Hi Vivc

My b/friend and I have booked the Houda for June. We read loads of bad reviews too.

But-i think the hotel changed managers near the end of last year-around that time there were alot of bad reports. But since the beginning of this year, i have found some pretty good reports! Maybe we can put it down to new management teething problems!!??But things definately appear to be picking up! If you look further down this page, I posted a topic about the Houda about a month ago-ive had some really helpful replies!

And, all I can say other than that, is try to look forward to it now-we are. We are ignoring all the bad things weve heard and just focusing on the good!Im sure we will all have a great time! I will post a review when we get back at the beg. of July, just to let you know! Good Luck!

Hi,

I stayed at the hotel last week from the 6th-10th April. It was my second visit there and although the experience was not as good as the last time, I did enjoy myself.

We booked our room through med hotels, I stayed in a lovely sea view room last time and wanted a sea view this time. However, when we were shown to the room it was a garden view. We were moved to a side sea view which I was not really impressed with as I had paid more money for a sea view room. We tried to explain the situation to at least three different reception staff who honestly, were not very polite. In the end the manager showed us around 5 different rooms and we settled on a room that did have a sea view if you strectched your neck a little! I didn't have the strength to argue anymore, I had been up 30 hours by the time we got there :-)

The holiday didn't get off to the best start but did pick up. I thought the food was nice, there was plenty of variety. I travelled with 4 other people with ages ranging from 13-50 and we all found something to eat! There is a wide selection of drinks, I wouldn't say that they are very strong though.

The rooms are still dimly lit but it was the corridors that were worst this time, often I actually could not see where I was walking.

The night entertainment isn't very 'entertaining'. The animation team are good but they are not professionals. They do their best though and try and get you joining in. I was always being dragged up to participate in something! The nightly disco is very 'European' in the sense that it consists of old 90's songs :-) I think for younger kids there is lots to do, they have thre own kids club. Fou Fou is the main kids club guy, he is lovely. He had kids following him around everytime I saw him!

I found the staff more rude than last time, the shop keepers are always trying to sell you something. I found it best to just say that you are not interested, they usually give you a dirty look from then on!

I did find the hotel very noisy at night, that could have been due to the fact that our room was near to the stairs however.

The weather was quite nice whilst I was there, although the hotel was busy my family and I always got sunbeds. I went on the beach which was very nice and clean.

All in all, I enjoyed my time at the Houda, I am not sure if I will go back but my advice would be to go with an open mind and enjoy! If anyone has any more questions please ask me and I will do my best to answer them.

Hi everyone. I'm a new member. Have been viewing topics with great interest. We're going to Houda Golf on 22nd May for 2 weeks (self and 3 children) - anyone else going at this time?. Kids are really excited as it it is only there 2nd time abroad but mum is full of doubts after reading some of the reviews. Can anyone calm my nerves and will single woman with 3 children be safe??!

Fear not, you will have a lovely time. I don't know the hotel you are going to but Tunisia is one of the safest places to visit and the people love children. Most of the hotels have entertainment teams who often organise games for the kids, as well as the 'children's clubs' which some have. You don't mention their ages but I am sure they will find plenty to do. The beaches are lovely so little ones can build sand-castles to their hearts content, swimming is safe, with no sudden drops of the sea floor, there are boat trips, para-gliding, quad bikes, camel rides and lots of other things, as well as sight-seeing if they are of an age to be interested in that sort of thing. Enjoy yourselves and go with the flow! I got back from Sousse yesterday and the weather has been absolutely glorious.

Hi, I have been to the Houda many times, I met my fiance there!! It's a lovely hotel with a fantastic pool and it's right on the beach. The food is fine and we never had any upset tummies!! There is entertainment provided by the hotel team and they do activities during the day and shows at night. There is also a kids club run by FouFou, he's lovely and the kids adore him. The only drawback with the hotel is that it is a little isolated but you can get taxis outside to take you to Sousse or Monastir and they aren't expensive. I'm sure you'll have a lovely time!!

Went to this hotel last year - have three children (all girls) 11, 6 and 5 and they had a ball! The flume pools at the front made their holiday - coulnd't wait to get down there every morning and had to drag them out at night. The same old thing when you have kids - they're happy you're happy and we had no problems! Food in restaurant caters for the kids before everyone else dives in, so you know they are getting something to eat that they enjoy - chicken nuggets, chips, ice cream, but they can still pick from main buffet.

Kids entertainment second to none, but as i said, the kids were happy enough to be playing in flume pools. Also free pedalos at beach which is a nice wee change. All in all fabulous hotel!

Thankyou for your replies.. Children are 15 and the gruesome twosome (twins!) are 11. As Robbie states, if the kids are happy then so am I. The hotel looks and sounds fantastic in the brochures and with the replies I hope it will live up to its expectations. I fully intend to go with the flow and who knows I may even go on a camel !!!.
Anymore feedback still greatly appreciated.

Thank you all for your replies.

Now I am just worried it might be too hot in August.

Yes August is very hot, but I@m sure you will find a cool shady spot you can get away from the hottest parts of the day.

We are going to Tunisia for the first time this year, and have read good and bad reports, I think you have to go with an open mind and make the best of it whatever happens.
Not everyone is the same, so you are going to get conflicting reports.
Hope you have a fab holiday
Will report about the area of Skanes when we get back.

