Awful service , not structures at mealtimes,loads of flies(not managed correctly)Dirty rooms rude maids .Dont waste your money and time go elsewhere!

Spotlessly clean hotel the Houda Golf And Beach Club, basic rooms but again spotless, very hot for October, no queues for drink and food bars, friendly staff and superb animatiion team. Could wander down to pool area anytime of day and get prime location, probably because a bit out of season, always something reasonably good to eat in restaurant. Free aqua park which has some good slides and not big queues, drinks definitely not watered down, nice enough beach, but a lot of seaweed in water and beach bar was not open in October so tended to stay around pool which was very spacious. Definitely consider going again.

I have just got back from my seventh time at the Houda Golf And Beach Club and every year i go i enjoy it more. The Animation team are the best and i loved them all, they were always there for me even when we weren't in the hotel, i miss them all dearly and can't wait to see them all again next year (if there still there). The bar men too were very friendly they just put a smile on your face constantly. I would recommend this holiday for everyone. The rooms are lovely and so is everyone else.

I really enjoyed my stay at the Houda Hotel, I have got to say to start of with I loved the animation team they truly made my holiday they are brillant, they always get a smile on your face!!! The staff were very friendly and go out of there way to make sure you are having a good holiday. There was also very good entertainment for children such as the mini disco on a night and through out the day the animation team put on all sorts of activities to keep the children occupied. The weather was amazing for the full 2weeks I stayed there, which I was very pleased with! The hotel is very clean and the maids come round every day. There is a night club in the hotel grounds which kept me and my friend occupied as they played all English music, apart from its quite quiet. The hotel provides a private beach which have alot of water sports such as banana boat, jet skis and pedleos which me am my friends used often. The complex also has 2 great swimming pools. The only bad points I had was the food there is not a lot of variety and after 2 weeks you start to get sick of seeing the same, Also the alcohol seemed watered down, but the martinis ok. There is also a bar down the street called Safari, we went there every night and made some good friends its brilliant! I would definitely recommend this hotel to my friends, and I will also definitely be returning hopefully very soon.

I have just returned from a 2 week all inclusive holiday at the Houda Golf and Beach Resort in Monastir, with my husband and 2 children, and we had a brilliant time!! I can not believe some of the bad reviews I have read, as we had no problems whatsoever. The staff were very friendly and would go out of their way to ensure you were having a good holiday, and the entertainment team were excellent. There was a mini disco for the kids followed by a show every night, which we thoroughly enjoyed! The rooms were small, but they were kept very clean with fresh towels every day, and we had an excellent view over the pools and beach. The pools were kept very clean and the kids loved the water-slides, and the beach is clean and tidy. The food is good, but it does get slightly repetitive after a week, but you have to remember you are in a 3 star hotel catering for over a 1,000 people!! And the staff do not expect to be tipped every time they serve you. There are "tip boxes" placed around the hotel, and it is completely up to you as to whether you leave anything or not.

I really cannot believe the bad reviews I have read about the Houda, as I would definitely recommend it, and we will be going back in the not too distant future!

We stayed at the Houda Golf and Beach Club in Monastir for 2 weeks all inclusive, and we really enjoyed our stay. The people were very friendly, and there was loads of entertainment throughout the day and evening. We would recommend this hotel to families and couples, and we are booking to return next year.

This holiday was one of the best holidays I have been on. The people at Monastir Houda Golf And Beach Club in Tunisia are friendly and always willing to help if they can. The people try their best to speak English and most do a good job. The swimming pools are lovely, the hotel is lovely, and there are enough things to do if you book them through your Reps.

There is a pub just across the road from the hotel called The Safari Bar and they are just as lovely there. There are also 2 little shops there, one which is a little supermarket and it has a leather shop underneath, and one is a little gift shop. Also, there is a restaurant there that do lovely pizza's. We did the 3 day Safari trip and it was great. We also did The Lights Camera Action night, which is the Reps laying on a show for you. I loved it here so much that I am planning to book up and go again next year.

