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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - July 2005

Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : JDA - Highland (61,60,38,35,13,9,6)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Tunisia is a wonderful country and the Tunisians are lovely people, very friendly and pleased that you are visiting their country.
Remember this is North Africa - different culture, different way of life, different food, different way of doing things. Once you accept this you'll have a great time.

Hotel 'Le Saphir' (now 'Thalassa Saphir') I wouldn't rate as 3 star. It is a bit 'dated'. Rooms were basic but clean and comfortable. Rooms cleaned daily and occasional bunch of flowers. Food was good with a reasonable variety, well cooked and plenty of it even though it was a bit repetitive, however it is the only Tunisian hotel I've stayed in where you are not allocated a table for the duration of your stay, consequently meal times were chaotic. Food was not covered and there were flies everywhere. The staff were always very polite and helpful. A number of them wear yellow and blue uniforms with the logo 'Thalassa Friends' - very good at entertainment both for adults and children. Forget the all-inclusive option, not worth it. The grounds are well laid out and the pool spotless. However there was no lifeguard on duty and no lifesaving equipment. Annoying loud 'rap' music played throughout the day as well.
If there is something wrong with your room - i.e. air conditioning, plumbing etc they will promise you the earth but won't fix it. Demand a change of room through your rep.

On the down side the hotel was full of East Europeans who were just plain awful. They would steal anything they could lay their hands on and treated the restaurant as a 'takeaway' helping themselves to mountains of food which they then left lying all over the place along with empty Vodka bottles. Their children were thrown out of and barred from the games room after they wrecked the equipment three nights running.

Money changing could be difficult - the hotel kept running out of money and never really stuck to the advertised times. The Hotel 'Nesrine' (out the rear gate, turn right and 100m across the road) will change your money no problem within the listed times (take your passport).

There are much better hotels in Hammamet. I would not choose to go here again.
If the kids want chips, cheeseburger, ice cream etc try the 'Café Puput' (out the rear gate, turn left and 100m across the road beside the archaeological site). Very nice.
The beach is not 500m across the road as stated in the brochure, more like 750+ down a narrow road, round a few corners then another stretch of road. The beach was clean and watersports relatively cheap. Beware the beach traders.

Hammamet centre is just a taxi ride away. The cafes across the road from the Medina make nice tea/coffee and the 'Canari' café has superb fruit juices and ice cream.
Be prepared to be hassled in the Medina, its good fun if you can stand it. If you get something for a quarter/third of the price they want you are doing OK. If you find the hassle intimidating there are a number of fixed price shops.
The kids will love 'Carthage Land' theme park, again just a taxi ride away. They will also like the 'Noddy Train' which runs into Hammamet. Times listed at Hammamet Village reception, Go early as the train often leaves before the time.
Tours are good value for money (approx £20 per adult for a full day incl lunch)
Beware Monastir Airport on your journey home. The prices are dreadful - '3 Mars Bars Sir? - that will be £6 thank you'.

The airline (from Glasgow) is Karthago - old Boeing 737's but plenty of legroom with first class cabin crew. Soft drinks on board are free but there is no in-flight entertainment.

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours  -  Karthago Airlines  - July 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Zoe Davidson - Glasgow  ( 15,15,35 )

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just got back from our two week holiday in Tunisia.  If you want a relaxing, sunny, holiday with great nightlife, then this is the place to go!

The staff at this hotel are so helpful and they can't do enough for you and we can't fault them in any way.A big hello to Abdul and Mohammed, the waiters! The hotel rooms are extremely well kept, with clean towels every day and on many occasions, fresh flowers are arranged neatly along with your nightshirts on the beds.
We stayed in room 111 which had a terrace which we were quite glad about because during the day it was a suntrap and you could sit outside on the the patio in privacy, as this side of the hotel was quite secluded with overhanging palm trees and well kept gardens.

Like a lot of people in this hotel, the downside was not having a fridge and we were quite concerned about how we were going to keep water cool in the room but we found that if you kept the water in the bathroom it stayed cool for a long time.  The rooms were very satisfactory with comfortable beds, lots of storage space, air-conditioning and a dressing table, which is very handy for getting ready to go out at night!
The only other problem with the hotel is that they usually have no money left to cash your travellers cheques but if you go to Hotel Paradis accross the road, they'll be happy to exchange your money.
The pools were very clean and well kept and the surrounding lounging area was very peaceful and not overcrowded with people which was nice, but do expect to de dragged into doing water aerobics!

The food was quite good if you don't mind having to fight the Polish to get to it! There were plenty of salads, cous cous and freshly prepared pasta, cooked by Faycal, HI! Not forgetting pizza and chips, along with freshly baked rolls, lovely soups and barbequed meat such as turkey, chicken and tuna.For dessert it was usually fresh watermelon(delicious!)and mini cakes.We stayed half board which suited us as there were a few family owned cafes round about which served lovely home made chips complete with ketchup for a taste of home and were very good value for money.

The entertainment team were very friendly and tried their best for the evening entertainment but it wasn't up to much.  Some nights there was a cabaret show and a magic show which were good but it was mostly bingo, quizzes, and karaoke.Big hellos to Emma, Nikko, and luvly Rio!

The beach is about a 10 minute walk away through a wide,clean alleyway with large cacti on one side and a tall wall on the other.The beach is beautiful with gorgeous, soft, white sands and the sea is so refreshing for a paddle.  Even though the temperature was constantly around 40 degrees, there was a lovely breeze which kept us cool.
During our stay we went on three excursions.  We went on the Road To Carthage where we went to the capital of Tunis and went to the hilltop village of Sidi Bou Said, Nabeul market where we had the chance to do some haggling and grab a few bargains and we went to Friguia Park where we had a 6 course meal, watched the zulu dancers and had the chance to ride a camel for only 2 dinars, which was quite an experience!

The nightlife in Hammamet was fantastic with many bars and clubs just a few minutes away in a taxi.  The British Bar, a 10 minute walk away was exellent with friendly bar staff and you got the chance to smoke the Hubbly Bubbly pipe, which was also another experience!  Another bar, next to this one is Las Palmas which we went to all the time. There are break dancers puting on shows every night, which are fantastic and there is also karaoke.  The bar staff are also very friendly and can't do enough for you.  a BIG hi to all of the breakdancers and a big shout out to Yvonne,Alan,Chloe and Callum!

All in all this holiday was the best holiday I have ever been on and I am definitely going back!

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Keith Harding- liverpool

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

returned to this hotel after 13 years to see if the high standards had improved.
arrived sunday night at 1100pm had booked two double rooms,gasp hotel had overbooked no two rooms available.was then up graded to all inclusive and put in a family room at the village.myself .wife, 20 year old and 11 year old daughter what a mess  bare and scruffy over looking a derelict waste land.decided to go to the bar for a drink suprise bars close at 1100pm although you can pay for a drink.complained the next morning about the room could not understand why i was complaining as we were up graded. no rooms available as over booked got the rep involved told that july and august was the peak time and both myself and her would over book to make money(what a quote)then offered rooms next to each other in the hotel with a view over the pool very pleasant. but could not take till wedensday till guests moved out. no more complaints about the room.

FOOD AND DRINK
by far the worse food ever presented both in quality and choice in my years of travel it often consisted of yesterdays left overs dressed in a different way and was hard to look at never mind eat the same boring menu day after day. the hygene in the food area was gross with if you missed the first sitting at a table you would not get a clean table and would have to hunt for knife and fork.drinks in the inclusive bar was one per person so if your partner or children required a drink you would all have to go.
pool area and grounds
first class well maintained

entertainment
during the day the staff did there best fun if you want to join in night time BINGO with the shout of house every time a number is called out
STAFF
i found them pleasant and friendly just implementing the stupid bar rule.
the owner came down after the second week and took personel control what a difference always around noticed a imediate change in the hygene in the food area (but what when he is not there)it transpired that a contract as been signed with the poles which fills the hotel weekly with there nationals, resulting with the drop in standards and tighter control on bar drink by the way the poles love the food.since my last visit very few brits and germans a few french mainly poles

this is one hotel i will not be returning to.there is still a lot of good hotels in the area you must try yasmine with its new hotels and the next port kantoue you can have a could value for money holiday with 30-40 degree of heat with a lovely night time breeze excellant beech eat where the locals eat value and good food

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson July 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Sunderland Lisa + Debbie 19 + 41

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

When we booked late deal we were guaranteed 3t or above. When we arrived at the hotel at 4am we were directed to our room which was in Hammamet Village. it turned out to be a small room with the windows blocked in. no direct sunlight into our room. also the balcony doors woud'nt shut properly and we could'nt sleep. However in the morning we complained and were situated in the main building.It was a hundred percent better. Very clean and basic.

The main pool was packed and so we had to go back around to Hammamet village pool, which wasnt too bad. lots of activities during the day and the entertainment staff spoke good english. overall there was about 900 people in the hotel with about 50 english.

the food was terrible so we decided to gout to the british latino down the street, the pizzas were lovely. although on your way down people were coming up to us to go into other places, and chatting us up. the food hygiene in the hotel was realy poor with flys hovering everywhere you looked.

the night life was awesome, the Britsh bar, british latino and las palmas have great entertainment after 12pm such as breakdancers, dj's, karaoke. entertainers etc.

the weather was fairly good - lots of sun, some cloud and 3 little thunderstorms 3 times that week which only lasted for 20 minutes max.

Overall i enjoyed this holiday but the food hygiene is appalling. it really freaked me out when we were walkin towards pubs and restaurants, people were coming up to us getting us into their shops to buy things, they were promoting bars everywhere. and they stop everyone in their tracks.

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Hotel Le Saphir / Hammamet village - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours May 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Tina Innocent  Nottinghamshire (36,33,12,5)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just arrived back from Le saphir. We had booked HB in the Village but were informed on arrival that it was closed, so we were put in the hotel. They gave us a very large family room which we were more than happy with, although we had no facilities to prepare our own food.

we were dissapointed that infact there were no airtours staff at the hotel and no real kids clubs as the brochure had stated.They had finished the year prior. The entertaining staff were very nice, but the entertainment both daily and nightly was almost non existant until the Polish arrived then they seemed to go out of their way to entertain them.

The hotel and grounds are immaculate, and the staff very friendly, most speaking good english. Maids cleaned our room daily and on occations put fresh flowers in the room and on the beds, which was a nice touch.

the rep always seems to be in a hurry.
We upgraded the second week to all inclusive as it worked out to be cheaper than eating in the hotel or in the very limited restaurants nearby. The cost was 13 pounds per adult and 6.75 per child a day. This was great until the polish arrived and took the p1ss out of it then the manager started to change the rules, which was a bit of a pain.

We did complain about not informing us of the changes about the kids clubs and not being told about the village being closed and the rep reimbersed us our money for all inclusive plus a bit more, 400 pounds.

All in all a good holiday, plenty of sun, plenty to eat and drink, nice people, nice place, we will return to tunisia and maybe this hotel if the management changes! Have a good one!

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thompsons - 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : vicky,paul & lewis

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Totally unacepptable we paid for our first half board holiday close to 1000.00
only to be treat like second rate citizens
not only to the polish who seemed to be having a really good time (especially in the rugby scrum commanly know as breakfast& dinner time) but to the people who had booked all inclusive we felt decived from start to finish.

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : 37,32,11,6

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Well, where can i start with this.  the hotel grounds is surrounded by a wall with about 3 gates to it which are guarded at all times to stop the locals coming in and begging.  The grounds are very nice but outside the grounds is a different world (what a dump) looked quit dangerous in the night time too with gangs on every corner who stare at you. As soon as you leave the hotel (day or night) and go outside you are pounced on by the locals to buy something from them and they don't take no for an answer..can get stressing especially if you have your kids with you.  

The hotel activity staff was terrible, they had no idea of anything and the entertainment was terible and repetative with them playing the same CD (which had about 8 tracks on it) over & over again, day and night.  Placed next the pool was a speaker about the same size of a washing machine which blasted the above all day long. The restaurent had 2 entrances to it and the doors had to be left open at eating times due to them not putting on the air-conditioning (penny pinching, no doubt) and because of this you were plagued by hundreds of flies all the time and so was the food which i might add was the same every day and of por standard (i came back looking like a piece of pasta) as that is all they kept on serving. 

I know that i am not allowed to mention names but i feel that i must tell anybody who is thinking of going to this hotel,  There is a male member of the staff who constantly kept trying to get with my partner and other women and girls too. The second week that we were there, his women friend (one of many, no doubt) came to visit him from Scotland and stayed at this hotal.  This did not stop him and thinking back now, i should have gone to the manager about him and i nearly came close to punching him in the face the one night but my partner seen this coming and stepped in. I let it go as we only had 3 days left.  

No doubt that this hotel will be a cheaper option for many customers but take my advice and pay the extra to stay in another resort as this one is a nightmare since the English had enough a year ago and handed it over to the German Travel Agents.

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours November 2004

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Good points:
Clean pool, rooms and area.
Food - hot and filled the spot nicley. Nothing amazing but bearing in mind mass production 3 star. Resturant clean and waiters wonderful.

Bad Points:
Bar and snack bar staff very rude and expectant of money ALL THE TIME! You will not get any service unless you keep tiping to the point that you have no money left. To be honest the staff were awful in the bar, they begrudged you asking for anything (which defeats the object of their job) Watch out for reception when you exchange money as they will rip you off. One family we met had been done out of 80 pounds.

Don't have your picture taken with Sam on the beach he will also try to rip you off as he did to two other coulpes we met. His pictures are cr*p and you can do them better yourself.
You can not go shopping without being hassled to death. If the shop/stall owners stopped shouting etc their shops would be full of people brousing at there own will and willing to buy. We didn't buy anything until the duty free shop at monistir airport.

The beach was down a long alley which had dead rats and cammel poo down it and we got shouted by bulders going down which didn't impress the children at all. There was broken glass and rubish all in the sand, not ideal for little ones to play in.
Because we came in November the entertainement had some how stopped and we were failed to be informed the kids club stopped on the 31st october which meant there were about 20 bored kids.
Would we go back to Tunisia - NEVER!

My advice if you've already booked to this hotel is take advantage of the trips out because you will need them.

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - October 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Steph Ranger - Southampton (11,12, 33, 40, 42, 51

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Four of our party have been to this complex  on 3 previous occasions, the last being 2 years ago. Nothing like it used to be! We thought we were going to get an action packed, fun holiday in a busy complex. What we got was more like a Saga holiday!
Hotel: Rooms were clean enough but everywhere is in dire need of refurbishment.
Satellite TV: Never got to use this facility as the waiters were always busy watching Tunisian programmes and refused to change channels, even for the kids!

Food: Nothing short of diabolical! We love foreign cuisine so it wasn't a case of us being fussy. Breakfast consisted of bran flakes as the only cereal, eggs every day with either tomatoes in tumeric or kidney beans in a spicy sauce, melon and mouldy looking grapes, bread rolls with aniseed, fig and apricot jam & a poor excuse for a croissant. No toast, no butter. Milk & dishes made with milk tasted like soap. We later found out that cheap milk was being used to cut costs as the hotel is apparently on the verge of closing. Evening meals were not quite as bad but still not much variety with the same pudding every night. Hence we ate out a few times. Cups were chipped and dirty and tables were only laid for those who gave tips to waiters.

Entertainment: Appalling! Nowhere near the standard we are used to. The team couldn't organise a bun fight in a bakery! If it wasn't for our crew, there would have been no audience participation in the evenings. Apart from the bingo, magic show and the kids talent show (which included our kids and 3 others) the rest of it was awful. In particular, the cabaret shows put on by the team. It was embarrassing to watch. On one evening, all the hotel guests got up and left as one girl attempted to sing. We felt sorry for her and stayed out of courtesy but avoided the next show where she did an hour slot to an empty room. As for daytime activities, hardly anyone joined in but then again you can hardly blame them when there was only one dart and the table tennis table had more divots than a golf course and looked like its edges had been chewed by a camel. The pool tables had no felt and the white ball had chunks out it!
Airtours are pulling out the entertainment team at the end of October '04 so the hotel will have to supply its own team.

Pools: Main one was covered in algae and on one occasion there was a brown gunge coming out of the filters, resulting in the attendants adding chemicals while guests were swimming. There were also a few sharp broken tiles on the bottom and pool lights had electrical wires left uncovered on the poolside.

Staff: Pleasant to start with but there was an ulterior motive....tips! Rude if you complained about anything and then their service dropped off (they would often forget to order your drinks). They expected tips and were not very appreciative of small ones. One guy gave his room cleaner 10 dinars (£5) on departure and she said "that's no good to me!" They can't be that hard up if she can refuse a tip equivalent to a quarter of her weekly salary!

Medinas: I loved the haggling but the men did maul the women and prevented us from passing their shops without hassle. If you said 'no thankyou' or you were 'just browsing' and 'may come back later', you were met with shouts of 'liar' and an aggressive manner. Be careful of the leather goods as some are only part leather. The gold is fake unless you get it from a Gov't shop. You can get real silver but check it is stamped 925.

Eating Out: Pizzas everywhere you look! However we did find a decent restaurant called Cascades. Not an extensive A La Carte menu but you could get steaks & seafood. Expensive by Tunisian standards but cheap in comparison to what you would pay in the UK. Things don't taste the same as at home though. We had peppered steak and it was cheese sauce with peppercorns.

Airport: Before you get off the coach the porters will have your suitcases on a trolley and will not part with them. Expect to get some grief if you don't tip more than 2 dinars. The toilet cleaners also expected tips. We had one follow us around all the shops with her trolley because she saw we had some dinars to spend!

Overall Opinion: I read plenty of reviews on this hotel and most people, like my sister who has been before, have been pleased with the food. entertainment and service. In comparison to the package holidays I have experienced, Le Saphir was like a very, very poor version of Pontins with untalented entertainers, disgusting food and staff who are nice and friendly as long as you are tipping.
We met with two other families and none of us intend to go back.
Ages: Kids: 18 months,3,5,7,8,9,10,11,12.
Adults: 18,23,26,28,30,32,33,38,40,41,51

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: air tours aug 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : jones clan - south wales (33,32,12,9)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

to us, the saphir is one of them chill out lay back and take it easy holidays, the complex is fab,spotless and the staff are hard working and can't do enough to please you. food is outstanding my rugrats where well into the burgars and pizzas (as it shows in our expanding waist line).the weather is outstandly hot with a fab breez. air tours staff were brill at entertaining the kids thanks jono,lauren and della saddly jono was leaving the day after us and mike is taking over.

i want go on any more, go find out for yourselves.

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Paul Sims - Nottingham (44,39,11,9)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hammamet town is in two parts - the new Hammamet Yasmin to the south and the old town to the north. "Le Saphir" is about halfway between the two and a few hundred metres from the excellent beach.

The rooms could do with a fresh coat of paint, but apart from that we had no cause to grumble...well, almost - the toilet was built into an alcove in the bathroom, leaving almost no room for adult legs. This resulted in both my wife and myself having to use the loo "side-saddle"!

Food is pretty good, although the menu rolls around each week and the temptation to eat out grows more as time goes on. DRinks are pretty fairly priced (2 TD or a quid for a bottle (300ml) of beer). DO NOT DRINK THE TARDI WINE!!!! It's ok for cleaning brass though :-) There is a brew-pub selling their own German-style Helle, Dunkle and Weiss beers a couple of hundred metres down the road at similar prices to the standard larger sold elsewhere.

There are two pools, a large rectangular one and a smaller "fun pool", served by pizzeria, burger bar and many waiters.

Culture-vultures will appreciate the Pupput Roman archaeological site across the road from the hotel, with a nice local cafe next to it where you can sip mint tea after looking round the ruins.

The beach is fabulous, probably 2 miles of uncrowded sand with dirt-cheap watersports (25 dinar for 2 to go paragliding - less than 12 quid, for instance). The energetic can walk the beach in either direction to the Yasmin marina or the old town without too much hassle. Taxis are cheap - 3 dinar will get you to either end of town too. There is a water park between Yasmin and the next town, Nabeul, and a small theme park (Carthage World) for the kids in Yasmin. Oh, and an ice rink!!

Local trips include a camel expedition, lasting a good couple of hours, I changed my opinion about camels after this trip - the one I rode in Egypt certainly had a bad attitude, the Tunisian camels are a much more laid-back breed.

All in all we had a lovely time, and we would definitely go back. 

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Julie Miller - Nottinghamshire (34, 29, 10, 7)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I booked to go on a 3* Tunisia AI Saver as I was assured that you cannot go wrong if you book 3* in Tunisia, believe me you can.  

The only thing that I knew about this hotel from the reviews was that they charge you for the bottled water even on an all-inclusive basis. 

The entrance lobby was clean and smart and the reception staff was very efficient and friendly.  The porters almost run to help you with the cases as they earn very little and make most of their money through tips. I was lead along a corridor to the left of the reception through 3 sets of swing doors where it gets quite dark. 

I was given room 125 and honestly I was gutted, I sat and cried. It was quite a small room and the smell was terrible, it was on the ground floor and it overlooked a tree and a high hedge, there was no sunlight on that side which is why I think it smelt. The room had two single beds a built in dresser, antiquated wardrobes and the whole feel was BLEAK.  I was moved across the hall the following day, this room did not smell and overlooked the pool, the room was basic and the toilet was cracked but the room was very clean.  I could not get over the fact that there wasn't a fridge in the room. 

The maid comes in every day to clean and sometimes decorates the beds with flowers.  The gardens were well kept and there were two good-sized pools.  

The entertainment was average, the best part was the bingo with Mohammed who was predictable but so funny. The beach is approx 10 min walk and can be covered in seawead in places. The weather never dropped below 40 the whole time we were there although it did rain one day. 

The worst thing about Le Saphir was the food, I probably had about 2 or 3 good meals while I was there, the breakfasts were always the same; cereal with warm milk, some kind of egg with sautéed potatoes and either haricot beans in tomato sauce or baked tomatoes, cheese and salami with salad or really doughy croissants.  Lunch was usually yesterday's leftovers or salad and dinner could be anything.  They did do a nice beef casserole and Sunday dinner and there was a pasta day, which was quite good, but on four occasions we looked at the menu and decided to go out instead.  

Really good places to eat out are; Le Gourmet which is opposite the Manhattan night club I went here twice and the food was lovely approx £17 per head with wine; Chez Achour which is near the old medina it specializes in seafood but I had a steak again, this was fabulous and filled mostly with well off Tunisians which says something about the place.  For a family of four eating 3 courses with a bottle of wine and a couple of soft drinks each and a substantial tip cost about £45 BARGAIN; Sidi Slim is also quite exclusive and frequented mainly by Tunisians, absolutely stunning myself and my husband ordered Chateaubriand and this was wheeled part cooked to the table and finished off in front of us they flambéed it and sliced it at the table and made the sauce, my son had a fish which he chose from a tray, this was cooked in salt and brought to the table where it was taken out of the salt and filleted in front of us.  My daughter had the Couscous which is nothing like at home, it is quite dry and is served in a large dish topped with large chunks of vegetables and a piece of your chosen meat and accompanied with a gravy boat. We had wine, soft drinks, starters and sorbets and it cost about £60 including tip. 

We went on an organized trip to Carthage which was quite good, bear in mind that although lunch is included drinks are not and if you go to the museum in Sidi Bou Said the entrance fee is also extra.    We arranged with somebody else to go to Dougga and stopped of in a small village for a drink, the only spoken language was Arabic and it only cost 2 TD for four bottles of coke, coffee and again a tip.  Compare this to the 10 TD you would pay in most resorts. We also went to Nabul Medina at Yasmin Hammamet. 

To round off the holiday, Tunisia is lovely, the majority of the people are fantastic, Le Saphir is vey basic and I would debate that it is 3*.

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Babs Y. - Edinburgh (33,29,7,6)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just came back from Le Saphir Hotel.  It was spotlessly clean, that's including the room and round the pool area.  There were 2 pools to choose from, and the water was nice and cool. Entertainment for kids who could not swim was a bit poor as daytime activities included water polo and mini water olympics. Children had to pay a fee to join the Airtours Kids Club which wasn't advertised very well so we didn't know about it until the end of our 7 night stay.

Entertainment at night was a bit like Butlins, including quizes and bingo (every night!).  Caberet shows were excellent and the entertainment staff were funny and had good singing voices. 

The food at the hotel was excellent. There is a pizzeria for all-inclusive as well as for half-board customers. Plenty burgers and filled rolls.  The restaurant was great as you had a designated table that you sat at every day so there were no hunting for an vacant table everytime! There was always plenty pasta dishes, beef, chicken, turkey, chips, and lovely salads to choose from.  Came back home about 3 pounds heavier!!!  

The weather was great too - in the 40s all week so go a good tan!  Staff in the all-inclusive bar could be a bit more cheery! We asked them if they lived on tips and they said they get plenty wages so don't need tips - so don't feel guilty if you don't leave them any cash! Rooms were cleaned every day as were the balconies.

Be warned for the porters at Monastir Airport as they try to help you with your luggage to take to the bus, but want a tip! They are already pre-paid by Direct Holidays and other companies!

All in all, it was a great holiday and I would definitely go back!

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Ella - York

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

You either loved this hotel or you hated it, I'm one of the Haters! 

The hotel has One main restaurant, a pizzeria and a pool snack bar all of which have a ltd selection of food choices. The pizzeria does make a fantastic pizza but with only 4 choices of toppings you are restricted once again with choice. As a couple we found the hotel would have been fantastic had we had children although concerns around hygiene levels may have intervened! The enterntainment team were fantastic if not slightly amaturist... with only one who seemed to really enjoy putting on the shows!

There is little to do outside of the hotel other than venture into Hammamet Yasmine, a place that looks wonderful by night but horrendous by daylight. We felt it just wasn't worth the hassel you get to buy things. On the way in from the airport we were informed about the westernisation of Tunisia and my only feelings on this is that this hotel has taken all of the bad parts of western culture and rolled them into one place. 

Yes the staff are lovely, if not a little expectent of frequent tips and yes we did enjoy our time in Tunisia, would we return? not in a million years.

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - July 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Ceri - South Wales (41,39,15,13)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just got back after booking an AOA last minute 3* AI. The hotel was immaculately clean, 2 super pools, well maintained grounds. Food was great,well presented and plentiful but the restaurant was a little cramped.The snacks that were available (Pizza's, burgers, rolls ) were also great,but because the food was so good we didn't need them.

The entertainmaint was too much "Butlinesque" for our liking but other guests really seemed to enjoy it and the staff were enthusiastic without being pushy. Young children in particular seemed to enjoy and the grounds were so big that you could easily escape from it.

Getting around the location was easy, Taxis were plentiful & cheap (£2 for the 4 miles to Hammamet). Beach was about a 7 minute walk away down a paved path, watersports very reasonably priced. All in all a great holiday.

What was pleasing is that we looked at the Panorama brochure on our return and can confirm that it accurately describes the Hotel.

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel - Nov 2003

Opinion submitted in Dec 2003 by : Doug - Coventry (45)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Booked this on the MyTravel website, despite spending hundreds of pounds by credit card, they can't be bothered to send a confirmation email, had to phone up to check it was booked.

Flights were okay return flight got back early. The hotel was fine, getting on a bit and the seats in reception could do with a clean, but the room was in good condition, nice to have plenty hot water and good plumbing, unlike Greece.

The food was fine, nothing special, it was hot and properly cooked, which is the main thing, every day there was a beef dish, chicken pieces and fish pieces. Some of the beef dishes like chilli and steak pie were very tasty.

Entertainment was in the disco in the  Hammamet village, the Airtours crew did a pretty good job, with something different every night, better than I expected.

Outside the hotel was like a ghost town, this was November, all the bars were open but empty, even in the daytime, trying to find a cash machine or a cheap supermarket was difficult, unless you went to Hammamet.

Hammamet has the medina, which is okay to look at from the outside, but there really isn't much to see inside, just a few narrow lanes and some anoying shopkeepers, the road that heads away from the sea has a better selection of shops.

The beach looked quite good, its about 10 mins away, out the back door of the hotel, was mostly empty when I was there, still locals trying to sell stuff to the few tourists.

The sahara tour was the best trip I have ever done on holiday, worth going to Tunisia just for this, Carthage trip was not so good, only one roman baths site and the Bardo museum worth seeing, lots of time in Tunis traffic, probably better doing Tunis by train, if you can find the railway station in Hammamet.

Weather was a bit cloudy some days, okay for walking around but no good for the sun bathers, a lot of people were cold on the sahara trip, even though it was sunny both days.

I might go back to Tunisia but would try another resort for a change. Not a bad holiday overall.

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - Sept 2003

Opinion submitted in Jan 2004 by : Becki Johnson - Stoke-on-Trent (18, 18, 42, 13, 4)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

this is truely one of my best holidays that i have ever been on. i have been to the La Saphir twice now and been to Tunisia 4 times in total. i have already booked up to go next year in april and then in august.

as you can probably tel i think that it is very good. the reason for this is the staff at the hotel. i have stayed at other hotels and the staff at those are definately in no comparrison to those at La Saphir. they are very good with all the children and treat them so well by paying them attention to make them feel special.

the entertainment team is especially good. everytime i have been there as been the team who remember you and make you feel like you really belong there. we went to another hotel in the summer and visited the La Saphir and they treated myself and my friend who had never been to tunisia before, like royalty and that is what makes it so special.

Nejib and Mohammed were new this year but they still made us feel welcome and we told them that we had been there before and they were so pleased that we had decided to come back. they remembered us from the summer when we visited and we didnt even speak to them.

the entertainment at night was brilliant, with the likes of bingo and cabaret performed by the staff.
the entertainment after the shows was the disco. the Dj was fantastic and very friendly. DJ Karim made sure we fitted in and sat with us so we were ok.

the food in the hotel is English so you don't have to worry about having to put up with a different cultures food for your duration. this was good because my 4 year old sister is very picky with her food, but not only was there English food there was there food that the tunisians eat and also they catered for italians too.

the rooms were well furnished and if you stay in the Hammamet Village which is the same hotel but the apartments for the La Saphir - on the same premises, you get a fridge so you can put food and drink from the snack bar in for when you go back your room at the end of the night.

this holiday is one that i would recommend and next year will definately not be the last time that i visit.

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - Aug 2003

Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : Catherine Winn - Durham (36,28,9,7)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Upon first arrival in the resort we had a massive culture shock if you are looking for spain this is not it. But as the first couple of days went on it just got better the hotel was very clean with bedding and towels changed daily. the food was fine although some people will never be pleased we had no complaints. Childrens club reps in the hotel were great with always something to do for the children. We were half board and I could not have justified the £80 extra per person per week to upgrade to all inclusive.We took a taxi to the medhina we were only there for 10 mins and took a taxi back as the locals are very pushy and the children did not enjoy it.

From the local beach (10min walk) we went on a boat trip from the "sundrenched cafe" (NOT TO BE MISSED). on the trp we snorkled over a WW2 ship wreck had a beautiful BBQ and then went in search of the dolphins if you don't see them they take you out again for free. This was a fantastic day out and the kids loved it not a boring moment. The beach is amazing and unspoilt food in the "sundrenched Cafe" is lovely.

