Riadh Palms- Resort & Spa

I really enjoyed my 2 week stay at the hotel. I was on my last day and was enjoying the last few hours of my holiday with my two young children and husband outside the shop downstairs within the hotel. I heard some commotion and the angry shop keeper came out shouting at the man the maintenance man. The lady from the tattoo went to defuse the situation. This was followed by shouting and the shopkeeper in front of me and other guests very clearly hit the tattoo lady while shouting at her. She spent the next few hours in floods of tears and my children were very distressed and scared and this was a very healthy young man hitting a visible elder.
Tawfik is the shop owner with this anger which he’s happy to do in front of paying guests he’s a clear danger and shouldn’t be working at the hotel.

Unfortunately, our stay was extremely disappointing, with a long list of issues that significantly affected what should have been a relaxing family holiday.

We were required to move rooms, which resulted in approximately 2–3 hours of disruption on my twin daughters’ birthday, 21 August. This was particularly frustrating given the significance of the day and the amount of time we lost dealing with the move.

We also experienced repeated power cuts, including periods of approximately 25–30 minutes without electricity, meaning we were left without air conditioning during very hot conditions. Unfortunately, there were also problems with the air conditioning in the new room.

The new room itself had several further issues. The TV was not working when we moved in and required repeated chasing before it was eventually resolved. The toilet was leaking, the bath was not draining properly, and the toilet seat was loose. We also repeatedly had to contact the hotel to request clean towels and basic supplies.

Perhaps most surprisingly, although the beds had been made after we moved rooms, the bedsheets had not been changed. This was another issue that we had to raise ourselves.

Our interaction with reception when requesting an additional room key was also unacceptable and added to an already frustrating experience.

The biggest issue throughout the stay was that we constantly found ourselves having to report, follow up and chase the hotel about problems that should have been identified and resolved by the hotel without requiring repeated involvement from us.

We understand that occasional issues can happen in any hotel, but the sheer number of problems during our stay made this feel far beyond an isolated incident. Instead of enjoying our family holiday, we spent far too much time dealing with basic room, maintenance and service issues.

Overall, this was a very disappointing experience and certainly not the standard of service or accommodation we expected. We hope the hotel takes this feedback seriously and addresses these issues so that future guests do not have the same experience.

I came back from this hotel yesterday, my first time in Tunisia. I travelled with my two children one aged 14 and 18. When we arrived late in the evening they said go straight to dinner because the restaurant will close soon. We left our house in London 11am and arrived to the hotel at 21.10pm. My holiday booking said it was 252 Tunisian dinar for the tourist tax for 7 nights and 3 people, the man at reception charged me 282 Tunisian dinar. I queried it the man said no it’s 282. The food was cold and had no taste which I was surprised about because being in North Africa I was expecting the food to be well seasoned full of nice spices. As we were eating there were cockroaches around the floor as my children were quick to notice. I know it’s a hot country but I’ve been to the Caribbean and never once saw a cockroach in the hotel and I stayed there for 2 weeks each time.
We went up to our room on the 4th floor lots of ants running around the bottom of the beds and cockroaches in the bathroom with black mould on the bathroom ceiling. My kids said there’s no way they can sleep in there. I went back to reception to complain and we waited and was given a clean room on the 8th floor. I said thank god because i didn’t know what I would do if I had to stay in the over room, I tipped the person that brought us to our room as I was so relieved.

We started to make sure we go for meals as soon as services started to make sure we get hot food because the food is always cold, nobody puts down the lids to cover back the food. Although I waited at the pasta station where the person is heating the pasta with the meat it was still cold. I did discover a microwave on day 4 in the restaurant as I saw a guest using it. Just to say there were 3 people that serve the tables that were very good and friendly they are always around the first 3 rows of tables near the entrance. They work very hard.

Day 2 me and my son went to the bar on floor -1 we got our drinks and sat down then a man from the bar came over to us and said he will make us a nice drink i said it’s ok he said no no then rushed to make the drink so I went up to collect it he said no he will bring it. He brought us the drink then just stood there smiling and kept looking down and my handbag and didn’t move, then i realised he wanted a tip so I gave it to him then he went back to the bar. First time I’ve experienced this we go on holiday abroad every August to different countries. I saw a man selling excursions near the pool he stopped us and tried to sell us excursions i said we arrived last night. He said did I go for the welcome talk in the morning i said no one told me about a welcome talk so he explained where every food place is around the hotel. I said my kids only want to do quad biking i said I might come back to him Friday. I didn’t I paid for the quad biking on the app then the man saw me waiting at the front of the hotel 2 days later waiting to be picked up for quad biking. He asked what am i doing here I said I’m waiting to be picked up he said for what quad biking. He started shouting he told me I can do quad biking and said something in his language. He saw me 1 or 2 days after this again and said the same thing.

