Reviews of Chich Khan Hotel, Hammamet

My 5 week stay at the Chich Khan hotel was the my very first time in Tunisia! The word splendid describes my stay over the period.



Food: an abundance of many different dishes, including wonderful deserts. Waiter service: 1st class and always a smile at the ready! And my compliments to the head chef.



Bedrooms: very comfortable and of course spotlessly clean. The beds are firm and comfortable! Chamber maids: hard working with a happy demeanour.



Reception staff/ bar staff: very professional and polite.



Now the animation team: outstanding boys and girls who are there to entertain us, and keep the kids happy within the hotel and the outside activities!



The most outstanding feature of the hotel is, as you walk through the front entrance you are confronted by the vast reception complex, with countless seating to relax in!



Local travel services: bus service at half hour intervals, on the hour and half hour! Price - half of one dinar to Hammamet centre. Taxi: 5 dinar. One tip to remember, have the right change ready, do not give the driver a note! There excuse is that they don’t have any change! We all know why! 1 dinar is worth 40 pence! Keep this in mind!



Sum up: will I go back to Hammamet? The answer is yes! I’ve just booked another 5 weeks for this February! Same operator! Enjoy.

Hadn't visited Tunisia before and had my doubts, but I’m pleased to say my family and I had a fantastic time staying at this hotel.



Welcomed by friendly staff into an impressive hotel foyer painted in a South American style lots of terracotta paint and art work.



Our family room was the biggest we had ever stayed in, two separate rooms in one unit, very impressed.



The swimming pools were large and of interesting shapes. The kids were kept busy with games and volley ball.



Evening entertainment was held in the disco, a little small and hot, but the staff put on a good show.



Food good with lots of choice, dining area could become quite busy.



Overall we had a great holiday, resort up and coming with large first class hotels appearing. Will go back again soon.

Just got back from our first ever package holiday - we really did not know what to expect and we were very impressed. The staff at the Chich Khan were fantastic - the receptionists were always friendly and helpful and despite our many questions they never appeared agitated and always made a point of saying hello.



Our party included 2 small boys (3 and 8) and they had a fantastic time - the entertainment team were brilliant - a special mention must go to Rio who the children adored and who really made a huge effort to do something different with them everyday.



The hotel itself is spacious and clean. The food was varied and our only criticism would be that the food could have been labelled better - it was sometimes difficult to get a response to what meat is in that dish. That said there was so much choice it did not really matter. As a testimony to how good our holiday was I would say I have never commented on a holiday etc before but was so impressed with the service/ value for money etc of this holiday that I would highly recommend it.



Would definitely go back because enjoyed the combination of being able to choose to do as little or much as you wanted.

Returned this morning from an 11 day all-inclusive stay at the Chich Khan and how impressive this hotel really is.



Located less than a 5-minute walk to a beautiful golden sandy beach of which the hotel has its own sector with free sun beds and free drinks (if all inclusive), supermarkets, water park and the medina.



The hotel itself is an hour and twenty minutes transfer from Monistir airport.



Officially the hotel is rated at 4* and has Iberostar against its name but how this hotel is not rated 5* is beyond me.



Rooms are very spacious, air-conditioned, and have satellite TV and are cleaned everyday with fresh sheets and towels, even on Sundays.



If any of you are travelling to this hotel or any in fact in Tunisia I strongly recommend taking some Imodium and some mosquito repellent with you.



Stomach cramps and diarrhoea are very common in Tunisia and Imodium will sort this problem.



Staff are very friendly indeed, if your glass is empty another drink is bought to you without asking, after a while the waiters remember your drinks and bring it over as soon as you sit down.



Dining is of a buffet style, many choices of food, from freshly made pizza to Peking style duck, they even have a Tunisian food night every Friday, fresh fruit, house wine and beer are all available not to mention Fanta, Coke, water etc.



Entertainment is more suited for children but the staff hold many activities during the day/night to entertain



Huge swimming pool, which has a bar beside it which also has barbequed food if you are feeling peckish by the pool.



Overall I thoroughly recommend this hotel to anybody.

The reps were very pleasant and always made time to talk to you when you needed them. If there was problem they sorted it straight away.