We also took a two day trip Sahara discovery which took us on a 700mile trip around Tunisia although a long way not to be missed and well worth it. We saw the most amazing sights and experienced the best holiday ever!
THE ONLY THING THAT LET THE HOLIDAY DOWN SLIGHTLY WERE A HANDFUL OF ENGLISH TOURISTS WHO GO ON HOLIDAY TO SHOW THEMSELVES AND THE COUNTRY THEY COME FROM UP.

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours- june 2003

Opinion submitted in Nov 2003 by : louise N Ireland 8, 16,18,29,30,42,54

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Havin already been to hammamet three times we were looking forward to it and were highly surprised when we arrived at hotel le saphire. We ususlly tyravel an a large group this time their were 15 of us in total ages ranging from 8 to 54. the hotel was lovely very clean and the staff were extrtemly polite. The children are well catered for by the airtours rep and the entertainments manager 'Splash'. Bingo is a nightly event not to be missed however reserve your seats early as they are hard to get.

We were all-inclusuve customers and it was well worht the money the food was lovely, we arrived on a sunday to roast beef and yorkshire puds. The 2 pools were large and clean and sunloungers were free. It is located a short walk form the beach which is very clean and good for water sports. in tunisia it is polite to give tips but if you are an all inclusive customer this expence is already paid for you. 

overal a very enjoyable stay.

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson -march 2003

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : David,Karen, Mirin, Jimmy, 39,37,3,66.

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Room on the top floor,no lifts and we had a pram, Room was great had a super kingsize bed me and my husband got lost in it even if our daughter was in with us we also had two single beds as well their was plenty of room in the room we looked over the pool area this had lovley palm trees all round about.

The menu was displayed for each meal time giving you plenty of time to know what you where having My father only eats FISH, CHICKEN, EGGS. He is also diabetic which can cause problems but all we done when we entered the dinning room was speak to the restrant manager and he arranged an alternative for him with no problems. 

The Bingo caller was very good with his calling out the numbers very funny. Our porter was always their to help us into our room he always opened our door for us he appeared from no where. If you have a child with blonde hair be carefull as the tunisians think if they touch her head this will bring them luck the bus driver asked if we would take our daughter off the bus for the school children to touch her this was childer in secondary school we refused keep a close eye on your children

Camel trip was good better that others but better to go on the camels than on the horse and buggy as my father did and they race one another that is the horse and buggies with about eight people in them.
Beach was very nice white sands.

Hotel will give you vouchers if you are all inclusive to use on the pub on the beach for your lunch this would give you a filled roll or chips and a bottle of beer or juice or coffee.
The staff at the hotel very freindly we would go back this holiday was AOA.   

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - March 2003

Opinion submitted in Apr 2003 by : David and Amanda (36, 34)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

If you have an open mind, a willingness to learn about a new culture and like adventures, enjoy sightseeing as well as sunbathing, then this country will definitely appeal to you.

Tunisia is NOT ENGLAND.  Yes, the standards of hygiene in some establishments are not as high as ours, but what it is lacking in these areas, the warmth of the people and the feel of the place definitely make up for.  

And now onto the hotel ... Le Saphir Hotel in Hammamet is a 3 star hotel set a couple of miles away from Hammamet town centre.  It comprises of a large airy reception leading out onto the terrace, which leads onto the main swimming pool site, which then backs out onto the main road where there is a small path leading to the beach, about 10 mins walk away.  It's sister hotel, Hammamet Village also adjoins the complex, and guests can use either hotels. 

Staff are friendly and polite, and can't do enough to help you.  The Hotel uses a voucher scheme, you buy them at Reception and are in 1 dinar format.  This can then be used to buy drinks and lunchtime meals.

I would advise anyone not to pay for the all inclusive option.  In my opinion this is a big rip-off.  When you arrive at the hotel, you will be asked if you wish to upgrade to all inclusive - DON'T.  For an extra £80 it just is not worth it.  If you are doing a lot of sightseeing, you won't be in the hotel anyway come lunchtimes and we spent a lot of time in Hammamet centre as well as on trips.  We only ate one meal at lunchtime in the hotel, this consisted of a chicken sandwich and a portion of chips between 2 of us, this came to about £3-4 with a coke and a beer!  Therefore, if you ate this everyday (and you don't want much more than a sandwich at lunch) you would only spend about  £30 between the both of you !!!!!!  The only persons I think this would benefit is if you were drinking a lot of alcohol - but even so, I can't imagine how one could drink £80 in a week!

I found Hammamet was an absolutely stunning place with a delightful Arabic feel to it.  We made our "home" at the Brauhaus which is the café/bar-come-restaurant where the German beer is produced.  Overlooking the Medina, you get a stunning array of the palm trees dotted on the beech over looking the fishermen weaving their nets.  The beach is absolutely golden sands with a blue sea backdrop, really is wonderful.

A word of warning though - be careful in the Medina where you WILL get hassled.  It might be worth trying to go with your Holiday Rep on a visit there - where they will leave you alone to a great extent.  We did this option and didn't venture in there again.  But walking around the streets we were largely unhassled, apart from the old "hello I'm the waiter from your hotel" spiel by the odd optimist.  But we were prepared, and said "oh no, I'm from Sousse on a daytrip" and that works wonders - they'll just go away.  (Big tip here - just keep walking when you're talking - that also works a treat).

There are also a number of fixed price shops too in Hammament - just ask your Rep to tell you where, and in these you can browse to your heart's content.  Also along the main street is a lovely café bar where you can have a coffee or ice cream (the oranges are piled up like pyramids outside) - lovely!

Beware also of the beach traders who'll try to sell you camel / horse rides, stuffed toy camels, and little bits of pottery - don't be ripped off!  They're much cheaper in the fixed price shops.  Just say no thank you - and KEEP WALKING . remember ..aahh yes .. I can see ..You're getting the hang of it now .. Just like I did!!  You'll also get the little children bringing you flowers especially more in Hammamet of an evening, but I did ignore them too (very hard to do as they're so sweet) and they went away although I have to say they were very persistent.

But aside from this (and bearing in mind Tunisia is a very poor country - the average earn only £30/40 per week) Tunisia is a wonderful country - full of treasures to be discovered.  It boasts a real wealth of cultural experiences to offer.  You'll see all sorts of sights while you're there - people on donkeys, donkey carts, carts full of sheep, it's really like going back in time a century or two into almost biblical times.  A word of warning though if you're an animal lover like me, you will see them slaughtering sheep by the side of the road, hanging them up ready to eat.  I suppose this is just like me (and I am a meat eater, I hold my head in shame) going to the shops for a pack of chops or bacon, but their way of life is primitive, and who am I to say it's wrong, but it did upset me slightly when I saw the other sheep standing there knowing it was their turn next, but, that's how it is here.

Food is relatively cheap too.  For 37 dinar (£18) we had a mixed grill, a steak with all the trimmings, a bottle of Magon (excellent red wine similar in taste to an Australian Shiraz) and 2 chocolate mousses.  Not bad eh !  We were so happy we tipped madly.

We only went for a week's holiday and went on the Sahara Desert Explorer trip which lasted 2 days.  It was a very memorable trip, and I would say well worth it.  (For more information about this trip, please check out ciao.co.uk website on general Tunisia reviews - my name is Hogwash!).

We also went to Nabeul market - absolutely amazing, again this is included in my review.  Do not buy the tour rep's market trip though - just get yourself there in a taxi, it's about £10 cheaper.

We ended our holiday by taking a walk along the beach to the latest tourist development site, Yasmine Hammamet.  Boasting a man-made Medina and a Marina, Yasmine is one of the most biggest tourist developments of its kind.  Construction work is still underway, however this is all due to be finished this year (2003).  Go and have a look it's truly amazing! 

When complete, Yasmine will have 60,000 beds in it's mainly 4 or 5 star hotels.  There are some impressive ones too, like the Lalla Beya - which is built around the theme of a fairy-tale castle.  When you go inside, you'll be amazed as it's like walking into the Ritz!  Queen Anne and Victoria furniture, chandeliers and the like all add to the décor coupled with a fairy-tale theme - fantastic!  I'll definitely be here another year!

All in all a wonderful experience.  I would definitely like to go back another year.  Thanks Tunisia!

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Opinion submitted in Dec 2003 by : 42,23,38.17,12, - Date Not Specified

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

no where to eat, thats clean. food poisoning.

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Hotel Le Saphir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : 2 adults,2children(13,10)

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

hotel-fairly old but very clean.
staff-freindly,helpfull.
entertainment-very good if you are under 6, otherwise awful.
resort-pretty rough.
beach-10 min walk and very nice.
people we spoke to with no children really didn't like the place

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Les Citronniers Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: panorama    june 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : j.mcglone   east kilbride   47

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: No rating

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

if you want a cheap no frills relaxing break    this is the place    i was here last year with my 16yr old son and his pal  nothing at night for them  so we came back this year ourselfs for a fortnight on the beach    great weather  very friendly staff and faces that have been here before   thats recomendation enough    will be back again in a couple of years    the beach is to die for  the place is so cheap  

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Les Citronniers Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: june 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : maria ,john, adam 47, 55, 15

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

the hotel was very clean excellent maid service. pool very cold, pool area boring same music every day.  yes its true you do have to pay for the sunbeds 2 dinars each.  we found hammermet very boring, entertainment hotel based , only 2 hotels with anything on . if youre going hotel miramar one best but mostly caters for the german tourists. beach nice but be aware of jelly fish. also quite a lot of hassle from touts trying to sell things, the medina was a nightmare if you didnt buy the would call you names mainly (english rubbish) we often go to turkey where hassle is quite bad but not this intimidating. on the good side the food in thr hotel was excellent , not quick but at least fresh and cheap. the hotel staff friendly and polite especially the morning staff. didnt find rep very helpfull once trips were booked. good time is the caberat worth the money and the boat trip. can be intimidating for females   married or single. overall hotel  excellent , beach nice, but lacks good night life. 

tunisia was an experience but dont think would reapeat it.   place you either love or hate.

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Les Citronniers Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama - June/July 2005

Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Brendan and Jennie - Ireland (50, 42)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This is a really friendly hotel with excellent staff and facilites. Food is very good and can compete with most of the best restaurants to be found in the locality, this being proved by the large number of locals eating there.
This was the fourth time in Tunisia and also the fourth time at this hotel and we are returning again this year '06.
We have made many friends here from many different parts of the Uk and Ireland and meet up them for the same two weeks each year. They are all of the same opinion as us that Les Citronniers is great value for money and also provides us with all our holiday requirements:- sun, good food, good friends and good cheap wine and beer. A winning combination!

There is also a good selection of restaurants, bars and shops within a few minutes walk from the hotel. Hammamet is a good 20 minute walk along the beach from the hotel, which is very invigorating after a night of the local beer.
So, hello to all the staff at the Citronniers, see you all soon. And as for the rest of gang, get the wine chilled,stock the bar, we are on our way!
Definitely one of the best holiday locations for money available.
Brendan and Jennie.

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Les Citronniers Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Gail & Vic Sadler (43, 58)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The accommodation is basic, but that's exactly how it's explained in the brochure.  The cleaniless is excellent.

We were apprehensive about the holiday because we've never been to Tunisia before and being a Muslim country we really didn't know what to expect.  We needn't have worried.  Les Citronniers is located in Hammemet, which is very liberal.  The hotel is frequented by Tunisians who drink and smoke and Friday prayers are mentioned but don't seem to be attended.

We arrived on Sunday evening after 8.00pm and unfortunately the currency exchange service closed at 8.00pm but we were told that we could have anything we wanted in the hotel as long as we signed for it.  This worked out well and we paid are debts the following day.

I would advise that it's definitely worth hiring a fan for your room.  I guarantee without one you won't be able to sleep.

All of the staff are extremely friendly and nothing is too much trouble.  They don't expect tipping but if you feel that they've served you well (which we did) please remember that they're wages are only about £35-40 per week.

The hotel provides a very good half board service, if you wish to choose it.  My husband and I tended to have breakfast (which is bread, toast and croissants with cheese, jam and butter) and have lunch on the beach (2 large baguettes with chips, 2 teas and a tonic water was less than £5).  We would then, usually, eat in the hotel where you could get a 3 course meal for less than £4 each.  The meal is not large, but definitely adequate.  Drinks in the hotel are relatively cheap.  A pint of the local beer is approximately £1.40 and a bottle of wine about £4.50.  Spirits are expensive.  We were there for 2 weeks and brought 2 bottles of vodka from the airport to keep in our room for a 'nightcap'.

There's not much in the way of entertainment in the hotel but you can always go to other hotels.  We quite enjoyed staying at our hotel and 'people watching', it's quite an eye-opener!

Well if you go, I do hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  We're definitely going back.

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Les Citronniers Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama - 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Tom & Jose Quin 53,50

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Second time we have been to Tunisia,even went back to the same hotel,nothing had changed,I mean nothing,we were bed and breakfast and it was still the same set up,bread,butter,fig or orange jam,tea or coffee,any else we had to pay for.
The hotel restaurant was very good,the menu was limited but its the same everywhere else,the beer (CELTIA) was like piss,some of the wines were good but not MAGON that is really rough.

A word of warning here take heed of this,the hotel had a beach bar,they provided deck chairs,tables and umbrellas free,sun lougers had to be paid for !!!!?? beware of eating at the beach bar,a lot of people had upset stomachs after eating there including me,serious it was,I was in bed for two days,I could not leave the room or the toilet,eventually I managed to get to the Pharmacy they gave me SMECTA it worked half an hour after taking it I began to fell better,and continued to improve,but still had to visit the toilet 7 or 8 times a day,on the day I flew home I just did not eat anything,in case of an incident during the flight,I was ok.

The hotel is among a few private houses in Hammamet,the house owners have dogs,the tings bark ALL NIGHT LONG so be warned,also there is some Dico Music that intrudes where it comes from I never found out,between the music and the dogs it was difficult to get to sleep.
My wife and I have had our fill of Tunisia we will not be going back,they are still an Islamic third world country and it shows.

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Les Citronniers Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - November 2004

Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : Crystal & Christine Callow - London - (32 and 54)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

What a friendly, helpful and welcoming hotel. Yes it is basic, but I would prefer this to a hotel that is a sub-culture, it is very much part of the community. The staff (from the cleaners to the owners) cannot do enough to make your stay comfortable.

Breakfast is basic - croissants and coffee. May be an idea to bring some cereal to have with the hot milk?

My advice would be not to buy anything for at least the first 4 days! Get used to haggling and checking prices.  A good guide once you have got used to the hassle is offer a third of the price and be prepared to meet them halfway maximum. If you walk away you will sometimes get a better price. Be prepared to be insulted! But chill out and keep your sense of humour.  There is a street of shops near the hotel where you may pick up a bargain, and a nice leather coat shop where you can pick up an original at a very good price if you haggle enough. Shopping is better at the Medina in Hammamet - but be prepared for the onslaught!  Be tough and lose your British pleasant-ness - a firm no and blank face as you walk by usually does the trick.

The beach is lovely - the hotel's beach bar is the best - 2D for the day for the lounger and reasonable and tasty food and drink. Friendly staff again.

Cascades restuarant was very nice, but in my opinion the best restuarant was El Kazar (just near the hotel). Ask for the gorgeous Farid (chef) or Lotfi (waiter) and say we sent you - the food is excellent.

We got to know some locals who introduced us to the local Tunisia and some local clubs and cafes - much better than sitting in the hotel watching British TV! Would recommend getting to know the locals!

Flight over with First Choice was excellent, but the flight back with Nouvelleair was atrocious - rude staff, bad food and not a very nice experience at the airport - rude staff again.

Weather not great in early Nov, but not bad. Cloudy most of the time, but nice and uncrowded because it was in low season.

Hotel will change up sterling really easily. Use the safe in your room.

Helpful to read through all the reviews in the Hammamet section to pick up some tips. Panorama rep (Pat) really nice.

I will be going back to Tunisia! I do recommend this hotel to you.

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Les Citronniers Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Turners (14 to 43)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel is basic but very clean, it is just as described in brochure. The staff are very helpful and cant do enough to make your stay there a happy one. The food is outstanding quality and value and with a good variety on the menu. If you have any general enquiries or problems its best to speak to the hotel staff direct, as they are keen to make your stay at the hotel and in Tunisia a memorable one. They are excellent with the children. 

We have only one comment to make and that is we think that there could be a bit more entertainment in the evenings, nothing complicated, for example disco or karaoke. We had an excellent time there, in a country so different to what we are used to travelling to.
Michael, Lotfi and the rest of the team we say a big THANK YOU for a great holiday.

Turners and Nicholson crew.

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Les Citronniers Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - July 2003

Opinion submitted in July 2003 by : Gareth Harvey - Meopham Kent (23, 23)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

A friend and myself have just returned from Tunisia after spending a week staying in the Hotel Les Citronniers in Hammamet.

We flew out on a Sunday booked through Panorama. The flight itself was very disappointing and we both hoped the holiday would not go the same way!

I don't want to go on about how excellent the place is, but try and give a few tips and pieces of advice. It was really different to the usual trips I take to the Mediterranean and well worth a visit for the brilliant food, the great people, the lovely resort and the different culture.

The first thing to mention is arriving at Monastir airport. Absolute chaos! Once inside the terminal building, you have to look out for a person strolling around holding a bundle of immigration cards. Amongst hundreds of people this can prove rather difficult, especially when you aren't told about it on the plane over! So remember to have a pen with you and mind you don't trip over the numerous bodies lying on the floor busy scribbling on bits of paper!

The hotel was basic and what we expected for a two star hotel. We hired a fan (£5 for the week) which made sleeping far more comfortable. The staff were friendly and helpful and everything seemed to be clean.

We took sterling travelers cheques with us which we exchanged for dinars in the hotel for a good rate and  without any hassle. The currency is very easy to use - 2 dinars to every pound and one dinar is broken up in to a thousand something or other (we never quite grasped what they were, began with 'm' I think!). Coins that we needed for tipping and taxi rides, were in short supply, so hang on to as many as you can for these reasons (some cab drivers will make up the excuse of having no change themselves if you offer them a note).

There are a few restaurants as well as shops within easy reach of the hotel. We preferred going to the Medina in the evenings, a 10 minute taxi ride away. You can soon flag down one of the yellow cabs outside the hotel (except on Saturday nights, so leave a bit more time). Agree on a price before you set off. It should be 2 dinars (£1) before 9pm and 3 dinars (£1.50) after 9pm for a journey between the Medina and the hotel. The Medina itself is brilliant fun. Within the town walls there is a maze of passageways with dozens of shops amongst the houses. The shop owners will try almost anything to get your custom. Try to ignore their sweet talk and just keep walking, 99% of them are just after your money. If you touch any thing or look at all interested in a pot, hubbly bubbly pipe, leather bag or toy camel (every shop is guaranteed to sell these) they will pick up on it straight away and pester you even more. When you go to buy something, the price they give you will be well off the mark. I bought a picture which started at £25. I got the price down to £5. but after I had paid, I asked how much it really was - £1! So they still walk off with a decent profit (the man did get rather aggressive however, probably because he didn't rip us off as much as he'd liked to have done!).

The restaurants aren't too bad surrounding the Medina but there was one that outshone the rest and we went back three times. The food was excellent, the staff lovely, great prices and also a brilliant location - situated on top of what you could call the city wall, overlooking the beach and hustle and bustle below. The sights and sounds are amazing and you get a real cultural experience whilst eating. The restaurant is called Le Barberousse. At the central roundabout (next to the Medina) turn right so you walk between the Medina's wall and the beach (the road trains park up here and if you look up to your left you will probably see the restaurant). Half way down the city wall (about 75 yards from the roundabout) there is an entrance to get in to the Medina. Walk through and take the first right that you get to (there is a small courtyard on the left). The restaurant entrance is down here on the right hand side and just looks like a small set of steps. Climb these and you will eventually get to the open-air restaurant.

Much of the food in Hammamet is fish. We tried a few local dishes. Brik (a deep fried pancake stuffed with a variety of things), Oujja (like a ratatouille) and cous cous (served usually with a meat stew). We were paying  around £7 or £8 each for a starter, main course, a couple of drinks, bottle of water and coffee - not bad at all.

Another fabulous place we went to several times in the city was the bar or café Sidi Bouhdid. This is a wonderful experience and is very "chill-out"! It is fairly near to the restaurant I just talked about. Instead of cutting left through the city wall, continue walking down between the beach and the wall itself and you will soon find it(it's about 100yrds from the roundabout). Try and get there for around 10pm and you are more likely to get a seat (or step!) inside. I can't recall them selling alcohol (apart from beer I think) but it's great for coffee etc. and hubbly bubbly! Even if you don't smoke it's worth giving it a go. It's not too harsh (as the rubbish in the tobacco is filtered out in the water you suck it through) and can last for a whole evening! The waiters (we met a great waiter called Wallet there) bring over burning pieces of charcoal to keep it alight. Try the apple flavour. I think we paid around £2.50 for the whole night.

We went on a couple of trips booked through panorama.  We tried the 3 in 1, which incorporates a visit to Sousse and Port el Kantaoui, followed by a boat trip where we ate a barbecue lunch. It was a good day out but we found it extremely hot (45C) which took it out of us a bit! (The coaches are air-conditioned however so you go through some cooler moments!).

The other trip was the land of the Bedouins. We took the trip on a Friday (rather than a Sunday). It wasn't bad but some parts were a little disappointing. You drive round in an air-conditioned 4x4 to various stop-offs. The Turkish bath seemed to be know more than a few showers running at different temperatures and the stop at the star wars set was so far away it was barely visible. We met some nice Croatians however and we spent much of the day hanging out with them.

A few other tips before I sign off.  Dinars are a non-export currency (you can't take any through to the duty free area after customs on your departure without risking a five-year prison sentence!). Therefore, any money you have left, you either have to spend it, change it (there is only one exchange in the airport and the queue was half-an-hour long (the exchange rate is appalling as well apparently)) or throw it away! There are the usual souvenir shops in the terminal and the prices are fixed so you can pick things up for less than in the Medina (unless you're a really good haggler!). In the departure lounge you will only be able to buy things in sterling or Euros (or credit cards of course). There are a couple of duty free shops with cheap cigarettes and alcohol (that aren't fakes). Perfumes didn't seem especially cheap however. Make sure you take drinks with you through in to the departure lounge in case you are delayed. A can of coke "the other side" cost us £1.50!  

And one final thing! If you are on the hotel beach (which is beautiful by the way) and a man in a captains uniform tries selling you a morning boat trip up the coast to the Medina, you may want to avoid it. All they did was point out a few hotels and gave us a slice of melon - I think it cost 25 dinars as well!

I'd love to know if you found any of my advice useful if you write up a report yourself. Have a great time if you're visiting - it's a beautiful place and different to most other Mediterranean resorts. Have fun!

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Les Citronniers Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama 4th May 2003

Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : H Young - Cumbria (28,29)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Our first visit to Tunisia.  Hotel was clean but basic.  Breakfast was exactly what it said on the tin(!) - continental -bread rolls, strong coffee and croissants!
The Restaurant was excellent...in fact this was the best bit about the holiday!  The bar was so full of local men every night it was a bit intimidating for me to walk through on my own...pleased I had boyf with me! Spent most nights sitting in the restaurant getting drunk!  The staff at the hotel were very, very nice and spoke several languages.  This was really what made it a half decent holiday.  I'm sure if we had gone later in the year, and for a fortnight, we would have had more to do.  Hammamet itself was very quiet, and lacking in entertainment.  We weren't looking for a commercial holiday, but this was just a bit too quiet for us!!  Ok if you want to chill out and relax for a week. 

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Les Citronniers Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - April 2003

Opinion submitted in May 2003 by : Philip and Olwen Hemmings - Argyll (45,25)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first visit to Tunisia and our honeymoon to boot ! On our first evening there we thought we would hate it as we got a lot of hassle from local shopkeepers as we went for a stroll round the block. However, by the end of our fortnight we had adapted to the situation and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves going round the medina and bantering with the shopkeepers. Take a sense of humour with you and you will be fine.

The hotel was lovely. The staff were very friendly and the pool and beach area were wonderful. A good way to get to the medina hassle free was walking along the beach where touts are thin on the ground.

The rep in the hotel was the best we have ever had, polite, friendly and nothing was too much trouble (Thanks Pat)

We went on 4 trips during our stay and all were excellent. The best was the Bedouin trip as you visit the more remote areas and get to see a proper market with no pressure. The sahara trip was really good too and helps you to see more of the proper Tunisia although for some people the mileage might be too much. The Carthage trip is really interesting with the mosaics in the museum and the walk round Carthage itself. The Roman explorer is also good with wonderful views and a real sense of history (again the trip is long as only minor roads are used. The food is wonderfully cheap and the rose wines are a must for the cool evenings.

The hotel has a small amount of entertainment which is quite touristy and not to our taste but if you can't make your own entertainment then go to Blackpool. A pack of cards and a good book are a good idea.

If you leave the hotel take your own loo roll and plenty of small change for tips.

We had a wonderful experience and would go again. It's not Europe and makes a lovely change. Make an effort at basic French and remember it's a poor country but not short on humour or its own sense of pride.

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Les Citronniers Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: February 2003

Opinion submitted in Feb 2003 by : Caz - London (50,51)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first stay at this hotel (other times at Le Hammamet)a simple 2 star with no frills.  However, it was the most friendly place with the most helpful staff and relaxed atmosphere.  Being so early in the season the hotel was not full.  There were several older people who were there for 5 weeks and all said that it was very good.  The rooms are basic but clean.  The breakfast is very limited - bread, cheese, jam etc but you could order and pay a little extra for a full cooked English.  The bar is small with English TV.  Excellent bar menu during the day at very reasonable prices.  

The weather was not too good during our week so we probably spent more time in the hotel and bar than we would usually do.  In the evening you could eat in the restaurant or order from the bar menu - both proved to be excellent.  There was no entertainment in the hotel but you could walk into any of the other hotels, buy a drink and watch whatever was going on.  This hotel also seemed to be popular with the locals who could be found in both the bar and restaurant.  We have found in the past that the staff in other hotels were always looking for tips - in this hotel no one ever held their hand out for money (which meant that you gave more). 

All in all - a very good choice for an inexpensive holiday - basic but clean, friendly accommodation worthy of recommendation

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Les Citronniers Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : Liz age 41

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

First visit to Tunisia... Can't wait to go again....
Hotel was basic but rooms cleaned evey day, staff were great, very friendly.  I was lucky enough  to meet Tunisian people, I met some english people, one was married to tunisian.....fun and laughter  for the whole 2 weeks.
Medina was as everyone else says, but I asked tunisian friends to go on my behalf, much easier!!!!
I also flew to Djerba for a few days, only £60 return from Tunis.
Cheers bar in Bel Air hotel - great
After talking to several people at the airport, I realise Tunisia not for everyone, but I will return in Feb 2004

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: First Choice - July/Aug 07

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Rosie Cross - Cheshire (38,37,10,6)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a fantastic 2 week holiday at Les Orangers. The accomodation was great - we booked the interconnecting rooms and so had 2 bathrooms with baths and showers - cleaned every day. The beach is lovely, soft sand, shallow water, loads of loungers and shaded areas. The staff are very helpful. The Animation team are fab, great shows - with audience participation - really friendly people. My 6 year old daughter fell in love with Aymen and wants to come back when she's 20 to marry him! The food was varied and well presented and the kids loved the unlimited ice cream day and night. We had fun on the Zoo and Zulu excursion which was well organised. 

Great holiday - NO complaints!

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: First Choice - June 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Emma - Burton Upon Trent (28,35,50,51, 4x70's)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Our holiday got off to a bad start 4 days before we were due to fly to Tunisia, originally booked into the Phenicia for a week's all inclusive we were all really looking forward to our family break, only to receive a phone call from our travel agent telling us the Phenicia was overbooked.  First Choice offered us a full refund or the opportunity to stay at Les Orangers plus compensation, so we decided to take the bull by the horns and go to the Les Orangers.
And are we glad we did......

When we arrived at the hotel about 2:00pm we were greeted by the reception staff with a glass of Orange Juice, as our cases were unloaded from the coach and taken to our rooms by the porters. We were given our room cards and our very fashionable wristbands (orange of course)then it was off to the bar, (not that we drink a lot or anything!!) I think some of the staff wondered what had hit them as all 8 of us descended on them, but as we were soon to discover, the staff could not do enough for you, and for a couple of dinars they really pulled out all of the stops.
Look out for Ben and Maurice in the main bars, both of who have worked at the Les Orangers for 14+ years. We felt that we had actually made friends with these guys, they were great fun, never without a smile and a joke.

After we had sampled most of the hotels available drinks, we decided that the whiskey and brandy left a lot to be desired (this is where duty free comes in useful)but the gin, vodka and beer was fine, the wine served in the restaurant is fine aswell, we were all quite partial to the odd bottle of Rose, On Dad's birthday there were quite a few bottles consumed.  Look out for one of the Restaurant staff. Dhairi Ayachi, this guy works in both the main restaurant and also the Beach Restaurant(which is absolutely excellent) he is one of the most attentive waiters we have ever had the pleasure to be served by, Grandma can occasionally be a bit fussy when it comes to food, but I think she fell in love with this guy as he fetched and carried for her pretty much every day. Dhairi has worked at the hotel for 27 years, he is friendly, funny and has even picked up various english accents. Someone let slip that it was Dad's birthday and the waiters brought out a cake and "attempted" to sing Happy Birthday, we had not requested this, they did it off their own backs which we thought was a lovely touch.

So, the beach restaurant, open from 12:00 until 6:00pm and actually slightly better than the main restaurant, The Panini snack bar at the pool open until midnight(try them. they're excellent) The Jasmin bar (with a selection of food available all day)and the main restauarant. You're not going to go hungry!!!
The food in both restaurants is good and plentiful, most of our party are not fussy eaters, but even the most fussy people will find something they like.

The rooms could not be faulted, we were in the new block right on the beach, but from talking to other guests, we heard that all of the rooms were good as they have all been refurbished this year.  The maids cleaned them every day, with clean towels plus robe and slippers, most days we went back to the room to find a swan or heart shape towel on the bed surrounded by flower petals, which was a lovely touch.

The pool area does need modernising, (our rep said this is due to be done this winter) but having said that, it is an excellent pool,(very deep though, so keep an eye on small children)and the staff keep the area clean and tidy all of the time, they will fetch your sunbed mattresses for you and move the umbrellas if you ask them to.
The Beach is excellent, it has it's own little bar and toilets, the bar was not open when we were there but this made no odds to us as the Beach restaurant was.

The guy on the beach will bring your sunbeds and mattreses to you and the sand is raked and cleaned every night. The sea is shallow, you can walk quite a way out and still only be waist deep, take flip flops down to the waters edge though or you'll burn your feet on the sand when walking to the sea.
If you have any problems at all then Jo(First choice rep) is only to willing to sort them out for you, she's absolutely brilliant, having lived in Tunisia for 18 years she knows her stuff, the only problem we had though was deciding which excursions to go on.

The Animation team worked really hard but some of their evening shows were so crap they were funny, however, if they do the African night during your stay, make a point of watching it as this one is excellent.
The weather was brilliant, 40+ degrees so take plenty of sun lotion with you.

All in all, we had not one complaint about this hotel, everything was excellent.  If you are going to the Les Orangers, look forward to your holiday, you will have a great time.

