La Badira - Adult Only — Hotel in Maghreb

When we first arrived at La Badira, we were taken aback by the entrance way into the hotel lobby. The walkway has two pools on either side with the right side containing an orange tree in its centre. We would later find that this gets even more beautiful during sunset where flocks of birds rush to perch in the tree and wall vines for an evening meal.

The whole experience of the entrance walkway is breathtaking. At the end of the walkway are automatic sliding doors which lead into a darkened room to another set of sliding doors which open out into the hotel lobby. Again this is very well thought out, almost as if the hotel gives your mind a break from the stimuli you have just experienced on the walkway before what you are about to see in the lobby.

The lobby is breathtaking, with floor to ceiling windows, picturesque furniture, and features that do not allow your eyes to rest in one place for too long. The staff were extremely welcoming and happy to cater to our every need. we were ushered to one of the many seating areas where the mid morning sun enveloped us whilst we enjoyed complimentary mint tea and macaroons. We were given a free early check-in and were led to our room.

The experience of the hotel simply continued to impress us. The room booked was a deluxe double with a sea view. The cupboard space, layout of the room, washroom facilities, WC and shower were astounding, which is always welcoming after a long journey. We were walked through all of the room features and were then revealed the view. This was a bit of a let down as we had booked a full sea view, and due to location of the given room we were greeted by 75% of our sea view being blocked by a white wall. We did try to live with this as everything else had been perfect to this point. However we did decide to ask if we could change rooms as we had specifically booked a room with a full sea view and not one with a partial sea view, which are also available to be booked. Once again the hotel staff were very accommodating and said they would give us a free upgrade to a better room with a pool and sea view the morning after as they were fully booked that evening.

After settling in we toured the hotel and the pool and surroundings are amazing. Visiting in February does not give you the best temperatures, however having less guests around the hotel makes things a little more intimate. The experience of the scenery and having the sea a few metres away from you really promotes relaxation.

The hotel has two restaurants which have staff always on hand ready to aid your every wish. I must mention specific staff who really made our stay special. Ameni, the hotel concierge really took time to ensure that were well looked after everyday and had everything we needed. The hotel manager, Hatham, also tried to quite literally bend over backwards when I had a charger problem, and Roussi, a waiter in the breakfast restaurant who ensured that our specific dietary needs were met every day. Fresh strawberries on hand for my wife each morning as well as our specific drinks orders were at our table before we even sat down each morning, complimented by his cheery and helpful disposition made each of our mornings start perfectly.

The evening restaurants, whilst more expensive than food anywhere else in Hammamet, are well worth visiting. You are presented with amazing looking food, which also has the perfect flavours, tastes and textures to satisfy even my complex pallette. The hotel also contains a Clarins Spa, which we spent 3 days taking various treatments. The Hammam and massages were amazing and we would really recommend them.

Our stay was faultless, La Badira gave us an experience that we will not forget and may even return to in the future. Many thanks to all the staff who contributed...

