Hotel Riu Imperial Marhaba Port El Kantaoui

Reading through these reviews has made me realise just how different peoples standards are. How people could possibly give this hotel an 'excellent' rating is amazing. We had to move rooms due to noise and both rooms were smelly and dirty, the carpets in particular were stained and musty, the towels were worn and smelly (not Jasmine I can be sure of that), the furniture worn and old. The whole hotels smelt musty and the lobby did look very attractive at first glance but once you look more closely it was just as worn out as the rest of the hotel.

Facts..30 minute walk into the marina

useful supermarket 10 minute walk

No alcohol is to be found anywhere other than in hotels or restaurants (we tried EVERYWHERE!)

Entertainment in hotel in the evenings is nearly non existant

I'm sorry but this might have been a five star hotel in it's time but ain't no more! Would never go back.

There was one good point I can say though!!! The beach and watersports were fantastic!!

My husband, our 20 year old daughter and myself have just returned from a two week break at this hotel. We had a fantastic time; our rooms were clean, the staff could not have been more helpful, the food was good, although a bit difficult for our daughter who is a vegetarian - but they did try and were happy to make something different for her. We also ate in the a la carte restaurant which was excellent and very reasonably priced. The beach was ok, not too crowded but the sea had alot of seaweed in it. The pool was clean and well kept and although there were plenty of sunbeds towels still went out very early! Our only real complaint was the music played around the pool, it was very loud and had alot of bass so not particulary condusive to relaxation and reading.

One thing we were very impressed by was the fact that drinks are charged at the same price be they from the beach or pool bars, the restaurant, the mini bar or room service. Room service is available 24hrs a day and is very efficient.

My husband and daughter went on the camel riding trip organised from the hotel and loved it. We went shopping a couple of times both to Sousse and Port el Kantaoui - quite alot of hassle from the locals but not a real problem.

We would certainly go back to this hotel.

Sorry,but this hotel is not even a 4 star........The rooms are average and so is the food......You will be allocated a table for the duration of your stay and you will have to share it with strangers.(5 star I think not).....This hotel is moving to the all inclusive market in November and it shows.

We were forced to get up at 6am to get an umbrella by the pool due to the lack of them and the hot temperatures(advised by other guests). Beach umbrellas packed like sardines on the hotels small part of the beach.

This hotel was sold to us for couples and honeymooners...however we were forced to endure the crazy frog song playing throughout the day and evening together with snoopys disco and kareoke.

Most of the staff were very helpful and will try to please.

Great hotel. Incredible foyer, basic rooms but clean/nice bathroom. Pool really nice - no animation teams! I stayed B and B and this had to be one of the best hotel breakfasts Ive experienced.

The pool, exterior and grounds are very well maintained. Pool a little small in comparison with other hotels but this wasn't a problem. Need to get down to the pool area early to get a towel and a foam mat for the sunbed.

The beach was lovely, soft white sand and the sea is fine for swimming in. Lots of water sports. Lovely indoor pool and a gym but you have to pay to use these and they shut at 8pm.

Round the corner from the hotel is a supermarket which I would recommend for buying provisions but i'd head into the Marina to eat.

Don't miss the dancing fountain by the Marina!!

Le Mediterranean is the best restaurant by the marina's edge. Highy recommended

My only slight grumble is that there was very limited entertainment in the hotel of an evening. Most people headed to the marina or into Sousse. You can walk (approx 40mins) or taxi's are very cheap £1.50 to the marina £2.00 to get to Sousse.

Night life consists of going out for a meal, wandering the souks. There aren't really any bars or nightclubs worth going to. Would highly recommend if you are looking to stay in Port El Kantoui (Port El Kantaoui is much nicer than Sousse itself!)

16/03/05

Just returned from Imperial Marhaba Hotel. Only had one week but wished it had been two!! We were really looked after. The staff could not do enough to ensure a pleasurable time was had by all. Will definitely return to Tunisia and will certainly return to this hotel. I won't even bother looking at anything else in the brochure. Wonderful place.

My only complaint --- we had to come home!!!

This is a five star hotel but in my opinion it should be a five star +

(Photos only)

This Hotel is definately not in the 5 Star Category, but would be an OK 4 Star. The room was spacious but was in need of updating. We had problems with the toilet, sink as well as the TV. The Hotel Maintenance attempted to fix the toilet but failed. The towels had a foul smell (urine like) but we were told that the smell was Jasmin. The food was good, but could be bland at times and the selection was limited. The cleaning staff brought fresh towels daily, but did not do a thourough cleaning of our room. The grounds were well groomed and the beach had soft white sand.

Spent two weeks here half-board 03 Nov to 17 Nov 2004, and had a very relaxing time. The hotel is right on the beach, but we spent most of our time by the clean outdoor pool. The food was excellent, and the waiters were very friendly and extremely efficient. You really couldn't fault the service, and the bed linen was changed daily. Both sides of the hotel offer quite good views, either of the sea or the hotel gardens. Those with the garden view get the evening sun.

There's not much to see immediately around the hotel - just a few shops selling the usual leather bags and hand-made rugs, but taxis to the marina of Port El Kantaoui are extremely cheap (5min journey costs about 3 dinars, or £1.50) and were always available just outside the hotel gates. Similarly, Sousse (for the medina market) was about 7 dinars, but we found the constant pestering to enter every shop there a bit annoying after a while.

The hotel lobby and bar area were very relaxing, though our only complaint would be the furniture is looking a bit faded and could do with updating. The price of drinks in the minibar in the rooms is the same as in the restaurant, which makes a welcome change.

We'd have no hesitation about going again next year.

Very Good Hotel, better than you would belive from looking at the brochures, food as good as any 4 star in Spain.. Bathrooms need a lick of paint but no problem, fresh bed linen evey day. have booked again for 05.

Great experience - Very impressed by the following aspects:

Nice foyer area - creates a good first impression



Good choice of bars - hotel has it's own nightclub which is quite kicking, The piano bar is quite formal but relaxing, The foyer bar is good for people watching and The beach bar, my personal favourite, is very chilled.

Great bedrooms - a good size and with all amenities

First class standards of cleanliness - bathroom towels always smell freshly laundered unlike most hotels

Staff are brilliant and so accomodating especially in main dining room and more so in A la Carte restaurant - you're literally not down to your second from last mouthful of wine before a waiter discreetly appears and fills you up.

Food choice is very good and very vaired - In main dining room starter is from hot buffet counters but your main course is ordered from the menu and individually cooked - not mass produced. A la Carte restaurant is of an even higher standard.



Great pool area - although one negative point the animation team can be a bit bullish at times!

Fab beach - the watersports guys on the beach are a great crowd, very friendly and incredibly safety conscious if you want to do parachuting or jet skiing don't be tempted to go anywhere else use these guys not one accident in over 10 years and they pride themselves in providing a safe, fun service one cautionary note - watch out for the jelly fish in high season - if you do get stung rub wet sand or a slice of raw tomato onto the sting... it quickly soothes)

A really high standard of hotel but without the pretentiousness that normally accompanies this kind of standard.

5 minutes away from the Marina area of Port El Kantaoui approx 2 or 3 dinars in a taxi.