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Holiday Reviews > Africa > Tunisia > Hammamet > Hammamet Hotels > Phenicia Hotel > Read Reviews
| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Sep 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs J Headon |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
My daughter and I have just returned from a weeks stay at the Phenicia, having read some of the previous comments I was a little sceptical but can only say that we have had a fab holiday. The rooms are indeed basic, we had a rubbish view but we only slept in the room so felt it was adequate, the shower was always hot and the aircon was brill as the temperature was unusually hot for September (take a spare credit sized card, ie a loyalty card, to put in the air con slot whilst you are out of the room to keep the room cool). The Hotel was very clean and tidy the staff always busy to keep it that way. All the staff are very friendly and helpful regardless of wether you tip or not, if you do tip you generally get a bigger smile with a thankyou.
The food was very good for an all inclusive although the choice was not as vast as Carribean Hotels it was always well cooked, hot and plentiful, with a good selection of local cusine which is always what I opt for. The main dinning room is a little crowded at busy times although I like the idea that you have a set table for the week, as a couple we had to sit with two other people although they were very nice due to the times that we dinned we rarely sat with them, I like the fact that their were different places to eat in which made a nice variety, sat outside by the pool for breakfast, the beach BBQ more casual for lunch times and the main dinning room for evening meal, also there is an A'la carte one visit per week, we had a great evening in there being fussed over.
The pools are the cleanest I have ever witnessed and the beach geogeous, with toilet facilities and bars near at hand to make it very comfortable to relax and enjoy the sun. We could always get a sunbed although by 10.00 am most had been taken.The evening entertainment in the disco was cringeworthy but very funny and finished the evening quite nicely, the entertainment team worked very hard day and night.
We took one trip in the week a visit to El Jem followed with a boat trip, El Jem is spectacular and the tour guide was very good, the boat trip was a little poor I was expecting some time to relax but we were all packed onto a mock pirate ship crammed on bench seats making it hard to enjoy some sun and the sail was uninspiring dropping anchor in the deep not so beautifully clean waters off the coast for anyone who wished to take a dip! although you could do some fishing but there was not enough lines for all that wanted to.
I would return but there are so many more countries to visit, but I would recommend The Hotel Phenicia to all.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Panorama |
| Submitted
By: |
Cc Cutlerr |
| Overall
Rating: |
4/10 |
| Comments: |
My family and i have tavelled to many places around the world, so our standards are pretty high when it comes to accomodation; so when mum booked hotel Phenicia, we were all confident that this hotel would live up to our standards and expectations. On arrival we were invited into the main reception which was a huge, open plan, airconditioned lobby ( note that the air conditioning is only switched on in july/august). Mum went through te normal procedures, provided with towel cards and the room key. In addition to this she wanted a safe and had to pay a charge of 21 pound english money, something which mum has never had to do. Disregarding this matter we made our way up to our hotel room and walked along a very dark, hot and smelly corridor which led into our unmade room. The room was how it had been left by the previous holiday makers and the cleaner had not long been cleaning it. Mum also noticed that there was only two beds for three people, where was my youngest sister supposed to sleep? We had no choice but to complain, the receptionist was very apologetic and assured us by the next morning we would be moved. Not a good start. Hoping things couldnt get any worse we found our way to the dining hall or should i say cantine room. Showing the head waiter our card and room number we were not expected at all and had to have a temporary table for the evening. The tables were so close together it was difficult to weave your way in and out with a plate full of sloppy food. After eating we decided to explore the otle further and ended up at the beach bar with a disco music, this was immediately appealing to myself as i love dancing but after asking around, this only happened on a friday and tuesday night. The following morning we made our way down to breakfast as we couldnt be moved until 11 o'clock. Again cramped and the orange juice was more like acidic squash. It was time to move. Another recpetionist was oresent that morning and knew nothing about the situation and called my mother 'rude' and 'show me respect'. The manager had to be invoilved and venetualy we were directed into a pool view room with three beds. An improvement. At last could we start to relax? WE have alsways spen our holidays around the pool as my sister doesnt enjoy the sum too muhc and spends her whole time in the water, but as we walked down to the main pool, we couldnt pick out a single sunbed that wasn't occupied. The beach was the next option and we managed to find three sunbeds under an umbrella, another dissapointment. Making the most of what we had we got through the day got ready for dinner. In smart casual, we walked into the hall and was sowered with evil galres and dissaproving looks. Everyone looked like they were off down the beach whilst we looked decent and presentable. Managing to escape the chaos of the dining hall we hope to have osme entertainment. There was none. NOt even a suasage. Eeryone was in the mian reception area either getting drunk, playing cards or sitting looking fed up. This would be our usual routine for the rest of the week. It went down hill from there, getting upat half 6 to get a sunbed at the beach, being expected to tip the waiters in an ALL INCLUSIVE hotel, going to bed at 9 pm and eating in halls which were more suitable for hungry dogs then people. At lunch there was always an empty table for about 12 which would never been used and later on we ofund out that this was reserved for the manager and his 'guests' along with the white deckchairs and leather sofas down the beach. I conclusion, i would recommend not visiting hotel Phenicia unless you want to get up early, be bored out of your brains or being treated second in line. Tunisa itself is not a plave t visit if you hav small children and no male inoput, the pople are touchy feely and intimidating, not a place we will be revisiting and somewhere which should be avoided by others.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Apr 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr D Raymond |
| Overall
Rating: |
7/10 |
| Comments: |
Before going to this hotel I read the reviews which generally indicated a positive overall experience. Well I can now confirm or not having just come back from an all inclusive weeks stay. The location for the beach is the best I have been to! truly great with the Tunisian sellers kept at bay by the hotel sun lounge staff. The hotel for the region is very clean and kept so by the dedicated staff.. Some parts could though now do with a refurbishment.
