My experience, a tad late but I stayed in this hotel in Feb 2012.
It was honestly the nicest hotel.
After being on a few holidays since then no hotel quite compares. For the price it is fantastic.

Room – Was beautifully clean and spacious.

Hotel – Quite grand, a lot of marble, glass lifts etc. The beach is literally a 5 minute walk straight out of the back of the hotel and it has beautiful views.

Staff – Very helpful and attentive.

Entertainment – Though not fantastic as it is hard having to cater to all ages the guys (at the time Mido, Zizou and Mohamed) all really made an effort to try and get everyone involved. And if you get involved you will have fun. However if you are looking for great evening entertainment this is not the hotel for you.

Food - there was a good variety, something for even the fussiest eater.

Overall –
Great hotel would definitely go back there again as it is great value for money and is genuinely a LOVELY hotel.

Just take a pack of cards or a book with you for those moments when you’re a little bored.

Your holiday is what you make :)

My husband and I have jut got back from a week at this hotel. It is a lovely place to stay. The staff were so helpful, nothing was too much trouble and the hotel is excellent. We got a week all inclusive for £540 for the two of us with first choice and it was worth every penny. From the minute we got there we felt a warm welcome and it felt like they really wanted to make our stay a good one! They took our cases to the room and a lovely room it was too. It was a bit chilly at this time of year so there was heating/air con in the room and the beds and duvets were fabulous. There was a fridge with water and fizzy drinks which were refilled on request to reception but there was no bottle opener that we could find in the room to open the fizzy drinks! There's an inside pool with a jacuzzi and a well stocked gym. Sauna was extra. Showers and toilets nearby and everything was spotlessly clean and well kept. The food was amazing. Plenty of choice, meat and fish every night. Cooking stations on the go all the time and waiter service for drinks at the table for water, fizzy or wine which was topped up constantly by attentive staff. Same with the bar, tea and coffee available there too. I was disappointed that there were no tea making facilities in the room as i would expect this in a five star. Free wi-fi everywhere too. Fantastic foyer and bar with lots of seating to sit and read and drink! A tip ensures first class service in the bar areas and dining room but they serve you anyway just more attentive when tipped! Outside area is beautifully kept but it wasn't all open at this time of year. A few shops selling bags, souvenirs, etc not too far away and we felt safe walking around these areas although they do assle you to go in heir shops. Marina about 30 mins walk away or £2 or so by taxi.
We went on the three cities tour which wasn't good at all - we spent the morning visiting what an only be described as a reservoir! A mosque and being sold carpets under the guise of educating us in the art of carpet making! Bit boring. Amphitheatre in the afternoon was awesome! Loved it but not enough time there after the morning sales pitch. Went shopping in another of the cities which had a great fort but not enough time there to visit it after more visits to mosques! Were told not to wander off alone either so didn't feel very safe there but there was some kind of rally/speaker which was a bit unsettling so it could just have been due to this event that day. We got to see some rural villages on the way to the cities but it was all quite dirty with rubbish everywhere and most people were unimpressed with this trip at £40 each. I thought it was worth the experience and I know not to do it again!
The holiday was very relaxing and peaceful but I would have found it boring at this time of year to have gone for 2weeks as you couldn't go to the beach or sunbathe as it was too cold so take some woollies with you although it starts warming up a bit in February apparently but I was cold as I didn't have the right clothing as I expected it to be warmer! Can't fault the hotel at all and it would probably be amazing there in the summer as its beachfront and the pool looks lovely too.

This was the first holiday that my boyfriend and i had been on together and what a wonderful place to stay. The hotel is grand from the moment you walk through the door, with the marble flooring and crystal chandeliers. We upgraded to a double room and ended up with a suite, which was superb. The staff at the hotel were the most helpful people, nothing was too much trouble. We are going back in September because the hotel left such an impression on us both!

My wife and I have just returned from an all-inclusive week at the Riu Imperial Marhaba. At this time of the year it certainly represented value for money with the prospect of some sunshine.

The hotel is large, clean and staffed by wonderful people. Any query or request for assistance was dealt with immediately.

Service in the lobby bar was good although the pianist was perhaps not as accomplished as some of the other reviewers claim. However his choice of music appeared to suit the mainly older clientele. The range of drinks was good although they were mainly local brands.

The food in the main restaurant was good, with plenty of variety. Take your time to have a good look round as it is easy to miss some dishes. Some of the show cooking was particularly impressive. The wine was passable at best. Service was OK with several outstanding waiters/waitresses. We simply tipped the better staff - they deserved it.

The Tunisian restaurant served a set menu of local dishes. This will not suit all tastes. There was a meze starter, lamb couscous and a range of fruit and sweets with a bowl of what can best be described as custard.

Room cleaning was unobtrusive and we had no trouble in getting our mini-bar restocked. Some guests simply returned their empty water bottle to the lobby bar and obtained a replacement.

WiFi reception was patchy - there was a problem early in the week. I found it rather amusing that my Ipad only worked in certain areas of our room!

At the weekend there was an influx on Tunisian guests with young children who rather ran amok. One of the local guests on Saturday night entertained his large group rather vocally to the detriment of other guests. He attracted plenty of sideways glances from staff but no action.

We did not go on any of the Thomson trips but overheard nothing from other guests to suggest this was an error.

All in all it was a very relaxing week and we would certainly return if the price was right.