The pool area and the beach was nice. There is a waffle hut near the pool, I was with my daughter she ordered herself a waffle and i ordered for me and my son a waffle each he was upstairs. The man was preparing the waffle then the young girl who was with him in there said something in her language to him and then she said to me I can’t get 2 waffles I said one is for my son. She said he has to come and get it himself. I saw multiple people walk away with 2 waffle plates in their hands that were in the queue before us. I just gave mine to my son.

The bar on -1 I was drinking a cocktail before realising there was a big lipstick mark on the glass and I don’t wear lipstick so I had been drinking from a dirty glass.
On holidays me and my children always try to eat the local cuisines only I tried everything except fish or shellfish, food always not having any taste even the chicken. The only thing that had any taste was one day they had this very dark looking rice cooked with chicken. There were always cockroaches about especially near the salad. Day 4 me and my son was feeling really sick it was coming and going throughout the day kept having a loose bowel after eating so as the days went on we ate less and less with the last day we just got plain chips nothing more. We never eat things like chips on holiday we always like eating the local foods. My daughter became sick the next day. We go on holiday every August abroad it’s the first time we have ever been sick. We came home yesterday we still have stomach cramps and pain in our stomach’s and I have contacted NHS 111 for advice on our condition today and I’m waiting for a doctor to call me back. We have not eaten or drank anything today as the pain is worse after eating and drinking. We did speak to some other guests on day 6 who said they have been sick too.

Day 3 we had put the sign on our door not to have our rooms cleaned but the cleaning lady still knocked and opened the door I was in the shower, my kids asked her just for fresh towels she didn’t seem to like that we said not to clean. The next 2 days while we were out she took the towels and didn’t put any clean towels in our room. Both times I had to go and find her and she didn’t want to give me any towels I had to keep asking her. There was no language barrier as I spoke to her normally on the 2nd day I was there and she understood fine. There was a different cleaner on day 6 she was outside the room next door to mine and I asked can I put some rubbish in the bin bags she had outside, she gave me a horrible look and said rubbish I said yes then she said something in her language and gave me a horrible look again so I said never mind and I went back in my room.

The lifts you will sweat to death in there, small lifts 8 people maximum, you will sometimes have to let the lift go about 3 times because it’s full.

The entertainment in the evenings wasn’t my kind of thing but each time I did attend the beginning of it. I think the best one was the beach party. The DJ should play a more variety of music.

On our last night me and the kids were fighting cockroaches in our room I covered them with cups and was just counting down the time for our transport to arrive. I was so relieved when it came, I said thank god.

On a positive note my kids really enjoyed the quad biking.

I am very disappointed with the holiday it’s the first holiday that I have wished to hurry up and finish and we go abroad every August. It was a late booking holiday to celebrate my daughter passing her exams and to start university this September as she will be living away from home. I worked many 12 hours night shifts in a row in July to be able to afford this holiday and now I’m sitting here sick and in pain.

Dear administration, please take action! There are too many cockroaches in the hotel, especially in the restaurant. One even climbed onto me during lunch!
Otherwise, everything was good, especially the friendly and helpful staff.

This was one of the worst resort experiences I have ever had. I would definitely not recommend Riadh Palms Resort in Sousse.

The rooms were dirty and poorly maintained, with a very unpleasant smell that made it uncomfortable to stay inside. The air conditioning barely worked, which was especially frustrating considering the heat in Tunisia. The bathrooms were also not properly cleaned, and the overall condition of the room felt old and neglected.

The food was very disappointing — poor quality, repetitive, often cold, and with very limited options. Definitely not what you would expect from a resort.

The staff was another major problem. Some employees were rude, unhelpful, and acted as if guests were bothering them whenever they asked for something. At the bar, we were sometimes told that there were not enough glasses available, so getting a drink became unnecessarily difficult.