The food is good for Tunisia but choice is repitative and it would be nice to have biscuits with your cheese and coffee for afters. The bars don't stock all that you would wish for on an all inclusive!. The major issue with the restuarant is if you are a couple you will be expected to sit at a table for four. I was sat with two other persons that by choice I would not have sat with. There are only one or two tables suitable for couples!!!!
Definately ensure that you walk around with a pocket of Dinars, although they say you don't need to tip! if you do you get a better service. Staff are very friendly and try to accomodate you.
The evening entertainment is basic so don't expect a dazzling show!!!!
Just one note on the Thompsons resps at this hotel the welcome meeting was cancelled with no reason given and they don't appear interested in you> unlike Thomas Cook!
The hotel appears to have a good level of health & safety built in adopting good standards
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Mar 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomas Cook |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss HP Pohl |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
I cannot rate this hotel and its staff highly enough. Food and ammenities that the hotel offers are great, staff could not do enough for us!
The weather in March is not all that great so dont expect too much, it was around 18 everyday and rained once. Also Hammamet itself is not very nice, the people seem to try anything they can to swindle you out of money, i felt intimidated and scared, the one time that we did venture outside of the hotel. Although we went not in peak season, the entertainments staff put on loads of stuff for the kids and adults. Most of it was silly but still very fun! Also because of the weather and its proximity to the Sahara it gets incredibly cold at night so i would suggest taken some cardies!
We loved it so much we are booked to return next year with the friends that we met out there, but a little later to catch the good weather! I would recommend this hotel to anyone, and lastly the chocolate pancakes are not to be missed!!!!
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Feb 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomas Cook |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs T.J Mellish |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
Wow, fantastic, wonderful what more could we say. Impressive first impressions as your coach takes you through orange and lemon groves, past the tennis courts to the front of the Phenicia hotel. After a very warm greeting you are asked to fill in a hotel booking form, and given a wrist band to wear if you are all inclusive ( just ask politely if they can put it on loosely so that you can tan evenly, I didn't and now have a lovely white ring round my wrist ). Depending on your arrival time you get to meet your holiday rep, ours gave us a tour of the complex, great idea because the breakfast room and snack bar are a walk away from the lunch/dinner room. If you are lucky enough to have Pete then you've hit the jackpot as he's lived in Tunisia for 15 years and is an oracle of knowledge. There are two pools one of which is part indoor and part outdoor and is heated, a nice size too, the other is larger with two shallow areas and has a pool side bar above it with jacuzzi and waterfalls in the summer months. After you walk through well maintained gardens the true "wow" factor hits you, there you have the beach bar and a wooden walkway across the sand to the edge of the sea. Both beach and pools have ample sun beds and if you are all inclusive you have the luxury of mattresses too and don't worry about taking beach towels, if you are all inclusive you can purchase a card from main reception for 20 dinar each ( and get your money back at the end ) and change the towels as and when throughout your stay . The service is immpeccable and very welcoming and friendly, you have the chance of doing as little or as much as you like, some activities incur a small charge and the activity team seem to have been on pep pills as they don't stop. Most of the staff speak good to moderate English and a small tip goes a long way, when you think that their average wage is under £200 pounds a month and at the moment 1 dinar is equivalent to 40p you can understand why. The food is amazing, of high quality and variety, and the maid service is second to none. All in all we couldn't find fault with this hotel, the evening entertainment when we were there wasn't too bad but gets better during the high season.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jul 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Airtours |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr M Gardner |
| Overall
Rating: |
7/10 |
| Comments: |
My partner and I quite enjoyed our week long stay at the Phenicia, but we were a little puzzled as to how it had received its 4 star rating? The hotel is set in well maintained grounds and the hotel itself is very clean indeed.
The room in the hotel were very, very basic and we were glad that we did not have to spend too long in it. We were fortunate enough to visit whilst the air conditioning was available. The A/C was excellent.
However, it could only be used whilst someone was in the room, as the swipe card that unlocked your room door was the same one which activated the electricity supply. This meant that the room was always hot whenever you first walked into it and remained that way for at least 20 minutes until the A/C brought the temperature down.
The waiters, bar staff and porters were friendly and worked very hard to make our stay as comfortable as possible
The food was plentiful, well cooked and presented, but was quite bland and there were no great variation in the menu. The beer and wine were quite good, but I would have preferred it had these been made available on tap as opposed to having to wait to be served.
