Just a 2 hour 20 minute flight from Paris, the five-star hotel La Badira – meaning «as bright as the full moon» in Arabic – is the MICE destination to discover in Tunisia. Positioned as adults-only and a member of the Leading Hotels of the World collection since its opening in 2015, the property captivates guests upon arrival with its elegance, blending the clean lines of its architecture and dazzling whiteness against the deep blue of the Mediterranean.
La Badira stands out for its small capacity: 130 rooms situated on the northern tip of the Bay of Hammamet, far removed from the all-inclusive hotels and mass tourism that have built the reputation of the Tunisian seaside resort. This exclusive aspect makes it a sought-after destination for an upmarket clientele and for their local and international corporate events: seminars, meetings, cocktail receptions, incentive trips or rewards.
To this end, the property features a vast MICE space comprising a ballroom (for 200 people in conference layout or 130 for dinner), a room that can be divided into two (up to 80 people), a small lounge (20 people) and a boardroom (10 people). The outdoor lawns, the Beach Grill overlooking the beach and the pleasant rooftop with a view of the bay are also used for dinners or cocktails. The impeccable service and the refined, inventive cuisine served in the four restaurants are further assets for a professional event. The restaurant dedicated to Tunisian cuisine is well worth a visit for its couscous, stuffed squid, confit lamb shank, rechta, kafteji and mechouia, among other dishes.
Refurbished rooms for the hotel's 10th anniversary
La Badira is also the comfort of its accommodation, with rooms that were renovated last year to mark the hotel’s tenth anniversary. Perfectly equipped and generously sized at 45 m2, these offer a relaxing setting where white also predominates. Four Nour suites, with a lounge and jacuzzi on the terrace, as well as six Legend suites, which are true 160 m² apartments2 with private swimming pool, complete the offering in a fine manner. They can be used, subject to availability, as sub-committee rooms. Once the meetings are over, guests can enjoy the outdoor swimming pools, the adjacent beaches or make their way in bathrobes to the hotel's Spa Clarins.
Spanning two levels, it houses a magnificent Moorish-style hammam, an indoor swimming pool and no fewer than 21 treatment rooms designed to offer a wide range of face and body treatments. And why not start with an invigorating traditional scrub before enjoying a long massage by expert hands? Mouna Allani Ben Halima, the dynamic owner of La Badira, oversees the smallest details of her establishment, whose success shows no sign of waning. So much so that this businesswoman is working on the opening of two other hotels in Tunisia that will bear the «by La Badira» label.
A break to discover Hammamet and its surrounding area
A stay at La Badira is also an opportunity to discover Tunisian culture and history. A fishing port, Hammamet has attracted many artists, writers, photographers and painters, led by Paul Klee, captivated by the colours and light illuminating its vast bay. Fortified in the 15thth century, the kasbah overlooks a medina of narrow alleyways lined with white fishermen's houses with colourful doors and carved lintels. Perched on the rampart, The Barberousse, a restaurant proudly championing local fish and seafood, is an institution.
Not far from there, the former home of the Romanian tycoon Georges Sebastian has become an international cultural centre, hosting colloquiums and exhibitions, as well as being used for conferences and private cocktail parties. Inspired by a traditional house from Zarzis revisited through an Art Deco lens, the villa, inaugurated facing the sea in 1927, has thus welcomed the French and American celebrities who launched the destination on the tourist map.
Next, a visit to Zriba Olya and Takrouma, two former Berber communities located to the west of the town, makes for an interesting trip. The ruins of the former, founded in the 17the century, have kept the vaults and bluish facades of the abandoned houses. Perched high up, these two villages deserve a preservation and restoration campaign. Each houses a mausoleum from which a magnificent panorama opens onto the Tunisian plain covered with olive, pomegranate and other lemon trees.
A day in Tunis
Near Tunis, an hour from the hotel but on the way to the airport, the ruins of the famous ancient city of Carthage and the village of Sidi Bou Said easily take up a day. The narrow streets of the famous village with its white Arab-Andalusian style houses and blue doors edged with bougainvillea are best explored on foot. However, owing to its UNESCO World Heritage status and high Instagram appeal, you have to jostle your way through the clusters of tourists.
Fortunately, the latter are absent from Baron Erlanger's villa. Situated at the foot of the village, it conceals an extraordinary Moorish interior and breathtaking views of the Gulf of Tunis from its terrace. Now the property of the Tunisian state, which has transformed it into the Centre for Arab Music, the villa houses the paintings of Rodolphe Erlanger as well as a historical collection of musical instruments. For MICE groups, the Dar Zarrouk restaurant is particularly well suited both for its decor, with its tree-lined courtyard and large dining room overlooking the Mediterranean, and for its cuisine featuring typically Tunisian flavours.
