Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Ocean View
Languages Spoken
English, French, Russian, Arabic and 1 more
Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Fitness Center with Gym / Workout Room
Pool
Bar / lounge
Beach
Archery
Books, DVDs, music for children
Secured parking
Wifi
Fitness / spa locker rooms
Fitness classes
Sauna
Pool / beach towels
Pool with view
Indoor pool
Outdoor pool
Heated pool
Coffee shop
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Complimentary welcome drink
Kid-friendly buffet
Outdoor dining area
Snack bar
Vending machine
Poolside bar
Tennis court
Aerobics
Billiards
Darts
Entertainment staff
Evening entertainment
Karaoke
Table tennis
Waterslide
Children's playground
Children's television networks
Indoor play area for children
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Kids club
Kids pool
Kids' outdoor play equipment
Highchairs available
Free airport transportation
Taxi service
Conference facilities
Banquet room
Meeting rooms
Spa
Facial treatments
Foot bath
Foot massage
Full body massage
Hammam
Hand massage
Massage
Neck massage
Pedicure
Steam room
24-hour security
Baggage storage
Concierge
Convenience store
Currency exchange
Gift shop
Shops
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun umbrellas
Umbrella
24-hour check-in
24-hour front desk
Dry cleaning
Laundry service
Ironing service
Room features
Blackout curtains
Air conditioning
Private beach
Private balcony
Safe
Refrigerator
Cable / satellite TV
Bath / shower
Telephone
Wardrobe / closet
Bottled water
Laptop safe
Private bathrooms
Tile / marble floor
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Flatscreen TV
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
Room types
Ocean view
Pool view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Smoking rooms available
Location
2011 Boulevard 14 Janvier, Sousse 4039 Tunisia
Occidental Sousse Marhaba
3,656 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
Powered by AI
The Occidental Sousse Marhaba garners compliments for its spotless premises and diverse amenities, including a pristine beach and engaging entertainment options, although calls for modernizing touches are noted. Nestled in a location celebrated for its convenience to local attractions, the hotel offers a vibrant atmosphere, albeit occasionally boisterous. While rooms are commended for cleanliness, some guests suggest a refresh is due.
The attentive and amiable staff are often highlighted for enhancing guest experiences. Overall, the hotel is regarded as providing commendable value.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Basic
Value
Affordable
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Abundant
Was this helpful?
Tripadvisor is not responsible for this summary or the opinions in it. For more information, please read the traveler reviews and learn more about how the site works.
Went to this hotel 3rd January for one week, had a fabulous time, although hotel was only half full with it being there winter, but saying that everything that should be done was done, staff were helpful and pleasant, and could not do enough for you. After an initial blip with our room, we were moved, and then everything was great Our room was a good size with a fridge, and flat screen tv, there were new mattresses on the bed and new quilts, the bedding was crisp white cotton and the bathroom towels were soft and white the beds were really comfortable, something a lot of people said. The hotel is spotlessly clean, the staff are cleaning every day The food in the restraunt is good, we even had there bacon for breakfast, it's a bit like smokey streaky if you ask the chef to cook if well it was very nice The soups were nice and so was the bread The lunch and evening meals were nice you could always find something to eat, we had no cold dishes as the chef was always testing to make sure all is hot, I think they realise the Brits like there food hot and they have even made gravy now, the Brits have only been going here for a few months so they are getting used to what we like. The beach here is beautiful soft sand, ofcourse it was empty as to cold to sit on the beach, but must be very nice in the summer, lovely for the children. We did a couple of excursions, one to the new Mall that has just opened, and another to el gem to see the Colosseum, well worth the money although at el gem you dont get that much time to wonder, felt a little rushed. The animation team were a great set of young people, always willing to have a laugh and a joke with you, felt sorry for them really as tried to get people to go and see the shows, but people just wanted to sit have a drink and a chat with other people, a special mention to Fifi and Chyma two lovely girls and Narco when he was there he has left now Would I go back again to this hotel yes I would Thank you for a great time occidental staff Sandra and roly
Read more
Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed a week here at the beginning of February. Arrival was good ( receptionist was a bit snappy and grumpy) taken to room, we had semi sea view room 210. I must say the staff were very good apart from our first encounter, the receptionist didn't appear to cheer up the week we were there. Anyway, the food was really good, there were not many guests in a large hotel. We all got to know each other. The animation team, all five of them were fantastic. We don't usually get involved with all the games but we certainly did with this great bunch. Petang twice a day, darts, archery. The lads always sweeping my wife of each night for a dance. The perfect gentleman were Manu and Nino. Not forgetting Jus jus who was just happy for everyone to play games, camel racing, golf, bottle hoops, what a fantastic credit to your hotel. Now for the rooms and food, the beds are fantastic, so comfy. The food was good, there was always something, there was plenty of choice, there was Tunisian terrines also a roast each night, lamb one night, turkey another, beef another etc. I was surprised to see roast leg of pork. As there we few guests they would cook in small batches so always fresh. I would like plates to be warmer as a few times plates on top of pile were cold, but a delve down the stack I would find a couple hot plates. The lady on the egg station was lovely, fried eggs were fantastic. I'm not sure what's going on but after 5 days there they started demolishing buildings around the pool. They seem to be erecting fencing, think this is going to become a building site. But I must say we had a fantastic week and that is due to all the staff we encountered apart from grumpy receptionist.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A lot to digest? Read an AI-generated summary of recent traveler reviews.
