Exclusive rights for using the text of this document belong to the rightholder which is the author – Carthage Group international group of companies. This document can be used only with a reference to the author.
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 Tunisian legislation, an exception to this rule is the booking of a package tour that includes a round-trip flight, i.e., with departure from the tour operator’s country of operations and return to that country upon completion of the tour. During the check-in registration procedure, the tourist’s passport will be checked for a stamp confirming arrival from the country of operations of the tour operator that made the booking. In the event of the absence of such a stamp, as well as in the presence of any other discrepancy in the provided information about the arrival route, the cost of the tourist’s accommodation as part of the tour will be recalculated according to the rates applicable to the market of the tourist’s citizenship. The tourist must pay the difference in accommodation cost through the representative of the DMC at the rate for the tourist’s citizenship country provided in the contract between the tour operator and the accommodation facility, or at the hotel reception according to the hotel’s price list. In the event of improper contestation by the tourist of the need for additional payment, the DMC and the hotel administration reserve the right to refuse accommodation, with full retention of the cost of accommodation by the hotel administration for that tourist paid as part of the tourist product.
The above exception does not apply to tourists who are not citizens of the tour operator’s country of operation and are booking only the accommodation service from the tour operator. The cost of accommodation for such tourists must be requested individually by the tour operator from the DMC. In the event of detection by the tour operator’s employees, the DMC’s employees, or the hotel administration of inaccurate data about the tourist’s citizenship specified during booking, the cost of accommodation for that tourist will be recalculated according to the rates applicable to his citizenship country and charged as an additional payment in the booking or at the hotel reception, depending on the time of detection of such discrepancy. In such cases, the DMC bears no responsibility for possible inconveniences, delays in check-in or refusal of accommodation.
The Tunisian laws prohibit accommodating in one room a foreign tourist and a Tunisian citizen of another sex unless they are officially married. During check-in registration at the hotel, such couples will be asked for a marriage certificate. If the tourists are not in an officially registered marriage, it is necessary to book two separate rooms with single occupancy (SNG). In the event of refusal by the tourists to comply with this requirement, the DMC and the hotel are released from any responsibility for refusal of accommodation.
According to Tunisian legislation, hotels are prohibited from providing alcoholic beverages as part of the All Inclusive and Ultra All Inclusive meal concepts to guests with citizenship 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 these guests, the Soft All Inclusive meal system applies. The DMC bears no responsibility for the refusal to provide alcoholic beverages to guests of the specified categories, as this restriction is regulated by local legislation and the hotel’s internal rules.
Hotel accommodation
In Tunisia, all accommodation facilities undergo state registration. Certification, based on which accommodation facilities are assigned a service category of 1*-5*, guesthouse, apartments, etc., is not mandatory and is carried out at the initiative of the accommodation facility owners. However, despite this, the absolute majority of accommodation facilities on all popular resorts in the country have the specified certificates issued by the Tunisian National Tourism Office (ONTT). The DMC’s assortment includes a wide range of Tunisian hotels belonging to different 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, tourists are recommended to familiarize themselves with information about the hotel on the tour operator’s website, the hotel’s website, as well as on independent rating platforms and specialized sites with traveler reviews. These actions will help tourists get the most complete idea 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 01.11.2024, 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. Provision of air conditioning outside the above-mentioned period is at the hotel’s discretion. If the hotel does not provide air conditioning outside the mandatory period, this circumstance cannot serve as a basis for a claim.
Hotel accommodation
As a general rule, in Tunisian hotels, the beach bar, bars and restaurants with seating on open terraces and water slides operate from June 1 to September 30, as their effective operation depends on weather conditions. At the hotel’s discretion and in the presence of favorable weather conditions, these services may be launched earlier or completed later than the specified dates. If the hotel does not provide seasonal services outside the mandatory period, this circumstance cannot serve as a basis for a claim.
Seasonal services are provided on a consecutive basis. Thus, with the onset of the warm season, the indoor pool stops operating, and the water park starts functioning. When switching to the winter season – in reverse order: the water park stops functioning, and the indoor pool opens.
The full list of services in the hotel is provided only in the high season and is not provided at the beginning or end of the tourist season. This allows hotels to offer lower accommodation rates in the low season. If tourists are interested in receiving a service from the hotel that is not listed in the basic services and/or a seasonal service during their stay, the possibility of obtaining such a service specifically during their stay period must be clarified in advance with the tour operator. We draw attention to the fact that the provision of each service is at the hotel’s discretion, and refusal to provide it cannot serve as a basis for a claim.
