Went to Tunisia and stayed in the Golden Soviva for 2 weeks on honeymoon !!!! not a honeymoon destination. The hotel was ok, but expected a lot more as people had said there hotels were fantastic.

Marhaba behind the Soviva and the Hannibal Palace looked stunning !!! and many people said they were 1st class.

The food was ok, but after the first week we decided to eat out even though we had went half board as we could not look at the same breakfast and dinner again. I would not recommend this hotel to english and especially Irish people as it is full of Germans, Russians, Tunisans and so many other nationalies. No chance in getting a sunbed, (7oclock rule) and when you went down at 7.00am there was none left. Watch out ! lifeguards will keep sunbeds and try and charge you for them.
Entertainment was diabolical !! every night !!.
To eat out is reasonable - best restaurant is the La Mediterian in the Marina, although all the restaurants serve small portions, and dont have a big variety of food if you dont like fish or steak.
Alcohol is expensive

Having read previous reports about the Golden Soviva Hotel prior to my trip, i was a little reluctant and anxious about spending my two week holiday there.

I've just recently returned, after having experienced a wonderful holiday, and fail understand these people who have completely "downed" this hotel.

I feel its grossly unfair the criticism which was directed at this hotel in particular. I agree that the food could have been a lot better,, but, one must remember that we are holidaying in a different country and culture, and if your looking for "fish and chips" on the menu, then i guess your better sticking to Benidorm :-)People with this kinda mentality are often more suited to resorts like that.

The entertainment value of the evening's performances were very poor, although i choose to go elsewhere rather than join the army of "all inclusives" who manned the chairs every night, but moaned constantly. The lengths people will go for a "plastic band" on their wrists:-)

I've travelled the world, and well accustomed to a high standard, but, by no means, was the Golden Soviva poor in standards. The hotel was spotless, and the staff couldn't have done enough for me.

I feel a bit angry at these coments, and find them very misleading, particulary when there completely unjustified.

Some people will never be happy regardless of where they go. That says more about the people than the place itself.

I'll certainly be returning next year :-)

Having just got over the trauma of the golden survivor I thought I should make people aware of the hell they will encounter if they are going there on holiday !.

The rooms are livable just. We had 2 adults and 2 kids in ours and we had enough room but you will be overlooked by around 50 balconys so keep the curtains shut. The cleanliness is the wrong way to score this hotel it should be dirtyness.

No poolside showers for the sweat ! Poolside toilets overflowing for several days right opposite the kids club. Brown gunk bubbling from the sink waste in the room, if you ran the tap to fast (very smelly) probably due to the maid emptying the floor mop bucket down it and leaving the residue all over the sink. Room toilet did'nt flush very often (keep an empty water bottle to hand to fill the cistern.

The location is the worst in port el kantaoui. The staff are freindly but there not enough of them to keep up. On more than one occasion the maid got around to our room after 6 p.m. .

We did not sample the entertainment apart from the first two days which we foolishly spent by the soviva pool my opinion was a bit like hi-di-hi.

THE FOOD the first morning we had to sit outside due to lack of room did'nt eat much because it was luke warm. There were 8 in our party and on arriving for evening meal we had still not been allocated a table and had to wait at the entrance for over 15 mins for a table to be made up for us. We finally got one and after batteling through the scrum for food it was worst I have experienced ever on my travels to over 20 contries.

We tryed again on the second evening and did not eat there again (very costly to the budget). I went alone to breakfast for a coffee in the second week to find our table had been re-allocated and was asked to leave the room and sit outside I won't say what i told the table cleaner to do.

As for visiting this hotel ! again NO I would rather stay at the kennels i sent our dog to. For the record the hotel was booked by the other family in our party who had been to the survivor 2 years ago and they are shocked by its demize and I think they are also very embarased to have recommended it to us.

After reading most of the stories on this website i was dreading going to this hotel,(being 18, i am very fussy!!) We even tried changing the resort as we were so worried!
We arrived at the hotel, we were staying in the golden soviva side (there are 2 sides to the hotel) and we thought it was very small.

We were shown to our rooms and they were lovely and spacious we had three beds and we only asked for 2!!we had a lovely pool view! The rooms and bathrooms were very clean and the cleaner had come and gone each morning by 11am, always leaving new towels etc!

The main pool was very nice, and very clean, with really good entertainment for children i.e slides and tidal waves! But if you want sun loungers you have to get there very early to grab them, best time around 6.00am! and if you are half board you have to pay for them. The beach was a short walk away but we didnt think it was too clean so we preferred to stay by the pool!

The hotel had excellent facilities e.g gym, massage parlours tennis courts!

The staff were very friendly and always recognised new faces! They welcomed us and made our time in the hotel very fun!

The food was ok, they had a lot of variety but can be quite repetative sometimes, we were half board and we found we got treated better then full board mainly because waiters rely on us for the tips. However the waiters were very friendly and would always get our table ready for us when they saw us walking towards the food hall.