Me and my partner had a great week long holiday at the Occidental Marharba. The hotel is beautiful, clean and bright, with cleaners that seem to always be cleaning to perfection. Our room was great with a huge king size bed, high ceilings, a safe box to use and a TV with access to Netflix. The cleaners provided new towels every day and made it lovely and tidy for us! The grounds are beautifully kept, the private beach feels like you are in paradise and there is both an inside and outdoor pool for whatever the weather which is great 😊
The location is great, probably around 30-40 minute drive from enfidha airport, and has some good facilities nearby such as restaurants.
We did 2 excursions through Ali Baba at the hotel, the pirate ship trip and the quad bikes, both were brilliant, well organised and worth the money!
We did all inclusive, which included all alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. We were not fond of the wine or cocktails, but the beer and the spirits were great and the bar staff fast and friendly. The food was great in the restaurant buffet, which a very wide selection of food each day. We had the same waiter each night called Omar Haji, and he was absolutely brilliant. Omar was so friendly and funny, fast at refilling our drinks and even put romantic decorations on our table for us. Thank you Omar! There was also snacks available during the day at the pool bar which were delicious.
All in all we had a great week away and would definitely recommend!
Read more
Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have just arrived home after a 2 week stay with my wife. Whilst the grounds of the hotel are immaculate and really well tended, the rest of the hotel, I can only say is a bit tired and tatty, it will take a big investment to get it anywhere near a 4 star hotel or above, I’d give it a generous 3.
Much the same as the other reviews, take your own plastic cups or drinks container, the staff at all the bars will gladly fill them up. Special mention to the little fella at the pool bar, what a really nice man, always happy and smiling. It gets a bit noisy by the pool when they wheel out the big speaker and the entertainment staff make an appearance. I preferred the beach, it was far more relaxed, the only downside is there’s no snack bar, however, the pool bar is only 2 minutes away and there’s a staff member there that will make you a baguette or panini, knock on the louvred door at the back and he’ll make them up for you. As we were leaving really early for our airport transfer he made and wrapped up some baguettes for us which we kept in the fridge in our room until the next day and they were absolutely fine.
The food in the main dining area is pretty good, there was always something we’d eat and go up for seconds in the evenings, although we only really had fruit and danishes in the mornings and never went at lunch time, opting to eat from the snack bar and to stay at the beach or by the pool which became really nice and relaxing when the blaring music was switched off.
There is a gym, whilst it isn’t stocked with any fancy equipment there’s plenty of free and weight machines and a few treadmills.
The rooms are a bit dated and have a tendency to flood if you accidentally knock the tap by the toilet that’s for the douching hose. Despite this they were kept clean by the cleaning staff who will change your bedding and towels whenever you want and give everywhere a wipe down and sweep and mop the floors.
The evening entertainment isn’t the best, it probably starts for kids about 9 - 9.30pm, followed by some sort of show for adults, and much the same as other reviews, it’s pretty loud.
