While it is true that Disney’s Star Wars experience is the closest you will get to experiencing life in the galaxy far, far away, the financial outlay is not for everyone. Thankfully, there’s a very much affordable alternative: Hotel Sidi Idriss.
So what’s so Star Wars–ish about this hotel? Well, it was the home of Lars family. That’s right. It’s Luke Skywalker’s home on the Tatooine, the desert planet located in the galaxy’s Outer Rim Territories best known for the brutal sandstorms, scorching heat, and two suns. And also for Tusken Raiders and Jawas.
The best part about Hotel Sidi Idriss is that you do not have a spaceship to get there. A regular commercial airliner will get you there because it is here on Earth, in the City of Matmata, Tunisia.
Located around 25 miles (40 km) from the oasis of Gabes, Hotel Sidi Idriss was formerly the filming location for Star Wars: A New Hope in 1976, and then again in 1997, 2000, and 2003. While it does not look exactly Lars family home as seen in the movies, the vibe remains:
“The hotel’s underground courtyard surrounded by troglodyte dwellings awaits you for an unforgettable intergalactic stay. Several humidity vaporizers and a large panel on which is installed an “electrostatic repeller” with a series of humidity control “sensors” remind visitors to the Hotel Sidi Driss of the main function of the Lars farm, namely : the hydroponic exploitation of the planet Tatooine.”
The experience is not limited to staying in Luke’s dwelling. For superfans of Star Wars, this would equate to a pilgrimage because the hotel team would be glad to show you around Ksar Hadada (Mos Espa), Sidi Bouhlel (Star Wars Canyons), Ksar Ouled Soltane (Mos Espa ), Chott el Gharsa, Sidi Jemour (Anchorhead, Mos Eisley) and the Igloo de Nefta (Ferme des Lars) where mythical scenes from Star Wars (Episodes I, II, III and VI) were filmed. I don’t believe there’s a Sandcrawler there, though.
As far as the hotel stay goes, it offers accommodation below the ground. The main reception leads to 20 separate guestrooms, connected via a series of echoing corridors and a circular courtyard. We heard prices for the room start at just US$64 a night.
Images: Hotel Sidi Idriss.