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: dec/jan 06-07

Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : Dave & Elaine - 40s, emma, 16 marian, 70s

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed at the les'oranges hotel over the new year of 2007 and it was absolutely fantastic! More a 5* than a 3*+! The staff, for starters, just couldn't do enough for you! they were so polite and friendly, we dont think we've been abroad before to find not one miserable member of staff! The hotel was in a perfect position, right in the middle of a bay where at one end was a marina and the other a fort (both about an hours walk). 

The hotel itself had a short walk down onto the beach and seaside, it had two swimming pools - an outdoor and indoor (heated) which were of an adequate size and cleaned every day. There were also free massages available and a lovely large steam room. We had two rooms, but with an inter-connecting door which were once again of an adequate size with pleanty of storage room and each had a bathroom. The bedrooms were cleaned everyday and the bedsheets were changed daily.The rooms also had bath-robes and slippers for each person, which is always a nice-extra touch!! The food was delicious too, with a range of starters, mains and sweets and I am a vegetarian but had no trouble with finding food to eat!! There were also three snack-bars so if there was nothing that took your fancy in the restaraunt, pizza, panninis and so on could be found in the snack-bars. 

The new years eve was amazing!!There was a 10-course gala dinner with two live bands and even a walk-way in with a professional photographer!! Everyone was seated on tables of 10 and it was rather like a prom layout, with many tables and a dance-floor. There was a mixture of nationalities, but this was no problem as everyone was polite to eachother. The animation team were also very good and entertaining! The shows on a night were perhaps a little un-professional, but always good for a laugh! The weather was also very pleasant for the duration of our stay so I think we just timed it right (to say it was winter!)!! The tour-rep was also very helpful and friendly! Well I think thats about it, but it truly was a fantastic holiday and I don't think I have any complaints!! 

I would recommend this hotel to anyone, but probably not too good for the disabled as there were quite a few stairs. Hope this can be of some help!

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: Panoranma Dec 2006

Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : Pete & Lyn Jones (49&40)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had an excellant time at this hotel, the food was ok and the staff couldn't do enough for you they were very friendly and polite. the hotel is right on the beach with a sun terrace just behind near the indoor pool. We would deffenatly come to this one again.

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: Panarama december 06

Opinion submitted in December 2006 by : MR and MRS Hicken 44 37

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

What can I say about this hotel except first class. 

It is more like a four star plus not 3 we have spent xmas out there and had a fantastic time and just rebooked for dec 07. All inclusive you could eat any time. xmas day We watched the fish caught and it was on our plates in 45minutes. The entertainment team were first class all guys. They were at hotel all day and did the evening entertainment at night to. Fredie animation boss was a hoot and arron and brion are well what can we say fantastic. The staff at the hotel could not do enough for you.We gave a waiter 10dinar tip which is about 4 pounds and every night our drinks were waiting at our own special dining table he would not let anyone else sit there.MY RECOMENDATION go to this hotel you will not be disapointed I assure you.PS the rep elaine was fantastic but sadly was moved to the phenicia. The new rep make your own mind up, we did! but no comment about that.

Have a good time if you go we did and you must see the site of eljem it is breathtaking.As for children they will be well looked nafter by animation team they love them and go out of their way to see them happy and smiling especially the toddlers they were dancing the chuff chuff song all around the entertainment room with them. Go on see for yourself this hotel was great and we loved it.

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson -- May 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Bet & Keith Chapman 58 and 51

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first visit to Tunisia,and we loved it.The Hotel is basic but clean,the staff are superb,always on hand no matter what,food was hot and plentiful, something for everyone.Our room was cleaned everyday,I loved the way the maid left our night clothes in the shape of a butterfly,attention to detail was great.

Our rep Kate,what a great ambassador for Thomson's,excellent local knowledge, was there if needed her but didn't bombard you,brilliant.Waiters are very friendly they pamper you,and pander to your every whim,at meal times they were always on hand but not intrusive,bar staff excellent,Ben,what a darling,Maurice great hope your wedding went well.We met 2 couples from Glasgow Charlie & Caroline, Alison & Archie,lovely people that added to the magic of our holiday,Jean & Pat two ladies from Wolverhampton,hilarious. A group  of American lads,what a hoot.The entertainment was absolutely brilliant, Brahim gets everyone playing "Boules"

A "noddy Train" picks up from the Hotel to take you to Hammamet dinar 2.50,or take a taxi for dinar 3.No hassle from
anyone,not what I expected,

all in all this was one of the best holidays we have been on,and we have been all over,We certainly will be going back,in fact we have already booked for a week in September,this time we are taking our 2 granddaughters with us,and we know for sure that they will enjoy it,there is plenty for the kids to do,and non-stop entertainment for them.

We would certainlt recommend this holiday to everyone. Don't forget to get fresh orange juice with your breakfast delicious. Can't wait to get back to Les Orangers,see you all in September.
Bet & Keith

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama may 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : angii and roy (37 + 53)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

have just come back from a good week at this hotel (our 2nd time here)
We have had a fab time - weather a bit cloudy/wet for first 2 days but still enjoyed ourselves .  All inclusive is good value here constant supply of food and drink. The staff are all very friendly .  Rooms are a bit dated now but are kept very clean. 

All in all a good week would go back again !
Hammamet and the medina is an experience - go prepared to say no if you dont want anything...i didnt like it but roy thought it was good fun the constny pestering can leave you quite drained after a while.

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thompson Jan 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Jaide Delaney - Grimsby  (17, 18, 50,52,55)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I went on a 2 week holiday to Hammamet and i thought it was brilliant.
Las Oranges appartment was fantastic, we went all inclusive and absolutly everything was free e.g the food and  alcohol.
There was trips that the reps organised which we found was very expensive it is alot cheeper to get a taxi and go yourself.
In the hotel you can get free massages which we had the first day we got there it was very relaxing.
There is a inside and outdoor pool which is very clean and hygienic.
The entertainment in the complex was great there was a different show each night followed by bingo,quiz nights and childrens discos.
The people who work there are absolutlt brilliant, i would definatly go back again!!!!!
The only i suggest is to not walk around Tunisia on your own espeically if your a girl as the foreigners are very obsessive and dont leave you alone which i found very scary.
Las Oranges is one of the best appartments i have stayed in and i would definatly rate is number 1!!!!!!!

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama - 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Dave & Family, 64,62,41,38,13,11

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

On arrival, found reception to be very impressive, however had booked a superior room and on inspection found this to be well below average. My advice to you would be to ask for one of the re-furbished rooms off the main reception as these are first class and you only need to pay for standard room.Entertainment is of holiday camp quality.Big let down, no sunbeds on beach , only deckchairs that look like they have come from blackpool,food is repeated but there is something for everyone if you search the site.

Would not rush back to this hotel, have had better accomodation for less.

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : meyrick, angela, kyle (42, 45, 14)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

It was our first time in Tunsia and altogeather it was a great holiday very hot, great staff, lovely (private) beach.
We arrived very early hours (1am) of a monday morning we were shunted in to an appaling room. We unpacked and tried to get some sleep on these rock hard mattresses.
first thing the next morning we complained about the state of the rooms(peacefully) and we were shown 3 other room but were all the same as the one we were in. We were told that a beach view room would be empty in a few days we calmly stated that this is to far off as we are only here for one week. then we were took to the new rooms which are off the corridor to the left of reception (if your led down here when you avrive expect a good sleep that night). this was an amazing room it was all marble in side, it had a huge balconya double and a single bed. 

After the little problems with the rooms we had no other complaints with the hotel to be honest it was probabley the best 3* hotel i have ever been to. the beach was great the food was exellent and the staff were amazing.we went twice on the same trip into the sahara desert on quad bikes its great value for money at only 50 dinars(£20) 

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama   august 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : draper   essex   38,40,12,8.

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we booked a couple of weeks prior to going and i read a few comments from others and thought oops done a wrong one here! this proved to be totally wrong,the hotel is very good,very clean,even though most of the guest appear to think the bins around the pool and other areas are for decoration! we had no problems with the food,there was always a good choice,if u want top quality food stay at raymond blancs place in england[150.00 each for dinner without drinks!]the staff were very polite as we were to them and if u drop a few dinar to them even more so.

evening entertainment is ok,they try which is all u can expect,our room was small but cleaned every day by our friendly maid,the beach is great for kids,safe,clean and hot! dont worry about the sellers be firm but polite and their ok,or do what i did and tell one if he keeps others away u will buy things only from him,it works! would recommend this hotel to anyone with children who want them entertained whilst u enjoy relaxing in the sun in pleasant surroundings with friendly staff,

go with an open mind and a few pounds to tip and u should have a great time,we did!

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Stuart - Kent (45,42,11,10)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

If you arrive very late at night and are offered a sub standard room, even if you are tired don't accept it and take it up with reception or your rep (If you can find him/her!!! the next day).

The food was ok 1st week, and pretty bad 2nd.  There were labels for each dish for 3-4 days which then disappeared.  Have I eaten a Camel!!!!!!!!!

Toilet rolls could sometimes be rare, especially if the maid hasn't been 3 out of the first five days as in our case.  There is a cupboard in the toilets in reception where you could find a spare stash.  Make sure you get there early, and keep it to yourself.

The animation team are great.  We could not fault them.  Very professional, funny and friendly.  Also the bar staff are good, especially Carlos who runs the disco.

The beach is really nice, but there are only deckchairs (which must have been shipped in from Brighton), but they do the job.  The watersports are not included but are good fun and the staff are very helpful, and speak quite good english.

Overall we had a great time and met many nice people.

The old part of the hotel is in dire need of a refurb, and the restaurant may not be to everyones taste.

If you've already booked, don't despair "A holiday is what you make it".

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - july 2005

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Mrs Hirst - Goole (37,34,9,7)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we came back just over a week ago and we all had a GREAT time.  

The weather was fab, the food was fab (no tummy trots!!!) and i am a really fussy eater and the kids ate lots of different types of food too.  The kids club was a life saver at times, run by Laura, Fifi and Susan, they did a great job and speak wonderful English. 

All the staff are great and the entertainment was great and different every night!!! We had a sea view room and although the rooms are a little old they were really clean and not a bug in sight.  

The beach is beautiful, the only down fall is there are no sun-beds but deck chairs,which are free, but the sand is so lovely and cleaned regularly that you can lay on that no problem.(however dont sit near the edge of the whicker shelters on the beach you do get hassled at times by local people trying to sell, but they do not venture in unless invited!!!)

The beach staff are nice and if you had any problems they will sort it out.  There are 2 dogs on the beach they have lived there for 10 years, they are friendly but a little scared of people, if there are any animal lovers going there PLEASE give them some food, they depend on it!!!

We didnt venture out of the hotel as i have been to Tunisia before and the people in the shops can be a bit forceful to say the least. However if you go out of the resort gates there is a shop immediate to your left, the prices are really reasonable(no need to haggle) and they do not hassle you, you can get a paper as well.  

All in all a really great holiday dont worry and have a blessed time. p.s. there are lots of every nationality there including English!!!!

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - July 2005.

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Griffin - Oldham (40,38,11)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

When we arrived we were impressed with the reception we recieved.  We were given a refreshing drink whilst we booked in and a bell boy took us and our luggage to our room.  The room was like a dungeon, on the ground floor, very dark and overlooked scrub land which was supposed to be garden.  The maids came and put in another single bed as we were shown in. There was not enough room to swing a doormouse let alone a cat!

My husband went and spoke to someone in reception and we upgraded to a superior room for £65 for the week for all three of us which we thought was reasonable.  The superior room was much brighter and bigger, we had a lovely sea and beach view, a fridge two queen size beds and bunk beds.  The only downside was the bathroom.  I had to shower in flip flops, maybe I am just fussy, but the plug hole was rusty and there was thick mould around the silicone seal in the bath and on the shower curtain. The toilet was also stained.  I hated going in that bathroom, but perhaps this is just me and my family being too fussy?

The food was quite nice once we gave it a chance, some things looked a bit strange but once you try them they were nice.  It is fantastic how you can get food at different outlets all day, either in the dinning room, the beach around the pool, we did not go hungry!  One thing I would say is that the food in the beach restauraunt was kept warm for quite a long time and that by mid afternoon some of it was only luke warm which I thought might be in danger of causing food poisoning.

We stayed away from the horse riding on the advice of the rep who said there had been "a few incidents", we were asked once or twice if we wanted to go horse riding but after polite refusals were not bothered again.  We made friends with two ladies from London who were there with their grandchildren, who were pestered quite aggresively by the men who run the stables though, a male guest had to tell them to leave them alone and take no for an answer.
The entertainment was fantastic, the annimation team did a brilliant job.  One show involved some of the guests in a spoof of Aladin, they even brought the Prince in on a cammel! All the shows are outside. We never had a problem finding somewhere to sit, although towards the end of our weeks stay the hotel was becoming busier.

One tip we have is to tip, tip, tip! If you want a quality service tip everyone!  We gave the waiter 5 dinar every night and had our own table complete with ice bucket and wine.  The alcohol is limited but the wine is very nice, if you tip the bar staff you get a bottle instead of just a plastic cup full!

We met lots of really nice people in this hotel and think it is one of the friendliest places we have been too.  We went for a complete break and that is what we got, a completely relaxing week.  Our daughter made friends and we hardly saw her all week! the children were safe to roam around the hotel.  She used the indoor pool which was nice and we stayed on the beach.  The childrens pool was drained at night which I thought was a bit dangerous as it was quite deep.  The outdoor pool was a bit crowded and rowdy for us, but as I said we wanted a break, but if you wanted to join in with the day time activities the outdoor pool seemed the place to be!
We saw 5 cockroaches on the day before we were due to come home, they were in the corridors on the lower floors in the superior block, but the day after there were smoke bombs going off so we think these might have been to get rid of the roaches.

My husband & daughter had a massage nearly every day, he went with a bad neck and shoulder which is now much better so the massage can be recommended, he didn`t have the medical one he had the other which I can neither spell or even pronounce!

Would we go back? no, but only because the bathroom put us off. Would we recommend this hotel? yes if you want a complete break and you dont mind dirty bathrooms!

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - May 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Guy + Sue

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Place is perfect if your looking for a relaxing beach holiday in the sun for a week.

Staff are friendly enough.

The accomodation is average but liveable, not european 4* though as advertised and be aware, they don`t turn the air-con in the hotels on until June. Room Service is also non-exsistant other than the cleaning ladys who do a good job.

The gardens are very nice and do make the place feel a bit more paradiso.

Many my feel there are too many non-English europeans around who will ignore you, but it is Tunisia after all.

Nightlife is limited and had the air of Butlins style entertainment, which can get boring after 1 or 2 nights.

We went quad biking, which was great apart from the fact that the 2 young lads who were our guides didn`t speak any English and me and my girlfriend were the only ones who went. So check that more people are going before booking or you may feel uncomfortable being in the middle of tunisian plains on your own.

Food was great. There was always a fresh selection of local and international dishes. Drinks were limited but all free, including the bottled water. I managed to get a carton of the orange juice and found it to have a lot of E-numbers. So best to keep the kids away if you want peace.

Be careful of mosquito bites once the sun goes down. They can be quite visious. Take a couple of loose fitting pants for the night and so strong mosquito repelant

Would not go back to this resort again. It is definatley a been there, got the t-shirt place. Prefer Greece!

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Les Orangers  - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - March 2005

Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Max and Jane

Resort Rating: No rating

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

If your're just going for a chill-out and some sun this is perfect.  This is now an All inclusive hotel (since Nov 04) and as we didn't leave the hotel we did not spend A PENNY! (except safe dep box)They didn't know what they were supposed to give you for free, so they gave you everything - bottles of water, bottles of wine, cocktails, tea, coffee, and hot water for baby flasks!(don't know if they'll do it all year though)

The staff were really friendly and always said 'good morning'. There are no sunbeds on the beach but there are plenty around the hotel if you look around (some in some hidden sun traps).  There are activities in the day and the usual hotel stuff at night. But if it is a bit cloudy or too hot to sit out there's only the bar, the gym or the indoor pool. The hotel is basic, our room was big enough for 2 and cleaned every day. The bathroom was clean if a bit tatty - no mould though. We had air-con and a tv.

The food was OK, I'm very fussy but there was always something I liked, rice, pasta, chicken, something strange (like liver?)fish and some tunisian dishes - chips and pizza. 
Would go back but would perhaps have a room with a sea veiw as they seem to get the sun all day and it is cold in the shade and at night!

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama August 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Jeanette and Ray Holland

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was not our first visit to Tunisia, so we were VERY dissappointed with this hotel.

The room was TINY, and we had to put all surplus furniture on the balcony to be able to open the wardrobe doors! This was a twin room, which they had sqeezed a third bed into for our daughter. The bathroom was mouldy, and a leak from the sink meant the floor was constantly wet - not good with a 7 year old running around.

When we arrived, the pool was green and murky. The area around the pool was dirty, and the toilets had not been cleaned. There was no soap or clean towels at all for the first week of our stay. They did clean up the pool and pool area after we'd been there a week, so someone had obviously complained. The toilets improved a bit, and there was soap for a couple of days.

Within 2 days my husband and daughter had the runs, which they had on and off for the whole 2 weeks we were there.

Overall, the standard of hygiene in this hotel was just not adequate. Everyone we spoke to had at least one member of their families with dodgy stomachs. When there is no soap to wash when you have some sort of bug, everyone just passed it on.

I didn't think the food was too bad - usually catered for the Italians, but overall was nice, and we never had a problem finding something suitable.

The staff are lovely, and I had no reason to complain about them or their efforts to please.

Don't go horse riding from the hotel unless you are an experienced rider. We went, and as we had never been before felt they would give us nice horses. Not a chance - mine was rearing up within 5 minutes of me getting on it! I'm just glad I amanged to hang on, and it wasn't my daughter who got that particular horse. All the horses are frisky to say the least, and we often saw them 'misbehaving'. Thats OK if you know how to ride.

We went on a couple of trips - Road to Carthage and the Bedouin Feast. Both were excellent, particiularly Carthage which is a fasinating place, and not to be missed even if you aren't that into ruins and stuff.

Tunisia is a lovely country, and we will go back, just not to this hotel.

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Les Orangers Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama-August 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Neil Millington-Uxbridge (35,36,5,1)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Yep,just want to agree with last review(well in most respects).

Hotel needs a lot of money spending on it-we were originally allocated room 173 in one of the old blocks in the gardens.This was supposed to be a standard room.I dont know whose idea of standard this was but definitely not mine! 

Two old scruffy single beds and an old wooden bunk bed levered into a small room-couldnt swing a rat let alone a cat in it !No bath,shower only with a filthy,mouldy curtain and a loo which took an hour to refill.Not the cleanest room I have ever stayed in either-dust all over lampshades and under beds.Certainly not the appearance in the picture in the brochure.

We paid extra to move to a superior room which  reached the standards of what I expect a standard room to be like! Food in hotel is of dubious quality-my wife spent two days in hospital with gastro-enteritis!Cannot recommend a stay in this hotel --go to Jasmine Hammamet instead,its a new resort about 5 km away. All hotels there are European owned and in much better condition cos they are new!

Found Hammamet Town to be pretty much as expected-if tourists go there then the locals will sell them touristy tat but this happens everywhere.Have to say though that the Tunisian people were very friendly in the main and we certainly didnt get any hassle.No there isnt an awful lot to do-we went on a hotel organised camel "trek".Was round some olive groves and took about three hours.Really not worth the money.And that goes for the hotel too!!!!!

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Les Orangers Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Direct - 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Neil Linda & Ben      Leicestershire   ( 43, 39, 13 )

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This is the truth, factual & direct.

Resort; Hardly any good restraunts, shops or bars compared with other med resorts.
Walk out of the hotel & you will find about 4 or 5 bars which are very very basic.
Dont expect any good shopping, iy's all cheap tat, Tunisia bongo drums, cuddly toy camels etc. Blackpool Tunisia with less shops.

Hotel; 35yrs old, small rooms & showing it's age. Well past it's best. There seems to be a "forth Bridge" painting programme going on, daily we observed the maintenance re-painting the walls everywhere white, without a dust sheet & therefore covering the floor tiles with large splashes, get the picture?

1200 bedrooms, all exceptionally small & showing their age, mould in bathroom, tiles replaced with a different colour, smells mouldy.
1000 of the beds are taken by the French, who incidently let their kids run wild, especially in the restraunt at meal times.
We were amazed how they totally ingore their kids whilst dining, letting toddlers collect & mostly drop food all over the floor before returning to the table.

Food; Absoultly digsusting,I can say no more, but perhaps the fact they have two microwave ovens for guest use at the end of the self service counters indicates how hot it isnt! Anyone who has a better comment on the food must be a regular Mc Donnalds & fast fod freak!

Dont use the beach, it's quite nice & is cleaned regularly, the sea is clean & blue, however how can anyone who has submitted a review fail to mention there are NO SUNBEDS on the beach, only a job lot of second hand, Ex Skeggy, canvas DECKCHAIRS! Yep you better believe it.
2 weeks in a deck chair, disgusting food, small, smelly rooms & outside the hotel a ghost town, we now know what noert africa is all about, nothing much!

To break to boredom we booked to go quad biking for the day, apparently for 4 hours, to a waterfall with barbecue....nice i hear you say. Not a chance, the waterfall is a fresh water stream, trickling with a dripping tap effect, into a garden type pond 3" deep, with past visitors water bottles, fag packets & dog ends floating in it!
The barbecue? only a telephone directory size disposable one! What a rip off.

We did venture into the Medina & Hammemet itself, trying to find the real Tunisia.
The Medina....looks nice at night, nicely lit, a bit of atmosphere perhaps. Yes, but the same tat as everywhere else.

We DID find an excellent restraurant "La Fiesta" in Hammemet centre, a taxi will take you there from the hotel for about 4 Dinar on the taxi meter. If you dare to go to Hammemet & Les Orangers I guarantee you will find the food horrible, however "La Fiesta" is really excellent, our saviour, you will not be disapointed with their food.

Poem to Les Orangers;

The food is cr*p
The rooms are small
The Hotel is older than us all.
We did have cause to complain
But we will not return again.

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - Sep 2003

Opinion submitted in Nov 2003 by : Phil, Kris, Tasha & Alex Evans (55,45,13,11)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This wasout 1st holiday as a family abroad and indeed we picked the perfect place! Les Orangers offeres everything a family everything they need.

My younger brother (Alex) really enjoyed attending the kiddies club and made several friends there. The beach was practically deserted most of the time which we found very plesent. The best time to go swimming in the sea though is at about 5pm when the sea gets really warm. We did everyday and enjoyed it.

The food is great, there is a real varity from chips to Bulgarian goolash (cant spell). Sometimes its a bit bland but most of the time, satisfies everyone. If you do go to Les Orangers, I strongly suggest that you have some of the freshly squeezed orange juice, it's what orange juice should be, perfect.

The staff, well what can I say other than they where absolutly superb. They are extreamly friendly and when ever you need something, they are at your service! While we were staying there, I did rip my toenail off my foot through my own fault but the staff there were extreamly helpfull in the event.

Evening entertainment was great. There were snake charmers, belly dancers, magicians and bingo in 5 languages. Before all that kicks of, there is entertainment for the kiddies organized by the resort entertainer, he was extreamly funny.

The accomodation itself is fairly basic but we found we didnt need really posh rooms because we went out on excursions most days or were out on the beach etc.

One day we went out to a zoo not too far away from the hotel. I would recommend a visit to it, well worth it. One day we went out to the Medina and we literally wernt in it for 5 minutes, me and my mum were constantly hurrassed, its quite unpleasent. It's funny when they shout things like "Asda price" and stuff to get you to buy their stuff but then start getting rude in what they say and it was horrible.

In general I would definatly recommend a trip here, well worth it!  

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Les Orangers Beach Resort - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Feb 2003

Opinion submitted in Feb 2003 by : Yvonne, Robert, Jon & Matt(44,44,13,7)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first visit to Tunisia and we probably chose the wrong time of year, the weather was cold, many places were shut or looked as if no one had eaten there since last year and the hotel was very quiet. The hotel has lovely gardens and great facilities, horseriding, internet cafe, large indoor pool, football pitch, tennis courts etc. The staff at the hotel were very friendly and at least hte rooms were nice and lovely and warm!! The food was edible but not very exciting. Off site Zo ZO's do great pizza and the Sixtys coffee bar was really cheap and cheerful for lunch.  If you drink spirits take them with you as you can't find bootles here and it is very expensive in the bars.

Matt had a great time at the kids club who only had about 4 kids all week and would go back again just to see Kellie.

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Le Zenith - Hammamet

Operator and Date: Last Minute.com - July 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Stacey & Somayyeh (24 and 27)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I wanted to write because after reading these reviews I was nervous about going.  I couldn't have been more wrong because we had a brilliant time!  WE were only 2 of about 10 english people with the rest being either French or German but we got treated the same and most staff spoke English as well as 4 or 5 other languages.
The accommodation was basic but cleaned everyday and had air conditioning in the rooms which was needed as it was so hot!

We stayed in the hotel most of the time as it had 2 massive pools and lots of activities like belly dancing lessons, volleyball, aqua aerobics, archery etc and kids entertainment which seemed to keep the kids and parents happy all day and night!  They had a mini disco which they loved and bingo and cabaret in the evening which, although sometimes was a bit naff, was entertaining.

we were two girls on our own and it was mostly a family hotel so not ideal for young people expecting a wild time.  The bar staff were a bit annoying - pervy and touchy-feely but the Animations (entertainment) team were great.  They worked all day and night and kept all the children happy and entertained.  They spoke good english and loved their job.  We spent a lot of time with them as they were so fun.
We did a 2day tour organised by our rep of the Sahara desert which I highly recommend!  It was really hot and tiring being on a coach for so long but the sites were amazing.  We rode a camel and watched the sunrise and did so much stuff and the views were incredible.  It was really cheap too!

We stayed for 2 weeks which was perfect.  We were ready to leave in the last day because it was so hot and we were getting bored of the repeated cabaret but one week was not enough.  It was the best holiday I have ever had and the hotel was brilliant. 

I recommend going all inclusive though and watch out for the local men who love women!!

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Le Zenith - Hammamet

Operator and Date: DIY - October 2004

Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Rob - Manchester

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We were moved to Hotel Le Zenith (also called Kinza) from the Sun Garden hotel. The hotel is situated in the north end of Hammamet. Our room was medium sized with two single beds pushed together, the room and bathroom was very clean. The hotel has two pools one seemed to be heated the other wasn't.

There was a very large Animation team who entertained around the pool as well as doing activities such as Table Tennis, Archery, Volleyball etc.

The food in the evening was quite varied, it was different every night, that was a good mix of common food such as chips, jacket potatoes, chicken nuggets etc and Tunisian specials, also there was fish that was grilled in front of you and pasta was freshly made. There was lots of choice from the salad bar and lot of different cakes and desserts. We did have dodgy tummies at the end of the week but this could have been caused by eating different types of Tunisian food or drinking Coke which was draught rather than bottled.

Breakfast was good aswell, good selection plus fresh omelettes could be made for you.

There was a show done by the Animation team later in the evening, it was better some nights then others, varied from comedy and music to men standing on glass and bed of nails.

There are not too many restaurants near the hotel so we got a short taxi ride into the centre of Hammamet but there was a bar and a small café. There was quite a large water park about 5 mins walk away but it was closed when we were there, presumably for the season. The beach was less than 5 mins walk away.

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LTI Hammamet Garden - Hammamet

Operator and Date: Last Minute.com Dec 2006

Opinion submitted in December 2006 by : Sarah - 39 Wendy - 57 Jon -65 Elliott - 10 Louie - 8

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After booking what looked like a great deal, to this hotel, for our first Christmas away from England, we became very concerned by some of the reports that we read, and wondered if we were doing the right thing!
Our hotel was the last drop off, after a coach journey of approximately 1hour 30 minutes.
We certainly looked like we had got the best of the bunch from the outside.
The windows were all decorated in a festive theme, which produced gasps of delight from the boys. We stepped inside and it was gasps of delight from us adults.
The setting of this hotel is very pretty sat among citrus groves. The garden theme, was visable internally as well as externally, with greenery hanging over
balconies, and trees growing up through the main foyer area to spectacular sky lights in the ceilings.
The rooms were spacious, clean, safe with safe, hairdryer, and the television had a 24 hour news channel. For the little amount of time we spent in the room, the children were happy enough to watch cartoons in other languages.
Our rooms were next to each other and over looked the swimming pools, which were clean and safe, and the area around them was cleaned early every morning.

We only had a choice of one restaurant and one bar being out of season, but these were perfectly adequate. The buffet style had something to suit everyone. Morning, noon and night. Looked good, fresh, and was well labelled, so that you knew exactly what you were choosing. The waiters were hard working, polite and nothing was too much trouble. After our first meal, our table was reserved for us for the duration of our holiday, and Nijat our main waiter was an absolute delight. How many times can you say you have arrived at your favourite restaurant in England in find a carafe of wine ready for you? Our all inclusive included soft drinks,Bouka, local beer and wines. As well as selected cocktails made up for us in the evening.
As our rep explained, Tunisia is a Muslim country, so alcohol is difficult to obtain and expensive. You could get a G&T but you paid for it, which was fair enough.
Our Christmas Gala dinner started with the arrival of Santa who gave all the children chocolate. We worked our way through a 7 course meal served to us while being entertained by an orchestra, belly dancers, and the animation team, and ended at 11.00pm, but a disco continued in La Bamba(hotel discoteque) for the stalwarts who often drank on until about 5am.
I tipped our two regular waiters 10 dinars each. Pretty generous for their terms, but I only managed to spend £70.00 during the whole holiday.

We had several days of sun which allowed the boys to swim outdoors, but the water was very cold. This was only to be expected. We had two days of solid rain, but we were able to use the indoor pool, which never seemed to be very busy. Adel the life guard earned himself 20 dinars by the end of the holiday too. Several times he ended up in the pool fully clothed after the boys had splashed him so much, he just thought it more fun to join in.
The Animation team were visable all day every day, finding things to entertain the children. Football, table tennis, Snoopy Disco etc. In fact my youngest son smashed the window of th Mini Club on our last day.
A total accident. When I appeared very concerned, I was sent away, being told that it was not a problem, just an accident that would be sorted.
For those of you looking to be pampered, there was a health suite, with Sauna, massage Gym etc.
The beach took approx 5 minutes to walk to.
Not particularly beautiful surroundings en route, but HEY, you are in a developing country and this is real life.
A fantastic golden beach, which had apparently been cleaned the week before but several storms had washed debris up again so it needed doing again.
Who creates the mess in the first place?
Inconsiderate human beings, so you can not blame the Tunisians.
Yes, we did come across beach peddlars. Most rather charming, only trying to make a little money to keep going out of season.
A firm NO! if you are not interested usually does the trick.

We caught what they call the Noddy Train to Yasmine Hammamet for about £2.40 for an adult, £1.20 for a child. The kids loved it.
The Souks here were very modern and YES, we did get very hassled. Desperate people trying to make a crust out of season.If only they could realise, I would have brought if I had been able to browse without any hassle. However, you expect this before you go, and the rep gives you some tips to keep you on the ball.
Carthege Land is like a mini Theme pk. This is also situated at H- Yasmine. We could not try it out as it was heavily raining which the boys were a bit disappointed about.
I would have loved to have seen more but with xmas in between, time went to quickly.