We go to Tunisia for the weather and don’t get to hung up about the standard of hotel we stay in, so if your expecting 4 or 5 star luxury at the Occidental you’ll be very disappointed. However the staff are all great and work really hard and do there upmost to make your stay as good as possible. If your expectations about the decor aren’t too high then give it a go, for the price we paid, it’s ok.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Pay a 20 Dinah deposit for the beach towels.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Limited plug sockets in room. Mattress very comfy, pillows not so comfy foam chip style. Animation team work hard to keep all entertained and joining in day and evening. Loud entertainment every evening in the reception/lobby area meant there was nowhere quiet to relax and have a drink/chat in the evening. (This is different in the summer I think) Recommend taking your own shampoo/conditioner and shower gel as what is provided is not good. You can buy in the hotel shop or just outside in the pharmacy. No pool towels supplied, take your own and clips as was often windy also take Sunscreen even in March as the wind off the sea makes temperatures deceiving - many sunburnt people especially in their first few days. All rooms East facing (sea facing) therefore not able to sunbathe on balconies as they mainly provide shade due to the way they face and are built There is a drying rack on the balcony and one small bistro table and two chairs. The hotel communal area are kept very clean all of the time and the pool toilets regularly swept and cleaned Many sunbeds broken in the pool area and all sunbeds and parasols were left where and in the condition they were from the day before.! The sandy beach is only a couple of mins walk and manned by hotel security guards, there are toilets on the beach and a beach bar that is open in season but out of season we needed to take our own bottles of water with us to the beach. Beach sunbeds and comfortable mattresses available at no extra cost, plenty of parasols and the security guests sets your mattress out at your favourite spot…don’t forget to tip him well at the end of your stay. The gardens were well tended and the cleaning staff and garden staff along with the waiting staff appreciated tips. Restaurant service good and Food varied so we always found something to eat. Walks along the beach lovely in the mornings and along the corniche to the Medina. No need for taxis to there as it’s an easy walk. Take the local metro train from Sousse to Monastir for 1 TD per person each way - 30p lots of cafes and shops down towards the Ribat - A good, safe and inexpensive day out. Wet days take a taxi to Mall of Sousse, haggle with taxi drivers and aim to pay half of their first price. Port el Kantoui ( 10 TD taxi ride) check restaurant/cafe prices before you sit down, only go in places with displayed prices. Lots of boat rides available at the port and camel rides on the beach there.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Take…
Insulated coffee mugs
Pool towels and clips
Shampoo/conditioner
Soap/shower gel
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Firstly I must say you get what you pay for with this hotel. It wasn’t amazing, but for £465 each all inclusive I thought it was fair for what we paid. However very disappointed as we booked it based on it having water slides for our son to play on, but there was none and it’s in the Ts & Cs that out of season they can reduce the services, didn’t realise they’d take water slides away though! The TUI rep kindly had our room changed as they are very small when you add a child’s bed in and block the patio doors. We found out that TUI customers are given the smallest rooms in a block which doesn’t have the nice sea views. The slightly bigger better view rooms are reserved for the ‘more discerning’ Russian and German guests apparently. Luckily we were changed to the better block and had a fantastic sea view. The rooms are very basic, don’t even have a kettle and are quite tired, rusty bins and worn fixtures and fittings.
I thought the food was good, lots of lovely fresh salads and tasty meats and fish. The wine is very bad(but isn’t it always in places like this?) You might get good service at the restaurant for your first couple of visits but if you don’t tip don’t expect it to continue. The drinks are served in tiny paper cups like you’d get from a water fountain, you really can’t ‘fill your boots’ with the all inclusive here, you’d have to go to the bar 4 times just to get a pint of beer.
The entertainment staff are good and try hard, the restaurant staff are very good if you tip, the pool guy also very helpful.
All in all for what we paid it was fine, however we won’t be going back, I’d rather pay a bit more and be somewhere nicer with slides for kids and better drinks and snacks.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Bring your own plastic drinks cups for the bar.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have just returned from a brilliant two week stay as a family of 5, aged 5 to 65 . The hotel it’s self is lovely and clean and the grounds inside well Maintained. The bedrooms are clean towels changed everyday however they are a little dated, but they do have a free safe, smart TV’s with Netflix’s and the free Wi-Fi which was great.
We found the majority of staff really lovely and helpful the cleaners, gardeners and ground staff work really hard throughout the day. Staff working the outside bars, the pool and towel guys are especially friendly and accommodating. We did find the reception staff a little dismissive and uninterested.
The food is lovely and better than most all inclusive’s, there is plenty of choice even for a picky 5 year old. The waiting staff seem to be stretched a bit thin and you can wait a while for your drinks, this could be rectified if they served the drinks in bigger glasses. The restaurant staff are all lovely and friendly also, they only other problem we had was with other patron’s manners and the lack of understanding when it came to queuing however this is picked up quite quickly by the staff who ensure they join the back of the line.
Pool and beach are great, nice a clean and you can always find a bed. The slides are not on the main pool area but are in the hotel grounds next door about a 2 minute walk from the main pool and it is part of the same group they also have their own large pool which is a lot quieter and has a swim up bar.
Hotel in is a good location, with shops and restaurants right outside should you need them. Easy to get a taxi and book trips we did a few different ones booked through the hotel and one book via TUI all of which were reasonably priced and well organised.
The animation team are fab all very friendly, work very hard and put on good shows. The kids disco doesn’t start until 9pm which we found a little late to be honest 8pm would be better. The entertainment is outside and does go on until 11.30 /11.45 most nights and is very very loud. So if you are looking for a nice relaxing evening you won’t get one as it doesn’t matter where in the building your bedroom is you will hear it all. We went the last two weeks of oct which was still in the 30’s, the hotel doesn’t have the air con on so the door needed to be open but even with the door shut the noise is still pretty loud, however once the music stops it is deafly quite.
