Dar HI Hotel

A combination of contemporary boutique hotel, eco-resort, and informal guesthouse; Dar HI has been brought to the oasis town of Nefta in southwestern Tunisia by the owners of the Design Hotel in Nice, and is the creation of interior designer and architect Matali Crasset. Dar HI’s architecture is typical of the surrounding ochre coloured brick and palm wood houses with a twist of modernity. Accommodation is in 17 air-conditioned en suite rooms offering 3 different styles of accommodation: Piloti rooms, on concrete pillars, have a terrace with a shower and a lounge bed with views of the oasis; Troglodyte rooms are partially underground and naturally cool; while multi-bedroom Dune rooms are built on the sand. Televisions have been intentionally banished from the bedrooms, as have telephones. Dar HI’s public areas have a minimalist feel and feature an enormous open planned lobby, bar, and restaurant that leads onto a communal terrace, but also include a cosy library with open fireplace, and a tiny cinema where guests can watch television. Dining at Dar HI is table d’hôte style, with delicious Tunisian meals based on Nefta recipes and using homemade and locally sourced organic products, being served from an open kitchen. Next door is a self-serve refreshment alcove. The Hi Spa is integral to the ethos of the property and has massage rooms, steams baths, meditation space, and yoga room. Outside, the swimming pool is filled with warm spring water, and stairs cut through a cactus garden lead you into the shady oasis.

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