The staff were always keen to stop and chat (the majority spoke good English). We gave the waiter a decent tip at the end of the week for his hard work, but we never felt as though we were being pressurised into doing so. The gift however was much appreciated.
The hotel made no effort to even try to accommodate the guests who were scheduled to leave for the airport to catch their late flights home. It was a case of out of your room for mid-day and just hang around the pools or common areas'. We asked if were could have access to a shower room for the flight home or if we could pay extra to hold our own room for a few extra hours?
The response was a very curt. No! It was out of the question apparently. This was in stark contrast to the leaflet that we were handed by the Rep which stated quite clearly that a courtesy room could be rented for a charge. We lost a lot of quality time as we had to hang around for eleven hours without a room.
My second complaint was that the hotel could not provide access to a steam Iron or ironing board. This was a pain as it meant I couldn't wear the majority of the clothes that I had brought with me.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss D Harrison |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
I don’t understand why people have written bad comments about phenicia hotel.
The rooms in phenicia are a little basic but the air conditioning is great, anyway the rooms are hardly needed as there is so much you can do, the disco is great and is open till 2:30am the hotel is fascinating and so so clean.
The food is brilliant and snacks are served all day! The pool is beautiful with a bar in the centre which serves every drink you could imagine! The staff are great very friendly and so helpful. All day they work so hard to fulfil the guests needs.. the animators work hard all day with activities and games for people of all ages including great hotel dances which you just have to try!
I think the hotel was brilliant and would come again in a second!
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jun 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Panorama |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss A McEvoy |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
Having been to this hotel before, we decided to go back with a friend and try the All Inclusive basis. The hotel is fabulous, very clean and plenty to do - always room round the pool and plenty of sun beds for all. The restaurant has something for everyone and there was never a time when we struggle to find something to eat. The AI was great, as much as you can eat and rink all day and well into the night - there's food served pretty much right through the day in various areas.
The evening entertainment was very professional and in various languages to suit all. The animation (entertainment) team got all the guests included and up dancing at the end of the shows for the disco.
The hotel is situated in the middle of everything and taxis are cheap to go anywhere, just make sure they're on the meter! The local bars and clubs are about 5 minutes walk from the hotel, although you can't hear anything from them inside the hotel.
The staff were all very friendly and helpful (but watch out for the tall grey haired receptionist - bit of a letch!), nearly all the staff speak very good English and are willing to assist you in getting round the resort.
All in all, a very nice hotel for couples, families and older guests, maybe not so much for the younger singles, although everybody will have a good time there, we certainly did!
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss G Osbourne |
| Overall
Rating: |
2/10 |
| Comments: |
When booking this holiday air conditioning and comfort were paramount requirements, especially as I was to be almost 5 months pregnant. First Choice had assured us that the Phenicia would exceed our expectations with it's luxurious rooms, food choice and activities. This certainly wasn't so. We had booked a double bed, not the two single beds that we got. The air conditioning was not switched on, despite outside temperatures reaching 37 degrees centigrade! We were told that it was not needed until the month of June! Judging by the queue at the reception desk each morning of mosquito bitten tourists, I doubt this to be true. Me, I spent the first 3 sweltering nights laid in the bath with the shower on, until, that is, I pulled a clump of slimy dark hair as long as my forearm from the plughole! Yuck!
The rooms were basic, not what I was expecting of a 4 star resort.
The food was repetitive and although they did try to cater for us with sausage, bacon and eggs, this was very unappetizing as the sausages were hairy and as Tunisia is a Muslim country (no pork) you never know what it is you are putting on your plate...my mind casts back to the emaciated donkeys stood at the side of the road on the trip from the airport to the resort. We arrived on the Sunday morning and there was an abundance of fresh bread at the breakfast buffet, however, it would seem that the bread is only delivered once a week as by the following Sunday (departure day) the remaining baguettes were rock solid! The poor bloke sweating at the hob made lovely fresh pancakes though and we made a beeline for him each morning.
Evening meals were another matter...despite the numerous empty tables, our waiter insisted that we share our small table with another British couple, who we didn't know. We knew them well by the end of the week.
Waiters were chatty and friendly, even more so at the end of our holiday when I assume they expected bigger tips.
We booked a day trip so we could buy a few souvenirs. It was a stressful few hours that I never want to experience again. We got hounded by shop owners, which we were prewarned about but I wasn't expecting and didn't appreciate being physically grabbed, by the arm, ponytail or t-shirt to be forced into their shop. Awful day.
Would not recommend Hammamet as a resort or the Phenicia hotel.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Oct 2004 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Panorama |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs L Batchelor |
| Overall
Rating: |
3/10 |
| Comments: |
We went to this hotel because I had read good reviews about it. We were very disappointed. It certainly should not be a 4 star more like 3 star. Rooms were boiling hot - no air conditioning on. Pools were freezing - not heated. Food was poor and repetitive. Staff were very rude and unhelpful in general and just wanted tipping. Everything about it was meagre it was in no way luxurious. It was very clean but just lacked star quality we definitely would not recommend it or go back. If you are used to 5 star hotels you will not like it here!
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