El Faracha

“Apparently recently upgraded / restored, better thought of as a three-star hotel now”

So my wife and I were understandably skeptical upon reading the reviews from a year or two ago... It's unclear when the place got a facelift, but it was a great one. Our room is actually two rooms, a comfortable living room and nice bedroom. Two issues marred an otherwise excellent hotel stay: ~ W… more

So my wife and I were understandably skeptical upon reading the reviews from a year or two ago... It's unclear when the place got a facelift, but it was a great one. Our room is actually two rooms, a comfortable living room and nice bedroom. Two issues marred an otherwise excellent hotel stay: ~ We visited in mid-April, when the lows reached the mid-teens. The two heaters in the room didn't turn on, which meant the room got cold. After inquiring, we found a small portable heater in our room. ~ Noise is an issue after dark. At least one night featured the audio stylings of what sounded like Arabic techno until after 1am. Being an Muslim country means you'll also be hearing the various calls to prayer through the day. A number of restaurants (including Tunisia's version of fast food), a couple of supermarkets, and plenty of other hotels are around along with the nearby beach. You're walking distance from both of Sousse's train stations (one connecting you to Tunis, and one connecting you to Monastir and Mahdia). I'd happily stay here again.

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“Decent hotel, scuzzy neighborhood”

The El Faracha is a clean, less expensive option for travelers looking to stay in Sousse Corniche, the neighborhood by the beach. It's located on a dead-end side street just two blocks from the sea. My room was small and had a balcony. Doors and windows all locked. I stayed there for three weeks a… more

The El Faracha is a clean, less expensive option for travelers looking to stay in Sousse Corniche, the neighborhood by the beach. It's located on a dead-end side street just two blocks from the sea. My room was small and had a balcony. Doors and windows all locked. I stayed there for three weeks and regularly left electronic equipment in my room; it was not disturbed. In that time I saw one large cockroach in my room and noted that the staff seems to clean around (but not under) the furniture. The staff was friendly but not particularly helpful when it came to restaurant recommendations and locations, directions, and basic city geography. The WiFi worked fine, but was only available in the lobby and breakfast room. The breakfasts were OK, but the same every day. This area of Sousse Corniche is distinguished by a number of empty buildings, run-down shops, and garbage in the streets. I never feared for my safety, but it was a rather ugly, depressing environment. Given prevailing room rates in Sousse Corniche, the El Faracha offers decent value for the money. However, if I had to stay in a Sousse hotel again for any length of time, I'd try elsewhere.

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