I went with My husband and his mum for 2 weeks and my husband and I was put at one end of the hotel and the mother in law was put at the other end, which wasn't suitable to us so when we spoke to Gayle the tour operator she managed to sort it out straight away. We were given a family suite at no extra cost.



The food was amazing, drinks were nonstop. I loved the weather and the excursion for the reps was so funny we went twice. If you ever go then you have to do the excursion for the reps you will have so much fun.



The only down side was that every time you went to look around the shops you kept being harassed. it was like being forced to have a look when you really only wanted to window shop.



It is worth going to view the culture and the weather.

We have just got back from a relaxing two weeks in this Hotel. I went with my Sister and our Partners (all below 25) and we all had a wonderful time.



The weather was absolutely glorious but did get very hot some days 47C. We would advise SPF 30 for at least the 1st week!



The area of Yamine Hammamet is a new resort which is very clean and pretty with everything close by. The hotel is in a great position as most attractions (beach, shops, Medina) only five minute walk. The best way to get to Hammamet (just north) is by a yellow cab, the drivers are friendly, and it is very cheap. Be warned though, the taxis always try to hail YOU by beeping at you and cannot believe that you might want to walk!



The Medina is definitely worth a visit. I thought it was going to be a nightmare, judging from some other reviews. They do hassle you a lot but are mostly good natured. We found the best way to tackle them was either a smile and a firm 'no thank you' or have a look around their shop and say 'maybe tomorrow'.



We had a lot of fun haggling with them as they have lots of funny sayings and if you stick to your price they usually give in. We would not advise you buy any silver or gold as they may claim it is real silver but my sister's 'silver' ring made her finger go green!!



The hotel was fantastic, a bit 'rustic' in places but all added to its Moorish charm. I loved all the different bars and seating places hidden away. Lots to explore and we kept finding new things each day.



The overwhelming thing about this hotel and what makes it so special is definitely the staff especially the animation team. They work so hard (8am - 11pm) and are always very enthusiastic. If you don’t want to join in with the sports (water polo, mini golf, football etc) then they will leave you alone.



The evening entertainment is also very well done. Not always the best but they make a great effort.



All the facilities are great. The pool area is always very clean. The only downside is the sunbeds, if you want one you usually have to get up at 8am and put your towels out to ensure you get some for the day.



However we found that it was much cooler and loads of beds on the private beach so we spent most of our time there. You can get all inclusive soft drinks and food at the beach.



Another handy tip... get a towel card from the animation box for only £4 deposit and they will give you a fresh pool/beach towel everyday so i would advise dont take any of your own towels and save the suitcase space.



The buffet restaurant was good lots of variety and choice if a little boring after 2 weeks. We found that it was best to eat in the pool side restaurant at lunchtime as a lot cooler and sometimes nicer food. You can also eat in one of the Iberostar A La Carte restaurants once a week. The first week we had the Italian at another hotel.....don’t bother...yuck!



The second week we really enjoyed the Mexican in our hotel. Not amazing food but great surroundings and a break from the Buffet! We also had a few meals out of the hotel. Some of the restaurants were quite pricey for what you got and hassely but we found a VERY friendly and welcoming Italian restaurant at the end (to the right) of the promenade high up overlooking the sea. We had a great tine and would definitely say to go there.



We took a few of the Thomas cook excursions and really enjoyed them. We would say though that the Aqua Park is good but VERY small so if you’re looking for an action packed day you won’t get it but if you want a go on a few slides, the wave pool and relax AGAIN then it is good fun.



We would definitely recommend this hotel and area to all young couples and families who are looking for a relaxing holiday in the sun. The Tunisian culture may not be to everyone's taste but we found it interesting. We would also recommend travelling with travel company like Thomas Cook especially if it is not a country you are familiar with.

I arrived back from holiday only yesterday, and can honestly say that this hotel was much better than I had anticipated for the price we paid.



The room was lovely and spacious, it was very clean - the only comment I would have is there were no tea and coffee making facilities for those of you who need your tea, take your own tea bags, it's a must.



The hotel was just a 5 minute walk from the marina, beach and medina (all in different directions), and although it is situated by a fairly busy road there are gates at the front so it feels really secure and the hotel is set far enough back that there isn't too much road noise.



