Hotel Marhaba Salem

A stay at the Hotel Marhaba Salem lets you mix lazy beach days with exploring nearby Sousse and Port El Kantaoui. With a sandy beach at the bottom of the gardens and shops and bars within walking distance, this place comes up trumps when it comes to location. Plus the centre of Sousse is just a ten-minute taxi ride away.

The hotel itself is low-set and whitewashed, and comes tucked in gardens dotted with eucalyptus and palm trees. Inside – especially in the reception - things look grander and have a traditional Tunisian twist.

The bedrooms have been refurbished, with a modern flavour. Beds dressed in bold-print bedspreads share space with tiled floors topped with rugs, and chunky modern furniture. Plus they all come kitted out with satellite TVs.

Outside, although there are tennis courts and minigolf, most of the action centres around the two swimming pools. They’re shared with the sister hotel and, as a result, they’re big enough to cater for quite a crowd. The first is a long rectangular set-up framed by sunbeds and parasols, while the second is a more elaborate affair. It’s got three waterslides, a little bridge across the middle and there’s a pool bar close by, too.

Lastly, there’s the matter of the dining scene. Everything is served buffet-style here, so you can pick and choose from Tunisian dishes and more well-known meals. And as a little something extra, the staff put on a candle-lit Tunisian buffet once a week.