The beach area also felt unsafe. Personal belongings such as towels and inflatable swimming rings can easily disappear, so you have to constantly watch your things. There was very little security or assistance when problems occurred.

The resort looks much better in the photos than in reality. Poor cleanliness, bad air conditioning, unpleasant-smelling rooms, terrible food, rude staff, poor service, and a general lack of attention to guests made this holiday extremely disappointing.

For the price and expectations of a resort, this experience was absolutely unacceptable.

We had a wonderful stay at Riadh Palms Resort & Spa. The hotel has a fantastic location right on the beach, with a beautiful sea view and a lovely swimming pool.

The staff were friendly and helpful, and the animation team did a great job spechel wiilam creating a fun and enjoyable atmosphere. The food was varied and there was always something to choose from.

Our room was comfortable and clean, and overall we really enjoyed our holiday. We would definitely recommend Riadh Palms to anyone looking for a relaxing holiday in Sousse.

Thank you to all the staff for making our stay so enjoyable. We would happily come back again! ❤️🇹🇳

The bar staff where fantastic. However hotel is in a poor state. On arrival effluent running outside. Air con non existent. Food bland and partner got food poisoning and had to call out emergency doctor. Plumbing in room leaking and smelly. Booked a fine dining evening for my steps sons 18th only to be told 2 hours before closed and we have to eat in al acarte. Would never come back if you paid me feel sorry for the staff that have to face the disgruntled guests day after day owners should be ashamed. In uk hotel would get closed

This is the worst hotel I have ever stayed in! 40 years of staying in 3&4 stars but this is 1*. Lift and internet doesn't work. Food has made me Nd all the English people I have spoken to ill ..... Been ill for the full 7 days as caught the staff washing veg in a sieve in there water at the Neptune bar!

The bathroom leaks on you from the above bathroom!!!! The floor is always wet with the leak!

The alcohol is watered down so we've spent £100 a day on vodka and food from the restaurant across the road!!!!

Has a sports bar but you have to pay!!!!! No toilet roll in the bars/reception toilets, not had wash and no cold water in 2 weeks!!!!!!

I've never written a review before but this I felt I needed too!!!

The staff and country are perfect but this hotel is disgusting!!!!!

⭐ 1/5 — A Holiday from Hell

Riadh Palms Resort in Sousse was probably the worst hotel experience we have had in over 20 years of travelling.

From the outside, the hotel looks impressive. The entrance, lobby and reception area initially make you think you have arrived somewhere nice. Unfortunately, once you check in and see the rooms, the reality is completely different.

After a long and exhausting journey, instead of the reception staff handling the check-in details efficiently, we were made to complete five or six different forms ourselves. When we were finally given our room key, there appeared to be no proper communication between reception and the staff responsible for showing guests to their rooms.

A staff member took our key, wrote room numbers on his hand and then disappeared with it. When I returned to reception and explained what had happened, they refused to issue another key because they apparently provide only one key card per room. We were left waiting for more than an hour with no idea where the staff member had gone or when he would return.

Rather than contacting him or resolving the problem, a member of reception staff actually told me to go and look for him myself. I went upstairs, but he was nowhere to be found. He eventually returned the key, but the entire situation was handled in an extremely unprofessional and dismissive manner.

The condition of our room was horrific. We found cockroaches in the bathroom, and the room and bathroom were dirty and unhygienic. Housekeeping appeared to simply tidy the room without properly cleaning it or replacing the bed linen. As far as I could tell, I had the same bedsheet for around five days.

Although the main public areas look reasonably presentable, the rooms and corridors are grim, dated and poorly maintained. The difference between the attractive entrance and the actual accommodation is shocking.

The lifts were another major problem. There are only a small number of very small lifts serving a large hotel, and we regularly had to wait 10–15 minutes just to travel downstairs.

The air-conditioning was also unacceptable. We stayed on the ninth floor and could barely feel any air-conditioning at all. When we visited the first floor, the air-conditioning was noticeably stronger, suggesting that the system does not work properly on the higher floors. In the Tunisian heat, this made the room extremely uncomfortable.

We were not the only unhappy guests. During our stay, many other holidaymakers—particularly British guests—were openly complaining about the poor rooms, cleanliness, air-conditioning and overall service.

