Review: Four Seasons Hotel Tunis

The Four Seasons Tunis provided excellent accommodation, amenities, and service plus a spectacular meal I will never forget during my short visit to Tunisia.

Four Seasons Tunis Review

When looking at hotels in the Tunis area, the Four Seasons stood out to me as worth the small additional cost over hotels like the Mövenpick or Sheraton. At less than $300/night, this is one of the best values for a Four Seasons property in the world and the hotel did not disappoint.

Location

Located in the affluent Gammarth neighborhood along the Mediterranean coast, the hotel is outside the hustle and bustle of Tunis, yet close enough that a taxi ride across town can be done cheaply and easily. Nearby the hotel is Sidi Bou Said, which is a beautiful city with cobblestone streets, bougainvilleas, white buildings, and blue roofs that reminded me of Santorini.

Common areas are beautiful, with a striking view of the pools and Mediterranean from the lobby level.

Guest Room

The hotel appeared very empty during my February stay. The colder winter months represent low season, but I found temperatures perfect for enjoying a day outdoors. I booked a base room but was informed upon check-in that I was upgraded to a Deluxe Sea-View room.

By the way, this hotel is part of the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program. Booking via AMEX includes:

• Daily breakfast for two
• $100 spa or dining credit
• 4:00PM check-out guaranteed
• 12:00PM check-in, when available
• Room upgrade at check-in, when available
• Complimentary Wi-Fi

Those benefits, including the resort credit, apply for even one night stays.

Getting to my room was a bit complex. It involved going downstairs from the lobby level and then walking through a pair of hallways and pair of courtyards to reach my room, 2208. I loved the tranquil courtyards and sound of running water.

My room was quite beautiful, with two balconies and a sitting area, round table, desk and comfortable bed.

My favorite feature of the bathroom: the heated floors. It was chilly out and it was so nice to walk into the marble bathroom floor in my barefoot and be warmed up! The bathroom had two sinks, a shower, separate bathtub, and water closet.

Soap was from L’Occitane.

I also loved the freshly-cut flowers in both the bathroom and bedroom.

Fruit was placed in my room and an illy espresso machine was also present.

The mini-bar was well stocked.

24/7 room service was available, though I did not order anything.

Views from my balcony in the evening:

Pools

If you like to swim, you certainly won’t be disappointed here. The hotel has a beautiful outdoor pool, beautiful indoor pool, and the Mediterranean Sea for good measure!

Due to my sensitive skin, I rarely swim outdoors, thus appreciate that Four Seasons properties consistently have indoor swimming pools and I managed to get in some good exercise in the pool.

Beach

I wouldn’t come to this property for the beach. It’s nice enough: there’s a direct entrance form the hotel and cabanas and chairs available. However, don’t expect soft white sand: it’s a bit more rugged.

Spa

A full menu of spa treatments are available, including a hammam (Turkish bath).

Below the spa, a large locker room houses a whirlpool, sauna, and steam room (the steam room was closed, due to COVID-19).

Fitness

The 24/7 fitness center is located on the spa level and accessible by room key. I was there at 4:00AM to exercise prior to my flight to Montreal and had a bit of trouble finding the light switch (which was located in the back of the gym, not near the door). The gym is large with modern equipment from TechnoGym.

Dinner At The Creek

The highlight of my stay was an amazing dinner at The Creek.

Executive chef Alessandro Fontanesi was stopping at each table to chat with guests. I mentioned how much I loved lamb and would also like some pasta, particularly because he is Italian. He suggested various dishes and I asked if a tasting course might be possible. He agreed. What followed was culinary ecstasy.

The first four courses were served together, including Bombas, a spicy deep fried potato croquette stuffed with minced meat.

Homemade bread with local salt and tomatoes.

Then sea bream tartare, with plums, ginger and coconut milk.

Also, a foie gras ballotine served in “assiette paysanne” with strawberries marinated in balsamic vinegar and a capuccine flower (edible).

My favorite, however, was the tomato-less lasagna with ham, cheese and mushrooms, coated with a gold leaf. The gold leaf may be gimmicky, but the lasagna was so tasty. I noticed this appeared to be the amuse-bouche because each table received one.

All of this was enjoyed with Tunisian red wine.

Then the main course arrived: succulent lamb chops. These were coated with Tunisian pistachios, served with homemade potato gnocchi (Alessandro said the gnocchi was his grandmother’s recipe) and eggplant parmigiana. The gravy was made with the lamb bones mixed with sundried tomatoes, mint, and black olives. Alessandro explained that this dish is made completely with Tunisian ingredients, nothing imported, nothing from abroad, all organically sourced from Tunisia.

What I also loved was that Alessandro frequently retuned to my table to describe each course (hence the detail above).

After dinner, I was far too full for dessert, but enjoyed a sweet cocktail beautifully prepared followed by a decaf espresso.

I peaked my head into the kitchen on the way out, and asked if I could get a picture of Alessandro and his team. Folks, I’m not exaggerating: this was such a wonderful meal and easily the best meal I’ve had in years (better than Na-Oh in Bangkok, which was also amazing).

I also noticed the fresh herbs in the kitchen, which are grown onsite.

Note that the restaurant and bar area are together, you can smoke in the bar area (if your lungs are sensitive, ask to sit away from the bar), and there was live entrainment during dinner.

Here’s the menu, by the way:

Breakfast At Azur

I’ve come to love Four Seasons buffets (overseas as least) and the breakfast spread included a rich mix of Arabic, Western, and Eastern food, including eggs made-to-order, fresh-squeezed juices, a huge selection of bakery goods, and some very lovely falafel.

In addition to the buffet, there was an a la carte menu available.

I dined outdoor. While a bit nippy, the fresh air was invigorating.

The Four Seasons Tunis also has a waterfront restaurant called BLU that was closed during my visit and offers drinks and light food in the lobby area all day, called Salon Alyssa.

Service

Since I had an early flight, I brought my bag along to breakfast, which I sat down beside the table. When I got back from the buffet, two stands had been added:

That sort of attention to detail stood out throughout my stay. For example, when checking out the following morning the same associate who checked me in greeted me as Mr. Klint. I love it when hotel staff remember your name, even after one day. I’ve noticed this is much more likely at Four Seasons properties than even high end Hyatt or Marriott hotels.

After dinner, I returned to my room and found that my bed hand been turned down, clothes folded, screen wipe placed on top of my laptop, and another wipe placed under my sunglasses.

Also, a special shout out to Mohammed in The Creek, who took great care of me during dinner.

CONCLUSION

In case it wasn’t clear, I had a virtually flawless stay and hope to bring my family back here one day. The service was top-notch, room comfortable, amenities excellent, but most of all my dinner at The Creek will be one that I remember for a very long time.