Hotel Soviva Tunisia-THE BEST HOTEL I'VE BEEN TO! (Hotel Soviva (Port El Kantaoui))

Member Name: Pete Scrivener

Product:	Hotel Soviva (Port El Kantaoui)
Date:	14/05/07 (292 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellently well maintained and friendly and helpful Staff

Disadvantages: Can get too hot!

How angry i was when i arrived in resort on my holiday! After reading the reviews on this website we were dreading our holiday, all the fun and excitement of packing and travelling was totaly marred by the comments we heard on here, when i say i was angry it wasnt because of the hotel being poor, it was because i'd allowed the reviews on this site ruin the run up to my break away!! This is quite possibly the best hotle i've stayed at, the staff are all superb and very friendly, as are the local people! We holidayed in the first week of the season and so the poolside bars were not yet open but the snackbar and lobby bar were and drinks were readily available as were freshly prepared strawberries and cream and donuts which were brought round to guests by the pool several times a day. The food itself was also very impressive, always hot, freshly cooked and a very wide selection catering to all tastes. None of this "burger and chips and hot dog" rubbish. Freshly fried chips were available on request and the burgers we had in the restaurant were handmade with local ingredients, the only hotdogs available were in the snackbar which if you're going to go to a fastfood joint for dinner then what else do you expect?? Rooms were top notch, air conditioning is only opereing at certain times during the season however leaving the balcony door open ajar was more that adequate in keeping the rooms comfortable, even at night there was no noise so our balcony door was left open to air the room.
The pool and surrounding area was IMMACUALTE and the highlight to all this was the slides! It was a race veryday to see who can get to the top quickest and who can do the best spins and for the very daring, who can slide down standing up. Regular games and events were organised by the in house entertainment team who were on call from first thing in the morning to last thing at night and were always smiling and joking!
Other entertainment was in plentiful surprise and if you do go to this hotel PLEASE attend the Reps Cabaret Evening, never have we laughed so much! The beach i full of activities too including Banana Boating, Parasailing, Jet Skis and of course Pedaloes, there was too much to fit in to just one week but all activites and very well priced, we went Quad biking for £10 (25 tunisian Dinar) and enjoyed it so much we booked and went again a few days later and went "off road". All staff were friendly and nothing was too much trouble!
At present, the area in which the Soviva is located isn't "paradise", there are more than enough shops and restaurants available and its clear to see the development work thats going on (and before you think "great cranes, diggers and noise everywhere we didnt see a SINGLE one and there was NO nosie whatsoever!) In a few years this section fotown will be unrivalled and will compete agianst the best holiday resorts, the hotel and grounds itself ARE however immaculate and well maintained.
You must have your wits about you if you choose to visit the local Medina as the locals can be very persuasive in their selling technique, however, they know as well as you do that you're there to get a bargain so enjoy haggling and if you really dont wnat what they're selling then a polite "No Thank You" will earn you a smile from them and they will let you on your way. Taxis are the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to get around but always get a price BEFORE getting in just to avoid any confusion.
There are so many good points about this place that i want to say but my head is spinning and i just cant think of what to write anymore, as i said before there is too much here to fit in to just one week which is why we're currently booking up to go again later in the year, to this very hotel. All i can say to close is DO NOT listen to the silly comments on here regarding this hotel OR Port El Kantaoui, it is an excelent place with excellent people. Proces will gradually creep up over the coming years as more adn more people realise what a great value for money resort this is and for those fo you in doubt of the "out of holiday season" weather fear not, i have the tan (and peeling sunburn marks!) to prove otherwise!!!

Summary: So good we're heading back again later this year!