I went with a friend, and as two twenty two year old women I think we were hassled more than most. To be honest you couldn't leave the hotel without being asked if you wanted to look in a shop, go for a drink etc but a polite 'no thank you' always seemed to be respected.



Every night there is entertainment and a disco at the hotel, and although this wasn't something that appealed to me, lots of the other guests seemed to enjoy it and there wasn't too much noise in the bars etc.



The staff were all very pleasant, and couldn't do enough to help you. I didn't find that they automatically expected tips but they were very grateful when they got them! I would recommend going on a camel ride, which was genuinely brilliant, but pretty scary too.



The food was good, it was a buffet, and at times the labelling wasn't great - I ended up taking a bite of liver which was not an experience I would wish to repeat!



Overall, I would be happy to return to this hotel and would be confident that I would have a good time, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who was interested.

The hotel was well catered for families with spacious rooms. Maids came everyday which was nice.



Overall good service, though the animation team could not speak much English. This sometimes could be frustrating as they look after your kids during activities.



The food was very varied, something for everyone. Kids enjoyed the fresh pancakes with chocolate sauce provided everyday!!



Location was good, near to shops, restaurants.



Staff were very friendly, sometimes a bit too friendly especially the waiters!!



Pool area was good, kept quite clean throughout the day. Downside was that we had 3 days of rain which became boring, as there wasn’t many exciting activities going on in the hotel. Entertainment was okay nothing amazing. They need to update their music!!



Thomas cook rep was very helpful and willing to deal with all queries.



I would consider going again as the hotel had a very friendly atmosphere. You can also eat a la carte meals at the other 4 Iberostar hotels in the area. This was very good value which is included in the package. You get 5 star services and the food was lovely...



Definitely recommend to anyone with families.

This was my return trip to the Chich Khan after going for a 2 week holiday October 2006. All I can say is it is a fab place and the hotel is clean, safe, and nicely decorated.



We did a lot of trips and seen 65% of the country and I strongly recommend you do this!



The staff are wonderful and lovely and remembered my friends and I from the last time of being there (oops hope we made a good impression hahaha), although the animation team were not the same as Octobers team apart from work mate Willy (Oct's bunch were more loud and mental - saying that us were too it was the group of people we met there!).



However, this year’s team were fab too! We had a good laugh with them! Manoi is an awesome girl and is a right laugh! Good thing is too is the staff don't hassle you if you don't want to take part in activities etc you can chill and sunbathe if you like! The last lot would have thrown you in pool (like they did me) but it was all harmless fun!



The kids disco on a night time can be a bit tedious once you have heard the songs 1.000 times. But the kids seem to love it! There is plenty for Families to do as this is a very family orientated hotel.



The food was lovely and the drinks plentiful!!



The only thing I did not like was the medinas and souks as the sellers there are far too pushy and everything is "Looky, Looky Adsa Price" if they left you alone to browse you would buy more!! Plus they hassled me more as I am blonde with blue eyes. There is a good supermarket on the street on the right when you come out of hotel called "L'Artisan" where they do not hassle you and its air conditioned so you can shop in peace and comfort!



I had never done a resort holiday in a long long time I usually do trips to Oz and America and short European Mini Breaks and have never done an All inclusive but I strongly recommend this holiday- it is great!



We are looking at going back again Sept/Oct time for another holiday- if that's not a recommendation then what is? We have met other folks from England who have been 5 and 6 times!



It’s a nice place to go definitely! Go on get it booked! It's Morocco next for us.

We decided on a family holiday, taking a friend along for our only daughter. This hotel was recommended by my brother.



We had the most wonderful time, the weather was excellent, and the hotel was superb as were the staff.



The hotel definitely caters for families and we felt that the girls had a brilliant time. Plenty to do although if you wanted nothing to do but lay by the pool and soak up the sunshine, you could.



We took some local trips and these were also excellent, well run and very well organised.



The food was very good, very varied and of a high standard. The staff are geared up making your stay a memorable one, always eager to help and very friendly.



The resident entertainment team worked extremely hard to involve you in the hotels atmosphere but left you alone if you wanted to not participate. The girls were involved in everything and we hardly saw them some days.



That is possibly the best thing for a relaxing family holiday, not having to worry about or indeed keep children interested and occupied during their stay. The Hotel was very clean; the rooms were of a good size and very comfortable.



