Hi,
With respect, if you are used to the comfort of a tourist hotel of the standard of the Marharaba Palace do not go to a budget hotel in Tunis, we stayed in one in 2007, and although it was only 19TD pp pn (without breakfast) it was pretty awful, and believe me, I'm used to Tunisian standards. The shower was in the room (Tunisian standard plumbing) but the toilet was shared. The door locks, bedding, beds and towels were all of poor quality, the banging of doors and talking in the corridors echoed throughout the night, and the electrics were pretty dodgy.
My suggestion would be to go for a star-rated hotel, a lower bracket than you are used too, but then you will get a standard that you'll probably be more comfortabe with.
Of course, you may, by budget, not be talking about the same as me, but as you mention "hostle" I think that you probably are.
Regards,
Kevin

Hi Kevin,
Thanks for your response............we've now gone to the opposite extreme and booked into the Carlton Hotel with Expedia.............I am a bit of a cheapskate sometimes ..........and as my beloved often points out to me .................you get what you pay for......................Unless that is you pay first asking price in the Medina.