Hotel accommodation
When booking a travel product, tourists, in addition to the hotel, choose the room type from those available in the hotel’s range. Common types of accommodation in a standard room are: SNG – one tourist, DBL – two tourists, and TRPL – three tourists. When booking standard rooms with SNG and DBL occupancy, in most hotels the same standard room is provided in both cases. A room intended for three tourists (TRPL) (depending on the room capacity of a specific hotel) may be represented as a standard room with an additional bed set up on the day of arrival, or as a room of increased area with a bed for the third tourist included in the basic room configuration. Additional beds may be represented by a standard bed, sofa or rollaway bed. Additional beds for children may be represented by a standard bed, sofa, rollaway bed or bunk bed. For more comfortable accommodation of more than two adult tourists in a room, it is recommended to choose rooms belonging to the FAMILY ROOM and SUITE categories.
If tourists have a desire to change the room category after check-in, they can contact either the hotel reception or the hotel guide directly. When contacting hotel employees directly, requests for room change are considered faster (than through the guide). Please note that neither the hotel nor the DMC can guarantee a room change. The hotel provides rooms depending on occupancy and, if there are available rooms of the requested category, may ask tourists to make an additional payment for the price difference in the cost between rooms of different categories, calculated according to the hotel’s price list. Moreover, the additional payment may be higher than when contacting our representative. This additional payment is not subject to subsequent compensation from the DMC or the tour operator.
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.
If the view from a room of a certain category is not declared, but tourists wish to get a room of the same category with a specific view, such a wish must be indicated during the tour booking. Please note that such wishes are conveyed to the hotel but are not guaranteed. The hotel provides rooms depending on the hotel’s occupancy and the availability of rooms at the time of check-in. In this case, the hotel’s refusal to provide a specific view from the room cannot be considered a basis for a claim.
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. Thus, priority in providing rooms located on lower floors in buildings without an elevator or at the minimum distance from the sea, restaurant, or elevator will be given to guests with limited mobility, elderly guests, as well as guests with children. 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 tourists have complaints about the quality of accommodation in the hotel or the quality of service in the hotel, they are recommended to address the hotel guide.
Check-in to the hotel is carried out after 15:00. Provision of rooms before the specified time is at the discretion of the hotel administration and subject to 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 video recording 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 as 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 for providing tourists with clean drinking water are determined by the hotel’s concept and may differ in low, medium and high seasons. In Tunisian hotels, there are 5 main approaches to providing drinking water:
– unlimited provision of bottled water. With this approach, tourists can receive an unlimited amount of bottled water in the hotel’s bars and restaurants during their operating hours;
– limited provision of bottled water. Upon check-in, tourists are provided with a certain number of vouchers for receiving bottled water for the period of their stay. Tourists can receive water at a convenient time in the hotel’s restaurants and bars during their operating hours, using vouchers;
– daily provision of a certain amount of bottled water per room, regardless of the number of guests;
– provision of water in coolers located on the hotel grounds and accessible to tourists around the clock. Water can be poured into disposable cups. It is prohibited to pour water in own water containers;
– provision of water in coolers located in the hotel’s restaurants and bars, accessible to tourists during the operating hours of these food outlets. Water can be poured into 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 15:00 of the first paid day. On the day of departure all the services become unavailable at 12:00, 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 or lobby 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 7:00. Tourists who go on an excursion or leave for the airport after 7:00 are sure to have breakfast at the hotel. If an airport transfer or an excursion implies leaving the hotel between 5:00 and 7:00, 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 on an excursion or leaving for the airport before 5:00, 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.
In the vast majority of Tunisian hotels, the «mini-bar» service implies only the presence of a cooling device (mini-fridge) in the room, which is not replenished by the hotel either free of charge or for a fee. The exceptions are high-budget hotels, where mini-bar replenishment may be provided by the hotel policy. We recommend carefully familiarizing yourself with the rules of hotels considered for travel.
In most Tunisian hotels, Wi-Fi is provided free of charge in the lobby and other public areas. The signal quality can decrease if numerous users are present simultaneously in the same area. Internet speed is not declared and depends on the possibilities of providers at the hotel location. In some hotels, tourists are offered improved Wi-Fi connection for an additional fee. Hotels in higher price categories invest more resources in ensuring stable internet connection than hotels in the mid and low price segments.
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 move 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 seasonal 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 to remove seaweeds from the beaches. The hotels strictly adhere to APAL’s regulations since their violation leads to high fines. The hotels are allowed to sweep 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 the 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.