I genuinely cannot understand how this hotel is rated four stars. Based on our experience, it felt closer to a two-star hotel at best. Poor service, cockroaches, inadequate cleaning, unchanged bedding, ineffective air-conditioning and staff who appeared unwilling or unable to resolve basic problems completely ruined our stay.

This was not the relaxing holiday we paid for it was a holiday disaster. I would strongly advise people to avoid Riadh Palms Resort.

I recently stayed in riadh palms and as a frequent traveller i can say i would never go back first of all as soon as we arrived the receptionist was so rude and not welcoming at all then i got my room and in my life i never seen anything like this the state of the bathroom was truly choking i ask to change my room straight away but been told i had to wait the next day i had the worst night and was contemplating to move hotel the next day they changed the room which i appreciated but still i found cockroaches most of the days in the bathroom the cleaning lady didn’t even bother to wait for us to leave the room and proceeded to clean while my son was still asleep if you can call that cleaning plus she left the balcony open every single time i have never seen anything like this truly
The staff apart for a handle were so rude and dismissive they truly make me feel like very bad several times i had to bed for cutlery at the buffet even though it wasn’t finished they throw away my drinks while i was still on my sunbed drinking it and not apologies and instead pester me to get a other one which wasn’t easy as i was by myself with a young kid
The queue at the snacks bar was endless and they could organise themselves better
Kids club is basically nonexistent
I could go on
Avoid at all cost

We just came home after 5 days here. The reception staff are miserable, the cleaners are miserable, the animation team are great fun, always up for a laugh, some of the bar staff are miserable.
The food in main restaurant is not great if you’re a fussy eater, and you will have to move out the way for pushing in from non British people who don’t know how to queue and barge through you.
The hotel is dated and in need of a renovation, the savour is the pool area and direct beach access.
While around the pool/beach areas, the bar staff offer to get you drinks but we quickly worked out they want tipping for doing this event we were all inclusive.
Outside the hotel is a dump, it’s not very nice and a bit intimidating.

unclean
the bed sheets are dirty

Firstly let me say i hve been to Tunisia a few times before so i know it doesnt have the same level as standards as other countries, however the experience at this hotel was awful!
Firstly, the toilet didnt flush properly for 2 day and when it did flush it flooded the bathroom! I complained and had numerous engineers out stating "it was fixed" when it wasnt and each time they all left a mess. It was only at the end of the 2nd day we finally got moved which i had to do myself in darkness as they couldnt leave the light on in the new room or give me a key fob which is ridiculous!

The bathrooms are awful! The bath isnt wide enough to have a bath if youre older than 6 and they dont have plugs anyway (they do but only brought them to the room on the LAST day of the holiday!)

This means you have to use the showers which are terrible! they are in the middle of the bath so the screens they use dont cover and water goes everywhere plus if youre over 6 foot you have to duck!

There was mold all the way round the bath and as my son has athma i was appauled!

The air con broke and left a puddle of water - now i understand things break but their excuse of us going onto the balcony for 1 second (litereally opening and closing the door) was pathetic and i told them this was BS

You cant complain to reception as the phone doesnt work and i'm sure the cleaner took the change off the side

When you order your drinks at the pool, they collect your glasses if there is drink in them or not and numerous times they tip the liquid over your bed so it goes on your towels etc plus they just dont care

Do not stay here!

Great pool, rather deep in places so need to be a good swimmer.
Entertainers good.
Hygiene questionable, some occasions would have a sewage issue. Smell can leak into rooms and aircon. Several occasions have had some leakage into social outside areas.
Rooms are basic, only issue one key card so if you leave the room fridge will turn off so no cold drinks on your return.
Frequently run out of ice and drinks, no access to drinks when bars/ restaurants closed so no early morning coffees or water.
There is 24hr room service however never experienced so cannot comment on service or quality.
Some staff not so friendly.

Son emplacement

it was an enjoyable place with friends. the animators are nice

i love this hotel so much! everything is perfect here! the animator team is the best☺️the guy in gym is so nice to people

We had a really great stay at this hotel! The room was clean, spacious, comfortable, and very well maintained. The food was also delicious, with a good variety of options, and everything was fresh and tasty. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and always ready to help. The hotel itself was beautiful and had a very pleasant atmosphere. Overall, we had a wonderful experience and really enjoyed our stay. We would definitely recommend this hotel and would love to come back again!

Nourriture