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Hotel accommodation
The guest accommodation rates that are indicated in the agreement signed with the tour operator apply only to the citizens of the country in which this tour operator carries out its business activities. In case a room is booked for a citizen of such country and a citizen of any other country who is going to travel to Tunisia not from the tour operator’s country of operation, the price of accommodation shall be calculated on the basis of different rates.
According to the Tunisian laws, an exception to this rule is the booking of a package tour that includes the round trip air flight (i.e., departure from the tour operator’s country of operation and return to this country after the trip is over). At check-in, the tourist’s passport will be checked for a stamp that proves the arrival from the country of operation of the tour operator who has booked the tour. In the absence of such a stamp the price of accommodation as part of the travel product will be recalculated on the basis of the rates that apply in the tourist’s country of citizenship. The tourist shall pay the difference through the DMC’s representative according to the rate that applies in the tourist’s country of citizenship and is indicated in the agreement signed between the tour operator and the accommodation facility, or at the hotel reception desk according to the hotel’s pricelist. In the event of the tourist’s unreasonably challenging the necessity to make the additional payment, the accommodation will be denied, and the entire price of this tourist’s accommodation which was paid as part of the travel product will be withheld by the hotel management.
The above-mentioned exception does not apply to tourists who are not citizens of the tour operator’s country of operation and who book with the tour operator only the accommodation service. The price of accommodation for such tourists shall be requested by the tour operator at the DMC on an individual basis. In case the tour operator’s staff, the DMC’s staff or the hotel management reveal unreliable information on the tourist’s citizenship which was provided during the booking process, the price of accommodation for such tourist will be recalculated on the basis of the rate that apply for his or her country of citizenship, and the difference will be billed for payment in the booking documents or at the hotel reception desk, depending on the time when such an inconsistency was revealed.
The Tunisian laws prohibit accommodating in one room a foreign tourist and a Tunisian citizen of another sex unless they are officially married. At check-in, such couples will be required to produce their marriage certificate. In case the tourists are not officially married, they shall book two separate single rooms (SGL).
According to the Tunisian laws, the hotels are prohibited from serving alcoholic beverages within the All Inclusive and Ultra All Inclusive meal concepts to guests who are citizens of the Maghreb countries (Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco), and the Gulf countries (Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Saudi Arabia). For such guests the Soft All Inclusive meal option applies.
Hotel accommodation
In Tunisia, all accommodation facilities are registered with the government. Certification, which assigns a service category of 1* to 5*, guesthouse, apartments, etc., is not mandatory and is carried out at the initiative of the management of the accommodation facility. However, despite this, the vast majority of accommodation objects in all popular resorts across the country hold the certificates issued by the Tunisian National Tourist Office (ONTT).
The DMC offers a wide range of hotels in Tunisia which belong to various service and price categories. The hotels within one service category can belong to different price segments, and, consequently, their service options and the quality of service will differ proportionately to the price of accommodation.
Before booking a travel product, the tourists are recommended to study the information on the selected hotel at the tour operator’s website and at the hotel website, as well as on independent rating platforms and in specialized sources with travellers’ reviews. This will help the tourists form a comprehensive understanding of the quality and assortment of services in the preferred hotel.
Hotel accommodation
According to the provisions of the financial law of the Republic of Tunisia dated 08.12.2017, all Tunisian hotels are required to charge the tourist tax during check-in on the day of arrival.
Since November 1, 2024, a unified system for calculating the tourist tax is in effect in Tunisia: 12 Tunisian dinars per night for accommodation in 4*-5* hotels, 8 Tunisian dinars per night for accommodation in 3* hotels, and 4 Tunisian dinars per night for accommodation in 2* hotels. Therefore, during check-in, tourists must pay the tax for each participant in the tour aged 12 and older for the first 10 nights of their stay at the hotel. No tax is charged for further stays. If a tourist stays in the hotel for less than 10 nights, they only pay for the actual number of nights.
If a tourist turns 12 during their stay at the hotel, the tax is charged for the nights the tourist stays in the hotel from the day they turn 12 until the tenth night of their stay or until the end of their stay, whichever is shorter.