The hotel has a secure front entrance manned 24/7 so children cannot wander off the grounds, this made us feel very relaxed knowing that the girls were safe at all times.



The local transport is good and very cheap, especially the yellow cabs. The restaurants are again very cheap and well worth a visit; there are many of them catering for all sorts of cooking styles and tastes.



The local medina is quite an experience, very busy and all of the local guys want to sell you their goods. They can be a little pushy at times but a good smile and a strong 'no thanks' does the trick. It is worth remembering that they need the tourists to survive and therefore they never take offence at being turned down, its all part of being on holiday, enjoy it.



Our Thomas Cook rep was superb and made us feel as though we could trust all that she said about the hotel and trips etc.



We would not hesitate in recommending this hotel to anyone, especially families with children, although I would say that check the temps before you book, as the local chap we got friendly with said that in the height of the season it can be unbearably hot, which would be no good for kids.



We are returning in September for another relaxing time.

If this is a sun holiday in winter, someone needs to tell the locals. In the resort we found no beach cafes open.



All the facilities on the beach were packed away and clearly had been for some considerable time.



The hotel also had restricted facilities. The pool was empty and dirty. Only the main restaurant and Moorish café were open. No other eating/drinking facilities.



The hotel itself was clearly in “winter mode” and could not be described as in the brochure. We list below just some of the problems we encountered in room 1373:



•The patio door onto the balcony did not lock – the mechanism was broken and just kept turning instead of engaging. There was a gap at the top of the door that widened towards the top of the frame. We told the hotel on the first day. The lock was fixed on day 6 (Friday 23rd) the gap remained.



•The TV could receive no English channels. As the week preceded those German/French/Arabic channels that we could receive went off station. Despite telling reception there was no resolution to this problem.



•The bath had no plug. We were offered another plug by the chambermaid but that was for the sink. It was too small and of a totally different type. No resolution to this.



•The hairdryer in the bathroom has come apart at the seams. In order to make it work you have to squeeze it together and try to get the start button in the right place. As it works on the principle that when you release the pressure on the start button it stops, the whole procedure is almost impossible to conduct, despite being dangerous.



For the hotel generally:



•The fire door in the corridor was off its hinges when we arrived. It was repaired. By Friday 23rd it was again off its bottom hinge. We told reception.



•The arch doors leading from the dining room to the patio area had gaps in them that were sufficient to allow the strong wind to whip in through them.



•The breakfast menu invariably contained the leftover from the previous evening.



•If we went to breakfast before 08:15am the water was not boiling for tea, the coffee was still lukewarm and the milk was too. On one particular morning, following a heated discussion between a guest and one of the two staff available, vacuum jugs were produced with hot coffee. On another morning the coffee urn had not been switched on at all.



•As we decided to leave early we asked the hotel for the refund of our unused safe charges. We had taken a safe because our patio doors did not lock. The staff at reception said that the system did not allow for refunds. If we were to be given the money back it would come out of their pockets. It was just 14DT but it underscored the whole tone of our visit.



We were completely shocked and disappointed by the miss-representation of this as a sunshine holiday and of the Chich Khan as “quality accommodation”.



We selected this holiday because the Thomas Cook brand is strong and synonymous with quality and Iberostar have always been of superb quality.



On this occasion neither was the case. The final insult was the requirement that we pay the flight home as we were returning one week before our due date. The charge of 432DT was excessive given that seats were available and we were leaving as dissatisfied customers.



The only gold star that we can give you was the service of Brian Bennett, the rep. He was unstinting in his service and working under great strain to ensure complaints were dealt with in a highly professional manner.

We recently went to Tunisia as a last minute get away. We stayed on an all inclusive basis at the Chich Khan.



The hotel was lovely and clean and the staff were friendly and helpful even if they could not understand English all that well.



The weather was alright but definitely not able to go near a beach or the pool. The restaurant and food on offer was top class especially New Years Eve, where we were treated to a 6 course meal with live entertainment.



There were also enough things to do in and around the area to keep you occupied and let you see the different culture.



Unfortunately you cannot walk more than three of four paces without someone whisking you away into their shop to try and rip you off.



However a firm no and they did back off and leave you. As a guy I never really felt threatened by them although I know my girlfriend sometimes felt a little insecure.



