La Villa Bleue — Hotel in Tunis

The hotel commands amazing sea views and is well located close to the buzzing centre of Sidi Bou Said. We were there for two nights and overall the experience was good. There are however some issues which ought to be addressed given that the establishment presents itself as a 5 star hotel to an international clientele:||1. Price Haggling - arriving in the hotel was like trying to buy a souvenir from the Medina of Tunis in 1999. The hotel prices are high even by European standards and then you haggle and they give you somewhat better rates (which are still expensive). ||2. Cleanliness - the hotel is generally clean however there is little attention to detail. The telephone in the room was filthy. I took it off and gave it to the housekeeper to sanitize it (it needed a dip in an alcohol bath). After some time they returned with the thing somewhat wiped. I asked them to clean it thoroughly and refused to take it back. So the receptionist came back with it saying “all telephones in Tunisia are like this!”. ||3. Breakfast - we had amazing breakfasts in other hotels in Tunisia and had high expectations for this hotel. Breakfast is served in a small terrace, not in the restaurant. It comes ready on a tray and consists of tea or coffee, water, some bread and cake served with butter and jam, a cold boiled egg and a tiny bowl of sliced fruit. They also serve the usual Tunisian lemon and strawberry juices in fluorescent yellow and radioactive pink which shout artificial. I asked whether they have some fresh juices but the waiter insisted that these were fresh lol. We asked for cooked breakfast (shakshuka) and the server said they don’t do that. So we went to reception to see whether they could recommend a decent breakfast place. She looked flabbergasted and asked “why??!!??!!” I replied that we wanted a cooked breakfast so she took out a menu and said that they can do it (we still went ahead and had an amazing breakfast at Blu Blu Sidi Bou instead). ||4. Recommendations - We asked for restaurant recommendations and they proposed a restaurant which, when we walked in front of, seemed rather brusque. When we got back to the hotel we asked the guy who had made the recommendation whether he was sure of that and he replied smiling “I never been there! I wouldn’t go there! Go to xxx”. Likewise we asked for a taxi to the airport. They said it cost 60dinar (a metered taxi costs 20dinar). We accepted because the hotel is in a pedestrian zone so we didn’t feel like having issues. Before getting into the taxi, I asked the receptionist to confirm the rate, which she did. Once at the airport, I gave the guy his 60dinars (3x his worth) and he started yelling that he wanted 80dinar because we had luggage. I know that the driver is independent of the hotel but they should know which idiots they are calling. ||5. Decor - they made a huge effort to decorate the hotel to the extent that the rooms are kitschy. Less is more.||Apart from the above, the Villa Bleue is a good compromise but they should roll up their sleeves and get their house in order if they are after a discerning clientele. One is to bear in mind that their rates are higher and their rooms and services are much inferior to places like Dar el Jeld which exceeds all...

Room Assignment & Staff Response: Despite requesting a quiet room due to sleeping problems, I was placed in an extremely noisy room facing the main road with constant tourist activity until midnight. The room was not soundproof, making it impossible to rest. When I raised this issue, I was met with an unprofessional and disrespectful response from staff, incorrectly claiming that I had booked a junior suite instead of the Deluxe suite I had actually reserved. Even if my booking had been different, such a dismissive tone is entirely inappropriate.

Air Conditioning: On a cold night, the air conditioning system failed to work, leaving us freezing. It was only after we informed the staff in the morning that the issue was checked and resolved—far too late for a 5-star hotel standard.

Cleanliness: Discovering three cockroaches in the bathroom was unacceptable. Such issues raise serious concerns about hygiene and sanitation practices in the hotel.

Amenities: The lack of basic amenities like a coffee machine or water boiler in the room is disappointing. Requiring guests to order everything at inflated prices is both inconvenient and unwelcoming.

Food: The breakfast quality was average at best, far below what is expected from a luxury hotel. Additionally, the prices for other meals were significantly overpriced, as reflected in reviews of the hotel restaurant.

Transportation Issues: The hotel's location posed accessibility challenges. Many Bolt taxis refused to navigate the narrow streets or approach the hotel due to blocked routes. Additionally, the taxi service arranged by the hotel to the airport charged an exorbitant 80 TD—almost four times the rate of a Bolt taxi (22 TD). When we mentioned our limited cash, the driver displayed frustration and hostility, further souring our...

Location: almost at the edge of Sufi Bou Saeed’s cliff, right by a viewpoint with stunning views. You cannot beat the views on their terraces (the breakfast area and the pool area).. The breakfast area terrace has an unobstructed view of the Mediterranean. ||Access to cars: Even if it’s in the pedestrian area, cars have access to pick you up or drop you off at the hotel entrance. However, expect to pay a higher fare, given that you’d have to ask the hotel to call a taxi for you, or, that most Bolt, InDrive transfer app drivers try to avoid driving through the pedestrian area. You can walk through the pedestrian area yourself (a 10min stroll), but not with suitcases (streets in the pedestrian zone are cobbled and can be slippery). ||Rooms: There are a few rundown rooms and a few that are not sea view. My advice is to aim for a sea view room that’s been renovated/well-maintained (if you’re staying there, might as well pay extra and enjoy the sea view off your windows, balcony or terrace). Do not count on getting good Wi-Fi inside some of the rooms (depending on the location of your room). But the rooms have safes, are spacious and are clean. ||Staff: Wonderful staff! They carry a positive attitude and are more than ready to help with any question or request you have. |Lubna and Reem (at the reception) excel at providing the best service possible. Kareema and Hamza (breakfast area) carry a cheerful attitude while providing a great service at breakfast. Mariam and Afaf (house-keeping) work nonstop at making sure everything is spick-and-span. The whole crew take their work seriously and always carry a smile on their faces and a...