublesome so i would take some insect repellent
i think i have covered everything but if there is anything you would like to ask feel free and i will get back to you asap =] hope you have as much fun as i did! =]
- Vincci Hotel Mahdia
- Vincci Nour Palace