We spent five days at La Badira at the beginning of June, and our stay was nothing short of wonderful. From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by the hotel staff, who were consistently friendly, attentive, and professional throughout our visit.||||The Setting & Atmosphere:||One of the standout features of La Badira is its peaceful location. Tucked away from the cluster of other hotels—with only one nearby—it offers a true sense of privacy and tranquility. Despite being fully operational, the hotel never felt crowded. There were always quiet spaces to relax, which made the stay even more enjoyable.||||Beach & Pool Areas:||The hotel boasts two separate beach areas, both of which were relatively empty during our stay, giving us a sense of exclusivity. The pool area was beautiful and well maintained, with plenty of lounge chairs. We especially appreciated the grassy spots where we could relax out of the direct sun—an ideal escape from the heat.||||Dining Options:||La Badira offered an impressive variety of dining experiences. Mornings started with a generous breakfast selection, including freshly squeezed juices—a much-appreciated touch. For lunch, we often dined at the beachfront restaurant, which not only had excellent food but also a perfect sea view. There was also the option to eat at the poolside bar or the international restaurant, giving us plenty of variety.||||Evenings were just as enjoyable with a choice between two restaurants—international and Tunisian—both serving delicious meals. We also loved heading up to the rooftop bar for a drink and some shisha at sunset. The view from there was simply stunning.||||Exceptional Service Moment:||One morning, I accidentally spilled beetroot juice on my light-colored beach clothes. I thought they were ruined—but to my surprise, the hotel staff took care of it promptly. They managed to clean and completely save the garment. It was a great example of the thoughtful and professional service that made our stay so relaxing.||||Spa & Relaxation:||We tried the hammam in the spa area and had a great experience. The ambiance was serene, and there were comfortable places to lie down and relax afterwards, rounding off the wellness offering beautifully.||||Room & Amenities:||Our room was lovely, with a partial sea view that we truly enjoyed. The hotel’s design throughout is modern and tasteful, with a calming, elegant aesthetic. We especially appreciated the nightly turndown service—it added a luxurious touch to the experience.||||Room for Improvement:||While we truly enjoyed our stay, a few minor details could be improved. Some parts of the room, such as the shower area, would benefit from renovation. Additionally, one corner of the beach appeared to be public and wasn’t well maintained, which slightly disrupted the otherwise pristine atmosphere.||||Another small inconvenience was the beach towel system. Each guest receives one towel card and must exchange it daily to receive a towel. While it’s understandable from a logistics perspective, it felt a bit restrictive and could be more flexible for guest comfort.||||⸻||||Final Thoughts:||||La Badira is a beautifully designed, tranquil hotel that excels in comfort, service, and setting. From serene beach days to sunset drinks on the rooftop, every moment felt thoughtfully curated. Even small accidents—like a beetroot juice spill—were handled with care. We highly recommend this hotel to anyone seeking a peaceful and upscale escape in Tunisia, and we would...

This is an email I have to sent to the hotel, to which they are claiming no liability for - giving the usual, boring ‘we are a world leading hotel’ reply. Possibly in 2019 - in 2024 you are the direct contribution for giving two paying guests hellacious food poisoning

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

The negatives we feel, with feedback around each point are listed beneath:

• Broken glass bottle. My wife opened one of the complimentary bottles of water with a bottle opener on Friday and the top of the bottle smashed off in her hands, causing a cut. These bottles are not new bottles and they do not smell nor taste like mineral water, which you can find in the mini bar. Stale water has the ability to kill someone so if this isn’t fresh water, we strongly recommend you to address this issue immediately. My wife emailed on Friday and at this moment in time still hasn’t received a response.

• Flies. The hotel is overrun by house flies. House flies are twice as likely to spread disease than cockroaches which we have seen in the hotel. We haven’t been able to enjoy 1 meal in this hotel, either breakfast, lunch or dinner due to the disgusting level of flies in this establishment. Both myself and my wife have suffered from food poisoning this week, my wife has suffered it on two separate occasions, we strongly feel this is due to the flies. We have stayed in 5 star hotels around the world and can honestly say we have never seen these level of flies anywhere - it’s unacceptable to say the least. I would go as far to say as it has ruined my holiday - the cause of this is usually due to food waste / lack of hygiene. There is no attempt from staff to cover areas that guests are eating in - we travel to Morocco frequently and have never had this issue. We haven’t even been able to sunbathe properly, due to the fly infestation. We ate 1 meal at the poolside bar, which was a tapas dish and the entire plate was covered with flies, we reluctantly ate this meal and shortly afterwards, began to feel very sick.

• Toilets by the poolside. The smell of drains is horrendous. These are located very close to the international restaurant. Again, somewhere that is infested by flies.

• Sun loungers, glasses, ice buckets. These are all filthy. The glasses which beverages are served in are old, faded and scratched. The sun loungers are not clean, we have had to ask for a mattress/cushion every day as they are not provided as standard - again something which is sub standard for a 5 star hotel.

• Taxi Lateness / taken by other guests. We have ordered numerous taxis from the hotel that have either been significantly late / taken by other guests. This has happened to other people that have stayed in the hotel also.

• Non-fluent English speaking tour guide. We arranged to visit Tunis, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said and albeit the tour guide was friendly, he couldn’t speak good English, which meant the trip was less enjoyable due to not being able to ask questions and such like.

• Indoor Pool. This is advertised as being heated, however it is not heated to a comfortable temperature.

• Shower in the room. The shower has no tray to store toiletries, there is no shelf and no shower hooks - in a £7000 suite, I wouldn’t have expected this, as I would a...