Две недели купались в собственном поту и ели объедки с предудущего ужина For two weeks we bathed in our own sweat and ate leftovers from the previous dinner.

We spent two weeks at the Mahdia Palace on an all-inclusive basis. The wide sandy beach, the clear sea with a gently sloping entrance, the architecture, the large pool, and the well-kept garden are truly beautiful. The gardeners and some of the grounds staff deserve praise. However, everything else is more consistent with a worn-out three-star hotel than the five-star it claims to be.

The room was spacious, but long overdue for renovation. The rusty refrigerator stood completely empty: no minibar, no welcome drinks. Upon arrival, the bathtub was stained with someone else's hair, rust, and a black moldy film. After a complaint, the surface was painted over with white paint instead of being cleaned; the bathtub remained sticky, and the room smelled of paint and solvent for about a day. Black film was also found on the curtains, furniture, and beach equipment. After cleaning, toilet paper, soap, and shower gel were not replenished, and the towels were returned incomplete.


The lobby, restaurant, and bars lacked effective air conditioning and even adequate fans in the intense heat and humidity. The only way to cool down properly was in your room.
The food was the biggest disappointment. The food was monotonous, almost tasteless, and often overcooked. Meat dishes were dominated by bones, skin, and tendons. Some dishes tasted like recycled leftovers from previous meals. The fish once smelled distinctly spoiled, the milk curdled into flakes in the coffee, flies hovered over the food, and we even photographed flies mating on the canned fish. Poorly washed plates had to be set aside. This is a matter of hygiene and safety, not taste preference.

The all-inclusive drinks were extremely poor quality. The wine was served sour and almost warm, a drink masquerading as whiskey smelled strongly of turpentine or solvent, the gin was reminiscent of medicine, and the cocktails were cheap premixed drinks. Decent drinks and snacks had to be purchased separately.
Communication in English was almost nonexistent. Simple requests were not understood, and when complaining, receptionists would turn away, walk away, or start a phone conversation without answering. Vendors were constantly pestering us on the beach, security did not intervene, and beach service was almost nonexistent. The evening entertainment was boring and repetitive.

Mahdia Palace is a beautiful shell with a beautiful sea, but poor hygiene, worn-out rooms, poor food, and indifferent service. We cannot return here or recommend it as a five-star hotel.