Reviews of Saadia Hotel, Skanes, Tunisia

relax and forget

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2008

Tour Operator:

Sunshine.co.uk

Submitted By:

simmy03

Comments:

hiya, just come back from a 2 week holiday in tunisia and it was just the best.the people are just so nice and i mean genuine nice and the atmosphere was brilliant,something for everyone.me and the missus cant wait to go back especially to see one of many friends we made there(mo mo)the entertainer was brilliant couldnt dislike this guy if you tried very very good at his job kept everyone happy all day and night and the night life at the saadia was excellent something different every night and it was good.now i know alot of people get home sick cos we did and now were home we wanna go back but we are gonna spend a few months saving and probably go back in april instead of october.the beaches are really clean and the sea water was so warm and very very clear for all you scubas out there,and for the adrenaline junkies out there(like me)there is the jet skis power boats paragliding water skiing canoeing pedal boats beach buggys quad bikes motor bikes cars and a whole lot more you will never be bored and your mind will never be on home.and for all you fussy people out there the food in the saadia hotel was really ok seeing as they cook for 10 diffrent nationalities so theres something for everyone and the rooms and the beds were very clean the cleaners work very hard change bedding and towels everyday and theres a gym there pool and video games for the kids and they are really good there the staff with the kids.nice big clean outdoor swimming pool and a inside one and if you go there and end up spending a birthday there then they turn all the lights out at tea time in the big dining hall and bring you birthday cake with all the candles and the song.so all in all we thought it was really good and we would go back obviously they advise you not to wander off at night in any country even at home cos there are good and bad cos not everyone is working in these poor countrys give it 10 years when its developed alot more which will mean more work for the tunisians and it will probably be even better,not that we had any bad experiences apart from practicly dragging you in the shops in town sousse but its like that in a lot of places so not too much eye contact ladies when in the markets buying yer handbags and purses and you will get a bargain if you bring yer haggling skills with you just dont bother with the silver or gold cos it aint real.and dont forget to take ye kettle and tea bags cos you wont find any english cafes and youll miss ye tv cos all they watch is football,apart from all this very good we got a two week all in from 5 october to 19 940 was well worthit and you will love mo mo the entertainer hes a one off character the missus wanted to bring him home but he wouldnt fit in the case.have a good holiday from paul n irene.

mr p bell

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

Full Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

paul bell

Comments:

We arrived at hotel saadi in skanes Sunday in Tunisia and my first impressions where ok so were in another country so here goes. We got into the hotel and it looked ok from the reception area. Then we sat down filled a card in as required by the hotel receptionist but then we got a key to one of the rooms; the porter took us through the pool area and down a dirty corridor leading up to the room was full of stains and smelt of glue the doors where all broken and dented in. the paintwork was falling of the walls. Then he opened the door to our room and I could have cried it was an absolute disgrace. I went strait back to reception and complained about the state of there accommodation and then I got abuse from a man sitting near the receptionist of which I later found out was the hotel manager. At this point I went outside and phoned the 24/7 hotline and spoken to a person in Coventry about our situation and she said see your rep in charge and I said he will not be here until 11-30am Monday so she apologised and said they is nothing she could do but said she will note that I had called. After speaking with the girl on the phone I then went back into the hotel and asked if they had a better room than the one you have allocated for us and he said yes. The room he gave us wasn’t much better as it had only had a lick of paint and nothing else. It was on the same par as the first room we where in but had to stay the night my wife and I where emotionally distraught. The night time came and we couldn’t even see in our room even with the lights on it was dark. we had to leave the main door open to the corridor to see . They where ants coming out of the tiled skirting at the side of the bathroom floor the bed covers where stained heavily and stunk we had to put our own beech towels on the bed to sleep the night it wasn’t very pleasant may I point out, and the toilet would not work properly either.

The beach bar only sells drinks and no food at all
The toilets on the beach are a disgrace and need replacing
Most or all the sun beds in the complex need replacing as everyone that we found where broken.

Overhaul: In my opinion hotel saadi needs a lot of maintenance and money spending on it to bring it up to the standards that I/we would expect from a respectable company like Thompson tour operators to include this hotel in there holiday package deals. i payed to go to another hotel the next morning out my holiday expence We have never been so depressed and humiliated in our life’s and I hope that anyone going there changes there hotel to 4 or 5 as 3 is well a hostel basicly right across tunisia aparantly

Visted saadia hotel in october....