There is one thing I would just like to point out to you, and that is if you do the Horse and Carriage, please remember that when they give you a price on how much, the price is per person. They don't tell you this, they just give you a price.

I read a few reviews and thought I had made a mistake about the Houda Golf And Beach Club but was surprised- on arrival we were greeted warmly and when we asked for some food(due to arrival at 10.30) were politely informed that snacks would be served at 11pm. The food is good though after a week variety fades. Chefs are pleasant if you are polite to them and are accomodationg but this was helped by the manager making things clear- we had a few prooblems with vegetarian food but Ahmed (manager) was extremely helpful and made sure we were ore than comfortable for the remainder of our stay. Big thank you to the animation team who were always smiling and on hand to make us laugh despite it being quite cold. Also Sammy the waiter is the man to have on hand- always helpful and smiling. All in all a great trip and I would definitely go back in the warmer months

I have just got back from the Houda Golf and Beach Club Hotel in Tunisia, and I can't wait to book up to go next year! I disagree with some of the reviews written here as I had no problems with any of the staff, and they were all friendly and made you feel very welcome. The entertainment was brilliant, and there wasn't a night went by without laughing.

The hotel was very clean, and the room was a good size. The room got cleaned every day, and with clean towels. I always got service with a smile.

The First Choice rep was fantastic, and being Tunisian himself he knows the best places to go e.g. shopping, and sightseeing etc, and he was always there if you had a problem. I would recommend this hotel to all, even those with kids, as next year I'm taking my son for 2 weeks.

I would not recommend this hotel to my worst enemy. We could not wait for the flight home.

I completely agree with everything the previous lady (Ann) has written. we had a terrible time at the Monastir Houda Golf And Beach Club, and would strongly advice it be avoided by British holiday makers.

I stayed at the Hotel Houda from the 3rd-11th November 2004 and really enjoyed myself. I was very impressed with my room, it was basic but very clean with a pool and sea view. Being vegetarian I was worried that I would not eat for the week but I ate three large meals a day plus snacks. The desserts were wonderful! The pool area was extremely well kept, my family and I had no trouble getting a sunbed each day although perhaps this was due to it being out of season. The entertainment staff were superb, always full of energy whatever time of day you saw them! All the staff were helpful and very polite. I would recommend the hotel and would very much like to return.

HOTEL HOUDA GOLF & BEACH - MONASTIR, SKANES, TUNISIA

This hotel is not suitable for British or English speaking holidaymakers. It is geared towards the French, Italians and Germans. We had an awful time in this hotel. We were on a 7-day all-inclusive holiday with two other couples.

On arrival on the Sunday afternoon at the hotel and after dropping our cases into the absolutely filthy room, we returned to the reception area to ask about being re-located to another room. The air conditioning in three of the four rooms that we frequented had no working air conditioning and in the forth couldn't be used due to the diesel fumes. The rooms were only cleaned on request, we had to 'pinch' clean towels whenever we saw the replenishment cart and if you had the audacity to request cleaning, towels or toilet rolls you had to line their staffs' pockets to do this.

A family in the reception area actually advised; "go home again, get the next plane back, unless you want to become ill; this is a hell-hole".

My husband didn't (initially) want to get into this type of discussion as we had just arrived and hadn't had time to make up our own minds about the place; asides the filthy room, and corridors leading to the room.

To cut a very, very long story short, on day two my friend used the internet to try to get us flights home on the Wednesday, and this was before speaking and complaining to the rep at the welcome meeting.

