Offering a 24-hour all-inclusive package, the One Resort Aquapark and Spa looks like a small village with its menzels in the middle of a beautiful garden. It boasts an attractive balneotherapy centre, a wide choice of restaurants including three à la carte, a mini-club and a teen club. The rooms are spacious and beautifully decorated with a column, arch and dome reminiscent of a menzel, the traditional Tunisian dwelling.
The great thing about Tunisia is that there really are all kinds of hotels, to suit all budgets and all categories. Thalassotherapy, charming dar, mentzel with its typical white dome in Djerba, integrated water park, luxurious palace of the Thousand and One Nights, all-inclusive club... There are also the unmissable spas with their traditional decor, usually included, the Moorish café where you can drink mint tea accompanied by oriental sweets and smoke a chicha, the restaurant with Tunisian specialities, as well as the smile, kindness and hospitality of the French-speaking Tunisians. Here is my selection of the best hotels in the land of Jasmine, tried and tested!
- 1. One Resort Aqua Park in Monastir: the cream of water parks
- 2. Menzel Caja, close to the beaches
- 3. Dar Sabri , a charming address hidden away in the heart of the Nabeul medina
- 4. Four Seasons Tunis, a luxurious palace from the Arabian Nights
- 5. Hotel Bel Azur Thalasso & Bungalows, in a splendid setting
- 6. Africa Jade in Cap Bon, a top-of-the-range thalassotherapy palace
- 7. Palais Bayram, an 18th-century palace in the Tunis medina
- 8. Sentido Djerba Beach, a charming waterfront resort
- 9. El Borj, Mahdia's family-friendly option
- 10. La Badira: the only establishment in Tunisia to be awarded "The Leading Hotels of The World" label
1. One Resort Aqua Park in Monastir: the cream of water parks
Situated on Skanès beach, 5 km from Monastir airport, this huge resort boasts free high-speed Wi-Fi internet access absolutely everywhere, the charm of its traditional Mentzel-style dwellings, and its water park, which is free for guests. Transfer to the airport takes just 10 minutes! The journey to the medina of Monastir takes just 20 minutes...
One Resort Aqua Park
4* hotel with seasonal outdoor swimming pool, free private parking, garden and communal lounge2. Menzel Caja, close to the beaches
If you like beaches close to your accommodation, this guest house is for you. Located in Djerba, 250 metres from the sea, it offers 5 air-conditioned rooms with satellite TV and private bathroom.
The rooms in this guest house open onto a private patio! Ideal for enjoying your meal. Breakfast is served daily and includes French and Tunisian dishes. La Caja Menzel has a terrace with sun loungers and armchairs.
Menzel Caja
Guest house located in Djerba, just 250m from the beaches3. Dar Sabri , a charming address hidden away in the heart of the Nabeul medina
Welcome to Sabri, the French owner of this boutique hotel in the middle of the Nabeul medina, famous for its colourful handmade pottery! We're 12 km north of Hammamet. Four unique suites, a patio, an ultra-trendy terrace with a small swimming pool, a personalised welcome, a hammam - nothing is missing from this charming address, which subtly blends oriental refinement with western design.
Dar Sabri houses four suites, two on the ground floor and two upstairs. The upper level features a designer terrace with an ultra-contemporary bar. A small heated infinity pool and a traditional hammam complete the space, which is dominated by white prickly pear trees. The 4 x 5 metre pool floor, partly glazed, overlooks the dining room! The ultra-design, high-tech atmosphere of the upstairs terrace contrasts with the traditional ambience of a Tunisian house on the ground floor. Decor lovers will be in heaven!
Dar Sabri
Bed and breakfast in the medina of Nabeul, less than 1 kilometre from the beach4. Four Seasons Tunis, a luxurious palace from the Arabian Nights
On the seafront in Cap Gammarth, an upmarket district in the chic suburbs of Tunis, the Four Seasons Tunis is one of the finest addresses in Tunisia, where the cuisine, the charming, spacious and comfortable rooms and the Guerlain spa approach perfection. Add a superb mini-club and teenagers' club, two swimming pools including a heated indoor pool at the spa where the hammam and sauna are included, and the splendid outdoor infinity pool and you have one of our favourites in Tunisia, a veritable palace of the Thousand and One Nights!
The majestic, glittering marble lobby is on the 5th floor and boasts a beautiful sea view from its Alyssa piano bar. The luxurious Arabic architecture is reminiscent of the Arabian Nights. The floors are served by spacious wood and leather lifts adorned with mirrors. From the restaurant's panoramic breakfast terrace to the sea, via the infinity pool, cascades, pools and fountains unfurl amid the olive trees. The separate mini-club is vast and splendid! It includes a swimming pool and a mini Guignol theatre.
Four Seasons Hotel
5* hotel with tennis court, garden, restaurant and bar on site5. Hotel Bel Azur Thalasso & Bungalows, in a splendid setting
Situated directly on the beach at Hammamet, this 4-star hotel is the perfect accommodation for sea lovers. It combines pleasant surroundings, comfort, excellent service and a range of facilities for all ages.
It offers air-conditioned rooms with modern amenities, a variety of facilities including outdoor and indoor swimming pools, sun terraces, a gym and various water sports.
