Don’t trust first impressions. The facade is grand, the communal areas are clean but dated and the rooms are basic, clean and comfy. Rooms were cleaned daily, clean bedding and towels each day. Communal areas are continually being cleaned and updated with improvements made every day. There was plenty of choice for meals - all be it some days not too our taste but we always found something to eat. Snacks are very basic. The hotel staff were very polite and friendly, reception was fantastic and so was the waiting staff. Queue for bar was sometimes quite long but did move quite quickly. The Thomas cook entertainment team were fun energetic and entertaining - they made our holiday fun and interesting. We are definitely booking to go again. As long as you are not a snob and get the holiday at a good price then you can have a fantastic holiday here.

Rooms dated, thin smelly mattress, 1 thin pillow per bed, sheets not changed from last person, ants all over the beds, bathroom...no enamel on the bath, faulty shower, greyish towels, dirt and hair from last people...all drinks including beer is served up in dirty unbreakable type plastic beakers. Coffee tastes like sludge...dirty fridge in room, nothing supplied in it except dead ants, air conditioning didn’t work, mould on ceilings, room had a bad smell when the patio door was closed, nearly a £1000 down the drain for this so called 3 star all inclusive hotel...the best part was leaving. I never write reviews but I wish to warn other people please do not go here.

I would not return to this hotel ever again, my wife and I saw two rats during our two weeks stay at this dump. Check in took over two hours to complete and when you've been up from 2.30am you just want to get to your room, that’s until you get to a room at the Soviva.

Our room was very dated, a throw back from the late sixties I think. Brown smelly water poured from the taps, toilet seat broken which was fixed when reported and the shower was either very hot or freezing cold.

The food at the Soviva was aimed at the English, nothing Tunisian was ever on the menu, sometimes you could tell what you were eating but most of the time it was guess work. If you are thinking of taking an iPod and want to use the Wi-Fi that it says is available in this hotel then be disappointed as it is not. You can pick up a Wi-Fi connection but the staff will not tell you the password forcing you to pay for the internet.

The sunbed situation was a farce. Not enough to go round so every morning people were queuing from 6am, waiting for the security guard to give the ok to run for beds and get a spot. One morning there was a guest revolt and people were putting the beds out without his say so, this resulted in him losing his job, the first of many during our stay!

Drinks were dispensed in plastic glasses, two per guest, that’s after the inevitable huge queue to get to the bar. The beach is also quite a walk away, down a street. Again not enough beds to go round but staff very willing to try and find you one.

The animation team, although hardworking, were absolute trash. Stupid sketches, bingo and kids disco. Folklore shows, instead of being part of entertainment were charged for and again, reports of these were not favourable.

Sadly whilst we were there the majority of guests seemed unable to hold a conversation without every other word beginning with the letter f. All in all, a disappointment, a substandard hotel which needs a total re-furb. Tunisia is a lovely country, we will return but not to this resort and definitely not to the Soviva

The hotel was ok however there were many things that overshadowed the holiday which you don’t want to deal with when you save all year for your two weeks in the sun. The pool area was not swept and where we sat we saw the same cigarette ends for four days in a row. Eventually had to complain to reception who told me the woman who swept there was ill. The pool side tables also disgusting with juice and beer all over them. Running alive with ants.

Restaurant service was very poor and you would be lucky to get a drink with your dinner even if ordered before you sat down. Food was bland, boring and repetitive. When complained about this we were told it was Ramadan so they couldn't taste test anything!!!

Room was comfortable and the maid was lovely. Staff picked out their favourites and they were usually the ones who tipped them a few dinars (refused to do this as already paid for my holiday). Do not consider this an all-inclusive holiday as pool towels had to be hired (never done that before). Reps were helpful and actually agreed with most of our complaints. Almost all the English people around the pool were unhappy. Getting a sunbed was impossible unless you went through a military style operation at 6am every morning. Very disappointed that Thomas Cook support this hotel. They need to send someone high up in the company to stay there for a week. Absolutely ruined the whole Tunisian experience and will not be returning any time soon

We found the hotel to be very clean. The rooms were cleaned daily and towels were changed every day. There was always someone cleaning around the hotel and the pool area. I am a very fussy eater and I always found something to eat and it was always to a good standard.

the location was ok there was some shops within walking distance as well as some restaurants if you feel like a change taxis to Sousse are really cheap and the port is also very close. We found the staff very pleasant and they were always friendly with us one of the reception staff phoned my Tunisian friend for me so I could arrange to meet him in Sousse as we don’t speak Tunisian.

Entertainment was ok they worked very hard. Am a very fussy person and believe holidays are what you make them we had a great time. What spoilt ours were people moaning about anything and everything!! If there was anything that the hotel could improve on it would be to give guests towels for the sunbeds and invest in more sunbeds!! My husband did have to get up at 6am every morning to get a bed however when we had made some friends we took it in turns to get up early!!