Hotel accommodation
The mandatory air conditioning period in Tunisia lasts from June 15 to September 15. The provision of air conditioning outside the above-mentioned period of time is up to the hotels.
Hotel accommodation
In Tunisian hotels beach bars, open air bars and restaurants, and water slides are sure to operate from June 1 to September 30 since their efficient operation depends on the weather conditions. In case of favourable weather conditions, the provision of such services can start earlier or terminate later than the afore-mentioned schedule.
Season services are provided on a consecutive basis. For example, with the arrival of the warm season indoor pools stop operating while water parks become open. When the winter season arrives, the opposite sequence takes place: water parks stop operating while indoor pools become open.
The full range of hotel services is available only during the high season and is not provided at the beginning or end of the tourist season. This allows hotels to offer lower accommodation rates during the low season.
Hotel accommodation
When booking a travel product, tourists choose not only the hotel category but also the room type (among the options available at the selected hotel). The popular accommodation options in a standard room include: SGL – single guest, DBL – two guests, and TRPL – three guests. If a standard room with SGL or DBL accommodation options is booked, most hotels provide same standard rooms. A room which is designed for three guests (TRPL) can be (depending on the room capacity in a specific hotel) either a standard room with an extra bed which gets placed upon arrival or a larger room with the third bed which is part of the room’s basic configuration. Extra beds can be represented by a regular bed, a sofa, or a European-style foldable bed. Extra beds for children can be a normal bed, a sofa, a European-style foldable bed, or a bunk bed. To ensure a more comfortable accommodation of three or more adult guests, it is recommended to select rooms belonging to the FAMILY ROOM and SUITE categories.
In many hotels the rooms differ by their view or their location in a specific building on the hotel premises.
Below are several examples:
STANDARD ROOM – no view is specified, so the rooms can overlook the pool, the garden, the hotel premises or the road;
STANDARD ROOM SEA VIEW – such rooms overlook the sea but the sea view can be either panoramic or partial.
Hotel accommodation
Upon the arrival at a hotel, the tourists are required to produce to the reception desk staff their hotel accommodation voucher. The hotel management is obliged to provide a room of the booked category that meets the declared specifications. The opportunity to provide a room that meets tourists’ preferences, not related to the declared features of the booked category (such as the availability of double or twin beds, location on specific floors, and/or at a certain distance from the sea, restaurant, or elevator), depends on the availability of free room capacity at the time of the guests’ arrival at the hotel. Tourists’ requests for the rooms located next to each other, mentioned in the reservation notes, are passed to the hotels. However, they do not guarantee the provision of such rooms. In particular, during the high tourist season, providing more than two adjacent rooms may be difficult due to full occupancy.
In case the tourists have complaints with regard to the quality of accommodation or hotel services, they are recommended to address the hotel guide.
The check-in takes place after 3:00 p.m. The provision of rooms before the said time is up to the hotel management and depends on the availability of free room capacity. In order to be sure that the room will be provided before 3:00 p.m., the tourists shall book an additional day of staying at the hotel in advance.
The check-out takes place before 12:00 a.m. In case the guests return the keys with a delay, the hotel management may charge a penalty in the amount of the “late check-out” service price.
The opportunity of the room prolongation and the price of such a service can be checked at the hotel reception desk on the eve of the departure. If there are available rooms and the hotel confirms this service, the room can be prolonged until 18:00. Hotels do not guarantee the prolongation of the exact room where the clients stayed, as the room in question may already be allocated for the accommodation of new guests. In such a case the hotel will provide another room. The only way of ensuring the room prolongation is by contacting the tour operator in advance with subsequent booking and paying an additional day of staying.
Hotel accommodation
During their stay at the hotel, tourists shall comply with the generally accepted rules of conduct, not disturb other guests, not damage other people’s property, and treat the guests and the hotel’s staff respectfully.