Entertainment is excellent for children, they sing and dance to childrens songs, can get very boring and repetative for adults. However you can visit the neighbour hotels for entertainment, the one next door had events such as belly dancing, and plate smashing, excellent to watch!

Overall the Hotel was excellent, very big and clean!Would definatley return there, hoping to in the next 2 years!

We also went on a 2 day excusrion with airtours when we were there to the sahara desert!! All i can say is do it!! i didnt want to go, but when i experienced it i was very happy it was beautiful and well worth the price. Not only do you see the sahara but you stop on the way and visit alot of other places, and stay in a very nice hotel over night!! Its a once in a lifetime oppotunity so pls dnt miss it!!

Please dont beleive any of the nasty stories they arent true, and i can guarentee yoou, you will have a wonderful time!!

All inclusive guests are definitely treated as 2nd class compared to half board.Although we stayed at the Golden Soviva we had to use the restaurant at the Soviva,which was nowhere near as nice.

The Golden Soviva had its own private pool but you could only get waiter service if you were half board.Unless you go down to put your towels on the sunbeds very early,you will find it hard to get one, especially if you want an umbrella for shade aswell.

Although we were booked in at the Golden. the only thing we used there was our room.All facilities,entertainment etc.were over at the Soviva.On a plus point,the rooms were lovely,very clean and spacious.The fridge however,was locked and it cost 5 dinars a day if you wanted to use it.

The entertainment was very poor,apart from 2 nights,when it was provided by outside dancers.The entertainment provided by the reps varied between monotonous to downright painful especially the'comedy'night.

The restaurant staff were very good.always smiling and helpful.The food was hot,tasty but a little repetative.Beware of Sarah,the girl from the massage centre.She will try to get you to leave everything from leftover shampoo etc.to the shoes off your feet!!!Dont be fooled by her sob story,she even followed us about on our last day to ask again.Whilst we would return to Tunisia in the future,we would not go back to this hotel.To sum it up-Butlins with sunshine.

Had a really nice time in the Golden Soviva, it's a little strange as all the action (food, events, entertainment) happens at the sister hotel, the Soviva right next door. It's strange until you get used to it. The trips out are well organised (just be sure you haggle on the price, nothing should be more than 20/25 Dinars per trip). 2 outdoor pools, one in the Golden Soviva (heated) a larger pool with slides and spa is quite cold in the mornings. Half Boarders get better treatment than AI, purely on tips. Be careful if straying outside of the hotel, the shops over the road have varied and clever means of unloading you of your money...:)

Me and a friend went with her Mum and Dad for a week,food was good lots of choice but all inclusive drinks menu could be a bit better.The staff were very friendly maybe a bit to friendly at times if you know what i mean!I would go back as i found it very good value for money.

I have read most of the reports on this site and wonder if these people are actually talking about the same hotel.yes I agree the entertainment was poor but you can always make your own which we did. The staff are absolutely fantastic and not just because they expected a tip, the food agin was great, a huge variety which to my knowledge pleased all, the staff were very friendly, however as another holiday reviewer said "A little to friendly" especially to the females but you had to take it as it came and realise they were like it to all the ladies not just you. My children one 10 and one 2 had a wonderful time just as my husband and I did. if you like the idea of a relaxing holiday this is it, Yes you did have to travel out a little but then again you would do that anywhere you go, and being so cheap to di so didn't really add a dapner on the holiday. We as a family cannot fault it so much so that we are travelling back next year.

If you like to eat edible food do not go to this Hotel. I went with my Mum, having not been on Holiday for 4 years,to the Golden Soviva, 4 Star my big Scottish Backside, for 7 days. By the End I dreaded going for my evening meal. I have not spat out food since I was a Child and the "Golden"Food I Spat out was Salad. However the wine Waitress was lovely,as were most of the Staff,some of the Reception Staff were on the unhelpful side and a little arrogant. The rooms were not very clean, the Sheets were old and worn the towels were grey and smelled of chlorine, o.k at least they didn't smell of poo, the "mini bar"was just a fridge and there was a large hole in the bathroom wall. The "Golden" pool was very clean but alway full of kids, and very slippy round the sides.

After a delayed flight we arrived at the Hotel around 7.30 in the morning. Tired and exhausted we found our own way to the reception after we were left at the side of the road. From there the "fun" began... The room we were given when we found a porter was an absolute disgrace(rm 1064), the curtains were half hanging off,carpets thread bare,a ceiling grate was rusted and hanging down. The beds were "well worn" and the bathroom....wouldn't know where to start ! The porter who also turned out to be the security guard, then tried to open the curtains to show, how he explained, "the lovely view"... the next block !

As we were early that morning we managed to look forward to the delights of our first Tunisian breakfast, well lucky us. I've seen more order and better prepared food than a relief aid project in africa !

Needless to say we complained and after much deliberation where we could go with the panorama rep, who i must say was very good and understanding, managed to transfer us to another Hotel the El Hana which was excellent.