Other than that it was all good. And may I remind all the moaners out there you get what you pay for!! Make the most of your holiday we did.

Well, where do I begin exactly! I could just cut a long story short right now and say don't go. If you have paid your deposit then cut your losses now. Like most of the hotels I have seen here this one is no different. It boasts a four star rating it struggles for two stars. the entrance vestibules are palacial, but that's where the anomily ends. This place is a dump and in dire need of a refit before it comes anywhere near it's claimed four stars. The rooms are in Need of a coat of paint and the original Spanish sanitary ware (ROCA) needs replaced. The Ill fitted woodworkings have seen their best are creaking warped and worn. Safes are available for a reasonable price. Now onto the bars! With temperatures averaging 37 decrees celcius, you would expect a nice cold drink- wrong! I am writing this review at the pool on my last day here sipping a luke warm plastic cup of water how disgusting is that. Well why not have a cool glass of diet coke lemonade or orange? So sorry to dissapoint you especially if you are diabetic, diet or light drinks as the are known now are only available luke warm on certain days, ice is a luxury here and only available if you are willing to tip the servers a few shekels or is it dinar? They don t comprehend the meaning of a full glass and leave you with a half glass of foam.
There are Three dining areas. Each restarant has diiferent standards and somehow manage to serve out their varying degrees of stodge disguised as food that is equally comparable the standard of refreshments. I never ever found out if it was a combination of both that led to everyone of having the trotts over the last 14 days. Restaurant 1 is for eastern Europeans who make up seventy percent of the clientelle here. No 2 is for us English Speaking clients and there is an a la carte restaurant that is really good proving that they are capaple of rolling the culinery boat out.
The pools are the only thing that saved this holiday for us. They have a double log flume But one side was out of commission throught the duration. There is a big slide that we all had a good laugh on also. getting a subbed is also a good laugh having to get up at 5.30am to reserve your preferred location. The brochure said entertainment nightly- yeh right! it never said diabolically poor enertainment nightly. The animacions team here are dire most folk played cards on the terrace while we had a hoot playing snakes and ladders on my sons mobile, believe me it is that bad records repeat thmselves 3 or 4 times a day and would drive you to insanity. DON'T PLAY THE BINGO or TOMBOLLA boycott it at all costs and let others know too. We saw about 75-100 tickets at ten diars a go being sold one night and expecting a decent jackpot bought our daughter aged 12 a ticket to relieve the boredom imagine our delight when she won but were thinking how can she spend all this money? With cameras poised she received her prize money on stage in a sealed envelop. On opening up there was 50 dinars within. minus her ticket- 10 dinars that's a prize of 20 quid. Thinking there was a mistake we complained and were told that a percentage goes to the management a percentage goes to the diabollically bad animacions team the rest goes to the winner!!!!! When trying to explain that bingo is a prize not a benevolent fund that fell on deaf ears and I started my boycotting campaign that is beggining to hurt them badly. I saw the two redundant discos they mentioned inthe brochure nobody went bar them why? I don't know.
I have kept a positive for the end of my review. "DONUT BOY"
he is a class act and makes everyones miserable stay here more pleasurable. He must walk about 5 miles a day through the complex dressed in his rediculous outfit and hat calling "Donates, get your lovely jubbly donates" see him on youtube! And they are lovely jubbly too.
Oh and did I say don't go?

the hotel was very good one thing was that a cockroach was in our room and a few ants but u get them everywhere in the summer

the food and animation team were good and good service

the only one poor side was the pool bar u que for 15-20minutes for a drink when you want one but overall the hotel was excellent!!

AND GREAT TAN!!

14 of us went in July 2008

Must say this was a brilliant hotel, clean all the time, maids working all morning to clean every room.

Food wasn't great but a wide selection from 2 restraunts and a beach cafe which was all inclusive also. An a la carte meal is also included in the price. Table service, drinks brought to you, tables cleared when needed etc.

Mixture of AI and pay bars. AI bars offer a wide selection of drinks and spirits. Plush bar open during the day however have to pay for drinks and also 2 discos in the night, free entry to one. Both have live DJ's, video mixing etc. Drinks are not cheap in Tunisia, no alcohol available in shops, must go to bars etc.

Entertainment staff very funny and friendly, if you get the chance sit down and have a drink with them. Kid's disco for about 45 mins and then adult entertainment including acrobatics, karaoke, singers, audience involvment etc. Receptionists nice and professional, maids always have a smile and bar staff are good, brilliant with a tip.

Rooms are well equipt, tv, fridge, lamps, bedside tables, chair(s), dressing table, massive closets, shower, bath etc.

I stayed at the soviva during Christmas with my boyfriend it was the most dreadful holiday ever, I couldn

STAY AWAY FROM THIS HOTEL!!! We had