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2008

Tour Operator:

Olympic Holidays

Submitted By:

Mr G J HIRST

Comments:

Visted saadia hotel in october. The hotel we found was basic but bearable, the staff was plesent enough even more so when you tipped them. The food was okay but often the same so if you were staying for two weeks then this could be a problem. The only trouble me and my partner found was the firm that we booked with olympic holidays left us with no help in tunisia. The rep (sami), was our contact whilst we where away, we saw him only once in the full week we was there, he gave us a mobile number to ring him on so we could book excusions, after trying him at least 20 times all this ingnorant man did was hang up each time. Having booked tunisia to go on excusion like the trips into the sarahia desert and el de jem. We was not able do this on our own with having two small children so we woud like to have done these trips with our rep so we just has to spend the full week around the hotel and the nearby resorts of Monastir and Souse. What we thought was a reliable travel company how wrong we was. My only advice is this if you are going to book this hoilday do not book with olympic holidays.Has there was no help what so ever. Book the hotel just dont use this travel company.

Well what can I say, as soon as...

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs J Wainwright

Comments:

Well what can I say, as soon as we were shown to our room I wanted to go home !! The room was beyond basic, no fridge, tv or air con and the bathroom was full of mould. The food was awful it was the same every day and night and it was cold. We only went for a week but I ate the same thing every day, toast, fried egg and tomatoes for breakfast and for dinner rice and tomatoes. I now cant face rice, fried egg or tomatoes ever again !! The pool itself was nice enough but the area round it was very uneven with broken tiles and it was always dirty, never brushed or hosed down. The staff were very nice but then they would be with the amount of tips they are given. Housekeeping were a bit of a pain barging into your room at 9am every morning without knocking, and one particular maid would throw away anything in our room that wasnt nailed down or hidden away, including my husband's vital medication ! She would also throw away our soap every day and not replace it. We did like the pizzaria and always ate our lunch there, the food in there was so much better than the main restaurant. We also liked the piano bar, it was a lot cooler and much more relaxed than the main bar. We hated the fact that it was so isolated - nothing else around so that you were confined to the hotel (felt like a prison). We went to the Sahara Beach hotel about 500 yards away and we loved this hotel so much, it had so much to offer and was a completely different world. We were angry coz the rep would never come to our hotel apart from once a week for the welcome meeting, it says something when even the rep wont set foot in the hotel ! He was situated at the Sahara Beach hotel and we didnt mind going down there to see him coz it gave us an excuse to go there but I felt so sorry for the elderly guests who had trouble walking and couldnt make the walk to that hotel. The beach was lovely and only a short walk away. We enjoyed Tunisia itself but would never go to Skanes again and would never ever ever set foot in the hotel Saadia again. It was by far the worst hotel we have ever stayed in.

This was my boyfriends & I's...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs K F  Toner

Comments:

This was my boyfriends & I's first holiday together (all inclusive) & to say disappointed would be a lie, I just don't have the words to describe how bad it was.



When we first arrived the staff were no where to be seen & when we did get seen we were hushered off to the restaurant with a booking in form & told to leave our suitcases in the reception (when all i wanted was a shower after a 4 hour flight & arriving there at 8.30pm).



The food was cold & the same every day (they even had a microwave at the end of the food counter), the beer was bad (choice of one larger & 2 spirits that were a local concoction), plus the bar closed everynight from 7.30pm - 8.10pm & the rooms were basic (no television, no tea making bits, one pilow & what i can only describe as a horse blanket). As for the entertainment all I will say is what entertainment!!!!



HOWEVER the staff did have a smile & we met a lovely couple.



Not has it put me off going back to that hotel BUT also Tunisia.

after many years of going...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

low cost beds

Submitted By:

Mrs D Armitage

Comments:

after many years of going abroad this is the worst holiday accomodation we have ever had.arrived at midnight with 2 children age 11 and 9 to be told we had no room.man on reception was going to do nothing until kicked up a fuss then we a family of 4 were shown to a room with 3 beds they brought in another bed which they put in front of the balcony doors.spoke to lady on reception next morning still told no rooms even though we had paid for a family room asked to speak to manager and suddenly a room appeared.new room was much larger but had broken toilet and shower mould in bathroom and broken tiles on the room floor reported toilet 4 times nothing was done so my husband mended it himself. food was a major disappointment exactly the same every meal my children lived on chips pizza and chicken for 2 weeks my stomach was so bad i lost 8lb while on holiday.bar staff are interested in paying customers and the french so if you go all inclusive be prepared to spend alot of time waiting.snacks between meals were limited to 2 per person so if we all wanted something 2 of us had to go fetch them.when we mentioned this to the manager we were told "if you dont like it go somewhere else".all the british people we spoke to had found exactly the same thing. some of the staff there are to good to be there the waiters the maids and the photographer were fantastic.my advise if booking there take some french lessons first.

