Opened in late 2018, the Four Seasons Hotel Tunis offers an exquisite option for modern luxury along the North African Mediterranean coast. We stayed in July 2019 with a group of 11 (yes, 11!) friends across six rooms. Various groupings of our friends were on separate European summer trips at the same time as our summer travels to the continent so we thought it would be so much fun for all of us to meet up somewhere none of us had been – and the Four Seasons Hotel Tunis in Tunisia was the perfect spot!
Booking
I first heard of this property through the Four Seasons “opening soon” news, which I closely follow since I’m a Four Seasons fangirl. As I strongly suggest for Four Seasons properties, we booked through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner, which included breakfast, a room upgrade subject to availability, and US$100 spa credit. Since Tunisia itself is a relatively affordable destination, the property is pretty inexpensive compared to many Four Seasons properties. Despite this, as expected, Four Seasons Hotel Tunis is a fair bit more expensive than comparable properties in Tunis.
We paid ~US$360/night including taxes for the category we booked (Deluxe Sea-View Room) about five months out. Friends who booked closer to the date, about two months out, paid more for the same room – around US$450/night.
Prior to our arrival, we arranged for the hotel’s Mercedes C-class car service to pick us up at the airport and take us to the property for 240 TND (US$87). At the end of our stay, we took a cab back to the airport (the property called for us) which was less than 1/10th the price at 20 TND (US$7).
Property Overview
The Four Seasons Tunis was stunning and felt very new. The details were really well thought out and our room – a one-category upgrade from our booked Deluxe Sea-View Room to the Premier Room – was a true highlight of our stay. It had two main balconies at a 90 degree angle from one another, one facing the sea and one facing the pool. Since it was one of the rooms closest to the water (the hotel is in a U-shape, with the tails being closer to the water), our perfect sea view wasn’t obstructed by any parts of the property.
If I returned, I’d try to request this particular room location again. I didn’t end up going to see any of the deluxe sea-view rooms my friends were in (what we had originally booked), but I did hear from our friends that our room was a definite step up from their rooms.
The pool is a central amenity of the resort, creating a perfectly landscaped focal point between the resort and the Mediterranean sea. The resort also features a beach club with chairs set out on the sand just a short walk from the pool.
There’s also a fitness center and two tennis courts – but unsurprisingly I didn’t see or use either!
Spa
The Carthage-inspired spa at the Four Seasons Tunis features ten treatment rooms and a spa suite. I only had one treatment, but wish I had spent more time there. A particular highlight is an indoor/outdoor pool at the spa that is incredibly serene; I never saw more than one other person there in the three times I went to have a look at it!
Because our FSPP benefits conferred a US$100 credit with the room, I choose to induldge in a “Slimming Treatment” massage. It sounded like a massage and a wrap in one and I thought I had found a great deal by choosing it; instead, it was more an intense kneading of cellulite-prone areas. Goodness – I was NOT prepared for it! It hurt and not in the hurt-so-good way normal massages feel – definitely not for the faint of heart! The 380 TND cost for the massage converted to US$137, so the credit covered most of it. I’d skip that treatment and go for something less painful next time.
Dining
Food wasn’t a big highlight at the property, but there were a few options to choose from including the more casual BLU Bar & Grill conveniently situated between the pool and sea to the more upscale The Creek Bistro Chic.
The concierge made some good local recommendations that allowed us to explore some dining options outside of the property. A particular memory was The Cliff in Sidi Bou Said, which had a basic menu and the food didn’t blow me away by any means, but the location and views at sunset were really special. Cabs that the hotel called were 10 TND (US$3.60) to go there and 20 TND (US$7.20) to come back (the price increases after a certain hour in the evening).
Safety
The resort is located in Gammarth, and to get to that part of Tunis, all vehicular traffic passes through a security checkpoint. There were also metal detectors to enter the property and any of the bars/restaurants in the area. We did feel safe both at the property and when we went into the medina and other areas of Tunis.
However, I would 100% recommend leaving your valuables and cash in the safe. This is generally sound advice at any property but this was a very clear direction given to us by the front desk.
In Conclusion
I would absolutely recommend the property and Tunisia! I found the Four Seasons Tunis stunning and the country enchanting, even in our short four day stay there. Especially given how beautiful and new of property it is and given it’s very inexpensive compared to the rates European luxury Mediterranean properties command this time of year, it’s absolutely worth a visit!
