TRAVEL SHORTS
Sleeping Around: Sultan style thrives at Tunis hotel
In the late 1990s, members of the Belhaouane family traveled to Morocco from Tunisia and observed the hip boutique hotels that populate the Moroccan medinas.
"My dad thought we could do that too," said Hedi Belhaouane of Tunis, Tunisia.
And so began the five-year transformation of the family's historic, sprawling home, tucked within Tunis' old city.
"We wanted it to feel like home," said Belhaouane, who claims his family has lived in the area "for about 500 years."
"We wanted people to be comfortable."
The family has succeeded in doing this by making a stay at their 1825 mansion a retreat from the bustling, dusty city. Enter the iron doors of Dar el Medina ("House within the Arab Quarter") and you'll be transported into a world of sultans of yesteryear: Brass lamps light the property's curving corridors and plump pillows populate the open-air courtyard, just waiting for you to sit and enjoy a cup of tea and a plate of cake after a long day exploring the city.
Getting there: One of the coolest features of the hotel is its location: Tucked into the heart of the city's 1,300-year-old medina, Dar el Medina is an oasis amid the vibrant market. Unfortunately, this also means that to reach the hotel you have to weave and snake through the maze-like medina on foot because taxis don't drive down the market's narrow cobblestone streets. (Remember the chase scene through the alleys in "Raiders of the Lost Ark"? That was filmed here.)
Make sure to print a map off the hotel's Web site showing the hotel's location—most cabdrivers and medina dwellers have not heard of the hotel. Thankfully, the market is not too large, so you'll only need to lug your bags about 100 yards if you get dropped off at the closest medina entrance.
Checking in: Friendly and efficient. Several clerks speak good English, although not everyone on staff does. Pointing, hand signals and patience can get the job done too.
Rooms: There are 12 rooms. Each is different, so if you don't like your room, and there is availability, you can switch. I liked Daddou, Douja and Nour for their relative spaciousness, but none of the rooms are sprawling. Pictures are available of each room on the hotel's Web site.
With stucco walls, tile floors and sparse furniture, the breeze from the windows was sufficient to cool the room, despite 90-degree temperatures outside. (Just in case, though, each room has individual air conditioners with in-room controls.)
Bathrooms: Standard amenities. Good water pressure, which is a nice surprise in such an old building.
Kids/families: With its ornate carved windows and spiral staircases, kids would love this place—it's like staying in a small castle. Saying that, there is no arcade, no swimming pool and no televisions in the rooms, so some kids could consider it a prison. Know your child.
Dining: Breakfast, which is included in the cost of your stay, is served in the hotel's small restaurant, Nesma, and it's one of the best meals in town. Smiling staff serve plates of pastries, boiled eggs, fruit and cheeses. Highlights include fig jam and a poppy-seed cake that had us asking for seconds. OK, thirds.
While Nesma now serves dinner, it did not during our stay. Instead, we enjoyed walking to restaurants in the area. Dar el Jeld, Tunisia's top dining spot, is just a few blocks away.
Room service: Available, although even simple requests for water or dry cleaning confused the staff—don't expect to dine in your room without complications. Rooms do not have refrigerators.
Accessibility: The upper two floors can only be reached via winding, narrow staircases. The hotel has no elevator.
Bottom line: Rooms, for one occupant, run $177-$233, depending on the suite. For two people the cost climbs to $192-$246.
Dar el Medina
64, Rue Sidi Ben Arous
Tunis, Tunisia
216-71-563-022
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