We would definately go back to this hotel again. Perhaps to try it out in the summer.
Some people always have to find something to moan about, but just remember, be your own judge. We were pleasantly surprised.

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LTI Hammamet Garden - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thompson - 2004 / 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Zoe Paris- London(21, 20)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Me and my cousin had some spare cash lying around so thought we deserved a holiday. So we phoned teletext & got a late deal to Tunisia for the next day. Couldnt wait, we was sooooo excited! Anyway arrived at the hotel and as all the other reports said the actual decor of the hotel is beatiful, we felt like royals. We walked in, the reception greeted us with the bell boys carring our bags for us. We were shown to our room very basic but was very very clean. 

We had a walk around the hotel to have a nose, all the staff were so so friendly. We couldnt wait to get ready and hit the booze!So thats what we did went and got ready and went downstairs the view from our room was lovely. We sat up the bar all night drinking. The entertainment was a bit naff but the entertainments staff told us they would take us to were all the nighlife happand at 1pm when they finished. 

We couldnt wait to hear some good music. So 1pm came and they took us out to some great club we had the time of or lifes and feel in love with this place. This was 2 years ago and we have been back 6 times since and we are going again in August. As we have stayed very good friends with the entertainments and bar staff so when we go over now we stay at there place. 

But truly Tunisia is a dream the beach is amazing. Yeah the food is naff but your not in England now try something new!!! If you listen to all the negative reports about this place you will never go but honestly from a 22 year old girl without a care in the would who loves to party at night and relax of a day and loves meeting new people this is honestly my ideal place to be. We have even had talks of moving over here 6 months of the year and work over here.
Go on give it a try!!!

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Magic Life Imperial Africana - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - June 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Andy, Lynn, John, Marie, Ross & Matt  (44,42,42,42,15 & 14)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

When we arrived at the Africana, we were met with the Magic Life music. Our cases & bags were taken tour rooms as we were checking in at reception. We were given a welcome cocktail as we were checking in.

There is the main buffet restaurant, which had various theme nights. Our favourite was the Chinese night. There is also a Seafood, Italian, South American & Lebanese REstaurants. You had to book these restaurants a day in advance, as they were very popular. The best advive I could give anyone going to the Africana or any other All Inclusive, is to tip the bar staff & the waiters in the restaurants. I reckon 95% of the tourists who visit these hotels do not tip. Therefore, if the remaining 5% of us tip, we get even better servive. I would say that the staff in the Africana gave us the best service we have ever had, anywhere. They simply could not do enough for us. When we went to the Italian restaurant for the 2nd time, our table was strewn with rose petals, our wine, water & coke for the boys, was already on our table. I have to say that no other table in the restaurant was dressed like ours. Was it a coincidence? I doubt it.

The animation team were kept busy, Tried to involve as many people as possible. They put a show on every night. We only went to a couple of the shows, but they were well attended & quite good.
The pool area was well kept. My only gripe about this hotel was the sun loungers. If you went down at 10am, you were spending your day at the beach, as there was no loungers around the pool. They were all reserved. It got to the stage where John & I took turns at getting up at 6am to reserve our loungers. As I said, if you did n't do it, you were not going to be spending your day by the pool.

We went on 2 excursions. One was the pirate ship cruise. It was ok. It was good to dive off the ship into the  crystal clear sea.

Our other excursion was a whole day to EL Jem & Port El Kantou. In the morning we went to El Jem, the Roman amphitheatre was very interesting & worth a visit. However, Port El Kantou was a waste of time. In our opinion, the time would have been better spent going to the Medina in Sousse, as we were in Sousse for lunch.
After we came home that day, we went to the Medina in Hammamet. I thought it was brilliant. The traders were a good laugh, if you did n't take them too seriously.

The 4 boys went golfing, firstly to the Yasmine course & then the Citrus courses. Absolutely brilliant. The earlier you tee off the better though. We made the mistake of teeing off at 10am on our first visit. Too hot! Next time 8am. That last hour was torture. I think if I ever go back, we will tee off before 7am.
While we were golfing, the girls spent there time in the spa in the hotel. I think they paid 170 Tunisian Dinars for 6 massages. That works out at £12 per massage. The girls were in each session for 45 mins. They said it was good as anything they had had in the UK, if not better.

Just to finish off. We all found the Tunisian people the friendliest we've ever encountered. The service was the best we've came across so far. The food was first class. I think we will definately be back, maybe even a wee winter week this year.

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Magic Life Manar Imperial - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - May 2003

Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : Angela - Croydon UK

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I have been to Hammamet many times, but this was the first time I have stayed in Magic Life Manar. It was brilliant. The hotel was clean and tidy. The room was very nice, all carpeted which makes a change from the normal marble floors you get in most Tunisian hotels. The rooms were cleaned everyday with new linin and towels everyday. The staff were very friendly and could not do enough for their guests. I especially liked MOHAMMED the 'Pool Man' who was always their with a smile and a english catch pharse to brighten up the overcast days (TOP BANANA / DIAMOND GEZZA). The food was brilliant with a wide choice of resturants (Italian, French, Fish, Mexican and the main resturant) The Bar was good with a wide choice of drinks that have been locally produced. If you go you must try Bouka (Fig Liqure) its rank!!!!! The Hotel is a five star Tunisian rated hotel, and I think as far as Tunisian hotels go it really is a five star, but for us Brits who are probably used to a bit more I would say this would be a 4 star. Overall myself and my family all had a brilliant holiday, so much so that we are going back to Magic Life Manar in August 2003.

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Hotel Marillia - Yasmine Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - sept 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Angela Simpson - Glasgow (55,53,34,33,4)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

On arrival to hotel we were impressed until we seen the rooms we were given, one had light hanging of wall with puddle at fridge and the other smelled like smelly trainers so we went straight back to reception and was given a bigfamily room for that night until better rooms were vacant the next day and were a better standard,(tip: go and c room b4 you take your cases along to c if they are acceptable on arrival). 

The pools are really big and we found they were plenty of loungers but they were germans putting towels out at 6am to keep best loungers. 

The food at the hotel is good if you are german we struggled to eat some nights and went out a few nights to cafes to get dinner as is is cheap to each outside. We found most of the pool bar staff very ignorant and served the germans b4 the british. 

The entertainment team were brill they were about 7 young adults in there twenties and if you join in with the activites your holiday will be good some choose not to and comlained there holiday was boring and rubbish  - It is what you make it !.  

Overall the holiday was ok but the food was a big let down we were advised this was 4 star and no way was it 4star. The weather was excellent and if you go here you must visit Carthage Land It was only £5 for kids & £7.50 for adults it is a mini alton towers and is built brillantly it is only 15-20 min walk from hotel so go to welcome meeting to find out were everything is, our Rep Martin Smith was smashing and helped us with all our problems experienced at the hotel. If someone is wrong speak up and dont suffer in silence . We will miss all entertainment team (Dahlilia, Anis, Walid, Sabeur, Jackie, Jo Soap - They are over worked and underpaid and are the best bunch of kids we have ever met on holiday )

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Hotel Marillia - Yasmine Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook june 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : kathy bromley (37,32, 52,74, 13, 11, 10, 6

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This hotel is a must if your planning a holiday to tunisia, we went in the middle of june for 2 weeks, the weather was beautiful, the resort also beautiful and spotless, and the hotel also beautiful. The pool was huge with a pool bar along side got to mention the waiters here, they were fantastic, very friendly and cant do enough for you, they do appreciate a little tip though, there is a mini club, we took 4 children and they loved it. 

A must also is the camel rides its a great experience if you have never done it, (hold tight though) Also the beach in yasmine hammamet is absolutley georgeous, you really dont need to go all the way to mexico to see nice beaches. overall a fantastic holiday, hotel, staff, beach etc, cant wait for next june.

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Marina Palace - Hammamet 

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - September 2005

Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : Lewis 22   Nikki 19

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This hotel was rated as a 4* but as we have travelled I would personally only give this a 2 or 3*.
The food was very repetative every night and very bland. Some waiters were helpful and friendly.
Not a great selection of bars within range of the hotel.
Swimming pool was good, nice and clean. Area around swimming pool was good.

There was no specific rep for this hotel, there was just a 24 hour emergency number.
This was our first visit to Tunisia and I don't think we will be going back.

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Hotel Mediterranee - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama - October 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Steve Gina Rhian 47,49,12

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Arrived early morning (2am) to be placed in a room on bottom floor which smelt very damp and musty, with a view of an enormous palm or frond tree which blocked out everything no way could the sun have gotten in to warm it up hence the musty smell and furniture which was old. Wife turned on tap and brown water gushed forth - obviously no one had stayed in this room for a while -  - straight back up to reception and complained - was asked to wait till morning but stood my ground - was offered an alternative for one night which was much better and accepted.

Following morning down to reception and as good as their word was given a third rooom which had a sea view of sorts. Had requested a 3rd floor room overlooking pool - travel agents failed to tell us thes are only 2 bed rooms and not for 3 or 4 beds! Was quite happy with new room though it did give us some forebording as to what was in store. After moving in down to the pool by 9.30am and what a great surprise - loads of free sunbeds - no towels at 6am at this place! It actually states clearly that the pool is out of use before 8am and after 7pm. As soon as we appeared we were greeted by Aklemer who cleaned down 3 beds and lay out matteress for us! Table? no problem chef! Ashtray? No problem chef! Ca va chef? Cafe Chef? Nothing was too much trouble. 

Excellent pools, a saltwater pool in beautiful gardens on the right, fresh water pool with lots of beds on the left,beach with fine soft clean sand and free pedallos, canoes and sailing right in front. Following the other tips, i left one dinar (45p) each day in the room and got three fresh towels each day and flowers on the bed - smile and say bonjour to the maids and cleaners and any other staff and you will get excellent service! Considering average wage is £45 a week 45p tip is nowt - price of a mars bar. Other guests were doing with 2 towels between 4 - tips work!  we didnt even have to get up from the sunbeds for drinks - waiters were always about checking - ask for want you want pay them the tab and just leave a small tip - 3 drinks came to 3.6 dinar (£1.50 ish) gave 4 dinar and waved away change - next time i wanted some thing?no problem chef? Over the course of a week i must have given about £6 in tips - small price for the excellent service. Shopping - forget the bazzars and the medina all you get is hassle - especially if you have kids cos they pick on them and literaly will drag them into their shops (one seller was lucky the wife didnt brain him cos of his rudness) - go out the hotel turn right walk about 200yards ignore the first "supermarket" and got the the second one - excellent service and all priced - no haggling and very cheap - you even get a personal shopper who does not push you into buying anything. We bought stuff there that was way cheaper than in hammemet.

Food - was excellent - loads of choice and all well cooked - didnt come across anyone with trots at all and none of us got it! And im about the fusseist eater you could have but loved it - free wine and soft drinks with evening meal - bonus! Lunch was at the cafe between the pools and the beach - wide range of food snaky types - 3 of us ate for average £7 including drinks!
Entertainment - very European some good some bad - you dont have to watch! Mini disco for kids pre recorded but ok. Then came an hour of old time dancing with le orchestre (fella with electric organ and andother on an electric guitar) - good for oldies. Better option was dwon in what we called the pub - a small bar with pool table and geames tables for cards, chess, draughts whatever - cheap and cheerful and a bowl of popcorn with every round! theres a seperate room for the kids for games - loud brassy and great fun - just what they need to let of steam and its supervised!!!

All in all we wanted a late holiday with loads of sun (great weather all week), good food, optional activities and friendly chill out atmosphere - we got it and more - we were really pleased and came home with £200 not spent cos its so cheap and even then we had a hard time spending it - it seemed to last forever! More tips - change your money £50 a time - you have to spend it you cant take it out and the only bank is at the airport for changing back to sterling and boy do they rip you off! Don't buy food at the airport snack bars -- 3 dry sandwiches 3 ice teas and a bag of crisps - £15!

We are definately going back next October or we might even go at the end of August - but would recommend it to all, especially families with young children. Very safe very secure and very friendly!

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Hotel Mediterranee - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson--June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Sandra 47,MIke 42------Stoke

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Booked holiday last minute off Teletext never been to Tunisia even though my daughter and friend have been loads of times and love it after going I can now see why.If you want English food english bars and McDonalds then go to Bernidorm not Tunisia.

The hotel was lovely spotlessly clean had clean towels and sheets daily leave a dinar and the maid puts flowers on your bed!! The food choice at night was excelleny plenty of variety a free bottle of wine with your meal we found going at a slightly later time was better you avoided the "rush".The breakfast was very continenetal but still enough variety to eat something !!

Two pools 5min walk to the beach with free sunbeds windsurfing pedalos etc
some activities in the day aerobics vooleyball golf archery but seeing as the weather was never below 38C we didnt do too much.The Staff are friendly always smiling we were there when England played Sweden and had a great time at Las Palmas Bar in Hammamet.The entertainment at night could have been better but hammamet centre is only a taxi ride away and there are bars to go to Las Palmas and a new one Las Palmas 2.

The only down side was i couldnt cope with the haggling over prices at the market or the medina so if that puts you off go to the fixed price shops I will next time.Planning to go back in September for 2 weeks try a different hotel all in all a fantastic holiday !!!!!

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Hotel Mediterranee - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Manos Direct) Manos - May 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : London (56,47,11,9

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel Mediteeranee was very clean, comfortable and friendly, with 2 lovely adults pools, children's pools, and easy access to the beach (clean sand, clear water). Good choice of food in the restaurant.

The only downside to the hotel is the location - it is in the north of Hammamet, the furthest point away from Monastir airport. After dropping off people at many other hotels in the reosrt, we were last off the coach and the transfer time was 2.5 hours, not 1.5 as quoted in the brochure.

We spent most our time in the hotel or on the beach. We tried to visit the medina, but were hassled so much by shop-keepers that we left after 10 minutes. The marina was Hammamet Yasmine was interesting, and the local ancient roman ruins are worth a look, followed by a drink in the welcoming cafe.

Make lots of use of local taxi's - they really are cheap and friendly, and most drivers speak some English. Better

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Mehari - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - September 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Three Adults 31,45,58

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We started going to Tunisia in 2003 and had a very nice week at the Averroes in Yasmine Hamammet.We returned in 2004 and had an even better stay at the excellent hotel Phenicia.As we had used the Mehari in 2003 for a drink at night we thought it looked fabulous so we made a very bad choice of staying here for 2 weeks this year.
The hotel looks very elegant and impressive with stone pillars and marble reception and a huge domed ornate celing.
It is classed as  a 5 star but sadly it is badly managed and is far from 5 star standards.
We rang the hotel 2 weeks prior to departure to make sure we had the rooms we wanted on the top floor as we have had too many holidays ruined by people in rooms above banging about and dragging chairs etc etc so we were promised that we would have 2 rooms near to each other on the top floor and 1 with a sea view as we had paid for that extra.

So on arrival we were greeted by a female who checked us in and we were very annoyed as she gave us 1 room on the 3rd floor and another on the 2nd floor ! totally different to what we had been promised.
We refused this and she gave us rooms on the 3rd floor but we had a 2 hour wait until they were ready.
On seeing the rooms we were not happy as there was no sea view,just a glipse of it over the roof of an ugly casino building.
We asked to be moved and she said see her at 10am the next morning,so not a good start to the holiday.

The rooms are spacious but some wear and tear giving a slightly tatty feel.
We ventured out to find somewhere to sunbathe and found the hotels pool on the 1st floor a terrace.Again we were not impressed as it was very cramped and noisy and not ideal to sunbathe and relax.There are no gardens so nowehere to sunbathe.

This hotel has a Residence as part of it so we looked there,again not good.A drab dreary reception with a big window overlooking the pool,an ugly grey shell of an unfinished building dominated the view and there was a communications mast stuck in the garden,not nice.
This area was scruffy,long grass and not pleasant considering its a 5 star hotel.
So we tried the hotels beach.A small area gridlocked with sunbeds and straw umbrellas packed like sardines ! the beach is not the best we have seen,some dirt and litter and give me a secluded pebble beached cove anyday.So nowhere to sunbathe ! luckily we knew of a very nice hotel nearby with beautiful gardens and huge pool so we used that easch day and was never challenged if we were staying there.
We were annoyed that we had paid a lot of money and could not use our hotel.

The pool at the Mehari is dangerous,the entrance into it is lethal and many people slipped and fell,one english woman fell and torn her ligament in her leg and was on crutches after.The hotel did nothing to improve the danger,not roped off and no signs.
Thomsons promised welcome packs on arrival.
We never seen them and niether did the other guests.
On occasions there were nasty smells in the hotel,diesel smells and sewerage.
There is raw sewarage across the road that runs into the sea and it stinks,so beware of swimming in the sea as its not clean.

The dining room is very basic,too many tables and chairs and its a pain to try to get food,more like an assault course weaving in and out of chairs and tables.
Breakfast is not good.We were not happy when we went for a glass of fresh orange juice to find we had to PAY for it !!! we had paid to stay there yet they wanted money just for a drink of orange !
Evening meals were not good,food that should be hot was cold,food not cooked enough and just a lot of messes,not good enough for a 5 star.
Waiters were ok,some seemed to favour other nationalities but service was quite quick.
Milk for breakfast cereals was warm,not chilled,despite asking them to chill it each morning it was warm milk,yuk !

So we went at 10am the next day to change our room and the woman was not there.The other staff knew nothing about it so we returned at 4pm.This woman was very rude to us and said we should have come at 10am,we told her we had and she wasnt there and if she thinks we are wasting precious holiday time waiting for her then she is wrong.She would not move us so we had to see the rep and it took 5 days to get moved.
The new rooms had huge balconies and sea views but the corner bath we had was covered in black mould spores around the side,electrical sockets didnt work and the patio doors didnt lock,just poor standards.
The housekeeper was very nice and she got us 3 sunbeds to have on our balconies.
One bed was delivered whilst we were having breakfast and whoever delivered it also had used the toilet and made one hell of a mess !!!! totally unacceptable.
Three sunbed mattress's were delivered and these were filthy and stained.
The resort of Yasmine Hammamet is clean and new,much better than scruffy Hamammet and the new medina is very nice.
Sadly its being turned into typical tourist tat and you do get Tunisia fatigue,same shops,same pests harassing you to go inside,etc etc,we felt 1 week is plenty here.
There are horse drawn carts going up and own the prom night and day,sadly the horses look thin and overworked and many were badly lame.

Also most shops had baby turtles for sale in boxes taken from the beach,we were outraged at this.The poor things were trying to scramble out the boxes and who on earth would buy these as you cant take them home.
So the Mehari is not up to its 5 star rating ,there are better hotels,the Phenicia is where the standards are at,we would not recommend the Mehari.

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Melia el Mouradi - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama.  October 2004

Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Mary O'Reilly.  58

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We went AOA and were delighted with the hotel.  

We usually like to  have seperate rooms, and while the first night we had to share a room, there was no problem the following day.  For a small fee, we had two fine spacious rooms, on the same floor. The staff were courtous the food was good, and the location, across the road from the beach, with free sun loungers, was excellent.  There was a beautiful pool, but unfortunately, I couldn't avail of it, as the mosquitos made a meal of me, and my upper arms were weeping!  However, I am going again in March, and will be well fortified with antihistamines BEFORE I go.  Forget Spain and it's islands, Tunisia is a wonderful place.  This is third visit in 12 months, my first being 30 years ago.

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Melia el Mouradi - Hammamet

Operator and Date: Panoram May 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Miah - London (50,50,30,28,28,26,24)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We chose AOA deal with Panaroma. The deal stated that the hotel would be a 5 star but resort was not guaranteed. This was a family holiday, so i was apprehensive about what the hotel would be like.

When we arrived at Monastir airport we were told we were going to be based in Hammament. The coach journey was roughly 45 minutes.

The hotel Melia El Mouradi was beautiful and very large with high ceilings. The reception area was massive with a big reception desk. The staff were very helpful, beit the reception staff, dining room staff or cleaners.

The rooms were large in size. They were also clean. The bathroom was cleaned everyday and new towels placed. There was a big outdoor pool and a indoor heated pool with jacuzzi. Because it was cold outside, teh family used teh indoor pool and jacuzzi, which they loved.

The dining room was also very big and clean. The buffet food was out of this world. Plenty of meat dishes, salads, vegetarian meals, desserts. We couldn't fault the food.

The resort is kinda quite esp in the evenings. There is entertainment room in the hotel with singing etc.

The best places to go for site seeings are teh markets.

If you are going with family or just as a couple......i highly recommend this hotel.

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Melia el Mouradi - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - May 2004

Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Linda McGregor 47 Francis Greene 43

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from this hotel which has a 4/5 star rating but in more like a 3 star hotel.We were luck to move rooms immediately we arrived as so many thing were not functioning including the loo.

The food is below standards expected of a hotel of this grading and although the staff are friendly the hotel had the feeling we were on the set of 'Faulty Towers'but no John Cleese to make us laugh.We would have happily eaten out every evening but a lack of decent restaurants made this impossible, I personally don't look for entertainment in a hotel but if you do be warned it is dreadful!

This is not my first visit to Tunisia but I would not use this group again.The only positive thing I can say is that the rooms were cleaned punctually daily, which does not exactly warrant a 4/5 star grading.The so called health balno center resembled something out of a pow camp,for anyone interested in Spa treatments the Hasrubla Hotel and Spa a 10 minute walk away is wonderful  they have a daily rate well worth it[about £70 per day or you can chose individual treatments].I expect by now you have got the picture!

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Melia el Mouradi - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - FEBRUARY 2004

Opinion submitted in Feb 2004 by : Will & Sally (26)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just back (literally) from a bargain last-minute break booked via Teletext. Rather than relate the plusses and minuses of the holiday I will summarise my main suggestions if you are looking at going on the same kind of thing.

1) It was very quiet out of season and although we were lucky with the weather (sun every day and 20-25c) considering the time of the year, it can be a lot colder and wetter.

2) Because of the above, the resort (which remains under construction) was extremely quiet and those looking for any sort of nightlife will have to take a short cab ride to other areas of Hammamet.

3) The over-riding impression we got from our stay in Tunisia is that IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU STAY 2-STAR, 5-STAR OR NO-STAR - the service will generally be friendly and the food will always be generally all right. The Mouradi looks good from the outside but isn't anything to shout about once you're in, the leisure facilities were poor (all sports etc had to be paid for additionally) and the entertainment generally disorganised or non-existent.

4) We highly recommend a trip to Tunis - either by organised excursion or your own means. We took the train and had a really good day. It was cheap, everyone was friendly and the city is very nice. Also the medina is a lot more authentic than the nasty one in Hammamet which felt more westernised than Watford market.

5) The split between everyone we spoke to was about half between those who had enjoyed it and those who hadn't. The younger ones were annoyed by the lack of entertainment and the older ones by the hassle factor of getting pursued by over-eager Tunisians everywhere you go trying to sell you cigarettes and drinks. But there is lots to see if you go off the beaten track.

6) Make sure you get some bottled water from a local shop as soon as you get there, take some cream for insect bites, don't be afraid to take a taxi and go exploring, try and use up all your dinars before you leave as you will be ripped off when you try and change them back to pounds at the airport.

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Melia el Mouradi - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - February 2003

Opinion submitted in Feb 2003 by : Janet and Pete 51, 55

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We's booked for a weeks break on the 9th February 2003, I didn't realise it would be so cold!

The hotel was excellent, food excellent, staff very friendly. The only downpoints were that although the rooms were warm there was no heating in the rest of the hotel, so if you're travelling at this time of year take lots of warm clothing!  Also the only English speaking chanel on the TV was BBC World (you can only take so much news and weather forecasts!), all of the films are dubbed in French.

There is quite a lot of construction work in progress and I think it will be very impressive when finished.

The Spa treatments, especially the 3 day anti-stress is recommended.

The overnight Sahara Experience is also good fun, although you spend and awful long time on the bus.

Although we did enjoy the holiday, I think that it would have been even better a little later in the season when it would have been hotter, although that was no-one's fault but our own for not doing more research concerning the weather before hand.

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Melia el Mouradi - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - 2003

Opinion submitted in July 2003 by : 40,35,12

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We travelled with Panorama and wanted a relaxing break we were allocated this hotel on arrival. The hotel is very impressive on first impression, but in no way compares to a Western 5* Hotel.

The food was great but you have to watch your tummy. (The same cheese reappears time after time) They go to a lot of trouble to present it to you. On the last night at dinnertime they put flowers and dress the table so very nice. The waiters are very nice but you do have to watch your change. Always check it, if you don't you will get the wrong change.

Be aware that most of the hotels in Tunisia rent "space" out in the hotel - this means that if you go to a jewellry cabinet in 60 seconds someone will be hassling you to buy something. They will also tell you that the hotel are providing a "free" tour of Hammamet. This is not true. They will whizz you past any historical scenery and take you to a carpet factory. Don't take this tour! In our hotel we agreed to go on the tour and then changed our minds but the tour guy got really annoyed, started threatening our 12 yr old and following him. He was very frightened so we reported the incident.  I felt our holiday was ruined. We were only there for 6 nights and we spent 3 worried about our child.

The hotel itself was lovely the entertainment team were great and because our son was one of only a small number of children there they would come looking for him to join in the entertainment every day - they were great.
I love shopping but I would not shop in Tunisia. I know it is how they are but the hassle factor was 15/10.
I won't be going back until the country starts listening to the fact western tourists do not like to be hassled, intimidated and lied to.

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Melia el Mouradi - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in Nov 2003 by : scot & zara hodgson

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

the hotel was very nice and yasmine was quiet and nobody tries to sell you things even in the shops that are in the hotel. the food was fried everything.and the same choice of food every day so we mainly went out along the resort to eat.

the first week was very hot 45-50 but week 2 cooled down a bit.the storms on the night was great to watch.
the bus tours are good value we went to the animal park it is a half day tour and the park is about 15mins drive.
the second tour was a three in one were you go to port el kantaoui for 1 hour then to sousse for 2 hours and then to moister were you go on a gallion to have a bbq(the food was lovely)then sail along the coast,(they had a belly dancer) and back to the entrance to the harbour were you could fish or swim.this trip was the highlight of the holiday.

the fun park was no fun it was still being build so there was only about 3 good rides and people were pushing in all over the place so we did the same.

watch out for people asking if you would like to go and see carpets being made.we were stuck in the shop for 1 hour while they tried to sell us a carpet they will not take no for an answer.we left after he went to make us a cup of tea.
overall a nice holiday but will not be going back

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Melia Flora Park - Hammamet Yasamine

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama July 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Andy Howie - Glasgow  ( 46,45,36,15,10)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had 2 rooms, both very clean and spacious but tiles in bathroom area could do with new grouting which would have made a big improvement but very clean.

Cleaners in every day and towels replaced each day, excellent service.

Pool area really good, always got a sun lounger even after 0900hrs all with cushions.

Not much going on about pool or even at night in hotel, very low key which suited us. Not much out in the beach frontarea,mostly shops and hotels.

We were half board and no complaints re food as well catered for as was my sister-in-law who is a vegan. Buffet breakfast and dinner with plenty of choice.

Weather fantastic, too hot at times but thats why you go.

Overall enjoyed holiday in this hotel in Hammamet Yasmine classed as a 4 star, which is probably just about right although a bit more could have been done for night time entertainment

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Melia Flora Park - Hammamet Yasamine

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - April 2006

Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Sam townsend - Plymouth (37,37)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a fab two weeks at the Flora Park. 

The rooms are spacious and nicely furnished.  We were on the Half board basis, and thought the food was excellent at both breakfast and dinner, we didn't eat at the hotel at lunchtime, preferring to eat at a local restaurant just around the corner called La Grotta (they sold pizzas, sandwiches, paninis, pancakes etc).  You are not allowed to bring food into the hotel from outside (although it was extremely easy to smuggle in using a backpack! what they don't see can't hurt them!  The drinks are quite expensive in the resort - 5.5 dinars for a beer - about £2.50, and the wine was 12.8 dinars, which is about £5.50 per bottle.  Do not change your money in the hotel, despite the fact that the rate is supposed to be the same as the bank - it is not, we got about 11 dinars per £100 more by going to the bank - which is about £5 - it adds up if you are spending a lot! Do go on the local (bendy)bus to Hammamet and Nabeul - just 0.465 dinars to Hammamet and 1.2 to Nabeul - avoid Nabeul on a Friday, when the market is held. The bus stops just along the road form the hotel. 

Went on a couple of trips organised by the tour company (woudl not normally do this, but could not find anything else to go on locally), firstly the Berber Night -do not bother, it is the same entertainment as in the hotel, the food is sparce and just sniffing the free red wine can give you a migraine - we got a free trip to the reps cabaret night after complaning about it.  The reps night was good, we had free time in Port El Kantauoi, and then had a lvely meal at a restaurant in the marina there.  The cabaret itself was not really to our taste, but we could have spent the two hours we were there wandering about in Sousse.  

We also went on the two day desert safari - a wonderful trip, but a lot of time sat on the coach, we also got served some awful food at lunchtime on the second day, which I refused to eat, some sort of chicken or turkey swimming on a bed of olive oil and veggies! YUK! 

All in all though a wonderful holiday, we met some wonderful fellow Brits, who also had a great time over in Tunisia.

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Melia Flora Park - Hammamet Yasamine

Operator and Date: Med Hotels - 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Ken Lang

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

LET DOWN ON UNSAFE PRACTICE
This hotel was clean, the pool was good, the food was good, the staff were friendly and polite, they are on low pay so a 10% tip on purchases will be appreciated, just remember that a Dinar is only 42p. Entertainment was not that good; there is good entertainment on the big stage in the medina at night.

Bad points, the fire escape that serves rooms 131 - 146 - 231 - 246 and 331 - 346 is pad locked at night, the instructions for actions in the event of a fire will lead you to this locked door. the instructions also instructs guests to close the room doors as you evacuate, this action would leave guests stranded in smoke filled corridors, without  the option of returning to rooms to escape over the balcony.
Also at this hotel, I noticed poolside lamps with missing bulbs, at a height accessible to young children and with nothing to seal of the electrical connections.
I reported these concerns to the reception and to the rep from Med Hotels  however nothing was done.

I would not return to this hotel, due to these safety concerns.

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Melia Flora Park - Hammamet Yasamine

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama- June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Daisy Ashworth- 21

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Me and my two mates have just returned from what can only be described as the best holiday of our lives!

Tunisia is by far the friendliest place we have ever visited. In fact we returned two days ago, and are already planning a return there in December- as soon as we can get time off work to be honest.

The hotel we stayed in was amazing, especialy for the price! It is clean, friendly, and to be honest, amazing!
the staff were wonderful, and cant help you enough. I have read some reviews that the bar staff only help the young single girls (and we fell into this catagory) and I would like to say, this is totally untrue, whilst they were happy to show us the local nighlife (for which we were greatful- tunisian men appear to hunt in packs, and knowing some locals saved us from that) but they were truely wonderful to all guests, old, young, families, groups etc. they dont get paid a great amount and yet the service was always with a smile, and a chat about everything and anything. This got a bit confusing, considering they can talk in about 7 languages, and flick from one guest to the next. It was ammazing just how articualt they were in every language!It should put us brits to shame!