Hotel Bel Azur Thalasso & Bungalows
4* hotel located on Hammamet beach. It has a swimming pool and rooms with a splendid view of the sea.6. Africa Jade in Cap Bon, a top-of-the-range thalassotherapy palace
This haven in the heart of nature, undisturbed by any neighbours, boasts a thalassotherapy centre and African decor. It also boasts a large, beautiful 1,225 m² outdoor swimming pool, five restaurants and a large, beautiful sandy beach. It was a former Club Med, which means it enjoys a superb location, albeit isolated from urban centres such as Tunis and Hammamet. It extends over a vast 11-hectare estate where vegetation is abundant. Nature lovers will be delighted by the lush gardens planted with cactus, bougainvillea, yucca, palm trees, eucalyptus and other exotic trees, populated by birds and adorned with charming water lily ponds.
The thalasso centre houses a traditional hammam, a sauna with original brickwork decoration, whirlpool baths, ten individual massage rooms, a herbal tea room and a heated saltwater thermal circuit overlooking the sea, complete with whirlpool baths and swan necks. The programme includes hydrotherapy treatments, hydro-massage baths, jet showers, affusion showers, seaweed and mud wraps, floating mattresses, heated blankets, body scrubs, etc.
Africa Jade Thalasso
4-star hotel located on Korba beach. It offers an outdoor swimming pool and accommodation decorated in African style.7. Palais Bayram, an 18th-century palace in the Tunis medina
This 5-star hotel is a veritable museum. It boasts a lovely garden, a small spa with a period hammam and a gourmet restaurant. This eighteenth-century palace stands out with its marble, ceramics, earthenware and period woodwork. The lobby is enchanting, with its old wooden chest straight out of a pirate's tale. The former residence of the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Tunisia has established itself as one of the most luxurious hotels in Tunisia, even if it is more for its charm and history than for the quality of its services and comforts, which are superior in some of the country's prestigious hotels. The palace houses a collection of Iznik tiles, very rare in the world, which constitute one of the most remarkable artistic elements of Tunisian heritage.
This prestigious establishment features 16 elegant and comfortable suites, all different, combining classic furnishings with a touch of design. The wood-painted ceiling is original, and the marble floor is period. The décor is superb, with carpets, mirrors and ceramics on the walls. They are arranged around a superb patio on two levels, a ground floor and an upper floor accessible from the inside, all linked to a second building.
Bayram Palace
In the heart of the Tunis medina, the Palais Bayram, a 5-star hotel, boasts an exceptional 18th-century architectural ensemble.8. Sentido Djerba Beach, a charming waterfront resort
The Sentido Djerba Beach is one of the oldest hotels on the island of Djerba. As such, it enjoys an ideal front-line location right on the water, on the beautiful beach of Sidi Mahrez, in the north-east of the island. With its superb lagoon pool, lovely spa with free access once per stay, and excellent breakfast, it's hard to find fault with this friendly, charming hotel on a human scale. Special mention should be made of the terrace of its main restaurant, 50 metres from a heavenly lagoon - a very rare location!
It is accessed through huge wooden doors, like a palace from the Thousand and One Nights, opening onto a majestic lobby with a starry dome. The mini-club is a veritable oasis, with its swimming pool, garden, play area, table tennis and trampoline. Sports enthusiasts can enjoy a well-equipped fitness room, archery and two tennis courts, not forgetting the many water sports available for a fee on the beach (banana boat, jet ski, parasailing, catamaran), where you can play beach volleyball and beach soccer. Breakfast is a marvel. Delicious hot buttered croissants, doughnuts, waffles, pancakes, omelettes and freshly squeezed orange juice.
Sentido Djerba Beach
4-star hotel located directly on Djerba beach with 2 swimming pools, a beauty salon and a spa centre with hammam.9. El Borj, Mahdia's family-friendly option
On the edge of Mahdia's beautiful beach, the El Borj hotel is a lively 3-star establishment on a human scale, with two swimming pools - one heated indoor pool and one outdoor pool crossed by a bridge - a spa, two restaurants including an à la carte Lebanese restaurant, and a mini-club with a children's pool. An address offering excellent value for money, ideal for families and wellness enthusiasts.
The El Borj hotel borders the Mahdia beach, one of the most beautiful in Tunisia, with crystal-clear water and fine, clean white sand. This is also the venue for aquagym and olympiads. There is also a water sports centre (for a fee) where you can go banana boat riding, jet skiing, kayaking, parasailing, towed buoys and surfing. A bar serves pizzas in the morning and crêpes in the afternoon. There is also a snack buffet under an airy palapa.
Hotel Club El Borj
Located in Mahdia, the 3-star Hotel Club El Borj offers a garden, a shared lounge, a sun terrace with swimming pool and a buffet breakfast.10. La Badira: the only establishment in Tunisia to be awarded "The Leading Hotels of The World" label
In Hammamet North, La Badira, formerly Sultan Beach, was inaugurated on 18 May 2017. The only establishment in Tunisia to be awarded The Leading Hotel of the World label, La Badira (as luminous as the full moon in Arabic) has established itself as one of Tunisia's emblematic addresses, boasting a Spa by Clarins, two splendid infinity pools, spacious, charming and luxurious rooms and top-flight gastronomy. For adults only...
La Badira is located directly alongside a 300-metre beach in Hammamet's northern hotel zone, just 3 km from the town centre. Its location on a peninsula means you can admire the sea from most of the 130 45 m² rooms. You can opt for one of the ten suites, four Nour (light in Arabic) measuring 120 m² and six Legend measuring 160 m², with their own private infinity pool. Each of the six 'Legend' suites pays tribute to one of the personalities who built the myth of Hammamet: Paul Klee, Jean Cocteau, Georges Sebastian, Claudia Cardinale, Wallis Simpson and August Macke.