All in all we had a lovely holiday and would happily recommend this hotel to the others, the little issues above are personal preference as travelling with a small child and we didn’t want to be up every night until midnight.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very happy with the hotel. Staff are awesome. Faizal. Our 3rd floor cleaner is very artistic with towels and anything she can find to make your room up special for you. A small 10 dinar tip goes a very long way here. Hotel is not even 50% full at the moment but pool maintenance man makes sure we get the sunbed of our choice every morning. Entertainment staff are very good but not in full swing . Apparently it ramps up during May. The pool slides have been removed. And children's Entertainment is a little sparce.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This hotel is definitely not a four star hotel, I’d give it three stars at best.
I’ll try and keep it short.
On arrival the staff were not helpful, there was no direction and we were basically left to our own devices until check in at 14:00.
The room was hot and the furniture dated. The air conditioning only worked at certain times in the day. There was something revolting stuck in our toilet the whole time we were there. The toilet seat and cupboard door were broken. The furniture was chipped and dirty/scuffed. The bedding had questionable stains on it both times, arrival and when it was changed. There aren’t enough maids, they leave the balcony doors open to dry the floors and leave, which is a security issue when you’re on the first floor, and let’s wasps in. They take the towels at 9am and don’t return them until earliest 4pm.
The food options are limited and repetitive. Flies everywhere. There don’t seem to be enough waiters either so you have to wait ages for a drink, and when it finally comes it’s in a Child’s cup even if you order a beer. The tables aren’t cleaned very quickly. They can also be quite rude, and if you ask for a drink, like a bottle of water at breakfast, you’re told no you’re not allowed. Not great when it’s supposed to be all inclusive.
The pool area is okay, although mouldy in places. My partner cut his foot in the pool as there are jagged edges. The pool bar doesn’t open until 10, and doesn’t serves snacks until 11. They always run out of things so people end up putting ice cream in paper cups. Again, not great when you’ve paid all inclusive. Whilst at the pool area you are approached and accosted by staff to buy things, from henna tattoos to massages. One of the photography staff made me feel uncomfortable. Also, don’t bother with sun-beds, we found our early on guests were allowed to just leave their towels and stuff at the pool throughout their stay.
The entertainment was okay, however they played the same music playlist every night. The music goes on until late. If you have a room near the stage don’t bother trying to sleep before midnight. Also it seems the hotels nearby are in competition with each other as to who can play their music the loudest.
The only redeeming feature is the animation team, who are amazing. They go out of their way to make you stay enjoyable.
To sum up I wouldn’t return to this hotel.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Take your own cups and snacks
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Currently on our holiday here. The hotel is lovely and all the staff can not be more helpful or friendly. Our room has air conditioning and heating as it is slightly cold here in the evenings at the moment. The entertainment is really good for the kids and the animation team are really engaging. The food is buffet style and equally just as good, breakfast has a range of hot and cold porridge, fruit, cereals, omlette, eggs and sausages ect lunchtime and dinner they have pizza being made and other meats and fish cooked live in front of you or they have the help yourself selection of different dishes and soup available. Drinks are served at your table by the waiters. The swimming pool is quite large although the sun only hits half of it throughout the day. There is a 2 minute walk down to the beach with another hotel bar. There is a spa which have a hammam (turkish bath) which was ok but if you have had one in Turkey it will not live up to your expectations but as a first one its great to intoduce you to them. On a whole the hotel is kept exceptionally clean and tidy with cleaners polishing the marble floors every morning, rooms are cleaned everyday with fresh sheets and towels and the grounds are well kept. There is a currency exchange desk at the hotel however i suggest bringing money with you to exchange otherwise you need to walk out on to the main road outside of the hotel to draw money out of the ATM which isnt a problem however there are locals trying to convince you to go to the markets with them. Our rep whalid was lovely we chose to go to the medina (local markets) just to experience it and whalid showed us around and helped us haggle great prices to ensure we didnt get ripped off. We have also booked to go on the 2 day sahara tour tomorrow so will update my review after we get back. We also booked a boat trip through a man called Alababa who tends to be in the hotel most days. The boat trip was ok but you dont see much, its too cold at the moment to go in the water but the peoppe running the boat were very good and provided some entertainment as well as the photographer who brings his Kestral 'lulu' around to have photos taken with.
There have been no expectations to tip other than the man who brought our bags up to our room when we first got here. But i would guess tips are gratefully recieved.
A taxi down to the marina or to the market should only cost you around 7-8 Dinar (about £2.50) and make sure you agree a price with the taxi driver before you get in the taxi or tell them to put the meter on otherwise they will try to over charge you.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:If you are coming here across Christmas and/or New Years Eve then make sure you book a table in...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
"Just be firm if pestered when heading into Sousse, ignore them completely or you'll end up in a shop. As you head more into the medina it's good seeing local life."
There are more places to choose from in the Sousse area.
PRICE RANGE
$60 - $106 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Hotel Marhaba
LOCATION
TunisiaSousse GovernorateSousse
NUMBER OF ROOMS
240
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
