El Mouradi – Douz (Kebili)

28 December 2011 | 0 Comments

The El Mouradi Douz hotel is a 4-star hotel located 2 kilometers away from the center of the city of Douz, in the town’s touristic zone and surrounded by beautiful sand dunes. El Mouradi hotel is probably one of the biggest hotels in the region. The hotel lacks any particular architectural characteristics found in southern Tunisian buildings, featuring standard modern architecture instead – similar to other hotels in the coastal regions in the country. El Mouradi has a big parking lot for those traveling the region with a car.

Rooms at El Mouradi are spacious, modern and comfortable. They are air conditioned, equipped with a mini fridge and two closets to store clothes and personal belongings. Beds are comfortable and extra duvets and blankets are provided. The room is also furnished with a desk and a TV set broadcasting several local and French channels, including news channels. The room is spacious enough to put luggage and clothes everywhere. The bathroom is clean and has running hot water with soap and towels readily available for guests. Beware, however, the water is not drinkable!

The hotel has two big restaurants that fit at least 200 hotel guests each. Food is offered on a self-service basis, however, drinks are only available upon request – and are expensive and are not included in the standard rates paid upon checking in. The quality of food and drinks is good. The menu includes rice, pasta, vegetables and white meat.

The hotel also has two big cafes and a bar that serves alcohol. Young children are allowed into the bar if accompanied by their parents. The hotel staff speaks several languages – including French, English and German.

The hotel does not offer extra services such as massages, guided tours in the city, or rides in the desert. There are two swimming pools: an outdoor and indoor pool with a hammam (traditional sauna) and a jacuzzi. There is no internet connectivity in the rooms; internet is only available in the reception area where you have to use the hotel’s computer for eight dinars an hour. This fare is quite expensive compared to the local public library’s rate, where the computer can be used for one dinar per hour.

Entertainment at the hotel lasts for a few hours in the evening. Cafes close as early as midnight – when most people are still awake sitting in the lobby. Unfortunately, other nearby centers of entertainment also close their doors at midnight.

Rates at the El Mouradi hotel are very expensive, especially throughout the holiday season. Advanced booking is highly recommended. A double room on Christmas can cost up 120 dinars per person per night (around $80 USD). This fare is even more expensive on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve since the hotel requires guests to pay supplement fares for the hotel’s Christmas Fest and New Year’s Eve festivities. Rates are less expensive during the lower seasons of the year.

Check-in hour: 12am

Check-out hour: 12pm