I cant really explain Tunisia, except its like going to spain and not having drunken brits everywhere!
The weather was very hot, and gets even hotter peak season!
the beach is a 5 min walk from the hotel, and there is a Madina just down the road. To get to the larger tows costs about one dinar (40p)!!!
Food was amazing, and a meal out could be had by all of us for less than 10 pounds!

The only expense was the alchohol, however there is a supermarket in Hammamet,and if you get to know the security guards they will turn a blind eye to what you bring threw the gate!
I would like to especialy highlight the work of the bar staff who, frankly made our holiday, if you go, take them on a night out with you, you wont be dissapointed (and no, you dont have to buy their drinks!) they really do make sure you have a great evening!

As I said me and my friends are already going back in December, and will no doubt go back next summer, because Tunisia really is the nicest country we have ever experienced, and Flora Park plade a hudge part in making sure we had an amazing time!

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Melia Flora Park - Hammamet Yasamine

Operator and Date: (Direct Holidays) Direct Holidays - may 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : michele and pete - Bristol { 35,69 }

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Our holiday didn't start very well as we had an hour delay, but one in seven years is not bad. It was one and a half hour journey to our hotel,we arrived at 7.00am which was abit tiring all we wanted to do was go to bed but we decided to go straight into breakfast. 

Our room was lovely a nice big bathroom, plenty of space for all our toiletries and we even had a fridge which didn't have to pay for.  You could see where they got the name for the hotel from there was flowers every where even in the place where you put your cigarette out! The breakfast room and breakfast was excellant plenty of variety and staff very helpful, the breakfast room looked out onto a huge swimming pool. We spent most of time around the pool which is unusual for us as we usually like the beach but it was perfect no children and no loud music and no one constantly trying to get you to do something energetic bliss. 

The beach area was a nice idea every hotel had its own separate bit of beach, we had a lovely walk down the very long promenade with seats all the way down, yasmine as a area was lovely shops restaurants lovely hotels what we saw of other areas we think this the best but i must agree with the person who said it abit souless, you could have any where. 

We decided to be abit energetic and go on the 2 day sahara explorer, which we were glad we did we went to el jem where Gladiator was filmed, which amazing. Then visited the home of the berber tribesmen,in the caves of matmata, you can not beleive people live like this still but saying that many had there  satelite dishes. This is also the setting for starwar films. Next day we had a camel ride in the sahara desert for an hour very beautiful but we were very sore after !!  

all in all we enjoyed tunisia

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Melia Flora Park - Hammamet Yasamine

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - oct 2003

Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : joanna - lancashire (22,25)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from what can only be described as a fantastic holiday from tunisia!
We took a 4* allocation on arrival to Hammamet and were very disapointed when we were given our hotel and told it would be in the yasamine area!

But first impressions can certainly be deceiving! Although the resort is quiet, which to be honest was wonderful! It is a beautiful and very well maintained resort. When it is fully finished I think it will be the place to visit in tunisia! It was only a 20minute taxi ride from Hammamet and that only cost £2.50! But we preffered the quiet resort to the husstle and bustle of Hammamet

The hotel was beautiful, very clean and cool...I highly recomend the beauty treatments! the full body massage is heavenly! and my boyfriend enjoyed the small but adequate fitness room.
The food although a little too geared towards the european visitor was lovely! I highly recomend the sweet breads at breakfast, and the deserts were to die for at dinner time!! The soup was always lovely and a good selection of fresh fruit was always available!

The staff were wonderful and very helpful! The daytime animation and evening entertainment was very limited! There was only one guy doing it - but it was still a good laugh! The one unmissable night is the traditional tunisian night - it was very enjoyable and lively! More of the nights should have been like this one.

The 3in1 trip was enjoyable - i especially enjoyed the fixed price department style store in sousse - it is wonderful to be able to shop in peace! and Port El Kantoui looked beautiful! And when we return we would certainly stay here.
We also took a trip to Nebul market, which was certainly an experiance! But if you dont want to be pestered just a polite no thank you would suffice, but haggling can be fun! You just need to have a sense of humour!

All in all a wonderful holiday and we will certainly return!!! The tunisians are such a friendly bunch!!! much better and better value for money than your average spanish or canaries type holiday!

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Melia Flora Park - Hammamet Yasamine

Operator and Date: Panarama - 2003

Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Sue&Martin-60,59

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have been to Hammamet three times in the last year,this is one of the better hotels,good food,spotlessly clean,lovely swimming pool and decent sized rooms but unfortunately is let down when it comes to changing money in the Reception. For some reason it always comes up short.This is normally by ten or twenty Dinars. Not much but when added up over fourteen days someone is going home happy,also when young girls are guests,the bar staff seems able to close the bar as early as possible to enable them to escort them to local nightlife.Guess who pays?

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Melia Hammamet Yasmine - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama (MY Travel) - May 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : David Dodd-Newcastle (36,72)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Melia Hammamet Yasmine: Arrived 16th May and had 1 week of lovely weather. Following on from the success of Port El Kantaoui the president of the country has spent millions on building a purpose built resort full of 5*star hotels against a back drop of a long sandy beach that goes on and on. 

The Melia chain is very good and of all the ones that i have stayed at in Tunisia (all 5*) this had the best food. The choice is very limited and but there was a salad bar , soup . bread counter, a pasta chef and 2 lonh hot trays with various dishes of the evening. The display of deserts looks fantastc but as with all hot countrys.... very bland. Hot tea and coffe + and ice cream counter make it an average restaraunt. The staff are friendly but not the best out of the hotels. 

The entertainments team are a joke. Darts every day at 11am. The night time show is in a small room and i knew the second night why ...... after 15mins everyone leaves. Its just like Butlins with Mr Muscle shows etc.
The resort has a brand new Medina with a casino in and there is the Arab version of Disney next door for 15 dinars (£7) that is a must for old and young alike. The place is too new and will take a few years before all the cafe's and shops start to develop. There is Tunisia's firts ice rink along the road and the supermarket ther is the chapest for buying stuff for your minibar (half a dinar for a coke).

The hotel looks good but is not 5* . As everyone said ...pop in to the new ones next door and you will see what it should look like. We paid £300 each BB through Panorama booking 4months before. It was the same as the previous year ... ' 5 star Melia hotel allocated on arrival' Last year we went South to Mahdia. The hotel there is the same but the staff and the locals are much nicer.

This being a tourist place everyone is cahrging you more. Tunisia is cheap ...very cheap. You should pay less than half the uk price on everything ....if not...your being overcharged!!!!
Taxi are evrywhere and you should not get them to go off the meter but to agree a price before you get in. Nothing more than 5dinars ..even if you are going far. What ever they say hit them back a couple of dinars cheaper. There is so many they will kill for the trade.

Have a good holiday and unless you accept that what your getting her is good value for what you have paid .......dont go. The couple next to me booked a week before on the same deal and paid £199 each. As they said .... the hotel was not 5 star but worth the money they paid ...i agree.

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Hotel Melia Marco Polo - Yasmine Hammamet

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - April 2003

Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : Kate - Stafford (24)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

WEATHER - I went for 2 weeks with my boyfriend in April.  The weather was occasionally hot but with a sea breeze.  Nice though becuase I don't like it too hot.

RESORT - Well, the resort was in the middle of being built but there was no building noise or anything like that.  We didn't tend to see the builders actually working!!   With the Marina it seemed that it would be a fabulous destination in about 5 years. 

HOTEL - The hotel itself was lovely and sumptuous.  We didn't get on with the head waiter though.  After a misunderstanding where we weren't supposed to have an evening meal on arrival, (we were supposed to buy a meal ourselves at the pizza cafe) the receptionist told us to go to the restaurant and eat, so we did.  The head waiter then watched us for the next two weeks and becuase we didn't realise this meal counted against our last meal in the hotel, then tried to make us pay on the last day of the holiday.  When we explained the misunderstanding, he said he would make the waiter who'd let us have lunch pay from his wages.  Not very friendly at all.  The food was nice and I ate plenty.  Puddings were a bit blah though, lots of tasteless pastries with dates.  We had no other problems with staff though.  The hotel was very clean and the views to the seafront were lovely.  It wasn't a beach to relax on as huge mounds of seaweed were washed up every night.

TOWNS - The local towns were interesting.  I liked Sousse, but had my purse stolen in the rush to board the train.  I would advise to do the trips with your holiday company.  Luckily, I'd spent all my spending money in the govenment shop and kept american express vouchers in the hotel safe so all they got was a purse.

I found Hammamet to be the worst medina of the place which gave me a bad impression of them.  However, the medina at Tunis was lovely in comparison.

TRIPS - A great trip was the 2 day safari which I loved, and the bedouin feast.  I found the food a bit repetative, (a lot of cous-cous) but each place seemed to offer it in a different way.  I liked the Brik - fried pancake with egg and potato and it was very good in the hotel cafe.

We took a trip to Nabeul market and after the purse episode I wore my bag on my front and was very wary indeed. 

Casino and Caberet - This was an amusing evening!  And I doubled my money in the casino!  Always a bonus.

On the whole I enjoyed my holiday.  It was very different from anything I had experienced and having read previous messages, I took the advice of covering up in towns being a petite blonde.  However, I was called Barbie quite alot!

I would be interested in going again but only for a week becuase once you've done the trips, I doubt they'll change much.  I recommend it for someone who knows they'd like it here, because it is a culture change and you have to respect that. 

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel - March 2007

Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : Lavin - (35,32)

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We were really looking forward to this holiday, as already had been to Tunisia which we really enjoyed, this time we were going to Hammamet, upon arrival, we were given a welcome drink and asked to fill forms in, which were all fine, but the first night having dinner at the restaurant boy were we suprised, the waiters were so abrupt with us, if you was'nt french or German they did'nt want to know, breakfast was no better, they catered for europeans, I mean cauliflower for breakfast!!

entertainment is so bad they have music on in the bar on a night which was so poor, food is terrible,please be aware If you take children, they don't do toast or beans, and the waiters are always out for a tip, Hammamet itself is so boring, you can see it all in half a day, even the food outside is so poor and bland! we are not moaners but this is the worst holiday we have had, people warned us about this, but we thought a holiday is what you make it, you could not make anything of this, we were counting the days, we were only there for a week, but the people in our group that was there for two were already fed up, 

the good points about his holiday was, we got our room changed no hassle, and we drank endless orange juice out of boredome. If you read the specs of this hotel, there is no nightclub, no shopping arcade, and no museuem or theatre close by, Please Please be aware, when you book your holiday you might be offered this as an alternative due to refurbishment, If you do, feel sorry for you. Bye

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) Mytravel - Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : John Hannan - London(57,44,13)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just one word to British holiday makers who are thinking of booking this hotel......Not Recommended........This is not a 4* hotel more like 1/2*(If British holiday makers are to use this hotel then health and safety officials should check it out). The hotel corridors smelt of sewage as  did our room 566.Staff did not know of our forthcoming arrival(and did not know about the arrival of other British holidaymakers)any complaints they just laughed at you. hotel riddled with cockroaches and ants. room had mould on ceilings and stunk, bed sheets damp and mouldy.indoor pool is out of action all the ceiling has been taken down but it is still shown in the Panorama brochure as being useable.Staff always asking for tips.

The hotel is German orientated all socalled entertainment  was in German. We know a good German sing-a-long song.The restuarant had mouldy red tablecloths under the white ones, food was disgusting, flies all over the food which was all uncovered.

I can go on and on but this hotel had ruined our holiday and Hammamet is a nice place but we will not visit again.

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: low cost beds August 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Don Debbie Rhianne, Manchester

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Having travelled to Tunisia 6 times before we found this hotel to be average,there were very few english staying there, and the few that were had been placed there instead of the saphir.  The dining room was stressful to say the least fighting through queues to get food,( food was pretty good ) and finding a clean table was just as stressful, we gave up part way through our 1st week and ate at any of the small restaurants outside of the hotel which were both clean and very cheap, with great service, our room was good and kept very clean, however, there were lots of complaints of cockroaches in other rooms and a couple of families placed there by Airtours were actually moved to alternative accomodation on request. The pool itself was okay,although the area surrounding  it wasnt washed down in the two weeks that we were there. This is very unusual for Tunisia.

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours August 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Craughwell family-Belfast (38, 35, 12)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Having just come back from this place I am sorry I did not find this website before we went on holiday. This hotel is supposed to be 4*, but while we stayed here we had to go to 2 & 3* hotels for entertainment and food. All of the entertainment in this hotel is in German with some broken English, poor facilities for kids, restaurants in the complex do not cater for British/Irish tastes and no kids menus. 

The hotel grounds and surroundings are lovely, but the entire complex smells like a sewer. Rooms are basic, but clean. Reception staff are especially rude and make no attempt to make you feel welcome. Pools are overcrowded and too small for the size of the complex. Only games facilities for kids included play park, which only had a few slides and nothing else, mini golf, which is minimal, tennis courts which are locked and a key has to be paid for, 3 pool tables, 1 air hockey table and 2 pinball machines were the only other games and the majority of the time they were broken. Our entire party of 8 and some other unhappy families we met all came down with stomach cramps and diarrhoea. Some of the waiters can be pushy, especially when they expect a tip every time they bring you a drink.
The only highlight of the 2 weeks we spent in this hell hole was an excursion called the African Dream. It was a fantastic day out and we would recommend it to anyone visiting Tunisia, but avoid this accommodation like the plague.
If you have to take a taxi, which is probably the only "safe" way to get about in this resort, be prepared to take your life in your hands, these people obviously don't take any driving lessons.
Worst holiday we have had and has put us of visiting any other part of Africa again.

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama april 2006

Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Harker (44,38,10,8)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

i would recommend this hotel to anyone. the staff were very friendly and helpful. despite an accident suffered by my youngest son, we had a terrific holiday. the maid service was faultless, the restaurant staff were superb. However Beware of the concrete on the shoreline.

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: Panaroma - April 2006

Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Mick McCarthy Norfolk (8 to 70)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just cone back after spending a week at the Miramar hotel. After reading reviews here and else where we were worried. However we had a great time. The staff were great, the food was good and the hotel was fine.

The hotel is rated as 4 star. It is not equivalent to 4 star here. But it was clean and comfortable. Staff did not pester us for tips - as I read elsewhere. But we did tip the waiters, taxi drivers, porters etc a few dinar (what's a couple of pound!!!) These people rely on tips and they are very poorly paid!

The markets you do get pestered - but that's their way. We learned a few arabic praises (la shukran - no thankyou, mimbad - go away)they worked wonders.

It is a great place if you go with an open mind. Food was cheap but drinks were expensive in our hotel. Go to the les Citronnieres Hotel (think thats how you spell it) a few hundred yards down the road. Very good food and much cheaper drinks. We frequently went there for lunch and evening drinks.

Taxi drivers were very friendly, didn't rip you off and there were plenty of them. For exapmle there were 16 in our party. We left our hotel to get taxis as a group - 4 turned up within minutes.

Try speaking arabic phrases - it goes down well and is appreciated. I look them up on the net, printed them off.

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama - march/april 2006

Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : vicki able - george allen (18, 28)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

having read all the poor reviews for this hotel i felt i should write something positive, i am the most pesimistic person you will ever meet, and complain about anything thats not to my liking, but to my surprise i didnt have one single complaint to make, the rooms were spotless, maids did an excellent job, the bar staff were friendly and the reception staff were always keen to say hello to you, also any tips you give are greatly appritiated, and wont be offended if you dont give them one.

the gardens are absoulutly wonderful you could walk for hours in them.
the food was of a varied choice, chicken, pork, beef every night and also things like chips, pasta, sheperds pie, also some forigen dishes which were lovely to.
the 3 outdoor pools were cold, but extremely clean(one is a hidden pool) and the indoor one is extremly clean and warm.

as for the hassle from shop keepers, i hate that too, but a firm no thanks, and they wont bother you again, and you do get some bargins in the shop, they will start off a high price, but you can always get it for at least half of that by haggeling, and the ciggarette man on the beach will sell 200 for 15 dinars(around 7 pounds)

It was a great holiday and and the entertainment at night is not in german, the man does it in french, german and brittish, so all can enjoy, and it is very easy to follow, its great fun, i recommend you go to this hotel, the people who have written bad reviews have obviously went on holiday expecting it to be like benidorm or something, this is for couples and fammilies, there are no louts or loud music, which are a good thing, make sur you stay here if you go to tunisia

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama - March 2006

Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Male 35 - Female 34

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived at Monastir Airport, were held up for an hour at check in, queues from flights still joining end of lines. Found tour operator, no assistance in finding coach, took 1.15 hours to get to Hammamet, eventually got to Miramar, had welcome drink (that at end of holiday we were expected to pay almost 5 pound, not dinar, for two fruit drinks).
Hotel should not be rated as a 4*, rooms are plain, beds are a mattress on a marble base, no minibar (in brouchure), no kettles, or supplies available, (so glad we brought our own water, coffee, tea, milk and sugar) and they don't like you to bring water, drinks or food into resort from few shops outside.

We were half board, I didn't find any of the foods to be catered for English people. Some strange cereals, milk with bags of sugar added to?? don't understand why, with lots of salads and (as another visitor stated) the only reason he got up for breakfast was for the omelette, thats the breakfast. And if you want fresh orange juice from the breakfast bar you have to pay extra. Evening meal was no better chicken that turns out to be pork, salads again, and soups.

The panorama reps were not helpful, didn't give alot of info about resort, whats available in resort and if there is anything outside resort to see. Which we couldn't find.

I understand that the people working in airports, resorts and restaurants are not paid highly but constant waiting to be paid for holding a door, pointing at something or dragging your camera to take your photo was a bit annoying. Plus the constant annoyance from the touts selling camel rides everyday asking you to book.
Didn't enjoy any part of the holiday, the only part that was reasonable was the room cleaners who kept the rooms tidy, didn't change the bed clothes everyday.
No tv remote, hardly any picture on screen that you have to keep getting up to change, and if you have a problem with the room don't expect anybody to fix it for you, you get looked at like they don't understand you.

Will not be visiting Tunisia again, at any point or for any reason again in the future

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: Panarama

Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Chris, Caroline (26, 24) March 2006

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Booked a late holiday to Tunisia to get some Winter Sun, was told that Tunisia was good this time of year, and the hotels in Tunisia were of an excellent standard.

Look away now if you have already booked your holiday here.

We arrived at the hotel in the very early hours of the morning, so decided to give the hotel and room the benefit of the doubt, as we were also tired after long day.

After waking the first morning, my opinion didn't change of the room, this was no four star hotel.  Again though, decided to stay positive, as after all the weather was going to be great, and who spends all there time in there room (apart from honeymooners).

The hotel in our opinion is a 2* hotel, with staff with no customer service skills.  Though the maid was very friendly, until we realised she had a ulterior motive, as she was later to barge into our room and demand that she had my girlfriend's skirt that took her fancy.

The fact that everyone from our hotel was walking a few yards up the road to a family run as advertised 2* hotel to eat, to me, says everything.

Apart from this 2* hotel up the road, most Tunisian are very rude.

Was ALSO shocked and annoyed that on the one day we had sun, we decided to sunbath by the pool.. the nice Tunisian, brought over the comfy looking things that lay on top of the sun bed, then made what we thought was a cracker of a joke at the time, "thats 4 dinars", we laughed, he didn't.  We then continued laughing, he didn't, after about 2minutes of this, we discovered he wasn't joking.  Out of principle we refused to pay this.  We were then on edge when we went to dinner in case they charged us for the chair and cutlery!!

Have I mentioned how rude the waiters were in the hotel as well? How rude of me to ask if it was ok to sit at a table, apparently there is a system that you sit at the same table each night.  After accusing us of lying, we were then giving a table, which was to be ours for the week, fair enough I suppose.  The following evening, we came down, and yes, you can guess the punch line to this one, somewhere was sitting there.  This continued for 7nites, the accusations of us lying, us moving table etc etc...

We have been to many countries, all of which have been excellent, this has by far been the worse holiday I have ever been on, and will no doubt tell everyone I know to give it a wide birth, in my opinion.

On a positive note, and this if for the ones who had already booked, and decided to read on, make sure you take the two day Desert adventure, if only to get away from the hotel and Hammamet as we did.  You get to see an impressive Roman Coliseum, ride on a camel, and see the sun rise over a salt lake.

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama February 2006

Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : arthur Harada-Chester (66,57)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I have read through other reviews on this site re Hotel Miramar and we totally disagree with any negative opinions concerning this excellent hotel and Hammamat itself. Our room was extremely well heated, looked onto the gardens and was adequately furnished.  OK- no remote for the TV-so what's wrong with changing channels manually? 

Food was excellent and plenty of it.  Staff were very friendly and responsive to our requests.  Remember many of the staff in the gardens and in the hotel are low waged.  A dinar or two is most gratefully received ( 10% of the bill) as also is an attempt to speak French to them if one's Arabic is rusty.

The indoor heated swimming pool saw my dream come true of swimming in water that was at least 70degrees C and has spoilt me for life my membership of a Chester fitness centre where the pool is 27degrees C on a good day.
We had no problem with the need to have security guards on patrol in the garden or at the main entrance.  Again if the doorman finds you a taxi or even opens the car door as you arrive a dinar tip or two is thankfully received.  These people have no pensions, no state handouts of any sorts and survive by sheer graft and a willingness to put up with hardship.

Hammamat is a pleasant town-interesting features and thankfully no like Falaraki etc.  No blaring music and no drunken rabble vomitting in the gutters.  Long may Tunisia remain alcohol free in public places.
Day visit to Tunis by train was achieved successfully, but we did not make it to Carthage sadly.

We had a most enjoyable holiday for £408 for two, half board in an excellent hotel.  We had no stomach or indigestion problems whatsoever though we were armed with allsorts of medicines and first aid gear-as should anyone travelling abroad rather than expect to be able to find a Boots open next to the hotel and a English speaking pharmacist who can produce the latest medicines just like back home.  

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: 1,2,Fly February, 2006

Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Michael 61, Brigitte 63.

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This may have been a 4 star when it was built.  It does not compare well with newer hotels.  Having said that, it is a traditional Tunisian hotel in its design and layout, it is not a modern glass and concrete behemoth.  The rooms are clean enough and the heating superb.  Beds are firm. The staff are friendly but the bar staff could circulate more.  Small TV's in rooms with no remotes.  Food is acceptable and the chef tries to produce food for different nationalities, we got shepherd's pie. Tunisian wines are great.  

Evening entertainment by the 'team' included 'Saturday Night Fever' and their Comedy show in the American Theatre and a Casino night in the bar aas well as bingo and quizzes.  No charges for sunbeds.  The clientele was 40% British, 40% French, 10% German and 10% other.  The hotel is favoured by Tunisians for weekend breaks, so they should know what is good.  Some hassle from shopkeepers and tour sellers but generally good natured.  Taxis are CHEAP and may the best driver win!

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - may 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : debbie reed - kings lynn ( 33,32 )

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

arrived here early hours of may 9th, gardens in complete darkness, staff very unhelpful, was not shown how to get to room. the rooms itself was old and dated, it smelt of sewage around the hotel.

the food was awful, just salads etc, although the restaurant was cheaper for alcoholic drinks than the main bar was.

the majority of the staff there were very friendly, and the cleaners cleaned your rooms everyday, although we was left with blood stained sheets to sleep on.

I would not recommend anyone to stay at this hotel, the evening entertainment was in german, when there was some. There are not much entertainment for children.

We booked an 4* halfboard supersaver allocation on arrival with panorama, this hotel is definitely not a 4* hotel, more like 2*.

We was delayed for 8 hours coming home, and the panorama staff were absolutely useless and also arrogant. We have heard great reviews about port el kantoui- if you have the chance stay there instead, i wish we did.

Would never ever go back to tunisia again

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: CADOGAN - OCTOBER 2004

Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : STEPHANIE TABBITT - ESSEX (41, 41, 40, 6, 3, 2, 1)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After a very long transfer from Monastir airport down to Hammamet by coach we arrived very tired (we had been at airport 11.30pm previous night for 3.00 a.m. flight, which was delayed till 4.30a.m.) landed at Monastir at 7.00 a.m.) arrived at hotel in Hammamet at 10.30a.m.

Room was nice bungalow in a very secluded part of the hotel, in fact we were the only ones down there for three days. no lighting put on for us of an evening. We had two buggies and it was not buggy friendly, in fact the whole hotel was not buggy friendly - steps everywhere. Also around the complex there was a very strong disgusting sewage smell.  Another offput was the amount of flies in the indoor restaurant.  There were lots of flies outdoors too.

After arriving sunday morning, in the early hours of the tuesday morning I developed severe stomach cramps, along with my husbabd and sister. The cramps were followed by watery diarrhoea.  My husband reported it to our rep. He went out to get medicine. The medicine did not get rid of any of the symptons.  My husband developed a fever and the shakes. By Thursday all four of the children had developed the symptons.  On returning to England we ended up having to send stool samples to our hospital.  The diagnosis was Cryptosporidium. This is a parasite that you pick up in contaminated water. I personally did not swim in any of the three pools.  We all drank bottled water. This only leaves contaminated water used for food preparation or dish washing.  There is no cure for cryptosporidium, we have the parasite living in our intestines for up to three - five weeks. It just goes apparently.  I have been home three weeks now and am still suffering stomach cramps and severe watery diarrhoea, as are my three children and my sister and her child. Needless to say this ruined our holiday, we could not venture far as we needed to be near toilet facilities.  We did not eat out at any other restaurants as we were half board.

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: Cadogan-October 2004

Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : Male 40 female 40

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Like the other reviewer I was seduced by a picture on last minute. The hotel is looking a bit tired in places. the majority of the staff are quite friendly. While I was there many people were very ill and if you have a weak constitution I would avoid this place.

This was probably the worst hotel I have ever stayed in.  In were all ill, the conditions were appalling and no one cared as to what was happening to us. Many people were unhappy, not a good advertisment for Tunisia, whose people are lovely

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: cadogon - oct 2004

Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : daniel johnson - cornwall (33,25)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

the hotel itself isnt too bad the only problem we had with our room was that the shower head wouldnt stay up. the maids were excellent they came in everyday made the beds and changed the towels.

all the pools(3) looked clean altough we didnt use them as the beach is only yards away local del boys are always there but if you say no they will walk away without any fuss. 

the food isnt up to much no matter where you go but cascades a la carte is a good place to eat as well as the hong kong chinese stay away from the so called english run breakfast bar as its grotty we did find that everyone in the hotel had picked up a bug and some were pretty ill which i think was down to them using tap water to mix the juice we drank at breakfast my best advice would be go for a 5* hotel, oh and the barman hamed was a top guy best tunisian guy we met if you dont stay at the miramar just go there for a beer just to meet him 

ps its a muslim country so all the alcohol iss naff take a bottle or two of whisky as its worth a fortune there an comes in good as a bartering tool

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: Cadogan - October 2004

Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : Carly Gray - Haywards Heath (26,32)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I saw this holiday on lastminute.co.uk, and was lured by the 4* rating, and the picture of a gorgeous, modern-looking room.  

When we arrived however, we were very disappointed.  Firstly, I can't actually belive that the picture I saw was taken in the hotel.  The room we were given was old, old-fashioned, and very basic.  It also faced onto a stage on which German musicals were staged very loudly at night.  On our second night we went out to find out what time the music would be finishing, to find that there was actually nobody out there listening to it (they turned it off). 

However, our main complaint was that the room was so smelly, it was like a physical presence in the room with us. It reeked of mould, mildew, must and mothballs.  At our welcome meeting we asked our Rep if we could swap rooms.  She was extremely helpful in dealing with our request, and we were moved the following day, to a cleaner, quieter, fresher room.  

Overall, while the staff were very friendly and helpful, the hotel itself is definitely not a 4*.  We heard other people complain about this, and they were told that it's 4* by Tunisian standards, but not by our standards perhaps. 

The resort itself was empty at night, so when we went out we were immediate targets for pushy, and often aggressive locals trying to get us to look in their shops, when it was obvious we didn't want to.  The food was a disappointment also - overpriced, and not great quality in most of the restaurants we went to.  

So, overall I would say we were disappointed.  However, being right on the beach, the hotel gave us ample opportunity to go and lay on a bed by the sea (although pestered to buy things).  Which reminds me, we were charged every day for laying on beds by the pool and beach.  Is that 4*????

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Hotel Miramar - Hammamet

Operator and Date: williamson march2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : 34  34  37  42  56

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

its the best hotel iv ever stayed in  rooms rooms were lovely  the maids kept our rooms very tidy  when we ordered room service  they brought it without hassle the food was great lots of choice entertainment in the bar was brill the staff were realy nice to us  the barman we had looked after us throughout our holiday mohammered was his name even the  entertainment boys  were topper they even took us to a bar after they finished work aan even when we had some realy bad news  all the staff looked after us until we could get  home 

all in all the best holiday ive ever had top hotel  and it had just been done up  so no damp rooms 10 out of10-

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Nahrawess - Hammamet

Operator and Date: October 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Martin ()

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

It's very old damaged hotel. Only one good thing is a garden. Rooms are very filthy, damaged, rusted !!! Meals are disgusting.
The Hotel has 4* range, but I think it should be 1-2*.

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Nahrawess - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel June 03

Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : W Lake Wirral 31,26

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I have been to Tunisia a few times as I love the place, so I decided to go again.
We pre booked our meals on the plane, to which we did not recieve either going or coming back.
Good start. But i thought never mind the holliday will make up for it, how wrong I was.
The staff at the Nahrawess were very rude towards the English, the animation was all for the French and the evening entertainment was revovled around the French. speaking about the entertainment it was not worth going to on some nights you had to pay 20Dinars for it.
When it was time for the pool entertaiment the staff asked the French but every time just walked past any English.
Upon reporting this to the rep she had told us that she would get us moved, we filled in a report and was told we would hear back from her, to which we never did.
The same rep on the welcome meeting had told us all that she has had problems with this hotel and that she hates the place (her words), she told this to all the English that was there whilst we were there. the rep also did not have a clue on anyhting about Tunisia and the welcome meeting lasted all but 10 mins, upon asking her anything she replied "I dont know but if you have any probs here is my mobile ring me".
this review could go on for ever but I will be writing all my complaints to Airtours so do not whant to re wright again, just thought I would give a little insight of the Hotel that no English should go to, this has been said by every English person we had spoken to at the hotel.

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Hotel Nesrine - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - june 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : becki, gemma and sam - stoke-on-trent (21, 21, 21)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

well what can i say this was my 11th time to tunisia and yet again what a fantastic time we had. went in june and the weather was beautiful. never stayed at the hotel before so was going be a new experience for me.
when arriving we were greated at the airport by a man and normally we would get on a coach and get transfered to the hotel dropping off at other hotels aswel as ours. but to our surprise we were esscorted to a toyota where we ad our own private transfer.

we got to the hotel in the afternoon and got settled in straight away. i went to bed as i was a little jet lagged while my 2 friends went to explore the hotel. later on when i went down to look at the hotel to my surprise there were entertainers who i know from other hotels that i had stayed in were working at this hotel. it was great there were entertainers from hotel shalimar, and the saphir i just couldnt believe it. we were goin to have a great time no matter what.

the hotel was clean and the rooms cleaned everyday, even tho i did not like the maid. she would come in and wake us everyday, and when she did come back she came in at 5pm. she would c us leave but still not go bk til she knew we were goin come bk later. she even walked in while my friend was on the toilet not impressed to say the least.
the entertainers, bobo, momo, walid, kiko, rio(pig), nino, raouf, mister lover lover, chou chou and scooby doo. they were fantastic, everyday entertainment was on and they had the best evening entertainment i have ever seen. they put on shows like aladin, lion king, hunchback of notredame and the micheal jackson show as wel as your normal cheesy enterainment.
this holiday was surely yet another fantastic holiday goin bk in november.
we stayed for the summer for 3 months and went down for the entertainment nearly everynight even with not staying there.