Most of the supposed free facilities are not usable or are simply not available, mostly due to lack of maintenance:

Indoor pool had no water;
Gym equipment was missing vital parts or bolts to secure; Indoor Jacuzzi had to be paid for and was filthy;
Beauty treatment room's beds had fleas, and you had to bring your own towels;
The adjacent pool and games room never had anyone there to furnish the guests with necessary accessories;
The sauna stank of diesel fumes

This hotel is filthy, the food repetitive and below standard; hot food is mixed with food that has been lying out and swirled about with a ladle to mix. The dining room was more often than not filthy, and you had to 'line-the-pocket-of-staff to ensure you: 1) had a table & 2) that it was clean. At the late night buffet? - Chips and Pizza, the chef cooking was actually smoking a cigarette whilst doing so.

The evening entertainment staff on day two were actually re-enacting a play of a sexual nature with children present, more than half of the viewers actually got up and left the area. There was no day/evening entertainment as such; it was made up as they went along, and always of a 'vulgar' nature.

The pool was too cold to actually use, even in the heat that Tunisia endures. The beach was littered with cigarettes and empty bottles. It was not safe for a female to be alone on the beach at anytime, but especially early morning or late evening, as I was hassled by both members of staff and salesmen every time I was on the beach, this was also the case when all three couples were there, but to a lesser degree if accompanied.


The staff treated the guests abysmally; they were rude - slamming drinks down, and on 4 occasions in only 7 days the females in the company actually had to complain to get served at all.

The thieving was rife; we as a result of having to be moved to 4 different rooms keep our clothes in the cases, and had been advised by another guest "to keep everything locked-up as you'd never see it again". On this advice we did lock everything up, every time we had to enter the cases they were re-locked. On 3 different days we returned to our room and our cases had been opened. I was asked for money by a maid, who was ordered to deliver a toilet roll (1), this request had been made every day of our holiday, and she eventually delivered it on day 5, I had been taking them from the communal toilet in the bar area. I had beachwear to the value of approx. £60 stolen on the morning we left for the airport, but was unaware until my return to the UK.

One of our party had her jacket stolen, and when they spoke to the manager and complained it was not taken seriously; until one of staff were walking through the reception area actually wearing the jacket (he had bought it from one of the porters in the hotel).

All of the 6 of us were ill whilst on this holiday, not one of us seen the in-house doctor as there were language issues and trying to make yourself understood was a complete nightmare. Furthermore his 'nominated' medical room was 'viewable' by all passers-by; there was no door and a window, it was filthy, as was the coat he wore. He charged 37 Dinars for a consultation and upwards of 37 Dinars regardless of what was diagnosed.

I was ill day two and again on day 5; to date I have been ill with sickness and diarrhoea, lethargy and flu like symptoms. Since my return to the UK; here's a short list of what was diagnosed by an emergency visit by my GP:

Gastroenteritis
Ear Infection
Throat Infection
Pleurisy
Possible bowel infection (awaiting results of sampling)

I would not recommend this hotel to anyone, and especially to anyone travelling with kids.

There was rampant requests for money; I was asked in front of the other members of my party for money (upfront) to go to the concierge who took the bookings at the a la carte' restaurant on arrival, having booked our 10th wedding anniversary celebration there, keeping in mind it was already paid for as we were all-inclusive. As I refused to hand over money, and inferred to him that his manners were atrocious; we were treated like dirt plates were removed before food was finished. The waiter openly sighed whilst taking orders and thus the meal was an absolute disaster.

As illness was rife in this hotel you either have to travel to eat (in a recommended restaurant) or to starve. One of the guests was having anti-sickness injections for 12 days of his 14-day holiday, and had to pay 37 Dinars for each injection.

All in all to sum up, take plenty of cash to cover illness, and the bribing of staff, as this is the only way to get a supposed 'all-inclusive' holiday, be able to eat and drink elsewhere and to pay to be served and for the inclusion of 'Houda'n' politeness.

The representative placed between two hotels had arrived on the same day we had, so had no experience whatsoever of Tunisia, and informed us he had never in 11 years of working had received so many complaints.

I am happy for anyone to e-mail me if they too have visited this hotel (especially during August and September 04'), and wish to complain or are considering booking this 'holiday': [email protected]