We returned to Tunisia two weeks ago, and honestly, we had such a lovely experience at El Mouradi Club Selima🌷 in Port El Kantaoui, about 25 minutes from Sousse.
The reason this trip meant so much to me is because I had visited Tunisia as a teenager with my family 20 odd years ago, and I had such wonderful memories of it that I always wanted to return and let my husband experience it. In fact, I accidentally booked the wrong hotel by mistake because the hotel names in the group are so similar! But in the end, I’m actually delighted we ended up here.
From the moment we arrived late in the evening, the staff could not have been kinder. We had barely checked in before they were encouraging us to hurry down and get food before the restaurant closed. Every member of staff we met throughout the holiday was warm, helpful and genuinely welcoming.
The Tunisian people in general were so lovely, calm, friendly and easy-going everywhere we went. Me and my husband love getting out and about when we travel, and although we spent one relaxing day mostly by the beach, we were out exploring most of the time. Taxis are extremely good value, especially around Sousse and Port El Kantaoui, and we found it very easy to get around with other ways also the way the local people do. We travelled up to Tunis, Stayed in sidi bou, down to the Roman amphitheatre at El Jem, and into the Medina and cafes at the seafront in Sousse several times.
The hotel itself is simple, peaceful and very relaxed. The bungalow-style rooms were lovely because everything is spread out nicely, with little walks between the rooms, birds singing everywhere and such a calm atmosphere. The rooms were spotless clean, which is very important to me. I don’t mind older décor once everything is clean and comfortable, and this hotel absolutely was. There was no loud noise, all was quite.
The beach was beautiful, with security present all the time, but in a very relaxed and reassuring way. The whole atmosphere around the hotel felt safe, calm and easy-going. The guests staying there were lovely too, which really adds to the overall experience.
The food was honestly one of the biggest surprises for us. We have stayed in other all-inclusive hotels before where the food was disappointing, but here it was genuinely very satisfying, with amazing variety every day. I’m quite fussy about food and prefer proper home-cooked style meals, and we were very happy with the quality throughout our stay.
One thing that really stood out was how much the staff genuinely cared. We had one funny ongoing misunderstanding involving the bedding in the room. I prefer a tightly fitted bedsheet, and because of a language misunderstanding between departments, the issue became more complicated than it ever needed to be. Kareem from reception did try to help and was polite throughout, but unfortunately definitely the details he didn't understand which he really assured me he did, so therefore it got lost in translation between be and him and him and housekeeping, which unintentionally caused more confusion over some days.
What impressed me most, however, was how other staff members stepped in with patience, empathy and practical help once they understood the situation properly. Oubaid in particular was super exceptionally good beyond expectation and to my disbelief. He immediately understood exactly what the simple issue was and had been after listening carefully, and genuinely wanted to resolve it the right way, right away and thoroughly and for it not to happen again. You could really feel the difference that experience and strong communication skills made to me and how relieved I was because the first time round I was disappointed and so confused with the outcome.
Also Amira at reception/customer relations also was also very excellent and extremely kind and professional. She made us feel so special and cared for once meet her.
Another lovely young staff member, Scandor, also kindly helped us late one evening after the cleaners had already gone home. Nobody ever made us feel like a nuisance. Quite the opposite — people consistently tried to help in any way they could.
Oubaid also organised something really special for us when we visited the sister hotel that I had originally meant to book. He arranged for us to have dinner there one evening, and when we arrived they had decorated the table beautifully with flowers, candles and petals. It was such a thoughtful gesture and meant a lot to us. Amira so kindly got permission and Oubaid organised it. It is staff like them, who really leave a lasting impression on guests. Not to forget the kind hearted cleaning ladies in the hotel area and all the waiters in the restaurant, the 2 bars and the bar down by the beach. Exceptionally nice all of them.
At one point I left some rings behind at a neighbouring hotel gym that they so kindly let us use, and again the Oubaid helped organise getting everything back safely. Nothing ever seemed too much trouble for them.
The only small thing I personally would have liked is a kettle in the room, as I love making my own big mug of tea and have it in bed, but that’s only a personal preference and certainly didn’t affect our holiday.
Overall, this hotel gave us exactly what we wanted: sunshine, relaxation, kindness, great food, lovely surroundings and genuinely caring staff. It may not be ultra-modern luxury, but it has something much more important — warmth, heart and a really relaxed atmosphere. Great value. A place to relax.
We had a beautiful holiday and am looking forward to returning again🥰😊
TN