LOVED IT THANKS GUYS!!!

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Hotel Nesrine - Hammamet

Operator and Date: Expedia

Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Bridget Fildes and Nick Campbell 31 & 37

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had a great time although it didn't start off too well.  On arrival at the airport we were approached a couple of times by taxi drivers, but we decided to have a coffee before getting a taxi.  As we left to look for a taxi and accepted the first offer and discussed the price agreed at 80 dinars (at the time 2.31 dinars to £1) sounded okay and we accepted.  However, we were taken to a yellow taxi and then about a mile from airport we were stopped and moved to another taxi not a yellow one and told to pay 10 dinars.  We did get a bit concerned paid anyway and got into the next taxi.  As it was he recognised us, he was called Slim and had approached us in the airport before we went for coffee.  He told us that you never get a yellow taxi if you are going some distance as they arn't permitted to travel outside the boundry of Tunis. True to his word it cost 80 dinars to get Hammamet,one and half hours from Tunis.  He also offered to take us around Tunisia to the Cartage on our return to the airport at the end of our holiday if we booked for 120, offered him a bottle of whiskey instead with 80 dinars and that was okay, we didn't have to pay up front but did show him the whiskey. (We did call Slim on 98302929 and had 4hrs of his time, he took us to Cartage and some really good views for photos, and he waited paitenly without hassle). Slim gave us loads of information about Tunisia and even took us to a local supermarket before we got to the hotel to get a few extra supplies at no extra cost, he recommended Magon, Tunisian Red wine which was easy to drink, wouldn't recommend the Rose pretty sharp.

The Nesrine Hotel was immaculate, the main guy on the desk was in appearance like Basil Faulty and had a serious comb over but beneith that stern exteria he was okay ;-). There were no problem exchanging travels cheques again at 2.31, which was the same everywhere we went. The room was fine for two people and we had a massive bath big enough for two.  The food was varied, different but excellent quality.  The staff were always there when you needed them and easy to get along with.

The entertainment was something I hesitate to describe but it was comical in how awful it was, we were the only British couple there but they did seem to give us alot of attention and did back off when we asked them to.  We did win all the competions and I am sure it was a fix and I apologise now to the other residents which were mainly German. If there were one fault with the hotel  it is that there is no tea or coffee making facilities in the room, so take your own kettle. There is also a very small shope for grocery items at the hotel. Plenty of loungers and a swimming pool.

We had some really good weather when we were there in February, even one day sunbathing on the beach.  We even got a bit of a tan.

The markets are much the same as everyone else has described in Tunisia, they want you to spend money in their shop and try every trick in the book to make you buy something from manipulation to insults, so be aware. If you want a stress free holiday don't go to the markets.

We are lucky compared to most parents in that we went without them, so we weren't stressed and we went with no expections. If you want a holiday where you will experience a bit of culture then this is the place.  If you want lots of cheap beer and everthing that goes with it go somewhere else.

I loved the place and would certainly consider going back next time as a family holiday.

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Nozha Beach - Hammamet

Operator and Date: Thomson July 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Kirsty Hall - Swindon

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This hotel was given to us as allocation on arrival, and did not know much about this hotel. This was a good hotel, but had its down sides.

The staff were excellent, very friendly and helpful.  The pool was Ok, a bit small and deep maybe, but there is a childrens swimming pool.  Get down there early to get sun lounger tho. Germans take them quickly.  This is a french, German and English hotel.  Entertainment in the evenings was done in all 3 languages. Can be funny, but didnt really sit down to watch it. We met a few other couples, so we sat with them (hello to Alex,Michelle,Shane & Rachel if you are reading this)

The beach is goregous.  Sooooo lovley, there is a nice beach bar for drinks (soft drinks are free) and snacks.  I also did parasailing, plenty of water sports on the beach.  Waterpark is a 5-10 minute walk down the road, you can see this from the beach.  We went on a Thompson excursion to the Animal Park and then on a Pirate after, this trip was all done in one day. It was Ok, but was disapointed. You didnt really get to see the anaimals, they were all hiding in the shade, its was VERY hot (mid 40's) when we went.  There were loads of animals to see, but we had walked around the entire park with in an hour, because it was soo hot and not enough shade. We then went to the Pirate ship, which more enjoyable, it was nice to jump of the ship and jump in the sea to cool off. also there was a hawk on the ship, you can have your pic taken with it. There is also entertainment on the ship towards the end, the annoying thing is, these pirates were at our hotel proforming the next night.

I here the Thompson Show Stoppers is good, in a way i wish we went for this excursion.
Pool snacks are nice, Doughnuts, pancakes, pizza & sandwiches.
If you have kids, then the Animation team will be great for them, they let the kids get involved and have fun, they even have the opportunity to proform at the entertainment evenings. Theres dancing, aerobic, darts, polo.  (there is mini golf, but its crap)
Try going to the Market, you will be hassaled, but just ignore them. You will find bargins, but make sure you haggle.

I would definatly go back to Tunisia, but maybe one that is only a English hotel.

Hope you enjoy ur stay like we did.

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Nozha Beach - Hammamet

Operator and Date: Thomson  - May 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : 35,30,8,3

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

HOLIDAYS FROM HELL!

We relocated with in 24hrs as the place was a death trap!

It was Filthy - to the extreme where you couldnt use the lobby toilets for fly's flying around the pan....

Broken tiles around pool,Not even enough water in the pools,Access was limited to both the baby and adult pool - very dangerous.
Outside bar filthy and seating area looked as though as though it was a junk yard.

Dont bother it will be a waste of money and it will spoil your trip.

We relocated to the Thallasa Shailmar which was lovely but 99% french guests and not a place for children as they will become very board.

Dont let my review put you off Tunisia - as we have been prior and wil return only next time we will return to a 5*

Kx

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Nozha Beach - Hammamet

Operator and Date: skytours - 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Maria (39,38,8,3)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

As far as hotels go in Tunisia this is an older hotel but still has excellent standards when it comes to cleanliness.We arrived at 1.30am and the porter took us and our bags to our room which faced the sea and a huge palm tree,lovely size room for the four of us and very quiet hearing the sea lapping the shore.This was our first experience of an all inclusive holiday and i was very surprised.

The food was excellent lovely tunisian casserole style dishes ,potatoes and veg.Always plenty of salads that were nice and fresh,lots of selection of dessert cakes etc.The only complaint would be the lack of choice for childrens meals but my kids are fairly fussy and they survived!There is an animation team at the hotel which are loved by the children and provide plenty of entertainment day and night with darts,bowls,beach volley and water polo as well as some hilarious shows in the evening.They also run a kids mini club ,so if you want some time off the kids are well looked after.There is not alot to do outside the hotel with a handful of shops and restaurants,a word of warning dont use the hotel shop or the ones to the right of the hotel as you come out of the gate as you will be ripped off!!!the shop opposite the hotel gate is a fixed price shop and you can get plenty of bargains here.We wern't to bothered about outside as we only really went for the pool and the beach.

Regarding the beach,you walk down a lovely sheltered path from the pool to the beach perfect!golden soft sand that goes on and on.water clear with free pedaloes and sun beds and free soft drinks at the all inclusive beach bar.The staff at the hotel were generally excellent,we had the same table in restaurant all week and same waiter with jugs of wine,beer soft drinks.The reception staff could be on the miserable side sometimes.You can pay 30 dinar for a late check out room,but as we had a late flight i asked for a coutesy room to shower in and this was provided free.Happy holidays!

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Hotel Papadis - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook March 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Smith/Maunder Family  Swindon (64,59,43,39,19,17,15,13) ):

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Our opinion is well worth the trip we were treated with the utmost respect the staff could not do enough for us, the food was not that good unless you were from the other side of the channel, but i got very friendly with the head chef and things did start to look up a bit after that, the animation team were fantastic, all in all a great place to stay we would recomend it to anyone. 

If you travel around to the different towns be prepared to be hassled, but just keep walking with a firm no, if you do see something you fancy try to ignore looking to enthusiastic and haggle like mad. We went for a month and it was the most fantastic holiday we have ever had and that included all 8 of us.

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Paradis Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) JMC  August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Phillips - Northampton (48, 41, 8, 2)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Don't be fooled by the brochure - this hotel is simply awful.  We booked interconnecting rooms, we got a very small room with 4 beds crammed into it. After much complaining we got a new room, with 4 beds in it.  Apparently English guests don't get more than one room, unless you go in the winter.

The stench by the kids pool drove us to the beach (which is lovely by the way).

By the end of the first week everyone in our party had stomach upsets. Our  2 year old was hospitalised for 3 days and put on a drip and anti biotics.
 
Our room smelled of sewage and it was very hard to get loo roll and towels from our maid. 

The plates and cutlery in the restaurant were filthy, the food is ok considering the number of people crammed in to the hotel. In fact, there are so many nationalities staying here that mealtimes are an ordeal all round as most guests just piled in with no consideration for others, especially little children.

The public toilets in the hotel were just disgusting. First impressions were good but gradually the truth emerged.

The only good things I can find to say are that the staff are generally friendly and helpful and the taxis to escape the hotel are cheap (and quite an experience!).

Tunisia is well worth visiting, this hotel most definitely is not.

The hospital facilities in Hammamet (Polyclinique) are excellent, my daughter and I had better food and facilities here than at the Paradis.

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Paradis Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) JMC - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Mary Mitchell - Crawley (47, 43, 19, 17, 12)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Hotel looks impressive when you enter but don't be mislead this is quite the worst Hotel we have stayed in.  

The Hotel was too busy, the food was good, nice not to see burgers etc., but the restaurant was like a canteen and there was always a rush for the tables, no air conditioning and very noisy.  And if you were not early enough you had to sit at somebody else's used table as the Waiters did not clean the tables after use.  The bar and restaurant staff were abrupt to the point of rudeness but the evenings entertainment was good, and very impressive that the Bingo Caller could call the numbers out in 9 different languages. All the evening entertainment was in English, and there were lots of different nationalities at this Hotel which was nice.  

All the Staff spoke English. Had numerous problems with the room and they weren't cleaned properly.  We were just above the entertainment so we had to watch it or not sleep!  We did go to the bar opposite the Hotel a few times which was a lot quieter.  Told the hotel about the problems in the room but the sink plunger, plumbing and the toilet seat were not fixed before we left, nor were the broken light bulbs changed.  The room stank of sewage (because of the plumbing problem). 

This Hotel would probably suit families with younger kids, but anyone else would not enjoy it.  Although we made the best of it and had a couple of brilliant excursions, one a 2 day trip to the Sahara, and the Pirate Ship trip was good. 
Had to take taxis to Hammammet and Yasmine as the Hotel is in between the two - that's an experience in themselves -terrifying, Taxis do not seem to be regulated in anyway, and of course you get hassled to buy something everywhere you go but you just have to learn to be firm with them.

I think you would enjoy this Hotel more if you went outside of the Summer School Holidays as the Hotel was crammed full and I don't think they could cope.

We did find a nice place to have lunch just on the beach behind the Hotel and the food was very cheap and better quality than the food at the outside bar in the Hotel.

On the plus side, the Hotel had a couple of good inside bars which were not very busy at all, which we visited before dinner most evenings.  The pools weren't bad as well, although they changed the slide step direction whilst we were there which meant it was out of action for about three days - strange to do that in the peak period.  You had to get up before 7 to put your towels on the sunbed if you wanted a bed for the day - we only did that three times as lying by the pool everyday gets boring.  Again the pool area was too busy and noisy.  The beach was better and cleaner.

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Paradis Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) JMC july 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : amanda- west midlands-28,27,26,24,17,7,6,5

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Where do we start! Our party consisted of 6 adults and 3 children.When we first arrived we were greeted with drinks while we sat and filled in the forms.We liked our first impressions of the hotel it looked clean and grand.After filling in the forms we were taken up to our rooms which were on the third floor,which was a little frustrasting as we had requested ground floors.The rooms were basic but livable.One of the couples in our party had a continual  smell of sewage throughtout the stay coming from the bathroom.

The first evening we went to the restaurant for our meal we felt chlostrophobic as it was awful trying to get your food.There was not a queueing system which made it awkward to get your meals and be able to eat them while it was still warm.The first couple of days we were fine with the food but then we realised they put the same food on every night.Personally i like pasta but there is only so much you can take.The children didnt eat very often in the restaurant as the choice for children was the same nearly everyday.We made suggestions for them to put burgers and pizza on for at least the children but this never came off.This was very annoying as we had paid for a half board basis holiday and ended up spending money on eating out with the children.The animation team worked very hard all day long.Saying this though the complex caters more for the germans and french and there was only a handful of the evening entertainment that was done in english.We felt if we had been informed of this upon booking we could have chosen a more suitable holiday for our party.

We made the best out of the holiday that we could.The daytime we couldnt fault at all apart from the continual sewage smell that was around the swimming pool everyday all day,but comes the evening you knew there wasnt going to be much that you could understand which was a bit disheartening.The hotel staff and animation team work really hard all day long but we feel this holiday doesnt suit the british tourist.

We would not reccomend you to go here unless your german or french.

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Paradis Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) JMC - 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Rhys Davies - East Yorks (35, 35, 16, 12, 10, 5)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel Paradis is a well-run and clean hotel, though the receptions staff appeared to be overwhelmed at times with the amount of visitors. It is situated in a prime beach location, with the golden sands of the beach being a couple of minutes walk from the main pool area. The beach itself was not too busy and offered a wide range of watersports. You do get regular visits however by people trying to sell all types of junk. My two daughters went to stroke a camel on the beach and were swiftly lifted by its owner onto the beast for a ride! I followed and after 5 minutes or so, the ride came to an end and I was asked for 25 dinar ( about £12) each. I eventually paid him 14 dinar, after having to listen to him pleading how poor he was and how much he needed the money.

Though basically clean, if this is your first time to Tunisia , don't expect the same standards as you find in European hotels. This hotel appears to be three star from the reception area but the rooms are quite basic and not in the same league as three star Spanish hotels for example.

The pool area is great but the entertainment, particularly at night, was a bit naff.

Overall, we had a good holiday, but there were two aspects to our week there that weren't so good. Firstly, the restaurant. The breakfasts lacked variety - I have had enough croissants and jam to last me a lifetime. Evening meals were much better, with plenty to eat and a good variety. However, the place was swarming with flies and mealtimes became a battle to keep the flies away from your food. All of my family got a sickness and diarrohea bug whilst we were there and every other English family I spoke to (probably about 8 familes all together) all had the same symptoms during their stay. Of course you cannot conclude from this that the flies caused the problem, but they seem the most obvious culprits.

The second problem I found was the location of the hotel. It is situated between the two resorts of Hammamet and Yasmin Hammamet, which are easy to get to by taxi. There is very little else around the hotel though, so if you like to go walking around the hotel and exploring the local area on foot, as we do, don't stay here.

Yasmin looked beautiful, with lots to do and a good number of "fixed price" shops where you don't get hassled to death! If I was to return to Tunisia, I would stay in Yasmin, but certainly would not go back to Paradis.

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Paradis Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: ITS - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Mark Martin - British Forces (26,41)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel Paradis is fairly well located in the resort of Hammamet half way between the main town and the new up and coming resort 'Hammamet Yasmin'. The stretch of beach connected to the hotel is very nice and fairly clean and staff on the beach prevent local traders from entering to close to where tourists are trying to relax. This said once away from the immediate area of the hotel your on your own and should keep your wits about you as you can easily be hasseled into parting with your money for generally worthless junk.

Facilities within the hotel itself are average at best with very limited selection of drinks in the bars and food that doesnt appear to aim or appeal to any particular group or nationality, Even on half board or all inclusive everyone we spoke to did most of their eating out of the hotel. There are some very good restarants in the local area namely 'Tequillers' spanish restarant.

The main problem we found with 'hotel Paradis' was the service recieved from staff. English is not the most spoken laungage in this hotel, (in fact we could not find any one who did at all fluently) so staff would ignore you rather than try to sort out any problems or enquiries you may have. This was not helped any by the fact that the hotel was stuffed to the rafters with guests and clearly could not cope.

I would not reccomend 'Hotel Paradis' it offers nothing you couldnt get elsewhere and gives you nothing for staying there, at times the guest is made to feel very unwanted and not at all special.

My recommendation would be to go to any hotel in 'Yasmin' where it looks a lot nicer and more organised.

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Paradis Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: lunn poly - 2004

Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : steve (44,34,12,7)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

i could sit here for hours trying to tell you about our visit to hotel paradis.
we where 4 famillies totaling 18 people, all english. if we had been german i am sure our holiday would have been one to remember. our tour operator let us down big time. this hotel had 380 rooms, all full. 4 of the rooms where occupied by us english, the rest german. the hotel was geared up for the germans, so the brits where made to fell they where in the way so to speak. everything was german orientated, everything! surfice to say if we could of affored it we would of flown home to days after getting there, i must say the hotel in its self is ok, the food was a little suss, but basically ok. my advice is not to go to hotel paradis if you are english... but then we wouldnt of gone there our selves if LUNN POLY had told us. thank you LUNN POLY we all had a cr*p holiday in tunisia.........

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Paradis Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (JMC Discounts) JMC - 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Julie - Herts (40, 39, 7, 3)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived on our own and were greeted with a drink while we filled out our forms!! Shown to our room,which turned out to be rooms - 2 big double rooms and balconies, a bonus as we were expecting 1 room with 4 beds in. We overlooked the pool area, and once we had got used to the rsound of running water on the slide slept soundly!! 

We were warned by a pleasant fellow English guest that the food was not nice - we avoided this guest afterwards, as we could not fault the food - several choices, beautifully cooked and presented every morning and night. We kept the same table and waiter throughout the 2 weeks and were treated very well. The Hotel even provided a birthday dinner and cake for my husband, who celebrated his 40th out there - their rendition of Happy Birthday to you was wonderful!!! 

Entertainment was a bit poor the first week, but improved the 2nd week, when some more animators were drafted in after some complaints. I did find that if you were prepared to make a fool of yourself with them (as I did in the dancing competition) that they involved you more and it was more enjoyable. The staff in the Hotel were very friendly, and were always polite, considering the long hours they worked. They loved children and I felt comfortable walking round in a bikini, unlike other places where I have been leared at!! We found that if you let them keep the change - often only 50p they were very grateful, but didn't come to expect it. 

We ventured out on a few trips, and felt quite safe. Yes, you are pestered when you go out, but if you are firm and polite you aren't pestered into buying anything you don't want. I have come away with a few bargains, after bartering!! I even tried to swop my husband for 2 of the dishy young animators, but alas I came home with my husband. 

This was the best holiday we have had and we are considering going back to this Hotel next year, as we have heard some stories from fellow travellers. We are going to brush up our French as speaking this language can be a bonus in Tunisia!!

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Paradis Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (JMC Discounts) JMC - December 2003

Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Amanda McEvoy - Watford (29,27)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

My friend and I had decided we would go away for New Year and try something different. We have been to Tunisia before and really enjoyed ourselves, so we had high hopes for this time round.

We were not disappointed! On arrival at the Hotel, we were greeted by the Reception staff with a drink whilst we filled in yet more immigration forms - whilst filling these in we looked around and were very surprised to see the amazing Xmas and New Year decorations, which gave a really festive feel.

The daytime entertainment by the Animation team was excellent, considering the weather was not! They did everything possible to entertain the guests of all ages and still had energy to perform in the evening!

The evening entertainment alone was worth going for and the staff could not do enough for you to make your holiday a  really enjoyable experience. They even took us to a local bar after the show one night as we were the youngest guests by quite some years. At the bar, we were treated like royalty and made to feel really welcome.

New Years eve was quite something else, the atmosphere was electric and everybody - staff and guests alike made an effort to dress up and make it a good night. There was a huge buffet in the restaurant which served until gone midnight and the Animation team put on 2 amazing shows which really made the night special! There was a big countdown at midnight and unlike in England, people didn't go straight to bed afterwards - we all partied on until the wee small hours!!

I would highly recommend this hotel and it's staff for a GREAT New Years celebration. We're certainly looking forward to going back!

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Paradis Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (JMC Discounts) JMC Forever Young - Jan 2003

Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : Joanna - Edinburgh (28,29)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We travelled in january and our hotel which holds hundreds of guests had a maximum of 15 guests staying - about 10 british and the rest german. It was rather eerie seeing such a large hotel so quiet and we thought it was going to be the most boring holiday ever, but we ended up having a great laugh.

We got to know all of the guests in our hotel, and some from next door. The staff were brilliant - very friendly and chatty and very happy to help with anything. Although the weather wasn't that great (in fact there were even hailstones one day) we made the most of our situation. We spent a couple of days round the main pool and even got the staff to switch on the water flumes. They must have thought we were crazy - the water was freezing! Everyone came out of the pool, almost blue but it was a great laugh. We also made the most of the indoor pool - it was so lovely and warm.

Our JMC rep was fantastic - but I think she was moving on to another hotel soon. Although we are in our twenties we booked half board through JMC forever young (for older guests)which meant we had afternoon coffee and cakes included in our deal - a nice little treat.

We couldn't fault the meals at all. Considering there were only 15 guests there was still a good selection of food, and everything was well cooked and tasty. They kept all the snack bars open too and would happily cook lunch for two of you.

Entertainement in January was non-existant but we put on cd's and had a laugh with all the bar staff.
All in all this hotel was good value for money and we were happy. We heard some bad stories about other hotels so were quite pleased with ours.

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Paradis Hotel - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook/JMC - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in Aug 2003 by : Delamare - Woking (46,32,11,9)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived at the Hotel Paradis at about 4am and were pleasantly surprised by it's beautiful decor and smart appearance.  A porter bought drinks round while we filled out yet another set of immigration forms. (They like to know that you made it safely from the airport to the Hotel).  Another porter took our luggage and showed us to our rooms - fantastic rooms with air conditioning and views over the pools and beach. 

The next morning we met the Italian rep called Sonia who was lovely and invited the kids to play in the mini club if they didn't fancy the JMC one.  Did she know something we didn't?  The pools were clean and well kept and sun loungers and mattresses were free.

We went to the JMC meeting and got the feeling that it was a sales pitch for the trips and kid's club (which you had to pay for) and nothing else - pretty boring really so we went back to the pool.  In contrast to the JMC reps the reps from all the other nationalities stayed on site all day and mingled with guests.  They called themselves the Animation Crew and they all spoke about 5 languages and made a point of including everyone.  There were kid's discos and cabaret shows in the evening. They really were brilliant and made our holiday.

The food was nice, some English people mentioned that they'd had holiday tummy but we didn't.  The selection of food was amazing and with two vegetarians in the family that was some feat!  We ate just about everything between us.  You kept the same table for the duration of your stay and any leftover wine/water was saved for the next day.  We also ate in the snack bar and barbeque.  Once you've got used to the slower pace of life it's fine and the food was lovely.

On the last day we went to the JMC meeting to get the info on our evening flight.  We all sat and waited for half an hour then realised she wasn't coming.  Someone volunteered to go and find out what was happening and found out that she was off sick!  (Nice of her to let us know)  Not only that but when we asked for the kid's club rep to come and give us the details she said she finished at 12 and was then going off sick herself!  (Funny I saw her walking around that afternoon and she looked fine).

We were given a courtesy room free of charge to wash and brush up before our departure which was a lovely gesture.

As we spent most of the time either by the pool or on the beach we didn't really sample much of the resort outside the hotel.  When we did venture out it looked a bit bleak.  One word of warning, if you go to the beach at dusk be prepared for hassle.  We went on a moonlight horse ride and had to haggle afterwards.  Then swarms of salesmen approached. Not an enjoyable experience but if you like that sort of thing you'll be fine.  Other than that we didn't get bothered by salesmen too much at all.

All in all we had a fantastic holiday but that was in no way thanks to JMC but was all down the the Hotel Paradis and the Animation Crew.

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: AIRTOURS - MAY -2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : LISA - TRACY- 43,40

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Stayed at this hotel in may for a week and it is brill! Had read reports about it b4 we went but it was spot on! the food catered for all tastes,drinks were large  and plentiful,rooms and all other areas were spotless and a small tip, a smile and a thank you went a long way! a good shopping trip was to nabeul market on a fri but dont book thro the rep, its a rip off, taxis are always outside, cost us 8 dinar there and back - rather than 20 dinar each to go thro rep!!!one tip tho walk straight to end of market and then walk back and shop, they dont hassle you as much as they think you have spent up! you will also see how expensive the shop in hotel is! we went to new medina shopping and it was a nightmare they hassle you and then some!you are allowed to dine a la carte once during your stay, and this was the only downside! the food is better in the main restaurant! only difference is you get waited on! we took english pounds, got a safe in room, think it was 4 dinar for week, no probs changing it in hotel, 

would go again and take husband and kids next time!LOVED IT!!!!

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: First Choice - June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Kemp 42,43

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

If you are looking for a good standard of accommodation with good food, service and facilities then this is the place for you.

I would reccommend checking out the Iberostar web site - you can take a full virtual visit which is not only comprehensive but is accurate.  The one thing that the hotel lacks in is proper directions - so check out the site and upon arrival take in a quick reccy to find your way around. I will explain the things that we were not told but are handy to know.

You can breakfast in the lower restaurant area - situated between the two pools - between the times of 06:00 until 10:00 it is self service and eat as much as you like. There are designated non smoking and smoking areas.

You can lunch in either the restaurant area - situated between the two pools - or in the main dining area located up the slope from the smaller indoor/outdoor pool - between the hours of 12:00 - 14:30.  The food is self service however you will be approached by a waiter for drinks - you may order either wine or beers with your meal and it is customery to tip the waiter 1 dina is the norm which is about 40p.

Dinner is served in the Main dining hall.
Again this is self service and the waiter will serve the drinks. 
If you are in a small party you will be seated with other guests.  We were very fortunate because the couple we were sat with were wonderful company.  However if you are unhappy I understand that you can request another table.

You can obtain soft drinks, refreshments, and alcohol between the hours of 09:00 - 00.00 for free from any of the bars during their opening areas.

The main bar in the reception hall is open from 09:00 - 00.00
American Bar 18:00 - 01:00
Snack bar (from breakfast - soft drinks - light refreshments) 06:00 - 17:00.
Swimming pool bar 09:00 - 18:00 (but be warned there is only ever one attendant so the service is slow).
Entertainment area bar 21:00 - 02:00
Moorish Cafe 15:00 - 23:00
In each of these bars there is a tip basket so keep your small change handy and just place in tip basket. You will find that this along with a thankyou in Arabic will go along way.  The word for Thankyou is SHOKRAN.

The rooms are clean, comfortable and very good shower and bath.
There is a small fridge for your use so you can get water from the bar and place in fridge for your use.
There is a small safe which is available at a cost of approximately £3.50 for the week.
The storage is lacking shelf or drawer space so I would reccommend taking a hanging storage holder which can be clipped onto the rail.
You are not allowed to hang towels out to dry on the balcolny. However you can hire beach towels - I would suggest you do this because the towels are long enough to fit the sunbeds, and you can change them everyday for a clean one. So no need to wash or dry them!  You can purchase a card for 20 dina at the cashires desk, at the end of your holiday you get the card back and return to the cashiers desk for a full refund of your money!
The cashiers desk is where you exchange your sterling.  There is no fee, only change up what you need and keep the white receipt.  At the end of the holiday the only place that you can change the Dina back is at the airport - they charge a very heavy commission - so spend what you can - you cannot take the money home with you.
The exchange desk is open from 07:30-11:30
12:00 - 14:30 and 15:30 - 22:30.
~Always count back your money to them - maistakes are often made.
Make sure you ask for a receipt- without this you cannot get your money exchanged back and the money will be taken off you at the airport.
You will need your passport and room number.
The rate of exchang in June was 2.40 dina to the pound.
Upon my departure I still had 70 Dina left and was only given £22.00 back - so I was charged about 15.00 commission!!!!

If you are a golf fan then you will enjoy this area there is a special area to arrange your game - free transfer reduced green fees.

Golf lessons, tennis lessons and horseriding are all available at a charge.
During the day at the hotel there are organized games from the animation team, and these are quite good.
However the animation team evening entertainment is poor.
The foyer area normally have a guest band or guest entertainers and these were all very good.
I understand that for others wanting bars and discos would be happier walking out of the hotel and turning to the left - about a half mile down the road are various places to enjoy yourself at.

The weather was poor when we arrived- it had been raining for a week apparently- So my friend and I indulged in a Sauna and full body massage in the hotel it cost £20.00 and was money well spent. The following day the sun came out although cloudy and very breezy it was very nice and the temp by the end of the week was 39 degrees.

There are vaious trips out available we did the Bedouin night and the trip to Catharge,Sidi Bou Said and Tunis. We enjoyed our trip but the travelling is tiring.

Hammermet town is about an hours walk from the hotel, we walked there by the beach and by road and it took about the same time.  You can take a taxi for 4 dina - agree the price before you get into the car, it is the same price no matter how many people are in the vehicle.
There is also a little train which you can take into town for 2.50 dina per person, it is very uncomfortable to ride on and it takes a lot longer than a cab.

Make sure if you go to Hammermet town that you cover up.  My friend was wearing a boob tube top which exposed her shoulder area and she was thown out of a shop.  This contradicted the advice given by our rep who told us that it would be fine to wear western clothing. So be warned.

Biggest tip of all - the Tunisians love English cigarettes and Whisky so if you take some with you this will buy you almost anything you want!!  Want a nice leather jacket?  A bottle of Whisky will do!

If you are approached by shopkeepers (and you will be) say 'No Merci' very firmly and they will not bother you.
There are fixed priced shops which will display a sign so if you do not want to barter then this type of place is where you need to shop, otherwise expect to haggle - stick to your guns and they will come down.
I would not bother visiting losts of places to shop - they all sell the same old thing.
There is a market on Friday in Nebal. The rep will offer this as a trip (price quoted to us was 18Dina) do not bother - get a taxi for 4 dina buy what you need and come back.  The leather is a good buy but apart from that there was not much else on offer that I needed or wanted.  The perfume, alcohol and cigarettes are cheaper on the plane - purchase on the way out because they may not have supplies on the way back.

My friend and I disovered that there were many guests at this hotel that had been several times before - so the next time I need just a little R & R I may just become one of those same people.

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: First Choice - May 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Andrew Booth - Telford (34, 25)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had read read some reviews on this hotel, some good and some bad, and are pleased to say that the good ones were the accurate ones!

This is an excellent hotel, the lobby/reception area is very impressive and the staff are friendly and helpful. We had asked for a sea view room, but unfortunately we had a room at the back of the hotel, which overlooked a river and some of the hotel, although we could just see the sea!

The room was spacious, twin beds (which weren't very comfortable - my wife had to have a sunbed mattress on hers!), and was clean with a nice balcony and our lifesaver - a mini fridge. There were no tea/coffee making facilities,and the TV had only 2 English speaking news channels, which became a bit monotonous. The bathroom was also spacious, with a hot, powerful shower.