When are you going to Skanes?

we are going in july to the sahara beach.
Have read good reports and really bad reports on here, so hubby and I have decided to go and make our own minds up.

That is exactly the same as us, we have read bad and good reports, and it kind of makes you a bit wary, but we have decided to just go with the flow.

hi could any one tell me about the weather in decemeber? i am abit worried at the moment about the reviews i have read about the houda golf in skanes. anyone got a good review to put my nerves at ease. me and my boyfriend have booked for new year? much appreciated

a few hours ago. Full report follows when I can find time! Bascially, if you're going there, don't worry, it is a very good good-value-for money hotel.

Hope you had a great holiday! Me and my 3 children aged 15 and twins of 11 are flying out next Sunday 22nd. Kids are really excited but I am really worried after reading some of the reviews, so it was good to see your post. This is only our second time abroad (last year we went to Tenerife) Any other info/advice/tips greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Jill

trip report!

We travelled with First Choice, who it must be said are not my favourite airline - they seem to have the smallest seat pitch going!

Despite having paid up front for the in-flight meal, we ended up being seated near the rear of the aircraft in the "no meals" end of the plane! I had to ask of the cabin crew for our meals, and they rather rudely demanded proof that I had paid for it!

Flight was on time and arrived at Monastir slightly early. One tip if you're going to this hotel - dson't bother buying First Choice's bottles of water which they will push at £1.50 for 500ml 'for the transfer journey' - the transfer to the Houda is very very quick, under 15 minutes.

Arrival at the hotel is impressive - down a long driveway to a large imposing reception area/lounge. You have yet more forms to fill in at the hotel before you get your room key.

We were allocated a room in the wing ( rooms with numbers beginning 7 or eight) and a porter took us to the room.

Initial response was disappointing - the bathroom was particularly disappointing. There was a large hole in the tiling around the bath, with some jagged edges protruding. There was no power socket anywhere in the room, except for the one with the TV plugged into it, and this socket seems to be a different size form the 'standard' sockets so no adaptors would fit.

Worst of all though, the toilet! Having flushed it once, the valve at the bottom of the cistern jammed open, and the cistern wouldn't refill, as the water - by now constantly pouring into it - was just as rapidly running down the pan. Not only was this obviously inconvenient but also noisy. I ended up bending the ballcock arm to fool it into thinking the cistern was full so we could at least get to sleep.

We mentioned our room problems to the rep at the welcome meeting - the rep is a Tunisian chap, who speaks perfect English, called Issam. Issam is most helpful and friendly and will helkp to sort things out. We rapidly got a room change to the main building and this room was of a totally different standard and couldn't be faulted.

Comment has been made about the corridors being dark. These have obviously been taken on board as while we were there startlingly bright strip lights - which never ever go off - were fitted along the corridors.

The main restaurant is very pleasant, and with a wide selection of foods, all buffet style. The choice was never startling, but we never went hungry!

The pool snack bar does a good range of snacks for lunchtime, and the adjoining pizza bar stays open all afternoon, but be aware the bar itself at the pool is only open 11am to 5pm.

You get a ticket to eat in their a la carte restaurants; they have two, a Tunisian and an Italian. You will get one a la carte meal per week; if you are there for a fortnight your tickets will say 1 Italian and 1 Tunisian. Don't believe it! If you want 2 Italian or 2 Tunisian you can have that; we heard reports of slow service, cold food and indifferent attention to the order from the Tunisian, whereas the Italian is superb. We ate twice there and had excellent food and service both times.

The Animation team are nothing better than enthusiastic amateurs. Most of them are students at University earning some money in the summer. The games etc during the day are simple and disorganised, and the evening "shows" held in the disco are very amateurish and some of the content highly inappropriate for audiences where there are still a lot of young children up and around.

Despite the hotel being busy the main bar - the Lobby Bar - never got swamped with huge queues - look out for Hemi the evening barman, easy to spot as he always has a huge grin.

Whatever you do DO NOT take the "free" trip into Sousse which the guy near the restaurant door will offer you. I went, and it was a nightmare. The minibus was the oldest, dirtiest and most battered vehicle I have ever been in. Worse, we had only gone 1 mile or less when it ran out of petrol!

When you get to Sousse you are shepherded to the obligatory carpet/leather/etc etc shop, which has the hardest-selling, pushiest, most aggressive sales staff I have ever met. There will be a "special price festival" on, offering 25% discount, which co-incidentally, ends tomorrow. (!!)

We had two weeks of glorious weather and so have very non-PC tans. A very pleasant holiday, generally good food, lots of drink - alcoholic and soft - some good trips out, and some very happy memories.

Hi all
Can anyone tell me if the houda allow T-shirts in the pool? Found out that some hotels don't allow them. Something about the filter getting blocked.
Have two boys that burn quick.
Going in two weeks, would like to know.

The Houda has both a dedicated kids' pool and a very very shallow end to the main pool.

Last week I saw plenty of kids ( and one or two adults!) int he pools with t-shirts on.

Don't think you will have problems with that.

Sancho proudfoot

one less thing off my mind

Can you help me on information about the mini train? Where it travels to? How much it is? How often?

Is a cashpoint nearby? (Thats from my husband):oops:

Any more info would be great. ( Just had to use the elephant)