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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 wa