I would recommend going on a half board or all inclusive as we did not see many restaurants in the area. I would recommend this destination and hotel but definitely not out of season like we did it.

Me and my boyfriend spent a week all inclusive at the Chich Khan hotel, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.



It was our first holiday abroad on our own so were a little apprehensive, but we had no problems in getting accustomed to the Tunisian way of life.



You may get a little tired of being hassled by the local shop keepers but if you take it all in good spirit then it's not too hard to cope with. If you find something that you like then try your hand at some haggling, it can actually be quite fun!



The rooms at the Chich Khan were clean and comfortable, and the decor around the hotel was tasteful.



The food was of a very high standard and there were good variations every day including fresh strawberries, chocolate pancakes, freshly made pizza and a bbq.



The location of the hotel was perfect, very central to everything.



The weather in late April was fair, with temperatures of around 23oC. We only had one cloudy day and the rest were mainly sunny.



The only downfall that I could think of is that the resort was a little on the quiet side at this time of the year, and there were not a lot of British people (most of the tourists were French).



So all I would say is that it might be better to go slightly later on in the season.

I went to the Chich Khan with my fiancée as a last minute get-away before our baby is due. For the purpose of relaxing this was the ideal destination.



I had heard all the stories about people being pushy and it is true but a few stern no's and they would back off, I certainly wouldn’t let it stop you going. There didn’t seem a lot to do in March as it is not there summer season but all I was interested in was relaxing so we spent our days lazing around the hotel. The weather was pretty good, about 20 degrees most days.



The hotel was great it was clean and the rooms were comfortable, the staff couldn’t do enough for you and the food was fantastic, something different on the menu every day.



I can’t fault the hotel or staff at all, we were very well looked after. The odd Dinar (40p to us!) here and there was very welcomed and ensured priority service daily! The destination is not really my cup of tea but I am glad I went for the experience and everything is really cheap so take a spare case for shopping!



If you are looking for complete relaxation and maybe the odd night out or day trip then I would recommend Tunisia and the Chich Khan.

My boyfriend and I spent our first holiday away together in Tunisia for a week, which was late October/early November. We decided on this place as I was desperate for great weather, therefore Thomas Cook recommended it. From my personal experience, it was not a great time to go.



We only had one day of sun and the rest of the week was cloudy, which was a disappointment. The hotel is really beautiful. The lobby is huge, and there are two nice bars. The pool is also lovely.



Our flight was delayed, so we arrived at about 4:30am, where our bags were whisked off us by a man, taken to our room, but then he demanded money. Obviously, with no Tunisian currency yet & no change, we had to hand over a ten pound note, which seemed a waste really when we were perfectly capable of taking our suitcases in the lift ourselves, so I'd just watch out for that.



The rest of the staff were really lovely and helpful, except I felt really uncomfortable around the waiters, as they're not exactly 'subtle', and won't be put off by the presence of your partner. One thing I wish I'd done was take more evening wear as people tend to get quite dressed up for dinner, which is nice.





We went for all inclusive, which worked out well because the food was nice and frequently served. I found the drinks a bit horrible though, because they don't have orange juice, or any fruit juice, it’s just mainly syrup style drinks which are a bit sickly after a while. There are soft drinks, but they're mainly: unusually orange fanta, 'boga' (sprite), coke & diet coke. The cocktails were nice though.



One of the things I really liked was that the hotel has a photographer, and you can order prints of any photos you like, and get them within about 12 hours.



My main problem with the hotel was the really loud, repetitive entertainment with the reps. I know that sounds a bit miserable but the stage was right below our room, so there was no escape.



I think the scariest moment of my life was when we went to the Medina. The rep said it was a nice place to go early evening after dinner, as you can look round the shops. However, we were faced by a man who insisted he worked at our hotel (didn’t!), dragged us into a shop where we were forced to look at rings.



Everyone was forceful and scary, and I actually ran away in the end, without the ring at least. The man followed us and asked us for money but I got stroppy and told him to go away.



The same happened really when we went to the centre of Hammamet, although I have to say the taxis were really cheap.



The weather was bad so we didn't get to go on the pirate ship or see a camel. I don't mean to put people off going completely, I just think that you should carefully think about what you want from your holiday, as there is a huge culture difference.