In case the hotel management receives repeated complaints about the misbehaviour of a particular guest, and if no remedy is undertaken by such guest, the guest may be denied the serving of alcoholic beverages (if his or her misbehaviour and violation of the generally accepted norms of conduct were the result of excessive alcohol consumption), or an early eviction may be initiated. In such a case the hotel management shall send to the DMC, which represents the tourists’ legitimate interests in the country of their stay, an official notice signed by the General Manager with the detailed description of the circumstances under which it was decided to restrict the serving of alcoholic beverages or deny the accommodation. The notice shall be supported by evidence of the tourist’s violation of the rules of stay at the hotel, including the following: written substantiated complaints of other guests and / or videorecording of the tourist’s unacceptable or aggressive behaviour due to which the public order was broken, and the risk of causing damage to the health of the tourist in question, other tourists, their property, hotel staff, or hotel’s property emerged.
Upon receipt of the official notice from the hotel management with the enclosure of the above-mentioned evidence, the DMC’s staff shall contact the tourist and the hotel management and take all the necessary steps for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, or, if no peaceful settlement is possible, for helping the tourist move to another hotel.
The above-mentioned procedure does not apply in the presence of the tourist’s aggressive actions which entailed calling the police to prevent or detect harm caused to the health of other guests or the hotel staff, to other guests’ property or to the hotel’s property. In such a case no written complaints or video-recording are required; a copy of the police report on the arrival at the hotel will serve a sufficient proof.
Notwithstanding the reason of the tourist’s early eviction, the DMC shall provide assistance in finding and booking an alternative hotel. In case of early eviction due to the tourist’s fault, the hotel management withholds the entire price of accommodation which was paid during the booking process, with no regard to the number of nights that the tourist actually stayed at the hotel. All the expenses related to paying the accommodation at the alternative facility and arranging a transfer to such a facility shall be borne by the tourist. Neither the DMC nor the tour operator shall bear material responsibility for the tourist’s actions or inaction.
Hotel accommodation
When booking a hotel, tourists can choose between the meal options that are offered by the selected hotel:
НВ – Half Board (breakfast and dinner);
FB – Full Board (breakfast, lunch, and dinner);
AI – All Inclusive;
UAI – Ultra All Inclusive (non-alcoholic beverages and snacks are available 24/7, unless otherwise provided for by the hotel’s concept).
A particular feature of the All Inclusive and Ultra All Inclusive meal options in Tunisian hotels is the availability of local alcoholic beverages only. Imported liquors are served for an extra charge.
The rules of the provision of tourists with clean drinking water are determined by the hotel concept. In Tunisian hotels there are 5 main approaches to providing drinking water:
– unlimited provision of bottled water. Tourists can obtain any quantity of bottled water in the hotel’s bars and restaurants within their working hours;
– limited provision of bottled water. Upon the arrival, tourists are provided with a specific number of water tickets for the entire period of their stay. Tourists can use the tickets for obtaining water as they feel comfortable in the hotel’s bars and restaurants within their working hours;
– daily provision of a specific quantity of bottled water per room with no regard to the number of the guests;
– provision of water in water dispensers located on the hotel’s premises and available for the tourists round the clock. The water can be poured in disposable plastic cups; it is prohibited to pour water in own water containers;
– provision of water in water dispensers located in the hotel’s restaurants and bars and available for tourists within the working hours of such meal facilities. The water can be poured in disposable cups; it is prohibited to pour water in own water containers.
The working hours of restaurants and bars, their menu, and the assortment of foods and beverages are determined at the discretion of the hotel management. Hotels can modify the range of available services and the terms of their provision before the start of a new season or even during the current season if such changes do not affect essential conditions of the tourists’ stay.
We draw the tourists’ attention to the fact that in the lower season the assortment of foods and beverages at hotels can be less varied, which is reflected in the price of accommodation that is included in the travel product.
Hotel accommodation
Hotels assume no responsibility for tour operators’ flight programs, including the schedule, delays, put-offs, etc. This rule applies both to the day of arrival and day of departure. The stay in a hotel room and the meals according to the selected meal program are available for tourists starting from 3:00 p.m. of the first paid day. On the day of departure all the services become unavailable at 12:00 a.m. (midday), unless otherwise provided for by the hotel’s concept.
