Dar Ben Gacem -Kahia- — Hotel in Tunis

Apparently the Dar houses in Tunisia is similar to the Riads in Morocco.||What I like about this hotel:||1. Although the place is not as elaborately decorated as some riads in Morocco (e.g. Riad Naya in Marrakesh medina), it is still very charming and tasteful.||2. The place only has 8 rooms (including 2 suites). I had the suite with its own private patio which is totally secluded. ||3. The location is also great. It is not on one of the main street of Rue du Pacha but off in a side alley (Rue El Kahia) so it is very quiet. This hotel is Dar Ben Gacem Kahia. On Rue du Pacha there is a Dar Ben Gacem. Could be confusing for some people.||4. Like the riads in Morocco, the roof-top "garden" was fantastic, giving guests a place to relax outside their rooms.||5. Breakfast was quite good, serving made-to-order omelet, bread, fruit juice, coffee, ricotta cheese, yoghurt, fruit salad etc. ||6. The host, Slim, was very professional, friendly and approachable. He made my stay very pleasant.||Room to improve:||Not much. Just some minor issues, such as:|- the bread and croissant could be fresher. If it is too much to serve freshly baked goods in a small hotel, perhaps warming the bread or croissant for a few minutes in the oven would be great||- bedside right table drawer opened only 6 inches, some of the window wood panels did not close properly, the guest room's main door handle was very loose (and almost dangling)||- breakfast was good but inefficient. My suggestion to the hotel, is switching to a buffet breakfast.||Right now, each guest gets a juice, coffee or tea, fresh fruits, bread and pastry, some desserts. Instead of bringing it all in a large tray, the items were brought to the guest one at a time. ||This was not efficient because one morning I was missing a teaspoon, another morning there was no napkin. Then others got a basket of fruits except me. Another morning another guest was waiting for his coffee for so long that I gave him mine. One morning a few Italian tourists finished the coffee and fruits etc. and left before the staff brought the omelette. I guess they were not told that the omelettes were coming.||The staff seemed to be a little frantic to me, running around. ||A buffet will solve the problem. Also not everyone has the same appetite. This will eliminate food waste. Does the food that a guest couldn't finish, get used again for another guest. If not then there is a lot of food waste.||A great hotel should pay close attention to details, and do the minor repairs before they...

I stayed for a week at Dar Ben Gacem (Kahia) and it is a magical place. If you want to experience the Medina (old town) in Tunis, this is where you want to stay.

First, finding the hotel can be tricky. There is another Dar Ben Gacem several blocks away; this is a second offering from entrepeneur Leila Ben Gacem. The Kahia hotel is off a non-descript alley. When you do locate it, there is not much about the exterior to suggest what delights you will find crossing the threshold of the place.

The hotel is the former residence of a very successful family. Leila has pain-stakingly and lovingly restored and updated the property so that is soars above its centuries-old history. From the foyer, to the central courtyard, to the rooms, to the library to the gorgeous rooftop deck, each space in the hotel is breathtaking. The rooms are like mini-museums, filled with original architectural touches but updated with modern amenities. Throughout the hotel there is gorgeous tile, carvings, and ironwork all harmoniously integrated to offer the guest an amazingly rich experience.

The staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful. You are truly treated like royalty, and with these rooms, you feel like royalty. The beds are new and comfortable. My room on the main floor was ridiculously spacious and the air conditioner was terrific. Internet is fast.

I stayed there in the first week it opened in June of 2019, so there were still some small things being worked out. For example, there was no rack upon which to place my suitcase or drawers to unpack my clothes in my eoom. But the staff were working hard to finish the property and tie up all of the loose ends. Given the attention to detail in the place, all of these things will be worked out in short order.

All in all, Dar Ben Gacem (Kahia) is an amazing place that shows off the best of the Medina in...

Location - excellent, on the western side of the Medina, just of Rue Praha - the Main Street with loads of cafes and evening activity and food stalls ||Property - amazing building, beautifully ornate and tasteful, feels like being in a palace - lovely large central courtyard with airy sitting room, huge roof terrace with shaded seating, library on first floor ||Quiet and cool - best night’s sleep of my week in Tunisia||Bedroom - very big, with a good firm bed, lovely sheets, good pillows, plenty of plugs| |Good big bathroom - water pressure was good, but took a long time to get hot - be patient. Shower gel in bottles and soap provided - no other items. Lovely towels, and pair of dressing gowns.||Breakfast - it felt a bit weak - coffee was ok but not amazing, lemon juice was overly sweet for me, bread and croissants weren’t amazing but strawberry jam was good, and nice to get some sliced banana (not common in Tunisia). Two baklava each were good. Small Omelette was great - best part of the breakfast.||WiFi was excellent - good coverage across the property and really fast ||Staff were very helpful - make sure you ask them lots of questions. And they are there 24 hours a day, so you don’t need a key to the building - they answer the doorbell. Check out the property listing for what they can help you with - including the option of going food shopping with you!||Payment was by credit card with a direct conversion from the EUR quoted to Tunisian Dinar (plus 2.81 euro tax) ||Would definitely...