Vincci Alkantara Thalassa Hotel, Djerba, Tunisia
Hotel Information
Recent Price: £43
Hotel Class:
Hotel Description:
The hotel is located on a small island surrounded by water, an unusual venue. Directly on a sandy beach, just 6 kilometers from the village of Midoun and 25 kilometers from Houmt Souk. The hotel has an indoor swimming pool, an outdoor swimming pool and a saltwater pool, plus an island discotheque. loading...
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Vincci Alkantara Thalassa Hotel Reviews
" Do not stay here! The hotel is most... "
Submitted By: Mrs S Barka
Do not stay here! The hotel is most definitely not 5 stars.
It's dirty, service is poor, and food is not cleared in the restaurant which attracts huge amounts of flies!
The beach is unusable being covered in black gunge and a terrible smell of sewage, holiday highlight was finding condoms floating next to you in the sea!!
There are JCBs working continually on the beach, our allocated room looked out onto a building site. When we asked to be moved were given no other option than to upgrade to a sea view room (with views of those diggers!!) and charged an extortionate supplement for the privilege!
The drinks and food prices are very expensive and as there is nothing else for miles around, you have no alternative place to eat or drink.
The location itself is very un scenic, lots of builder’s rubble and piles of rubbish dumped everywhere. The rep said it would be ok to use the beach area of other hotels in the next resort but this was a problem, as they are all inclusive and will not let you use their facilities.
We ended up sneaking onto hotel beaches like a backpackers, not quite the 5 star beach front holiday Airtours promised in their brochure.
Airtours were fully aware of the problems with the beach as on the arrival transfer the rep informed us the hotel beach is not very nice!
We could not wait to go home thankfully we were only booked for 7nights and not 14!
We also found that the customer service we received from Airtours both in resort and in dealing with our complaints on return was terrible.
It's dirty, service is poor, and food is not cleared in the restaurant which attracts huge amounts of flies!
The beach is unusable being covered in black gunge and a terrible smell of sewage, holiday highlight was finding condoms floating next to you in the sea!!
There are JCBs working continually on the beach, our allocated room looked out onto a building site. When we asked to be moved were given no other option than to upgrade to a sea view room (with views of those diggers!!) and charged an extortionate supplement for the privilege!
The drinks and food prices are very expensive and as there is nothing else for miles around, you have no alternative place to eat or drink.
The location itself is very un scenic, lots of builder’s rubble and piles of rubbish dumped everywhere. The rep said it would be ok to use the beach area of other hotels in the next resort but this was a problem, as they are all inclusive and will not let you use their facilities.
We ended up sneaking onto hotel beaches like a backpackers, not quite the 5 star beach front holiday Airtours promised in their brochure.
Airtours were fully aware of the problems with the beach as on the arrival transfer the rep informed us the hotel beach is not very nice!
We could not wait to go home thankfully we were only booked for 7nights and not 14!
We also found that the customer service we received from Airtours both in resort and in dealing with our complaints on return was terrible.
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2006
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Airtours
" This is our 10th time over to Tunisia... "
Submitted By: Mr B Wilson
This is our 10th time over to Tunisia so we thought we would try somewhere different and venture off the mainland. What a mistake! Just nothing to look at apart from the odd camel on a roundabout, crowd of bored Tunisian blokes and building rubble.
The hotel was very clean and we were given a sea view even though we didn’t pay any extra for it. Exchange rates were good so plenty of tat for your money.
Not sure about some of the other tourists comments as we had no problem communicating in English. The Tunisians are well educated in languages, put us Brits to shame. Anyway, who can't order a glass of wine or beer in French by now?
I agree that the hotel caters for mainly Germans and French who all seem to be All Inclusive. We did have some Brits who arrived All Inclusive and who paid less than we did for half board... thanks Airtours. We tried to upgrade but they wanted some ridiculous amount to do so.
You can get a drink from the pool bar but like any Tunisian hotel drinks are quite expensive, especially shorts. Then again you don’t pay as much for your accommodation and flight than if you went to Spain or Greece.
The only thing what let the hotel down was the beach area. They have made some big mistake when they buried some seaweed a while ago (so a bloke told us) and they are spending each day trying to dig it all up again. Gave us something to look at, watching the JCB's go up and down all day.
The weather in July is hot, TOO hot but the sea temperature is great and there is a nice beach on the other side of the bridge. Found a couple of places in walking distance to eat but expect to wait as time stands still in Djerba.
Buy your water, lager and pop from the local shops, dirt cheap! Just nip round the back with it all in your ruck sack, nobody bothers.
Food was excellent and plenty of it. Facilities were excellent and good value had a couple of massages for half the price you pay at home.
If you go to Djerba don’t let it put you off Tunisia. There are some great hotels on the mainland, try Port El Kantaoui. Tunisia is more your beach holiday resort with great swimming pools and great white sand beaches.....apart from this hotel, of course!
The hotel was very clean and we were given a sea view even though we didn’t pay any extra for it. Exchange rates were good so plenty of tat for your money.
Not sure about some of the other tourists comments as we had no problem communicating in English. The Tunisians are well educated in languages, put us Brits to shame. Anyway, who can't order a glass of wine or beer in French by now?