The hotel facilities are great, 2 pools which were quite warm, and not too busy, although it was difficult to get sun beds unless you went down at 6 in the morning!

The Beach area was excellent, (just watch for the touts!).

There weren't too many queues at the bars, and the staff were normally friendly and not expecting tips. Drink options were great, with free bottled water on all inclusive which could be put in the mini fridge in the room).

Restaurants were well organised (you get the same table and waiter each evening), our only complaint was that men couldn't wear cropped trousers for the evening meal, although ladies could. Food was excellent,although sometimes it was a variation on a theme.

We only ventured outside the hotel on a couple of occasions, not too impressed with the locals who were very pushy when bartering, and became intimidating if you didn't do a deal.

The airport is a bit of a pain as the staff aren't very welcoming, and the transfer takes an hour and a half, but on the whole the positives outweighed the negatives and we had an enjoyable and relaxing holiday.

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - may 06

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : sarah 22 gary 28

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel nice, good facilities although nothing to see or do outwith hotel.  had to share dinner table with another couple which hotel chooses which was the only downfall of the hotel.  hotel right on beach, good choice of food which is buffet style. entertainment left alot to be desired!! 

all in all hotel lovely but would not be returing to this hotel or tunisia in a hurry!

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson direct - March 06

Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Meadowcroft - Lancs (43,41)

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from Tunisia we had a very relaxing holiday at the Phenecia Hotel in Hammamet. The hotel is very good and is only let down slightly by the rooms which don`t match up with the 4 star rating. The decor could be to a higher finish although the rest of the hotel is a very high standard. The facilities are excellent, heated pool, tennis courts, horse riding, golf (near by). The staff are very friendly and provide good service (tipping is essential as Tunisia is a poor country).

The hotel is on a beautiful, clean white sand beech.
The food is a very good standard (buffet style) with plenty of variety.
The near-by resort of Hammamet is a 10 minute taxi ride away (£1.50), there is a lovely 800 year old walled market there, the only problem being the constant and persistent hassle of the traders which did put us off returning. If you are happy to stay in the hotel, which does offer everything you need, I would recommend the hotel it is very good value for money.

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama  Dec 2005

Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Paula , Phil, Georgie, Frazer  (47,47,16,12)--Newark, Notts

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was my 4th time in Tunisia, the 3rd time at New Year, the 2nd time in Hammanet and the 1st time at the Phenicia, and we think we struck the jackpot.

I'm not particually fond of Hammanet, but it does.  Last year we stopped at Le Saphir in Hammanet, which was pants really: however last year my daughters found an absolutely fantastic place to horseride, and this is why we came back to Hammanet.  This place was Samira Beach Club near Le Saphir in Hammanet.  Unlike other riding establishments this one uses quality horses (it also stables the horses used by the Tunisian Mounted Beach Patrols), and assesses you before you are allowed to ride.  Most of the horse are Arab stallions and are beautiful, but raring to go and can only be ridden by competant riders.  Both my daughter rode last year, but this year we came with the younger daughter only, and Samira Beach Club remembered her.  She rode for 6 days of our 7 day holiday, for 2 plus hours at a time (which also included riding tuition in German), mainly along the beach on Arab stallions for 150 dinar.  Quality.  A special thanks to everybody at the Samira Beach Club for their horse, and to Maximus, who she adores.

Back to Le Phenicia.

This hotel was superb.
The lobby area was immense and very functional to multi languages.
Rooms were OK, nothing too special.  Not enough hanging space.
Bathrooms spotless.  Hairdriers etc.  All rooms serviced my male staff, which was the first time I had experienced this is Tunisia.
Hotel food Ok, but not the best we have ever experienced (that was at the Abou Sofiane in Port el Kantanoui), however, the New Years Eve Gala was Superb.  We go to Tunisia at New Uear for their fantastic galas, and this did not disappoint.  7 course over 5 hours, which included a cavier first course.  Superb.

The hotel has an indoor pool, which is essential in Winter, however it has an opening to an outside(heated) area:if you swim at 8.00am in the morning there is so much steam coming off the outside area of the heated pool that you can not see from one side to the other--fantastic.  Hotel spa was great and really cheap.
Beach area was fantasic, would love to see it in the summer!  Everything spotlessly clean and service was exquisite.

Evening entertainment abit lame, but we didn't go for that.
Lobby barstaff could do with a personality transplant.  Sometimes they do not even respond to tips.
Plenty of bars, discos arond the hotel for the youngsters.  All heavily policed. My 16 year old daughter was out until 5.30 am with loads of other youngsters on New Years Eve/Day and felt perfectly safe.

Overall this hotel was superb.  Fantastic golf and tennis facilities, and even an equestrian centre (although abit too tame for my daughter).
This was the first year we haven't been on any organised trips, basically because we feel confident enough about travelling around Tunisia on our own now.
We love Tunisia.  Its cheap, friendly and accessible.  You have to see past the brash and the wide boys to the beautiful country, beaches, countryside and history.

Hope that enjoy it like we did--go to Hotel Phenicia.  Swim in the heated outside pool on New Years Day after a fantastic banquet.  It is really not much more expensive than staying at home.

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - October 2005

Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Dave Middleton - Oxford (45)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived at The Phenicia at approximately 2300hrs on 19 Oct 2005 and first impressions were favourable with a large marble entrance and atrium which housed reception and a bar.  

We were met by staff who were very friendly, dressed in bellboy uniforms who took care of our luggage.  After giving our names to reception we were whisked away to the main dining area in a separate part of the hotel where we had a lovely meal from the various choices on offer.  Wine is brought to the table by the bottle.  After the meal we went back to reception to be issued our credit card style key to our room.  Our luggage was taken by the bellboy to the room, where I think we were expected to tip, however with no local currency available at that time was not possible - no problem.  

Room was adequate but smaller than we are used to.  Twin beds, no coffee making facilities, a TV which has just 2 English speaking channels.  We were all inclusive and so were issued with a plastic card with our photos on which had to be produced for each drink and then a chit had to be signed.  Towels are provided for the beach and pools but a deposit of 20 dinars each is required which is refunded on the last day - make sure you get notes back as you can change these back to sterling at the airport on your way home.  Weather on the first day was overcast and raining however the rest of the week was excellent with temperatures of around 26C.  Wind on the beach kept temperature down and the sea a little choppy so no good for snorkelling.  Had to sign for mattresses for the beach loungers and again the locals expect a tip.  Those that tipped got a better service both at the bar, on the beach and in the restaurants.  Lunch and dinner were very nice taken in the main dining hall - salads excellent with other choices available.  Breakfast was just OK taken in a separate area with omelettes etc available if you can be bothered to queue up.  

Both pools were good and protected from the wind with a bar above the main one which had a whirlpool.  Lots of loungers available and at this time of year no point in getting up early to secure one.  Lots of French and Germans holiday here - a nice mix of people.  I think the average age of people staying at this time was around 50 with not too many children.  The football shirt brigade had gone to other hotels which was nice.  Golf and tennis available at the hotel.  Although the entertainment staff try very hard the evening entertainment left a lot to be desired.  There are a few bars and discos within easy walking distance and sometimes you can hear the noise from these at night.  Went by taxi to both Hammamet and Yasmine Hammamet but preferred the older Hammamet.  Taxis are cheap but rarely have seat belts available in the rear.  

All in all we had a nice quiet week away and were please we had not booked two weeks.  

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice September 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Duncan MacKenzie - Ruth  (57-59)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Phenicia is an excellent Hotel, the staff are friendly and do everthing to make your stay enjoyable.
The room was kept clean and tidy, the bathromm was immaculate with the towels changed daily by putting the used ones in the bathh to indicate that they need replacing.
The minibar which has a lock the key you get from reception is expensive if you use anything a can of Coke approx £1 but is great for keeping your own bottles of water cold. there is a safe in the room which costs 1 dinar a day it is an electronic type which opens with your room number and once open you set your own code to keep your money and papers safe, though the staff never touched any Tunisian change left lying by the bedside.

We were All Inclusive which saved on bottles of water, soft drinks and all alcohol which could cost £5 for a small measure of whisky, only in the piano bar which was open in the evening were you charged for drinks including coffee.

The Rep tells you to give your coins to the bus driver when they take you to the airport for your homeward journey and all Tunisian money must be changed back to Sterling , and the duty free shops do not take Dinars,  BUT the bar and the cafe DO also they take Euros more readily than Sterling so a couple of sandwiches and coffe can end up costing £10 - £12 as they have NO Change, I would advise you carry some Euros, a pint of lager is approx 12 Dinars.

Tunisia is a very friendly place and a few words of arabic which the hotel had classes to teach you a phrase or two, and some French and you can really get a great holiday.

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Gail Tatters - Durham (74.53,49,16,14)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our second time to the hotel Phenicia.Everything about the hotel was perfect.We were all inclusive and found this to be very reasonble. The restaurant serves a different meal every day. The entertainment staff work very hard to please everyone during the day and at night and even after working for more than 12hours a day they never stop smiling. The pool attendant who gives out the sun mattresses was very hepful. The maid cleaning the rooms,the bar staff, the porters and the waiters very pleasant and hepful, nothing seemed to bother them. The beach was a walking distance from the hotel very clean and well kept. The only problem we had was that the Airtours Rep who did not seem to be able to solve a problem if you had one or did not have the right information. 

All in all we would recommend this hotel and we will be going back in 2006.    

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : eve psaila  cardiff

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Arrived home 2 days ago,hotel was lovely and the staff were great didnt think much of the resort outside hotel,beach was lovely,went on the 2 day safari,matmata where star wars was filmed was a big let down as a big fan my son was not impressed they really could have gone to town on it.

be carefull when you go to the medina there is a guy who says hes the chef in phenicia and walks with you for a while chatting,then says ill show you around,he takes you to a carpet shop and gives the hard sell,v.scary.he goes to the taxi when u get out and bribes taxi driver to tell him what hotel he picked you up from!! we are not gullable people but he took us for a ride even if it was only for &18 we heared someone were pushed into spending &800 on  carpet they didnt want.but we had a fantastic time otherwise

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson- July 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Sandra Chorlton - Warrington, 44,43,12 &7

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed in an Iberostar in Kos last year and were very impressed with the quality of hotel, however this year we found the rooms in the Phenicia very basic - no pictures on walls not much storage and 1 drawer between 4 people.

The entertainment team in the Phenocia are excellent. There were some good shows and they work really hard and have a vey pleasant manor.

Good service from all other staff seems reliant on tipping which always seems to be expected irrespective of the level of service. Being all inclusive we did not carry cash on a day to day basis and that meant we received poor service at the pool and beach bars.

When we go all inclusive we like to sample the cocktails on offer. We found the range of cocktails very poor (only 5)and these were only served in the main bar(not pool or beach).

The food is excellent however the restaurant was very crowded and you are allocated a table which is yours for the duration of your stay. If you are in a couple you can find yourself sharing a table.

We could not fault the hotel on cleanliness.

During our stay there was a lack of sunbeds around the pool due to hotel policy of charging non residents to use the pool facilities.It would also appear that hotel employees reserve sunbeds for guests on the basis of tipping.

We found the beach excellent and very pleasant.

We will visit other Ibeostar Hotels but will not return here. 

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - April 2005

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Emma, Darren 21

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Firstly I only rated the resort average due to hardly leaving the hotel. 

We went All Inclusive, and ate every meal in the hotel, which to comment on was of a excellent standard and plenty of choice. This hotel is top quality andthe staff are excellent and bend over backwards to help you. The service from them aswell is 5*.

The only gripe I had about the Bar was if you were in a certain bar you couldn't take your glass out and go to another, But thats a minor deatail. 

Rooms were very clean, (serviced everyday), spacious, sea view - wow - recommend!! Entertainment was Ok, I mean they really tried their hardest but it was cheesy and somewhat painstaking due to this being a hotel of all Nationalitys, the entertainers explained and did everything in 4/5 languages! So bingo took forever!!! 

We went first week in april and it was rather quiet, but we were told hotel was full, so make your own mind up on that?! Weather rained first 3 days but then after that it was heatwave!! They said it hadn't rained in ages so must be my bad luck. 

All in all not bad holiday, nothing to complain about. Very high standard hotel

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - March 2005

Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Corinne Fernandes - Purley -(45,42,14,13,9)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Would recommend Hotel Phenicia to all.  

Great mixture of ages and nationalities - the childen spen the week trying ot their French and German!  Godd standard of hotel, kept very clean.  Rooms reasonable with all nessecary amenities. Beach at end of gardens, also kept very clean.  Food was great with plenty for all to choose from, speciality cooking and Tunisian dishes also on offer every night.  We were half board and although offered full board we calculated that for all 5 of us it was not worth the extra (approx £17.00 per day pp) Breakfast is wonderful and they offer freshly made crepes and ice cream in the afternoon. (Even without all incl these were only about80p each!)

Entertainmentin the evenings is rather poor, very tacky (Kareoke, MR/MIss Phenicia), but an interesting "cultural evening with a snake charmer and belly dancer (both good if shambolic performances) Day time entertainment was better, lots to do, but old/limited equppment.  Very enthusiastic team do try to make up for it though.  Heated pool was a godsend in March with changeable weather and cold winds - Kids lived in it!

Took the 2 day Discover Sahara trip.  Very good, but long times in coach make it unsuitable for very young children - ours were fine and really enjoyed El Jem and riding Camels in the Sahara in a sand storm and the train ride on the Red Lizard through the Atlas Mountains.  Very knowledgeable guide (we did the trip with Thompsons - their local guides have to train for 5 years so they can answer any questions on the country you can think of)

All in all a great break in nice surroundings with good food and very friendly staff - would possibly pick May 1/2 term next time as a little more predictable on the weather front.

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - march 2005

Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : elworthy 41-40-14

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

the hotel phenicia  is  execellent.
the bedrooms are a nice but not enough storage space (ie drawers or coat hangers) nice size balconies. the bathrooms were really nice and modern.
the hotel as just recently been modernized so every thing is new and modern.
the staff were excellent all trying to make your stay as good as possible.

we had booked half board but decided to upgrade to all inclusive which cost approx £16.00 a day per person but for this you get all drinks, afternoon snacks, bottles of wine with your meals, towels and sunbed cushions, free tennis,and free bottles of water to take out with you.
the food in the main resteraunt was served buffet style,the food was excellent and the service was brillant,
the weather was quite nice it only rained on our last day.

you can walk into hammernet along the beach it takes about 30 mins, hammernet isnt that nice but it is intresting to see . if you go in the opposite direction from the hotel you come to yasmine hammermet this is really nice,all nice new hotels. lovely promanard and a medina which as a childrens theme park, cinema resteraunts and shops.the marina is also nice and new with lots of resteraunts and cafes,we will stay in yasmine hammermet but not for a few more years  until it is completly finished.

we have been to tunisia about 5 times before we usually stay a port el kantaoui which is very good .but i like this hotel so we will proberly come back here. its just a shame that hammermet isnt more modern like the newer resorts,

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: freedom direct - march 2005

Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : lisa schofield - newcastle 21,44

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

stayed at the phenicia in march 2005, and had a wonderful time.  as a travel agent myself would recommed this hotel to anyone.

arrived at the hotel at 2.30am and there was still plenty of staff about, porter took our luggage to the room and we were offered tea or coffee, even that late at night!

food in the restaurant was fantastic, i am a vegetarian, but there was still plenty for me to eat.  different choice everyday, along with the salads, pasta etc that was there everyday.

entire hotel was immaculate, so clean all of the time.  chamber maids were excellent and very friendly, never saw a speck of dirt all week!

entertainment was typical of most hotels, organised shows and games to try and get people to join in.  a bit tacky at times, but the staff tried so hard it made up for it.

would definately suggest taking the all inclusive option as all drinks are included, including bottled water, cocktails and all spirits (local branded)

would recommend the jeep safari excursion, called off the beaten track and the zulu night...hilarious!

the only thing that i can say a bad word about, and not about the hotel, was that we were two single women on our own. we got a lot of hassle from the locals and couldnt go out much on our own. the hotel had plenty to keep us entertained and we were quite happy to stay there most of the time. but be careful if you are out on your own ladies!

will definately be returning to this hotel!

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: Odyssey - December 2004

Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Ann Middleton - Hull (34 and 44)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed at the Phenicia Hotel over New Year and had a wonderful time. The weather was pretty poor so we spent a lot of time around the hotel which is spotlessly clean, the public areas are modern and tasteful, the bedrooms are large with a minibar and safe (which costs 1 dinar a day) and the food is excellent considering the number of guests they have to cater for. We ventured into Hammament one evening for a meal at a top restaurant and it wasn't much better than the food at the Phenicia.

We went into Hammamet twice and you get what you would expect, hassle in the market but, if you go just a few hundred yards up the main streets you get cheaper goods and non of the hassle!

We stayed all inclusive at the Phenicia and made the most of breakfast (the chocoloate crepes are wonderful), lunch, afternoon snacks, the moorish cafe, the bars and dinner. Even the wine at dinner was absolutely fine and all part of the inclusive deal. The only complaint we had about the hotel was the coffee but that's about as far as it goes.

The main feature of this hotel, however, is the service. You never have to carry a suitcase, waiters are always on hand to serve drinks, all the staff make a fuss of any children and rooms are cleaned everyday even if you don't get up until mid afternoon! If you are looking for a hotel-centred holiday with easy access to swimming pools, the beach, activities, nice food, lovely surroundings and excellent service then you can't go far wrong with the Phenicia.

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: Independent - October 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Rebecca - UK (60, 35, 7, 5)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I can thoroughly recommend this hotel, we have just spent a very enjoyable week there.  We booked independently and flew with BA into Tunis, but all the major tour operators seem to use the Phenicia.

There is a choice of half board or all-inclusive options.  We chose half board as it represented better value but this would depend on your drinking and eating habits.

Most soft drinks were approx 75p, a 50cl bottle of mineral water was 80p, a local bottled beer £1.50, bottles of wine from £5.  Half baguette sandwiches were less than £2.50.

We found the staff very helpful and attentive.  The kids particularly liked the sport/entertainments team who all managed to stay cheerful despite the difficlties of working so hard in hot weather during Ramadan.  All the staff spoke English (as well as about 6 other languages!)

The hotel and grounds are kept very clean by an army of cleaners and gardeners.  The beach was also very clean as were the pools.  There are plenty of free sunlounger beds around the pools and beach.  If you want a mattress they are free to AI guests and cost 1 Dinar each per day (approx 45p) on half board.

The majority of guests were older German couples, but there were people of all ages and nationalities.  I think there is something at the hotel for everyone except a 'party crowd'.

We found the main pool to be perfect for the children as it has a sloping 'beach stlye' end.  There is also a separate children's pool, and a deeper free-form pool that leads indoors.

The hotel run kids club organises a few activities, but it is a low key affair and although you can leave your children there, wouldn't really work as a childcare option if you were hoping for some time on your own.  My children liked to drop in from time to time, but preferred playing in the shaded play area (swings, climbing frame and slide) when they weren't in the pool or on the beach.  At 8.30 every night there is a 'Snoopy Disco' for (young) children.  Think 'Agadoo' and 'Music Man' and you'll get the idea.

The Phenicia seems to have the best beach of all the neighbouring hotels.  If you pitch up along the front row of (permanent) parasols, there is more chance of being approached by beach vendors (selling everything from fruit to sandals and camel rides).  The hotel staff tend to shoo the vendors away, but we didn't find them troublesome or persistent.  A no thank you or 'non merci' is all it takes. 

We were also very happy with the food.  Breakfast is a buffet, with eggs cooked to order any style, and fresh pancakes (crepes).  Cooked fresh tomatoes, sliced potato and two kinds of sausage are also available, as well as salads, cheese, cold meat, cereal, fruit etc.  There are tables to eat outside.

Lunch (for AI) and dinner are in the main buffet restaurant which is a massive room and was a bit daunting when we first saw it.  You are given a table that is yours for the duration of your stay.  Somehow, it didn't get too noisy, or hot, but it would have been nice to sit outside (the only criticism of the hotel I can think of).  There was a good variety of food, and my fussy kids found something to eat evry night.

We will DEFINITELY be returning to the Phenicia.  Photos and 360 views of the hotel can be found on the Iberostar website.

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama -October 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Steve (31,45,52)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Hotel Phenicia is very impressive,smart,clean and offers a high level of comfort and service.The hotel is set in huge exotic gardens and the beach is a short walk away through the gardens.

The sunbeds are set very close together on the beach so not ideal if you want some peace and quiet,also if you sunbathe by the front of this area you will be pestered by beach sellers which can become a nuisance.There is a good Police presence here and Police make regular patrols along the beach on horseback,it did seem very safe so nothing to worry about.

We preffered sunbathing around the gardens as it was more peaceful and you can take a stroll to the beach in minutes. We didnt agree that you had to pay for a mattress,this should be included in the price you have paid for the holiday,those on all inclusive dont pay.

Beautiful dining room,high class food and great service.It can get very busy but the quality of food is great.
Hotel rooms are very basic which for a hotel of this standard was a let down.
Sparse furnishings and only one tiny drawer.
We had booked 2 rooms and requested they were next to each other,we even rang the hotel the day before we left to enusre this request was given and we were told yes it was.However when we checked in we found this was not true and the 2nd room was a very long trek along the corridor 34 rooms away !
Entertainment at night is poor,this could be greatly improved.The hotel has a huge high tech entertainment room yet is not used to its full advantage,just amateur school play type acts.
Out of the hotel there is not much,just a few other hotels nearby which are not worth visiting,a few shops and bars but very run down.Yasmine Hammamet is 10 minutes away by taxi and this resort offers a much better standard than Hammamet so well worth seeing.

Hammamet itself is nothing special,shops selling same tat,plus you will get pestered to buy and this gets tedious as you try to browse,they wont leave you alone.Iif only they would learn to let you look in peace,they would sell a lot more goods this way rather than the hassle and pressure and haggling nonsense.

The temperature during our stay was very high about 30c daily yet the hotel had switched off the air conditioning on sept 30th,the only room with air con was the dining room.This seemed very mean as the rooms were like saunas and made for a very uncomfortable stay in the rooms.Paying guests comfort should be considered and sadly this wasnt the case with the air con switched off.
Staff are very friendly,great service and we would rate this hotel as among the best in Tunisia.
Tennis courts and riding stables,well worth a visit to see the horses.
Option is available to go all inclusive which we decided to do for the last 2 days but this was refused by the hotel,the catch is you have to have it for a minimum of 4 days !

Many guests here are of many European nationalities and German guests seemed to outnumber the English.
It would complete the luxury offered here if this hotel was Adult Only.
So highly recommended and you wont be disappointed here.

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Hotel Phenicia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama July 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Ste Hughes - Liverpool (25, 25)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Food: Excellent, buffet which changes every night or a la carte (Pay extra). If you are half board you only pay for your drinks with dinner.

Drink: Good, beer is a bit gassy, but ok if you like Pilsner. Shorts are expensive, but with a dinar tip you get a monster measure. There is a beach bar, lobby bar, American bar (Classy) and an entertainment room, which is a bit like Butlins (Where the shows are)

Money: If you're all inclusive you can only go to certain bars and restaurants, but it does seem to give good value. You change money at the hotel and it is the same rate where ever you go in Tunisia. There is no comission charged, so we changed money as and when we needed it. Remember though that any money you need to change back can only be done at the Bank at the Airport on the way home and they charge 3% comission. It's £1 for a snicker in the hotel, but cheaper in the supermarket down the road. So my advice is not to buy anything from the hotel shop as you will pay well over the odds.

Tips: Tipping really does go a long way, but talking to the staff goes further. We tipped 1 dinar (Approx 45p) a round of drinks and 2 dinars with our food. We tipped the cleaner 5 dinars twice during our stay. You'll also notice most of the workers are men.

Out & About: Some reps tell you not to go out of the Hotel, LIES! We went out several nights were the drinks are cheaper. Go out of the hotel and turn left walk along and there are a series of bars, London, Liverpool, Great Britain! Go to Yasmine Hammamet at night, there is the Marina and a good Casino. Taxis are the best way to travel around and they are really cheap. Around £2 to get to Yasmine Hammamet. There is always the Noddy Train as well!

Language: In the Hotel everyone speaks English, but they also speak; Arabic, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Portuguese! Outside the hotel a little french will go a long way.

Souvenirs: Don't buy at the hotel, go out and haggle. This is the only way I'm afraid. If you don't like fierce haggling stay away from the Medina in Hammamet as the shop keepers there a hard to bargain with. Try Nabeul Market or the Medina in Yamine Hammamet. The key thing to remember is how much would you pay for that drum, camel, T-Shirt at home? No matter how much they protest etc. It's all an act! It's very hard to find a genuine item in Hammamet, don't believe what they tell you. Just walk away and they soon drop their prices.

Trips: We did the Sahara Explorer Trip, Nabeul Market and Pirate Ship. The Sahara Trip takes you to various spots around the country like El Jem (Small Colouseum), Matmata (Cave Houses), Salt lake etc. You can only see the Sahara if you pay extra for a camel ride! My advice here is if you really really want to spend half a hour in certain locations, then the next 3 hours on a coach and a crappy night in a cheap hotel then this trip is for you. For me, in the 2 days we spent about 18 hours on the coach! I'm 6' 6", so it was a bit of a pain. If you go look at how much rubbish there is out in the countryside! We went to Nabeul Market on a Friday, it's not a traditional market as advertised, but a tourist market. Get there early because by Noon seven hundred coach parties turn up and it gets very cramped. We shared a taxi with another couple for 20 Dinars return, which was cheaper than booking with the rep and we could leave when we wanted (Trust me 2-3 hours is the most you want to spend there).

Misc. - You have to pay for sun loungers if you are not all inclusive about 1 dinar a day I think. Try a massage! They have an excellent massage centre and it only costs 25 Dinars (£12.50) for a full massage.

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Hotel Phonecia - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Discounts) Panorama - February 2004

Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Tena - Slough (67, 44)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This Hotel wasn't listed on any of the reviews for Tunisia so i was very pleased to be able to report that this is an excellent hotel just 5 kms away from the centre of Hammamet. There had been a complete refit and the standard was way above what i had expected.  The Tunisian people are extremely kind and helpful especially in the hotel and even the medina's characters were friendly if not a little too persistant for a 'sale'.  

The food in the Hotel was of a high standard and the menu's changed every day. The weather during our week, considering it was late February was very warm and pleasant (around 70F+ most days) The visit to Nebeul Market on Friday is well worth a trip and taking a taxi couldn't be cheaper or easier.
On the whole we really enjoyed the trip.

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Residence Diar LeMdina - Yasmine Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Panorama Direct) Panorama - Sept/Oct 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : T Groves - Omagh N Ireland 50,44

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first venture to Tunisia.  We arrived at 0515 in the morning.  On arrival we were directed to our apartment by a porter using the light from a mobile phone.  The apartment seemed so far away from reception.  When we opened the apartment door our hearts sank.  We were allocated what could only be described as a cell with a bathroom and kitchen off. We immediately returned to reception and were later allocated an apartment beside the pool (as we had requested when we booked).  

Yasmine Hammamet was supposed to be purpose built resort for tourists, built around 5 years ago.  I can tell you it is not very tourist friendly.  There is little to do and if you are self catering the supermarkets are poorly stocked and the restaurants are very hit and miss.  I put this down to the fact that we were visiting in the middle of Ramadan.  Most of the hotel staff were friendly, but outside the hotel and especially in the Medina, the locals are very aggressive and extremely rude.  

We went to Tunisia to recharge our batteries. We did this thanks to the friendships made with other British and Irish visitors to the Diar Lemdina.  I must say, however, we were in the minority.

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Residence Diar Le Medina - Yasmine Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Becky Watson - Stonehaven

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

What a beautiful appartment we were given when we arrived. There are three residential areas in the hotel and we were in the Diar El Bousten. Our appartment was enormous and just for us 2! We had a big kitchen, a large lounge area with 3 3-seater sofas,a massive double bedroom with tons & tons of storage and hanging space. The bathroom was big too and the whole appartment was cleaned every day with new towels every day.

The swimming pool area was fab and very pretty, always had sunbeds available and kept clean and tidy. Bar nearby inside the reception area for getting drinks.

The Diar Le Medina is only a year old - like a lot of hotels in this newly established resort. Everything was spotlessly clean and the staff were very friendly. Although it's inside the Medina, you cannot hear what's going on in the Medina itself - well you couldn't from our appartment anyway. There was a music festival on the go during our whole stay which was fab entertainment when we went to watch in the Medina but nothing but silence in our appartment. Go to Carthage Land - even if you don't have kids - it's great fun and cheap - everything in Tunisia is cheap! All the excursions were excellent value for money - expecially the Desert Adventure - go for it - the camels are lovely and easy to ride - not scary at all as i'd been led to believe.

The Yasmine resort itself is very clean and the beach is also kept very clean

Gosh, I don't think Ive got anything bad to say at all - we had a delay on the way home and the airport food is really bad, so take some food with you for your departure day just in case.

enjoy your holiday!

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Hotel Riu El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson December 2006

Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : Ann Chambers-Kent (51-57)

Resort Rating: No rating

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just spent New Year at the El Kebir.  Lovely hotel spotless good food with a good choice.  What makes this hotel is the service.  The staff are very attentive and cant do enough for you.  The evening entertainment is not brilliant but the animation team try very hard.  Only went for a week so did not go far.  A taxi into the Medina is well worth the 2 dinar.  It was great haggling-not as intimidating as I thought.
I highly recommend this hotel for a great winter break-the weather was lovely. If you have a birthday or anniversary-let them know-they decorate your room and give you a cake at evening dinner.  Very nice touch.

Would definately go back at this time of year.

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Hotel Riu El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson june 06

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : dave / lin

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

excellent hotel,spotlessly clean, good food,friendly staff,great animators met some great people, some people will find fault wherever they go but you will be hard pressed to find too much wrong here dont take our word for it try it yourself!!!!!

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Hotel Riu El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson -march 2006

Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : chris and dave  (58, 60)

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

arrived at the el kebir after one and a half hour travel time from the airport to find a large very clean hotel in not very nice surroundings , surrounding areas quiet run down reminded us of a shanty town. But hotel was quite well run dinning room was nice , food was well presented with a lot of choice, pool areas were large and keep very tidy but you still had to put a towel down to get your sun bed. our room was big with a big balconey and a nice bathroom. staff were very friendly and helpfull ,if we could move this hotel and put it in a differant location we would have scored it higher.

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Hotel Riu El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: may2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : laura-shropshire 19

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

this hotel is fantastic! 

i had never been to tunisia before and was told some horror storys before i went, but as i was going with work and i was there with 31 people i let the storys go over my head. we first stopped in the saraha, i took one look at the size of the camels and decided the horse and cart would be better suited! how wrong could i be, after 10 mins i was a nervous wreck and wanted to come off!next stop was the les orangers hotel, the hotel was nice but the entertainment wasnt that good, i ended up going to bed at 10! we stopped there for 1 night. then on to the royal kenz, it was lovely! we stopped here for two nights and the food and entertainment was good, karoke and disco was good. then on to the el kebir, i stopped here 3 nights and we had such a warm welcome, staff carried our bags to our rooms,while we checked in, food was excellent there was such i varied option it was hard to choose! the rooms were comfortable and very clean. 

the entertainment was good, met some really nice people, the animation team were lovely to kids and had activities all through the day, made some really good friends and still keep in contact now, if you get the chance visit the cheers bar, this is were the reps go and it doesnt cost much in the taxi, it was nice to speak to english people in there! we also went out with the animation team when they had finished work to the local bars and had such a good time.

was very sad to come home but will be returnung soon, anyone who is thinking twice about going to tunisia should just go for it i loved every minute of it, even the local markets where the people there call you 'white chickens' (they dont mean anythin by it, if they shout anythin else just ignore them, it is only what other people have taught them to say!)

overall such i fantastic place, definatley returning.

