Lazib Inn Resort & Spa

A Berber-inspired village house

Lazib Inn opened on 1 October 2015 in Tunis Village, on the heights overlooking Lake Qarun. Its founders, Olivier and Nanette Masson, designed the architecture and gardens themselves. The name pays tribute to the Berber houses of the Moroccan mountains, where the owner was born, and the hotel recreates the feel of a rural Egyptian house.

The hotel has 21 suites, which makes it a small house on the scale of the village. Fayoum draws mostly Cairenes at weekends; on Fridays and Saturdays the hotel and Tunis Village are busier than during the week.

Which suite

All suites have a fireplace, air conditioning, a whirlpool bath and breakfast included. What sets them apart is mainly the view: the quiet garden side, the pool side or the lake side. For a couple, a lake-side suite is worth the extra, since the view over Qarun at sunset is the reason to stay in Tunis Village. A family takes the Family Suite, the only one with two bathrooms. Check-in is at 3 pm and check-out at noon, local time; the hotel calls 24 hours before arrival to confirm the booking.

A day in Tunis Village

The day can be spent without leaving the hotel. It has three pools, all facing the landscape: two for families and one for adults only. The spa, Buddhist-inspired in design, sits at the foot of the hill: Turkish hammam, sauna, Moroccan bath rituals, aromatherapy, Balinese, sports and Thai massages, and an outdoor whirlpool to finish.

Two restaurants share the meals. Blue Donkey serves breakfast and a menu mixing American classics and Oriental flavours, indoors by the fireplace or on the terrace facing the lake; Il Lago, with its bar, opens onto the lake. The hotel highlights local and organic produce. Room service runs around the clock.

The hotel also organises outings nearby:

• a felucca ride on Lake Qarun, in the traditional sailing boat, and birdwatching;
• horse rides in the surroundings;
• a pottery workshop in the village, to shape your own piece, and outings devoted to Pharaonic Fayoum;
• in the evening, stargazing, garden barbecues and open-air film nights.

For Wadi al-Hitan and the Wadi el-Rayan waterfalls, a guided day by 4x4 can set out from Tunis Village: see our Fayoum page.

Sabaro's view

Who it's for: couples and families who want one or two quiet nights outside Cairo, between lake, desert and potters' village.

Strengths: 21 suites of 60 m² or more, all with fireplace and whirlpool bath; three pools, one for adults only; Lake Qarun views from the lake-side suites; a 4.7/5 rating on Tripadvisor from 377 reviews.

Good to know: the hotel does not display an official star rating; several reviews find prices high; at weekends Tunis Village receives many visitors from Cairo.