I agree that the hotel caters for mainly Germans and French who all seem to be All Inclusive. We did have some Brits who arrived All Inclusive and who paid less than we did for half board... thanks Airtours. We tried to upgrade but they wanted some ridiculous amount to do so.
You can get a drink from the pool bar but like any Tunisian hotel drinks are quite expensive, especially shorts. Then again you don’t pay as much for your accommodation and flight than if you went to Spain or Greece.
The only thing what let the hotel down was the beach area. They have made some big mistake when they buried some seaweed a while ago (so a bloke told us) and they are spending each day trying to dig it all up again. Gave us something to look at, watching the JCB's go up and down all day.
The weather in July is hot, TOO hot but the sea temperature is great and there is a nice beach on the other side of the bridge. Found a couple of places in walking distance to eat but expect to wait as time stands still in Djerba.
Buy your water, lager and pop from the local shops, dirt cheap! Just nip round the back with it all in your ruck sack, nobody bothers.
Food was excellent and plenty of it. Facilities were excellent and good value had a couple of massages for half the price you pay at home.
If you go to Djerba don’t let it put you off Tunisia. There are some great hotels on the mainland, try Port El Kantaoui. Tunisia is more your beach holiday resort with great swimming pools and great white sand beaches.....apart from this hotel, of course!
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2006
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Airtours
" Vincci Alkantara Thalassa, poor 4... "
Submitted By: Mr J Mason
Vincci Alkantara Thalassa, poor 4 star. Sep 2, two weeks, John and Sue, Wolverhampton.
We have just returned from a two week stay at the Vincci Alkantara Thalassa, and would strongly recommend people do not stay here on half board basis, it all geared for all inclusive, half board guests pay double the price for drinks.
Hardly anything is written in English and very few staff speak it. The hotel has the worst beach I have ever seen around the med, it is covered in sea-weed and if the wind is in the right direction you get the smell of what I can only describe a raw sewage, it is man made and has no sand on it.
The pool is huge and quite impressive but all the time we were there, it was never cleaned nor the tables, we had a lovely barbecue around the pool every night, but in the morning there was still food and oil left on the floor, it is a good job they have their own on site doctor.
The rooms are a good size, some days you got towels others you did not. This is also not a good hotel for children, their is nothing for them to do, and I would not let any of my children swim in the sea by its beach. There is nothing outside of the hotel, no bars, restaurants to walk to, you are told you can use the other hotels along the road, we walked for 3 miles and every hotel was all-inclusive and would not take cash as there are not tills. I hope Djerba improves as it is a lovely island but I would steer clear of this hotel unless you are French, Italian or German.
We have just returned from a two week stay at the Vincci Alkantara Thalassa, and would strongly recommend people do not stay here on half board basis, it all geared for all inclusive, half board guests pay double the price for drinks.
Hardly anything is written in English and very few staff speak it. The hotel has the worst beach I have ever seen around the med, it is covered in sea-weed and if the wind is in the right direction you get the smell of what I can only describe a raw sewage, it is man made and has no sand on it.
The pool is huge and quite impressive but all the time we were there, it was never cleaned nor the tables, we had a lovely barbecue around the pool every night, but in the morning there was still food and oil left on the floor, it is a good job they have their own on site doctor.
The rooms are a good size, some days you got towels others you did not. This is also not a good hotel for children, their is nothing for them to do, and I would not let any of my children swim in the sea by its beach. There is nothing outside of the hotel, no bars, restaurants to walk to, you are told you can use the other hotels along the road, we walked for 3 miles and every hotel was all-inclusive and would not take cash as there are not tills. I hope Djerba improves as it is a lovely island but I would steer clear of this hotel unless you are French, Italian or German.
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- Date of Holiday:Sep 2006
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Airtours
" The Hotel location to the beach was... "
Submitted By: clark1412
The Hotel location to the beach was impressive as was the hotel decoration, the room size was generous, the pool was really amazing and the sun beds were all taken by 08.30, food overall was nothing special, everything appeared laced with chili and tended to favour our French and German colleagues.
The hotel offers an all inclusive option to the French, Italian and German guests which means that the English guests are the only ones paying for drinks which worked out very expensive, learning a little French or German is an absolute must or please take a French dictionary or phrase book. Drinks prices are set according to the standard of hotel and imported drinks are expensive you may think you are paying for the bottle not just a shot!
The staff were very friendly although ordering in French brought a cheaper bar bill than ordering in English! The Hotel was" A little out of the way as far as location" local supermarkets were cheaper for the much needed water, not recommended for children as the food for kids was non existent and don’t rely on buying anything European like nappies or baby milk.
Bartering is a must even in the hotel shops as nothing has a price! Rooms were cleaned daily although linen was not changed as stated, doctor facilities were good although expensive and prices set just below your holiday insurance excess.
Overall nice hotel, beach was disappointing as there is a lot of algae on the beach and in the water around the hotel beach, the beach 1km away was clean although no use of the sun beds, If you don’t like the heat or chili this is not the place for you, signs and literature around the hotel is not in English and will not be addressed until next year, a lot of complaints from fellow travelers re- overcharging and bad service to the Brits, very basic for the money definitely not 5 star I would officially rate this as 3 star.