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Hotel Riu El Kebir Villas - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Sep 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Mick Lynn-Bird

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just arrived back from 2 weeks stay in Riu villas Hammamet we had booked for the hotel but ended up in the villas very nice to.Extremly clean We had to take our meals in a seperate restuarant to the hotel unfortunatly the food is of very poor quality which is served each day and i mean each day consequently we ended up with delli belli spending 10 days on the loo. 

the entertainment in the hotel is virtually non existent on the evening,and if you are looking for a stroll out after dinner the best of look as there is no where to go and it is defiantly not safe.

The town of Hammamet is a short taxi drive away and is no more than a shanty town with very few shops all selling the same rubbish.If you are looking for a 4 star hotel with a 1 star restuarant then this is the place to be best of look. Will we be returning to Tunisia defiantly NOT.

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Hotel RIU Mehari - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thompson December 2004

Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Lyn & Dave Bull (47,56)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived at the Mehari very late at night after a 45 min delay at Gatwick. The flight was OK but the transfer from Monastir to Yasmine Hammamet was very tiring, I would not advise it for tourists  with children. It was bad enough in December, I should think it would be very unpleasant in high season.  The Mehari was the last drop off so you have to go all round the area before you finally arrive.  The hotel looks pretty impressive with a large entrance and a huge atrium in the style of a mosque roof.  

The first thing you notice is that you have to carry your own bags in.  Unusual for a five star hotel!!.  The reception staff are friendly enough and there are currency change facilities here also.  We were given a complementary drink on arrival, very refreshing after the long journey and then allocated a sea view room on the fourth floor down many twists and turns which was rather a long walk.  The view was OK, over the casino and then out to sea - the main road runs along here but it is very quiet and the only real noise is that of the sea crashing on the shore and the wally trolley ringing it's bell.  The hotel is enormous and also has self catering apartments attached known as the Mehari Residence.  Apparently, this hotel will be changing it's name from next season and will be known as the Yasmine Gardens, it will also lose it's Riu status.

The food was excellent - all meals are buffet style - you are allocated a table for your evening meal which you keep all the way thru your holiday but at breakfast you can sit anywhere.  One side of the restaurant is smoking. the other non smoking.  The array of food on offer is too vast to describe in detail but there is something for even the most fussy eaters.  If you still can't find anything you like they will cook you what you want.  Children are made most welcome and get lots of fuss from the staff.  The displays of carved vegetables are quite spectacular.

There is a large indoor pool, which is very warm - one mother could not put her young child in as it was too hot.  This is surrounded by beds  so you can relax - you wear a robe supplied in your room to go down to the pool although there are lockers provided by the Turkish bath if required.  Lots of guests are walking through reception in robes though, so you won't be out of place.  The whirlpool bath was OK but I noticed a lot of grimy muck on the side it and didn't use it again.   There is a dedicated fitness centre there and you can have a massage and use the upstairs gym if you are inclined.  The Turkish bath is nice, very hot to melt away those stiff muscles although it could do with a good clean.  The outdoor pool was too cold but I would imagine it is pleasant in the summer - there is a pool bar there with the usual food and drinks and the pool waiters and staff are quite attentive.  We found however that they concentrated mainly on the German guests and we were left to get our own sun beds and drinks.  No problem though - by the way, the mattresses are very comfy.

Out of the whole hotel there were only six British guests and a lot of the entertainment and waiter service is in German so if you can speak a little this will help you a lot.  Most of the food signs were in German and a lot of the waiters did not speak very good English, so it was a little tricky asking for even the simplest thing.  We coped okay but some of the older couples got a bit stressed out.  The German guests are all-inclusive and shove as much food and drink down their heads as they can so the staff are largely caring for them.  The bar staff are alright but sometimes you just wanted to sit in a comfy chair after dinner and the waiters couldn't understand why you didn't want a drink. I won't dwell on the entertainment as it was twaddle by anyone's standard.

Yasmine Hammamet itself is quite unremarkable and many of the shops are still empty - One day walking round and you have seen it all.  There is a brand new Medina which is worth a look but it is the usual old rubbish, stuffed camels and the like.  Carthage Land is eye catching although many of the rides are closed until the summer.  The new port is worth the 1.5 kilometre stroll and there is a nice café there called the Tutti-Frutti that serves a generous cappuccino.

The beach is gorgeous even though there were thousands of jellyfish washed up and I'm not sure I would want to swim there in the summer.  Miles of clean sand nonetheless.

A short taxi ride takes you to Hammamet with the usual tat shops and restaurants.  Even the most energetic of you will find the walk too far from the hotel.  We sometimes strolled so far along the beach and then caught a taxi either back to the hotel or on to Hammamet.  The citadel is worth the quid or so entrance fee as you can get some good photographic shots from the upper ramparts.  The souk itself is tedious and repetitive and of little interest to anyone other than those looking to buy cheap tin ashtrays etc.  There is a very good eatery called La Brise on the square facing the medina - good hearty portions and agreeable service - they do not serve alcohol.  Better still is a trip to Nabeul on a Friday, which is market day.  On the bus it is 75p, 12 dinar in a taxi or around 3 dinar if you share a louage.  Same sort of tourist tat but you can get some good quality spices here and watching the craftsmen making the intricate pottery is interesting.  Be careful at the bus station, there are pickpockets and I had someone trying to get into my bag - so never put anything of value there.  I always use a money belt so all the thief would have got was a waterproof and a guide book.  Still, the intent was there.  Bus travel is cheap, smelly and  cramped but it's a good way to see the area.

The highlight of the holiday for me was a trip to Dougga which we had to arrange ourselves.  We gathered six or so people together and had a minibus take us 270 kilometrs inland.  This roman site was well worth the bumpy dusty journey and also gave us an insight into the interior of the Cap Bon.  When you wonder where all that food comes from, well, it's here.  Beautiful scenery, remarkable roman ruins and a smashing three course meal at a nearby hotel made it a trip to remember. Marvellous.

Flight home was on time and adequate - everyone got a meal on the homeward bound journey, so don't bother paying for one.

Jenni, the Thompson rep called was helpful and obliging

Hotel Food 9/10
Thompson Rep         9/10
Hotel Facilities 6/10
Hotel Room 4/10
Service 5/10
Hotel Location         2/10
Entertainment 2/10

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Riu Oceana - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - Jan 2003

Opinion submitted in Feb 2003 by : Delaney x 2 - Leicester (33, 32)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

With two weeks to go to our holiday we got the dreaded phone call, (Hello there we need to talk to you about you holiday booking) We were upgraded from a 4* to a 5*+ so we were over the moon. We arrived at this palace like place which was out of this world, the reception area was bigger than my whole house it was amazing.

After checking in we were escorted to our room by the porter who wouldn't let us lift a finger. The room was massive and spotless we were very impressed, as we were unpacking there was a knock on the door and the same porter was back with an arrangement of roses for the lounge area and a single one for the vase in the bathroom, then he comes back two minutes later with a basket of fruit, wine & water, what more could we ask for. The hotel had everything you could wish for & more. 

The weather was not too good so the indoor swimming pool was a blessing, it had plenty of sunbeds around it so it was a nice place to sit and relax after a swim. The facilities in the hotel were great there was a free turkish bath you could use any time of day or night, there was also a well equiped gym with top notch machinery, there was a hairdressers, beauty salon, massage & sauna if you wanted them at a charge. The restaurant was wonderful, the breakfast had everything you could have wished for from omelettes to pancakes all made on the spot to ensure absolute freshness. The meals in the evenings left nothing to the imagination there were chefs waiting to cook you anything you wanted more or less, the manager walked round every night with a themometer checking that the temperature of the food was up to scratch, the waiters treated us like royalty from pouring our water to carrying our food back to our table. The entertainment was not too good but we think it was because we went out of season this did not put us off and we would definately return to this hotel. The drinks were pricey but thats Tunisia not the hotel muslim country and all that.

The hotel is situated right on the beach were you can expereince a horse ride, pedalo, windsurf, jet ski and much more. If the weather were better it would have been paradise.

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Riu Palace Oceana - Yasmin Hammamet

Operator and Date: Thomson - July 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Calum - Glasgow (48, 58)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first time in Tunisia and we were very impressed: beautiful weather; charming, friendly people; gorgeous, clean, fine-sand beaches; generally not high-rise hotels; good road and transport system.

We wanted a nice, relaxing hotel in a comfortable hotel with good views and good food.  We got this and more at the Oceana Palace.

Rooms are excellent (they're called junior suites) and it was great having the wardrobes in a room outside the bedroom/suite - made things much tidier!  And having a walk-in shower in the bathroom rather than in the bath made all the difference.

The room was extremely spacious and beds very comfortable.   The room - and hallways - being carpeted meant that noise levels were low allowing for a peaceful night's sleep.

The staff were truly friendly, very nice indeed and the service was great!

Food was excellent - mostly varied.  Only downside was that they operate two sittings:  one at 7pm (too early) and the other at 9pm (a bit late).  However, it didn't spoil things too much.

Make sure you take advantage of the complimentary a la carte restaurant dining offer once a week - I don't think everyone's aware of this.

The hotel has a nice bar but not much atmosphere and not much in the way of decent booze, however you don't go to Tunisia for the drink so again, it didn't put us off.

Poolside was first class - again great service from the attendants who'll find a bed for you and arrange fresh towels each day.   Poolside restaurant good too.

No shops or bars at the hotel but it costs only a few dinars to get a taxi.

All in all, one of the best beach holidays we've been on.  If you're after a restful hotel in good surroundings, you won't go wrong here.  Deserves its Thomson Gold rating!

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Riu Palace Oceana - Yasmin Hammamet

Operator and Date: June 2005

Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Sean, Lorraine & Theo (34, 39, 4)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel itself was excellent (good enough for the Tunisian national football team to stay before an important game!), staff very attentive without being overbearing, food excellent, all rooms are spacious suites and look out for the swan left on your bed once it has been cleaned!

Hotel has it's own private beach with bar, which was never crowded and great to relax on.  Clientelle was mainly 45+ German/French couples and the hotel was not really geared up for families.  The advertised children's club was non-existent and although tolerated, we felt that our exuberant 4yr old was a bit too much for staff and other residents at times.  There were not many other young children there during our stay, which, in retrospect could have made a difference enjoyment of the holiday.

In summary, lovely luxury hotel, but I would not recommend it for a young family.

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Riu Palace Oceana - Yasmin Hammamet

Operator and Date: Tunisia First - June 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Tupper - London (42 & 29)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have only just returned from 10 day vacation.  The weather was between 25C and 29C each day and there was only 1 cloudy day.  This was our third trip to Tunisia but our first at this hotel.

The Riu Palace Oceana is a beautiful hotel in a quiet area with a very grande marble foyer.  The rooms are air conditioned and spacious as it's an all-suite hotel.  We didn't pay the extra to have a sea/garden view but we were glad that we didn't in the end as we got to watch the beautiful sunsets in the evening.

The rooms, restaurants and pools were all immaculately clean. Clean beach towels are provided every day and there are bath robes in the room, which saves a bit on the packing.

The food was very good (buffet style layout) you almost had too much choice (it worked out at roughly £13.50 per head for as much as you can eat).  I am a vegetarian and my ONLY criticism would be that some of the food was not labelled up too well ie: vegetable stuffed peppers was actually vegetable and minced meat stuffed peppers! and my vegetarian club sandwich came stuffed full of salmon! The only drink that we found to be quite expensive was diet coke (or Coca Light as it's called) which was over £1 for a can.  But do try the local wine and beer as it's very good and reasonably priced.

The staff were fantastic, extremely friendly and helpful.  There was a slight language barrier, it helps a great deal if you can speak some French or German as well as English.

In my book tipping is a MUST. I'm sure that the staff would be just as polite and friendly if you didn't, but at the moment the exchange rate is so excellent (roughly 2.34 Tunisian Dinar to the £1.00 gbp)that you can afford to give generously. 

The exchange rate also means that you should take advantage of the beauty treatments, I had an hours full body massage and it came to a total of £24 INCLUDING a 20 percent tip.

Also, look out for the cute little family of cats and kittens that live in the foliage at the front and the back of the hotel (usually being fed smuggled ham from the buffet by soppy tourists!!).  They are vaccinated & checked monthly by the Tunisian equivalent of the RSPCA so they are in gorgeous condition, no fleabags here, just 5 star cats!

If you are a young couple looking for lots of nightlife i would not suggest this hotel for you as there is NONE!! if you want a quiet relaxed holiday with great service and great weather i would say that this is your place.

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Hotel Riu Park - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson dec 2006

Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : 63 75

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

the hotel was very good the food varied and plentiful,and the staff excellent. They could'nt do enough for you. don't go on the organised excursions, they are expensive and give very little time in any visit, we used the localyellow taxi's and a trip to the market and back cost a total ofsix pounds and all the time we wanted to look around, as opposed to fifteen pounds per person, which would have been a total of sixty pounds for the 4 of us. Be sure to ask the driver to put the meter on, though most do anyway. If you don't want to be hassled by shops just say no thank you and you are left alone, they are a very friendly country. you can only expect the same treatment back as you give out.

All in all a good holiday and we would and in fact are going back as our first visit was so good.

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Hotel Riu Park El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: portland direct .july 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : martin reed-sussex.48,46,16.

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

hotel riu el kebir hammamet is a lovely hotel,with very welcoming staff who can not do enough for you.they are very hard working in maintaining extremely high standards thoughout the hotel.the hotel is situated right on the beach,which is golden sand and kept very clean,and the hotel provides sun loungers with sun shade parrasols for there guests.we were on a all inclusive package holiday,which was very good value indeed.all food and beveridges included.i found the room very spacious for our needs with air conditioning and two balconys and sea views out across the med.the only critisism i have is the beds were very hard to sleep on,a softer mattress and pillows would have made my stay more comfortable.

the hotel has many facilitys ie fittness room,hairdresser,massage and beauty,lounge areas,bars etc.you will be hard pressed to find any faults with this hotel.the resort of hammamet though was a slight disappointment outside of the hotel,as it's appearance is a little run down and tired looking,but don't let this put you off.

finaly i would recommend this hotel for a holiday if only for a one week stay and some relaxation in the sunshine.

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Hotel Riu Park El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson  nov 2006

Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : Deborah 41 Dave 44 Renae 40 Ray 39

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived at our hotel walked into reception and was given a cold drink for which we were very greatful as it was very warm.

We were taken to our rooms which were large and spotlessly clean with a fantastic view of the pool and the sea.We went straight down to lunch which was wonderful with so much choice i can't imagine anyone could complain,you can sit where you like for breakfast and lunch but in the evening you are given a table which you keep for your whole stay which makes things a lot easier no rushing to get a table together and you get to now your waiter.The staff were all friendly and very helpful, we asked for extra pillows which were put in our room before we even left reception.The pool and grounds are beautiful and are constantly being cleaned.There are plenty of sun loungers round the pool and on the beach and you are given a ticket for free pool towels which is very handy. We also tryed the hotel spa centre we booked for a two and a half hour session which included massage turkish bath and water thearapies which we really needed and enjoyed after coming back from two hours of quad biking.We also went on a camel trek which was brilliant and the guide was so friendly and helpful and we saw some lovely scenery.We went out to hammemet yasmin and did some haggling for our gifts which is a lovely place to sit and have some lunch and we had a quick visit to the marina. 

All in all this hotel was fantasic and i would recommend it to any one there is evening entertainment that gave us a few laughs, the boys from the entertainment team work really hard all day long to make sure you have a great holiday. We would all go back to this beautiful hotel.

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Hotel Riu Park El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson November 5th 2006

Opinion submitted in November 2006 by : Alan & May Gibb  (49/52) Edinburgh

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hello we went to this hotel in november 5/12th 2006 for as it is a short flight from the uk and we were not disapointed in the least as soon as you arrive (we arrived at about 2.30 in the afternoon)you are given a wrist band to show that you are all-inclusive  and told to go down to the dining room for your lunch 

upon doing so the food was very well presented with a lot of choices.As i am a very fussy eater when ever i go abroad no matter what country i live on chips and soup for the duration but the food in this hotel was as you have probibly read on other reviews was excellent and i had no bother eating some of their meals that was on offer.

Moving on to the rooms they were very large and in spotless condition when we were shown ours the room was cleaned every day and the beds made up again for you with swans/flowers/and petals all over it ( BY THE WAY LADS MOVE YOUR UNDERPANTS AS THEY USE THEM FOR DECORATION LOL)The hotel staff will do any thing with-in reason for you and are all very friendly 

The animation team work very i mean very hard to look after you for your stay Dario & Digital are two very good dancers as are they all they do all the break dancing summersaults tapdancing and are very fit young blokes. One thing i might point out is the shop opposite the hotel as i worked out the money quite quick i went across for cigs and they tried to take your money first then confuse you with the change i think they got a fright as i know how they work and were told in no uncertain manner you could imagine  to go to H*ll but over all Great people

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Hotel Riu Park El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - July 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Rebecca Old - Norwich 20, 20

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was the first time that my partner and I had been All Inclusive on holiday and found that it was an excellent idea!  The food on offer was delicious, especially the pancakes for breakfast and afternoon snacks - although probably best not to go here if you are on a strict diet!

The hotel was always spotless and the staff very, very helpful and friendly - especially the entertainment team.  The pool was big enough and the beach gorgeous.

The rooms were tasteful and big enough and although we didn't get a room over looking the sea it was fine for us. 

With regards to the resort itself, I can't really make too many comments.  We only left the hotel to go to the market one day and went quad biking in the mountains another.  Both were very enjoyable, but if you don't like to be pestered by salesmen I'd advise to stay away from the town itself.

The only negative point I have about the holiday was about a photographer that worked from within the hotel.  We had some photos taken with her on the beach to then be told that we had to have 40!  This was not mentioned before hand and in the end we left with none.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable hoilday and I will be using Rui hotels again.

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Hotel Riu Park El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - Jun 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Macdonald Party (35,36,14)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

Just returned from Hotel Riu Park El kebir, cannot fault this hotel which is an excellent example of what All Inclusive holidays should offer.  The food was fantastic and plentiful and the staff including all the managers were very helpful.  We have never stayed All Inclusive before but at this hotel I would highly recommend it.  The rooms were large and were of the cleanest I have ever stayed in, the finishing touches of flower petals on the beds etc was lovely and the maids took great care in arranging the sheets etc into various shapes. Outside of the hotel there are a few shops and bargains to be had however we did venture into Hammamet but found the locals a bit hard to deal with, they congregate in groups and are predominantly male.  I would suggest females venturing in there on their own.  One other word of warning if getting treatments done at the Thalasotherapy Spas make sure that it is a female who is carrying out the treatment !

All in all we had a fantastic time the weather was in the 40s every day.  Be prepared to tip but in return the staff will be at your beck and call.

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Hotel Riu Park El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson- June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Emma & Heather (23, 23)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I have just come back from a week long holiday staying at the Riu Park El Kebir hotel in Hammermet and absolutely loved it. There were 2 of us aged 23 and we were never bored. The staff were magnificent and made a huge effort especially the animation team who were fun and welcoming to everyone. There was entertainment throughout the whole day ranging from football, volleyball, waterpolo (my favourite!!) to water aerobics, belly dancing and yoga.

There is a spa centre on site and we both had the seaweed wrap (approx £12) and a full body massage (£15 lasts 30 mins) which were amazing and very relaxing-great value for money.

The food at the restaurant was good-there was a huge selectionaand for those that are really fussy, there were chips there everynight and spaghetti bolognaise. I was travelling with a vegetarian and she was pleasantly suprised by the selection of food that she could eat. There were themed nights for the food including tunisian and spanish and that meant that there was always something different everynight. I didn't get a dodgy tummy so i thought the food was pretty successful. Pancakes and ice-cream between 3 and 5 everyday was a welcome snack.

There is still and sparkling water on the tap available by the pool and in the restaurant-this is safe to drink. There are also soft drinks and alcohol available at the pool bar as well as the other bars around the hotel.

The pool and beach are kept well and it is nice to be on the actual beach because of the breeze which is refreshing when its getting too hot. I was up and by the pool by 8.30 most days this is because there are so many tourists and and many seem to get up very early and lay their towels down. However, the staff will always find you a sun lounger as it is hotel policy that if a bed is left alone for more than an hour and there are people looking for a sun lounger then they will remove your belongings and put them at reception. This actually works out well because you will find that many people are getting up early and putting down their towels and then going back to bed for hours or going on a trip-very selfish behaviour!

We went on a market trip (i can't remember what it was called) and that the a nice trip out. We stopped off at a pottery place (great for cheap pressies) before going to the market. The market itself was an experience but i didn't find much that i wanted. Its worth noting that it they think your English that they will up the price-apparantly all the English are rich! But with bataring you should only pay about a third of the original price. If they are not willing to drop their price, then move on, you will always find another stall (it is a huge market). On the way back we went wine tasting which was fun and you get to purchase some of the wine. This was a nice day trip and we were back at the hotel by 12.30 so we had the rest of the day to ourselves.

The only part of the trip i didn't enjoy was the sail away trip. We were picked up from our hotel at 7.45am and had to pick up other guests from other hotels, we got to the boat by 8.45 and didn't start sailing til gone 9.45-this just made us tired and cranky from waiting around for so long. I thought it would be relaxing but there were men dressed as pirates jumping about in your face and blaring out music-i don't get sea sick but that trip made me feel queasy especially when they blasted out the Celine Dion song, 'My heart will go on' -TWICE OVER!!! The boat kept rocking which meant that i couldn't face the bbq and too make matters worse, it didn't matter where you sat on the boat but you were always overwhelmed by the smell of fish and the fumes from the boat (which was horrible). If you get the option go on the boat trip that takes you to a zoo first, everyone we spoke to at the hotel had a great time on that trip. Luckily we were back at the hotel by 1.30 in the afternoon for lunch and relaxing by the pool.

There are some people walking about the hotel trying to sell camel rides and quad bike rides but if your not interested then say no and carry on walking. Personally, next time i go back i am determined to go on both trips. I also noticed a theme park and casino in yasmine hammermet that i never got to go to.

Night life at the hotel tends to end around midnight (thats when they stop serving drinks). I found that after lying in the sun all day and after a heavy dinner and the entertainment for the night, that this was fine for me. But should you want more there is entertainment at other hotels and in town. We played bingo one night and won a free back massage. Other guests won camel rides etc so it is well worth taking part on some of the evening entertainment.

Some people we have spoken to have said that this was the worse Riu hotel that they had been too-and thats not necessarily a bad thing. I loved this hotel and would go back, so if this is one of the worst Riu hotels then i can't wait to see what the others have to offer.

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Hotel Riu Park El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson March 2006

Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Steve & Janette Marshall Durham 49

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

My wife and I have just returned from a week at the Riu Park El Kabir in Hammamet. 

The hotel is excellent. We arrived at midnight to be welcomed by the bar manager with a cocktail for everyone and the front of house manager and his staff to check us in. Our bags were taken to our room by a porter and there was a fresh cold buffet and drinks provided in the dining room,very good for such a late hour. We chose all inclusive as did the majority of guests and found it to be well worth while. 

The food in the restaurant was very good with wine and soft drinks available to help yourself. When we arrived the drinks at the evening meal were waiter service but this was withdrawn during our stay which seemed a bit petty as this is a platinum hotel although the waiter was very apologetic. There were plenty of sunbeds but if you wanted a favourite spot you had to join the early risers and reserve it although the pool attendant would help you find a bed and bring cushions. I was looking forward to the sight and sounds of the medina in the town but was very disappointed to find it full of cheap tourist tat and aggressive arab shopkeepers who wanted your money no matter what. The town is nothing to write home about and my advice would be not to even bother venturing there. 

The weather was excellent during our stay, the hotel staff were wondeful and friendly but once outside the area is very inhospitable

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Hotel Riu Park El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson march 2006

Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : chris and dave   ( 58,60 )

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

stayed at the el kebir for one week this was long enough for us. long transfer time from airport one and a half hours. hotel was big but very clean ,food was ok nothing special, entertainment of a night was bad although the local team did try, dont go to this hotel on half board you need to be all inclusive,hammamet its self is very poor and not worth mentioning as was the surrounding areas of the hotel .local golf courses hammamet  and citrus very good and if your in to golf well worth a visit. 

overall hotel not bad but we not will not be going back to tunisia not enough to do there

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Hotel Riu Park El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson march 2006

Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : jenny 53 49 21

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

the hotel park el kebir was a lovely hotel! the food is excellent as it caters for all! the food is the one thing i missed when i returned home!when arriving into the dining room you are given your own waiter/waitress for the week and they give excllent service!

the entertainment was brilliant as there was something different every night including dancing shows and comedy!
the hotel is situated about 10 minutes away from hammamet town itself and was an easy straightfoward walk and there are plenty of taxis back to the hotel if you couldnt be bothered walking back.
it is also easy to get to other places for example when there is a local market and thomson had excursions to go on
the accomodation was of a high standard

i have many people say the have heard bad things about goin to tunisia but this hotel is a great place to go if you have never been to tunisia. the people are very friendly they do like a tip but they earn a tip ! just be careful if they say they are a chef or waiter at your hotel if usually means they think you will trust them enough to follow them to a carpet shop but if you say no thanks they leave it at that

i cant wait to go back to this hotel and will be booking sometime soon as it is great value for such a nice place

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Hotel Riu Park El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - Feb 2006

Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Part of the Wall family - Redcar (52, 47,14

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first visit to Tunisia.  In fact it was our first winter holiday abroad. The hotel is part of the Thomson Platinum brochure and although looked a bit 'tired' in some areas, was a brilliant place to stay.

The rooms we had, were bigger than the norm, had been recently redecorated and overlooked the pool and the beach. As part of the 'all inclusive' option, the room safe was free of charge.  There is also a fridge which you can use free of charge, unless of course you want it stocking as a mini bar.

This was the first time we have ever been 'all-inclusive'. What a good job we were only there for a week! The food was excellent - all meals were buffet style.  A good choice is available at all meals and this is the first hotel we have ever seen constant checking of the food temperatures by the Manager himself or the chefs.  The freshly made pancakes between 3 and 5 p.m. were delicious.

The hotel cleanliness was better than we've seen at any Platinum hotel before.  The staff seemed to work from dawn till midnight and we suspect they earn very little.

Other Platinum hotels we have stayed in have professional shows on an evening but this hotel had it's own animation team working during the day and the evening. 

The weather for February was great.  We only had approx 2 hours of rain during the whole week.  Most days it was a mix of sunny and cloudy, temperatures ranged from 15 - 20 degrees centigrade.  We managed to either walk/paddle on the beach and lie around the pool most days.

Hammamet itself was nothing to write home about.  Many buildings in need of repair/renovation and some rubbish on the beaches. We walked to the Medina in an effort to walk off some of the excellent cuisine (about 3kms but taxis outside hotel gates if preferred) but found the constant pestering to enter each shop spoilt the visit.

As a holiday overall, we found it to be very relaxing and perfect for a week in February.  We would consider returning  during the winter months and would definitely return to this hotel.

If you are in two minds as to whether to take the 'all inclusive' option, do so - it's only £7 each per day and the lunch and afternoon pancakes alone must well cover this amount.  The local alcoholic drinks that were included were weak and of poor quality but the capuccinos and Celtia beer (lager) were okay.

The Tunisian people were very friendly and the staff in the hotel could not have been more accommodating.

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Hotel Riu Park El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Platinum - Jan 2006

Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Jan and Steve Wright 44 and 40

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We are actually writing this review from the hotel, this is supposed to be a platinum hotel but don,t know what is platinum about it!

Hotel is quite nice, staff pleasant enough but more scraping three star than four.For first week no entertainment at all, then about three hundred locals converged on Dec 30th and we became second class citizens.Most meals they piled plates so high nothing left for other guests and queues of about twenty mins for main courses.The rep has a good supply of feeble excuses for this hotel failing to meet the promises of the brochure. Everyone here has expressed disatisfaction and people who were here one week felt sorry for us staying for two.In fairness it has improved slightly this week but nothing close to standard expected from brochure, I will also add that Thomson staff on flight were miserable and you have to fill in a green card to enter country but they didn,t tell us about this on flight so everyone got stuck in passport control at airport!

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Hotel Riu Park El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson  Nov 2005

Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : Michael Dingwall  Sleaford Lincs   58 57 82

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from our second stay at this hotel and enjoyed every minute of our weeks stay. The weather was very good plenty of sunshine although at this time of the year the days are short. We took my wifes mother and the attention given to her throughout the holiday at the airports and hotel was excellent, she uses a wheelchair so we requested help and we certainly got it.

We went all inclusive and the service and availability of the drinks was far superior to our recent stay in Turkey. The hotel has a new manager, taking over from a very popular and most helpful person and he is settling in very well. He will be very successful if the attention given last week is a guide as he was available and on the scene to greet and talk to the many guests.

The staff havent changed much in two years and they are to me some of the happiest and friendliest we have ever had on our many trips. The pool area and beach give plenty of space - and shade if needed - and come supplied with beach towels and mattrasses.The rooms are fairly spacious and most have sea views although not all in the annexe have this. Everywhere is kept spotless and any problems are handled very well by the Reception staff. We found the food very much to our liking, although some people were not always happy but we were and comparing to our Turkey stay it was excellent. Plenty of fish, fresh pasta, fruit,puds!!!! and a good selection of local dishes.

We went to a couple of the shows and found them adequate, there are many varied nationalities and age groups so it would be difficult to meet all needs. The animation team are all young local lads and they are very good and enjoy their job. I was playing French bowls every day mixing with Germans,Belgians,Dutch and Spaniards and within hours we had spoken to and got friendly with more people than the whole of the Turkey holiday.

We went on the Sahara experience two years ago and would recommend that trip to all - so this time we just went to the local market in Nebuel. This trip also included a visit to a local wine producer and that was very good. Local taxis into Hammemet are very cheap and trips to Tunis are very cheap especially by train.

We would like to thank everyone who made this a really enjoyable break  - and we would have no qualms of recommending the hotel, the staff led so well by Sofian the manager, and the facilities to anyone who wants a good rest and plenty of sunshine

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Hotel Riu Park El Kebir - Hammamet

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson august 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Jane Ledwidge (44,39,14,14)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Our overall opinion of hotel riu park el kebir is absolutly brilliant!

We cannot fault the hotel or the location. There was plenty to do for all ages, there was: bars and restaurants near by for adults and families aswell as little shops for neccesities i.e real diet coke!! in the hotel there were plenty of actiivities going on for everyone from darts and french bowls to mini club for under 12s and volleyball on the beach for all older children and adults. The beach was only a few steps away from the pool and hotel, the sea wa