Had 2 weeks at Marhaba Beach Hotel Sousse from 28/12/2011to 11/01/2012and enjoyed every minute of it.From Getting off the coach on arrival to getting back on to come home the staff were friendly and helpful,even teaching us a few words of arabic.
The food was well cooked and good selection,the drinks suited our parties taste,beer,red and white wine,gin,brandy and whisky,none of us drink cocktails so i cannot comment on those.
New Years Eve party was as good as any we've been to,[at 80 years old i've seen a few to
compare with] there was a lot of different nationalites all mixing together and it made a great
atmosphere,it was avery good value for money holiday and we wouldn't hessitate to do it again
next year.

My (now) husband (who proposed at during our stay here!) and I had a lovely 10 day summer holiday at Marhaba Beach. The employees couldnt be more please to be of service, they were so enthusiasic about being helpful! Middle of august yet we never had to wait or queue for drinks, or food...
Lovely big bedroom with a stunning view over the sea - only down side was it was a little noisy during meal times as if we had the balcony door open we could hear the clattering of the washing up, but double glazed sliding door - couldnt hear a thing when it was closed.

For those of you who complain saying it wasnt up to "4* hotel standards"... I think you may be forgetting that all of Northern Africa is developping countries - 4 tunisian stars arent the same as 4 european stars!!

As for the local area, Sousse is a bit dreary to be honest.... We got a Tuk-Tuk (an open air cross between a bus and a taxi - cheap and so much fun!!) out to Port El Kantaoui for a catamaran trip which was really relaxing. A MUST SEE around there is Sidi-Bou-Said which is simply stunning!!! We spent a day in Tunis in the markets which was entertaining as an experience, but nothing spectacular....
For those with kids, Friquia Animal park is also really nice - hand feeding the elephants, stroking a giraffe, and an impressive seal show!
The amphitheater in El Djem is also well worth a visit.
Make sure at least one morning while you are there you force yourself to wake up really early to watch the sun rise over the water - it is breathtaking!!!

I stayed at the Marhaba beach for a week in January just to get away from the English winter. I had a problems with one of my bags and the woman in reception was very helpful, made several phone calls and located it for me. This helpful theme continued with all the staff during my stay.

My room and the bathroom were spacious and clean. The bed was comfortable and I slept like a log. There were only two English channels on the TV unfortunately.

As it was the middle of the winter the hotel was not firing on all pistons. The outdoor swimming pool wasn't operating but this didn't matter as the large indoor one was. I can also recommend the gym and if you are AI you also get use of the sauna and steam room free.

The evening entertainment was a bit weak, a guy with a synthesiser quite a lot of the time singing in English, French, German and Arabic and mumbling the words he didn't know!

Both dinner and lunch were excellent with constantly changing menus and the food was first class. Breakfasts got a bit boring after a while and I don't care if it is a long time until I see another turkey sausage! We did have bacon a few times though. There is also afternoon tea with rolls and cake. The drinks varied. There is only one brand of everything if you are AI. The wine is good, the whisky acceptable, the beer quite drinkable but the 'orange juice', which is made from a concentrate leaves a lot to be desired.

If you are thinking of a winter break the indoor swimming pool, gym and spa as well as the good food make this hotel a good choice. I would imagine that in the summer, being right on the beach, it would also be a safe bet.

Myself, husband and our 2 friends stayed at the Marhaba Beach from the 28th Dec - 4th Jan and we had a great time!
On arrival we were served welcome cocktails and then shown to our rooms. All i can say is WOW the views were wonderful, i had emailed the hotel a week before arriving to request upper level sea view rooms and these are what we got. The room was very comfortable with a nice bed, tv and a little seating area. The bathroom was also nice and we always had hot water (infact the water was hotter than what i get at home!)
The hotel itself is very nice and has alot of seating in the reception area, the only thing i didn't like was the amount of people that smoked around the bar area, there is no where else to get a drink from so you have no choice but to breath in all the smoke!
The staff at this hotel are so friendly and we were made to feel welcome by everyone.
We especially got on well with the animation team, they really did make an effort to always take the time to talk to us and we feel that they made our holiday a very happy one.
I would recommend having a massage, @ £12.50 for 30 minutes it was a bargain and very relaxing.
I wasn't really that keen on the food however there was always something for me to eat, the snack bar did takeaway sandwiches which were very good.
Overall for the price that we paid we had a brilliant time and will definatly be returning to this hotel.