My husband and i just had a...

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs L Kerray

Comments:

My husband and i just had a weeks holiday here and decided after reading reviews we would go with an open mind,however on arrival it looked ok from outside but when we got into reception i wondered why this was a 3*, then on way to our room i couldn,t believe the state of the corridors, the carpets belong in the bucket and it needs a good paint job,the room was basic was disapointed toilet leaked but they did fix it, we had a leak in the ceiling which they fixed by puting a bucket up through the wee doors in the ceiling and just swept all the dirty water out in2 the hall carpet which we couldnt believe, when we came back after a few drinks at night the water was pouring out the ceiling as the bucket had filled up, i had a stomach bug for 2 days so gave the meals a miss but had 2 return as there wasnt really anywhere else 2 eat, alot of flies which put me right of, there is other hotels (sahara beech) turn right on leaving hotel and its the 2nd on your left, 3 big pools and spotless unlike saadia which i went in on 1st day and didnt go back in not cleaned properly for sure, anyone giving this praise are obviously not fussy and they must be used to basic accomodation, the mexican restuarant down the road was good food opens at 7pm doesnt look gr8 from outside but was a nice meal although the waiter was a bit slow but this was ramadam time when they fast so didnt let that bother us 2 much, the beech is lovely we spent our last few days there definitely would not return to the saadia .........

We have just got back from a...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2008

Tour Operator:

Travel Republic

Submitted By:

Miss E Robottom

Comments:

We have just got back from a weeks holiday here, on reading the reviews before we went we were a little scared of what to expect, we arrived late evening and was welcomed by the friendly staff on reception, we were then shown to our room and found it very clean and tidy, each day the room was cleaned and fresh towels put in.



The bar staff and waiters were very helpful and friendly and yes they did have a joke with the girls but it was only a bit of fun and not offending so anybody who is offended by this should probably stay at home.



The entertainment team work very hard, they work from early morning till late at night and they really do make your holiday enjoyable, their is enternainment every night and again this is excellent and something for everybody.



All I can say to people who are wanting to go to the Saadia Hotel please do not read the reviews I really do not know were they get these bad reports from they must be very fussy people. The hotel was very clean and tidy.



We had a fantastic holiday here and will be returning next year for 2 weeks.

just got back from the hotel...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs D M Harding

Comments:

just got back from the hotel saadia after 2 weeks holiday and both myself and 2 teenage children enjoyed it would recomend that that children go with friends because a mixed nationality go to this hotel every body was realy friendly but a friend would have been better for my son and they could have chilld together. read all the bad reviews before i went and was dreading it this hotel was basic but clean food was ok a microwave is there to heat food if gone a bit cold i only strugglrd one day to find something i fancied remember this is tunisia. i did get a tummy bug but i think this is general for the country chemist will sort u out and the hotel can call a doctor in if somthing unterward should happen . staff vary friendly in bar and snack bar and restaurant shop boys can seem a bit over the top but r ok realy. animation team fantastic do a good job and work very hard ash came to see people off gret guy as r all of them. had a barter in monastir some can be a bit frightening but remember they cant make you buy anything be tough and you should enjoy it we even took somthing back and he changed it no problem but i dont think they are all so easy going . beach was fine watersports guy very nice and the guy selling camels was nice to watch for the fruit man he is a rip off . watersports great value as most things in tunisia . tunisia can be a coulture shock when you first go but they r not all out to con you if u settle down you will enjoy your holiday . this is a basic hotel and you get what you pay for we had a great holiday and my daughter didnt want to leave but at first she found the men over the top and didnt know how to take them. you r safe in this country go and enjoy it and remember they r a poor nation .

well, just got back from the...

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

holidays 4 u .com

Submitted By:

Mr P Glossop

Comments:

well, just got back from the saadia hotel aug 2008 and carnt help feeling ripped off as this was the first all inclusive i have took my family on, ''what a nightmare''. after booking my holiday in january and after making my final payment, i was told that the eden club hotel was shut for the season , which we had booked for the kids as it had a water park and its own private beach, so like every britt would. kicked off a bit , ''but hey'' .... we never been to tunisia and of cause the tour operater (holidays 4 u .com) said its the same standard and on par with the eden club, this is con No 1 so dont be fooled by your operator to start with.



TRANFERS............ the airport is very close so dont book tranfers a taxi will cost you 10 dinar in the day (£4) and about 15 at night (£6) ''of cause'' we did because it was the first time, and only to find we had paid for a full 60 seater coach on our own and to top this on return we never got picked up and had to get a taxi, when i tried to get the taxi fare back there was alot of blank expressions and no explanation what so ever. con No 2................





