Hotel Gamouda (Sidi Bouzid)

16 September 2011 | 0 Comments

Without any particular touristic appeal (although perhaps its history in the Tunisian revolution will draw new visitors) and located in a somewhat marginalized region of the country, Sidi Bouzid has not had much cause to develop a flourishing hotel scene.  As a result, tourists to the region will not have many options when it comes to selecting a location to spend the night.  Hotel Gamouda, located in downtown Sidi Bouzid,  is one standard option, although the price for a one-night stay does not deliver the results that one would anticipate, even for a hotel that labels itself “two star.”

Hotel Gamouda offers either single or double rooms, in either case for a fixed price of 30 dinars per person, per night.  While clean and relatively spacious, the rooms do not offer air conditioning — quite necessary if you are visiting the region during the sweltering summer or fall months.  Most rooms offer a tiny bathroom and we struggled to get our toilet to flush.  The main drawing point is the presence of free wi-fi in the rooms and throughout the rest of the hotel.

The steep price of 30 dinars a night does include a free breakfast, which consists of coffee, lemonade, and a choice of either a slice of cake, a pastry, or a croissant.  However, the quantity and quality of the offerings does not justify paying nearly twice as much as what you might pay for a similar hotel experience elsewhere.  The decor of the restaurant downstairs does provide for some comic relief, particularly if you find the combination of mosaic tiled benches with zebra print stools and goat skins as amusing as we did.

In short, in Sidi Bouzid, your hotel options are quite limited, and 30 dinars per person, per night seems to be the standard rate.  Thus, you can’t do much better or worse than Hotel Gamouda. This makes it difficult for us to give it a recommendation. If you do find yourself staying overnight here, prepare to spend your time sweating, and be sure to make the most of your croissant eaten while seated on a zebra-print stool in the middle of rural Tunisia.

Rates below are the same for either a single or double room and are priced per person, per night.  As mentioned, they include a small breakfast and unlimited access to wi-fi internet:

Cost: 30 dinars/night

Check-in: 12:00 pm

Check-out: 12:00 pm

Methods of payment: Check or cash

Website: www.hotelgamouda.com