In case the check-in takes place after the working hours of the hotel’s main restaurant, individual meals are not provided. In the presence of numerous late check-ins (but not in the night time), hotels can prolong the working hours of their main restaurants for such guests or offer small snacks at the lobby bar or in the rooms. This is the hotels’ right, not their obligation. Such a service is offered for group check-ins only, i.e. when large groups of guests arrive. The unavailability of such service cannot be deemed as grounds for filing a complaint.
Hotels with UAI meal options serve night meals in their snack bars.
Hotel accommodation
Tunisia is a country with a hot climate and a high rate of food spoilage. In order to reduce the risk of food poisoning among tourists, the sanitary and hygienic rules of the Republic of Tunisia prohibit the hotels from providing guests with lunch boxes.
In the majority of the Tunisian hotels, breakfast is served starting from 6:00 a.m. Tourists who go on an excursion or leave for the airport after 6:00 a.m. are sure to have breakfast at the hotel. If an airport transfer or an excursion implies leaving the hotel between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., the DMC makes a request to the hotel management for the provision of early breakfast for such tourists. The guests are recommended to contact their hotel guide on the eve of the early departure and check the opportunity to have an early breakfast. The DMC’s request for the provision of early breakfast can be either accepted or rejected at the discretion of the hotel management. Early breakfast is offered by the hotels only in the continental format: hot drinks, pastry, cold cuts. In case of going to an excursion or leaving for the airport before 5:00 a.m. early breakfast for tourists is not provided.
The unavailability of “early breakfast” and “lunch box” services cannot be deemed as grounds for filing a complaint.
Hotel accommodation
Upon the arrival at the hotel, the tourists shall consult the list of free and extra services. Additional services shall be paid on the eve of leaving the hotel, before the transfer arrival.
In SPA centres and thalassotherapy centres located in Tunisian hotels all the services are provided upon full advance payment only.
If the room’s basic configuration includes a mini bar, its contents are offered for an extra charge, unless otherwise provided for by the hotel’s policy.
In the majority of Tunisian hotels, Wi-Fi is available for free in the lobby and in other public areas. The signal quality can decrease if numerous users are present simultaneously in the same area. The speed of the Internet connection is not guaranteed and depends on the possibilities of the providers in the place where the hotel is located. In some hotels, tourists are offered a better Wi-Fi connection for an extra charge. High-end hotels invest more resources in providing a stable Internet connection than mid-priced and low-cost accommodation facilities.
The hotel management has the right to charge the guest a penalty for damage, theft, or loss of hotel property (room key, towels, bathrobes, dishes, etc.). The penalty amount is calculated according to the hotel’s price list.
Hotel accommodation
In April and May Tunisia experiences an increased presence of ladybirds. This natural phenomenon is associated with their breeding season.
During the first two summer months, the number of palm beetles in Tunisia grows. This period is sometimes called the “cockroach season”. In order to prevent the appearance of beetles in June and July, responsible hoteliers treat the premises of their hotels with special chemical agents on a weekly basis. However, the appearance of palm beetles on the hotel territory does not point at poor sanitary conditions in the accommodation facility. This natural phenomenon is an integral part of the fauna in warm countries.
With the arrival of autumn, Tunisia deals with an increased number of flies. In September and October all meal facilities in the hotels are treated with insect repellent sprays between the meals.
For preventive purposes, all the hotel buildings are regularly treated with special insect repellents. During the seasons of high activity of certain types of insects, additional treatment takes place. The frequency and intensity of additional treatment of hotels’ buildings and premises are determined not only by a planned schedule but also by actual situation at a hotel. Hotels carry out regular disinsection with the involvement of specialists who treat the open areas with cold smoke and spray chemical solutions which are safe for human beings.
