Hotel La Gondole

“Very good hotel”

I spent a week in Tunisia and La Gondole was the best choice I made. Large room with an amazing view at very low price even though it was August so technically still high season.Their staff is brilliant and willing to help on any occasion. The location is unbeatable. Few minutes from Medina, beac... more

I spent a week in Tunisia and La Gondole was the best choice I made. Large room with an amazing view at very low price even though it was August so technically still high season.Their staff is brilliant and willing to help on any occasion. The location is unbeatable. Few minutes from Medina, beach is opposite hotel and the bonus is that mostly Tunisians use this part of Sousse beach. Therefore you can chill out with a mint tea in your hand surrounded by Arabic conversation. Not that I speak any Arabic apart of thank you, just the feeling was very relaxing.

less

“Location location location!”

We have just returned from a week at La Gondole in Sousse. We were really very happy with this hotel. The people on reception were great and went out of their way to help us when required. We especially enjoyed our chats with Foued, the night receptionist. We felt that the location of the hotel... more

We have just returned from a week at La Gondole in Sousse. We were really very happy with this hotel. The people on reception were great and went out of their way to help us when required. We especially enjoyed our chats with Foued, the night receptionist. We felt that the location of the hotel was perfect. It was directly opposite the beautiful beach which we had a stunning view of from our room. It felt like a very local, as opposed to touristy, part of Sousse which we liked. Good people watching and very friendly people all round. It was just a short walk to the Medina where there were some lovely restaurants, wonderful (and extremely cheap!) markets (souks) and two fantastic museums which are definitely worth a visit.

less

“An unusual experience....”

Please note that my review has been written about a year after I and my breathtaking beautiful wife stayed here (June, 2012), so some of what I write might already out of date. My experience at La Gondale is quite unusual as we ended up staying there without an advanced booking. Upon arrival in... more

Please note that my review has been written about a year after I and my breathtaking beautiful wife stayed here (June, 2012), so some of what I write might already out of date. My experience at La Gondale is quite unusual as we ended up staying there without an advanced booking. Upon arrival into Sousse, we found that our hotel that we had book via an extremely popular internet based travel site to be closed for renovation. We pulled out our travel books and started searching for something near by. One of our books mentioned La Gondale and seeing we were close to it at the time, we decided to check with the staff regarding the availability of a room for a five night stay. Luckily, they had one for us. We initially got into our room and the manager felt it wasn’t nice enough for us, so he moved us a different one overlooking the sea. Overall, I would say my feelings on the hotel are mixed. It seemed to us that we were two of no more than four or six guests at the hotel. The staff was happy to have us stay there but given that our trip was only 18 months after the Jasmine Revolution, it was hard to determine if the hotel was the problem or tourism was suffering as a result of the political uncertainty of the country. Regardless, the staff went out of their way to make us feel welcomed and enjoy our stay there. Everyone was extremely friendly and truly pleasant. The best part of the hotel is Location, Location, Location! The hotel is directly across the main street from the beach, and not far from the Medina and train stations (to other places within the country and intercity train to Monastir) and there are many great little places to eat everywhere near by. There is also a small general store down the street with a reasonably good selection of Tunisian wines. The rooms were well furnished but a bit small and very basic. Note on the beach – the hotel has not connection to those who work on the beach. On the other hand, there we so many small “issues” with the building that as a whole, they would have tested the patience of even the most hardy of travelers. The air conditioner did not work, which was not much of a problem as the cool breezes off the sea kept our room reasonably cool. Lights in the hallways were non-existent or burned out. We had to notify the front desk when we we’re in the restaurant, which was more of a storage area, for breakfast. Then, we would have to wait for 20-30 minutes before it was served to us and was the most basic of food – two eggs, bread, and croissants. The main street ran right below our room, which was very noisy all night. Beach partiers stated out until just about dawn, both of which made it difficult for a good night rest. The manager was looking for a tip for anything he did for us, even if it would be expected to be his job. I saw absolutely no evidence of a pool or gym, or other amenities. Despite our experience, we nonetheless had a reasonable stay here and enjoyed our experience in Sousse.

less