The Residence Tunis

Think of it as the other North African destination. Most well-heeled Europeans opt for Marrakech and its infinity of intimate riad hotels; for big-bucks haute-luxury flash, though, it’s hard to do much better than The Residence, on the beach at les Côtes de Carthage, twenty minutes from the center of Tunis.

A little walled-in courtyard mansion it certainly isn’t — the Residence is a little more monumental, a 170-room palace by the sea, the sort of place to disappear to, sure, but more importantly to be seen doing so. A handful of restaurants serve inspired Mediterranean cuisine, and the property is littered with places to lounge, either inside the atrium or around the grounds. The main pool is the place to catch sight of the aristocrats sunning themselves, and there’s a seawater pool beneath a towering dome, for a semi-private soak.

Rooms come with private terraces, some overlooking the gardens, others facing the vast swimming pool and the Mediterranean in the distance. Inside they’re spacious, with no comfort spared — king beds, marble baths and walk-in closets. The massive spa offers thalassotherapy treatments, something between a Roman bath, a Turkish hammam, and a high-tech modern wellness center, with 30 treatment rooms spread over 4,000 square meters — and for a bit of fresh air, there’s always the private beach club and a golf course by Robert Trent Jones Jr.

How to get there:
The Residence Tunis is approximately a 20 minute drive from Tunis Carthage International Airport.