Despite all these measures, the appearance of insects in hotel rooms remains possible, especially in the rooms that are located on lower floors of hotels with large green spaces along the perimeter. Besides, one of the reasons for insects appearing in hotel rooms is the guests’ neglecting the hotel rule according to which it is prohibited to bring food in the rooms. In particular, in a hot climate fruits that are left in a room or in a waste bin can attract ants, flies or palm beetles. Hotels equip their premises and corridors of residential buildings with warning plates on the prohibition to store food in the hotel rooms.
Hotel accommodation
From mid-July to mid-August, jellyfish can be found in the sea. Places of their aggregation depend on the direction of underwater currents, so there are less such creatures in Nabeul and Hammamet but more in Sousse, Monastir, and Mahdia. Jellyfish are plankton that moves only in the direction of a current. Jellyfish that are brought by currents to swimming areas simply stay in the water and do not harm people.
The most common jellyfish in the Mediterranean waters is Aurelia aurita. It is completely transparent and can be of various shades from white to pale blue (rarely – pink). The sensation of a jellyfish burn can be compared to that of nettles. If a person has no particular allergies, he or she will experience mild irritation in the burn area, which can be relieved by abundantly rinsing it with water.
Another common jellyfish in the Mediterranean Sea is Rhizostoma pulmo. It is mostly white and has a peculiar rim along the umbrella, which is typically purple or dark-blue. Burns of these jellyfish are not life-threatening but in case of individual intolerance they sometimes cause ulcers and extensive inflammation. If this occurs, it is recommended to consult a doctor.
Other species of jellyfish are much less common and, as a rule, can be found only in the areas that are distant from the coastline.
It is impossible to find a place in the World Ocean where there would be no jellyfish. These creatures play an important role in the global ecosystem. In particular, the African coast of the Mediterranean Sea is hardly populated by jellyfish since the temperature of water there is too high. For example, in Greece, where the sea is cooler, apart from the above-mentioned species there are also jellyfish whose stings have much more unpleasant consequences.
The best way to protect oneself against a jellyfish sting is prevention. During the periods when jellyfish appear near the Tunisian coastline, tourists can easily find in pharmacies a cream called Médusyl. It has a dual effect: protection against jellyfish stings (the cream remains active for 80 minutes after application) and against sun burns (two versions are available: SPF15 and SPF30). The cream cannot be a 100% guarantee against jellyfish burns but painful sensations and redness are much milder if using Médusyl.
The prevention is particularly relevant for small children who normally have a low pain threshold and feel discomfort even in case of minimal exposure.
Hotel accommodation
Seaweeds on the Tunisian beaches are a season natural phenomenon which typically occurs in spring and autumn. Due to the peculiar features of the coastline, seaweeds aggregate mostly on the beaches located near the seaports (for example, Port El Kantaoui in Sousse and Yasmine Hammamet in Hammamet).
The presence of seaweeds on the beaches does not mean that the beach is polluted or not properly maintained by the hotel management. Seaweeds are a unique natural phenomenon which is typical for this region, and an indicator of good ecology in Tunisia. Small round and oval balls that can be found by tourists among seaweeds are plant hairs that get intertwined by water movements. Sometimes tourists mistake them for camel droppings but this is a common misconception that has no reasonable basis.
Tunisian beaches are protected by a special agency which is responsible for the coastline protection and development (L’APAL − Agence de Protection et de l’Amenagement du Littoral). APAL does not allow the hotels removing seaweeds from the beaches. The hotels strictly adhere to APAL’s regulations since their violation leads to high fines. The hotels are allowed sweeping seaweeds aside in order to create seaweed-free areas for comfortable access to the water, or slightly cover seaweeds with sand. However, the hotels have no right to completely remove seaweeds from the beaches. They are eventually carried away into the sea in a natural way.
Hence, it is important to distinguish between the natural presence of seaweeds on the beaches and improper beach maintenance. The hotels must undoubtedly fulfil their obligations related to maintaining the beaches in proper way by removing cigarette butts, glass shards, plastic, food scraps and other waste. Yet, the presence of seaweeds on a beach cannot point at improper beach maintenance and cannot be deemed as grounds for filing a complaint.
