Palais Bayram review: a boutique hotel in Tunis, Tunisia

Walking into Palais Bayram in Tunis is the closest you can come to stepping back into Tunisia’s past without a time machine. This historic house in the heart of the medina was one of the city’s last private palaces, now transformed into a unique boutique hotel.

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Dating back to the 18th century, it was once the home of the Grand Mufti – one of the country’s most senior religious figures – before being transformed into a boutique hotel in 2014. But the atmosphere remains: gloriously ornate rooms off courtyards open to the sky, rooftop views out over the old medina and a chance to imagine yourself part of history.

Stepping though one of the imposing doors – one yellow, the other green – you’d never guess at the opulent decoration hidden inside, the twisting corridor leading to a tiled courtyard plus a second house and a hammam through the little garden.

The bustle of the medina seems far away in this little oasis where jasmine flowers scent the air, bees humming joyfully around trees dotted thickly with the little white stars. Tempted? Read on to discover what else lies through this door in my Palais Bayram review.

Palais Bayram, Tunis: the essentials

The small hotel has 17 rooms ranging from traditional suites to historic suites and the three Grand historic suites; the former audience chamber, Kheireddin Pacha, where I stayed, plus Sheikh Bayram, the mufti’s own private chamber, and Princess Lalla Qmar, an ornate suite which could have come straight from 19th century France.

There’s also a restaurant, Al Makhzen, and Surya tea house, attached to the breakfast room, as well as the hammam, Al Skifa. The latter are in what was previously next door Dar Mamogly: you can now walk between the two buildings without going outside

The hotel itself is on Andalous Street, in the Bab Menara section of the medina. Although you’ll find street signs, it takes a while to find your bearings in the winding alleys of the medina, so it’s worth considering the hotel’s airport shuttle before you arrive (especially if it’s late at night).

Otherwise, make sure you have directions. Cars can get close to the hotel, but not all taxi drivers will know the route and you’re likely to have to walk the last section. It’s also known as Dar Bayram (or Dar Bayrem).

Palais Bayram review

The rooms

To say I’ve never slept anywhere like this is an understatement. But even the smaller traditional rooms are something special, with tiles decorating the walls, painted ceilings, often luxurious canopy beds and Arabian and Ottoman style furniture.

Each is decorated individually so if you’ve got your heart set on a specific room, it’s worth asking for it. The Grand Historic suites are vast enough to seem almost overwhelming if you’re staying on your own – equally, if you’re travelling as a family, there’s masses of room.

Children are welcome and you can add extra rollaway beds for a small fee or cots are free.

My room, Kheireddin Pacha, could have come straight from One Thousand and One Nights. At each end of the long room were two canopy beds – you need to clamber up from the cushioned bench in front, which felt faintly like I was climbing into a giant’s bed every night.

Set with the pillows facing into the room, even at 5ft 3 (and a bit) I had to sleep diagonally to stop my feet sticking out, so if there are two of you or you’re taller, you’ll need to sleep across instead. If you prefer a more standard bed, try one of the other two Grand Historic rooms.

In the centre, a cushioned section around a table, plus writing desk and little safe in the glass fronted cupboard. Another door led to a small flight of stairs with a cupboard: my dressing area.

And the bathroom had a shower in its own little alcove, along with neroli scented toiletries. The two other Grand Historic suites both have baths with a handheld shower – a rather fabulous slipper bath in Princess Lalla Qmar.

The room’s windows all look out onto the central courtyard, with shutters and curtains, plus there are little openings high up on a couple of walls to let some daylight in. Perfect if you (like me) hate waking up in a completely dark room.

There are lots of fascinating little touches too: Sheikh Bayram has fabulously tiled walls and a painted ceiling. It’s set slightly apart from the other rooms with access onto a separate section of roof.

If you’re a light sleeper, Kheireddin Pacha is also a good choice: I only vaguely heard the call to prayer on the second night we stayed while it was clearer in Princess Lalla Qmar on the corner of the building, for example.

At around £185-£200 per night, the prices for the biggest suites are also far less than you’d expect for rooms like this in Europe, while the traditional rooms cost from around £100 per night and are equally stylish if less imposingly spacious.

Click here to check rates on Booking.com

The breakfast

This really does deserve a separate section all to itself. Sitting down on our first morning, we were asked if we wanted a plain or cheese omelette, so assumed that was the hot option alongside something like pastries and fruit.

Then the courses started to emerge. In the end there were 10, and the three of us needed an extra table to fit everything on..

Shakshuka and Tunisian flatbread, plates of cheese and salad, handmade croissants with jam and honey, pancakes, a basket of bread, yoghurt, fruit plus fresh strawberry juice, coffee and tea and a lightly flavoured creamy drink in a shot glass.

Our wonderful waiter even brought out a saucer filled with freshly picked jasmine flowers for us.

The second morning, we had to beg him not to bring several of the dishes as we simply couldn’t eat it all – day two involved a new kind of doughy fluffy fried bread and we spotted cake being delivered to the table next door.

Arrive hungry!

The lovely light-filled room, with a little terrace looking down onto the garden, is attached to the tea lounge with its shisha pipes and striped sofas by a TV.

Dinner itself is in a separate restaurant, a vaulted room just off the main reception: we ate to the accompaniment of an oud player singing.

The dishes are more classic: expect brik and couscous, although also plenty of fish. It’s a short menu and several items weren’t available during our visit but we still had plenty of choice – vegetarians might struggle a little more.

There is alcohol served in the restaurant too, although again, the options are more limited.

The facilities

Staff were unfailingly friendly and helpful from the moment we were greeted with a cool glass of sherbety lemon drink on arrival (very welcome, as was the aircon in the rooms).

They opened up the rooftop so we could gaze down onto the rooftops of the medina, for example, and can also arrange tours and guides, including to sites like Carthage and El Jem.

There’s also free WiFi throughout the hotel: you need a code to access it in the public rooms but it’s free access from the bedrooms. It does vary depending on each room but in mine was fast and reliable – helpful as Tunisia isn’t included in most UK data and calling plans.

The little hammam is also a lovely touch. It needs to be booked, and you can also arrange massages – while we didn’t have chance to experience one during our stay, a traditional Tunisian hammam is fantastic, with lots of cushioned areas to relax in afterwards.

Palais Bayram boutique hotel: verdict

Tunis is, for now, still an uncommon choice for a city break – but with everything from history and culture, to shopping in the souks, plus some fantastic food all in the sun, it deserves an equally memorable hotel.

With more boutique hotels in Tunis starting to open, Palais Bayram isn’t your only choice, but with some of the most spectacular rooms I’ve ever stayed in and a breakfast to remember, it’s a fabulous base to explore the Tunisian capital, right in the heart of the city.

For more reasons to visit Tunisia with kids, I’ve got seven to tempt you in this post… or for more ideas of things to do in the city, check out my guide to 48 hours in Tunis

PIN FOR LATER: PALAIS BAYRAM HOTEL REVIEW

Disclosure: My stay was courtesy of Palais Bayram as part of a paid campaign with the Tunisian tourist board. All opinions and delight at sleeping in a very unusual bed are my own. Contains affiliate links: any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission.

Images copyright MummyTravels

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