The hotel offers an all inclusive option to the French, Italian and German guests which means that the English guests are the only ones paying for drinks which worked out very expensive, learning a little French or German is an absolute must or please take a French dictionary or phrase book. Drinks prices are set according to the standard of hotel and imported drinks are expensive you may think you are paying for the bottle not just a shot!
The staff were very friendly although ordering in French brought a cheaper bar bill than ordering in English! The Hotel was" A little out of the way as far as location" local supermarkets were cheaper for the much needed water, not recommended for children as the food for kids was non existent and don’t rely on buying anything European like nappies or baby milk.
Bartering is a must even in the hotel shops as nothing has a price! Rooms were cleaned daily although linen was not changed as stated, doctor facilities were good although expensive and prices set just below your holiday insurance excess.
Overall nice hotel, beach was disappointing as there is a lot of algae on the beach and in the water around the hotel beach, the beach 1km away was clean although no use of the sun beds, If you don’t like the heat or chili this is not the place for you, signs and literature around the hotel is not in English and will not be addressed until next year, a lot of complaints from fellow travelers re- overcharging and bad service to the Brits, very basic for the money definitely not 5 star I would officially rate this as 3 star.
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2006
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Airtours
" This hotel is not geared up for... "
Submitted By: Miss M Quinn
This hotel is not geared up for English tourists, it caters for French and Germans. The hotel by English standards is 3* and under no circumstances could be rated as 5*. The food is purely for Germans and French and English tastes are not accommodated.
The staff do not speak English and are unable to transfer calls to your room etc. This hotel should be advertised as a 3* all inclusive. It is in desperate need of repair, the chairs are all broken and the furniture is broken and damaged. I would not recommend it and feel most English tourists would be bitterly disappointed to have to stay there.
You cannot buy a drink from the pool bar, they only deal with people who are all inclusive, however My Travel fail to offer you all inclusive when you book.
The staff do not speak English and are unable to transfer calls to your room etc. This hotel should be advertised as a 3* all inclusive. It is in desperate need of repair, the chairs are all broken and the furniture is broken and damaged. I would not recommend it and feel most English tourists would be bitterly disappointed to have to stay there.
You cannot buy a drink from the pool bar, they only deal with people who are all inclusive, however My Travel fail to offer you all inclusive when you book.
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2006
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:MyTravel
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First the positives.
The hotel was very clean and the staff, although English isn’t their best language, tried their very best to communicate with us. This hotel is mainly for French and German holiday makers so the staff all speak those languages.
We have found that if you try and speak a little Arabic you get a very good response from all the locals.
Our room was first class and was cleaned every day, in fact the hotel seemed to be being cleaned 24 hours a day.
The food on the half board option was excellent, the choice and standard was definitely 5 star. I would have been disappointed if we were all inclusive as there were only two other places to eat in the hotel apart from the main dining area.
Unfortunately those are the only positives, now for the negatives.
Once you get past the reception and the rooms, the rest of the hotel is in a poor state of repair, and looks very tired and old.
The entertainment was woeful, the band that played in the bar at night was worse than the dregs of fame academy, but the Germans seemed to like it so I can only presume it was aimed at their tastes.
There was what seemed to be a stage area on the beach, but this was run down and never used. The animation team as a whole were disinterested, the day entertainment being nonexistent.
Being half board we had to pay for our lunches and drinks, and this is a major moan from me, because the prices are extortionate to say the least. We’ve been to Tunisia twice before and have got a taste for the local grog Boucha.
We bought a bottle on the plane over for £4. In the hotel bar it was £4 for one glass with coke. The beer is also very nice, but at £1.20 for a small glass, I soon lost interest. Lunch was also very expensive, averaging at about £15 for two with drinks.
If you get hungry between breakfast and evening meal, and you don’t like pizza, burger or lasagne then you’re not going to enjoy this hotel. We spent about £200 on food and drink in 1 week and we aren’t heavy drinkers.
The biggest problem is the beach. We booked specifically for a beach holiday, the brochure says “…ringed by miles of fine sandy beaches”. Our beach was hidden under 4 feet of seaweed. This isn’t an exaggeration; I have the film to prove it.
A JCB and 3 tractors spent the whole week moving this mountain of rotting black goo, the smell of diesel was unbearable, and in fact the beach was deserted, everyone opting to sit by the pool. If you want a peaceful time then don’t go here.
The pool is only feet from the beach and the sound of these ill-maintained machines trundling up and down all day made it impossible to get any peace or concentrate on a good book.
On the last day the tractors started moving in big piles of sand. The JCB had got the seaweed down to about a foot deep and they were intending to bury this under new sand. If they do, the smell will eventually find its way through and the whole lot will have to be replaced.
Reading other reports on this hotel it seems they have done this before, and obviously don’t learn from their mistakes.
All things considered I wouldn’t go back. Souse, Monastir and Port El Kantoui are all better and cheaper.
If you go to this hotel don’t let it put you off what is a beautiful country full of very friendly people.