THE HOTEL......... on arrival we had booked ajoining rooms or next to each other like stated in black & white on the documentatation and this was a must as we had been swopped and having children! ''surely this isnt to much to ask'' oh but it was! myself and the wife were exspected to have a room on the first floor and the kids were told they were on the second floor, after 25 minutes of saying its not happening mate!!! in a calm manner! and the night porter grunting tunisian to the baggage porter , we were finally shown to our rooms.



THE ROOMS.......... As we were in africa i wasnt exspecting alot and basic i could have copped with........ not even close! two bed cabs with 1 drawer 3 slat beds single with 3" foam & 2 sheets and 3 old army blankets air con worked when it wanted too, and was dripping from the vent in the ceilng. 8 drops of water per hour from the wash hand basin in the bathroom (I'm not kidding) couldnt have a wash we had to use bath. every time we flushed toilet water was leeking from bottom, so we were stood in a puddle every time we wanted to use the toilet, mould around the bath was shockin i only wish now i had took pictures as holiday watchdog would have have a birthday.



ALL INCLUSIVE............. im sure in spain, majorca,etc the have got it right and all inclusive means all inclusive but please!!!!!!!!!!!!, DO NOT GO AI HERE.

to start with the food in the resturant is disscusting they just make it look pretty with different coloured fruits and melons but every thing will give you an upset stomach, i tried my best to pick my way round the food food for the kids sake but we only did breakfast after the second day, (bread & boiled eggs) so it cost me an extra £500 for the week to eat out (take extra money with you ) snacks you could have was a slice of pizza, this was like a dry rivita base crusted cheeese and cold every time, your drinks were in plastic beakers and you have to order 3 to get a decent glass of coke or fanta, they did serve crapes in the afternoon but because 75% of the hotel were in the same boat with the food, not just the english, itallians, germans ,polish yu had to cue for as long as 1 hour as these creaps were made infont of you and they only had 1 hotplate.

of cause you can drink as much local beer as you want but you will only do this for 2 days and start buying bottle beer, which is alittle better (dont forget they dont drink alcohol over there) so if your exspecting to have a decent drink . Think again



GOOD POINTS............ the pool area is very picturesque and the pool is a big one, the lads on the entertainment side (animation team) are the best on the resort and if it wasnt for these guys atleast 6 familys we met would have packed up on the second day and demanded an upgrade to somewhere else, and of cause if you are a sun worshipper it is absolutely roatsing hot from 39 to 50 every day.



in general it sounds like im an old 65 year old bloke that likes to moan about things but im not> this is a true accout of what you will get if you get moved or you have booked the saadia WORST HOLIDAY I HAVE EVER HAD................. BE WARNED AND READ THE REVIEWS





PAUL & DEBBIE FROM SHEFFIELD

I am all for roughing it but...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

Full Board

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss J Crosby

Comments:

I am all for roughing it but this hotel took roughing to a new level! now i must admit i am a bit fussy but my boyfriend who has been to bording school his whole life and is in the army is no stranger to roughing it and even he was reaching his breaking point by the end of our two weeks. This hotel is NOT NOT 3 stars its a health hazzard and just plain old! the ac broke down for 4 days and all reception could say to us was "be optimistic" !!! it was very hot and for us to complain is something as we are South African - apart from that the pool was green and not well maintained and always full of people even though the beach was like 200m down the road - oh and don't get me started on the rude ( french ect) ppl all i can say is i love love British people and was so glad to get home to London.



We are so p***ed at Thompsons and First choice as they we very dishonest and if they had said in the begining there would be no TV, fridge or the fact that we were the only ppl not all inc would have been nice. We were not offered all inc even though its an all inc hotel so as you can imagine we spent so much money on water, luckly we don't drink otherwise we would have gone bankrupt on the first week! also the food was shocking nothing like pasta, cabbage and more pasta to keep you going.



Anyway i would never recommend this hotel to anyone, it should not be on a british travel brochure, if it is to be kept then it should be at a lot cheaper rates and struggling for a two star. It is appauling and my boyfriend is in the army and used to roughing it and i'll tell you that he hated this place. I personally think that thomsons or first choice whoever offer this hotel are simply there for the profits, there are much better 3 stars out there for cheaper rates so believe me when i say listen to the reviews and don't go there it will spoil your holiday, there is not even a rep at the hotel, now that says something if the rep won't even sit there for at least an hour!!!!!! The photo's are totally wrong and must be from when it first opened but believe the reviews i went there with an open mind and never even read one review before we went and trust me if you have booked it and have travel insurance, then change it because it is a lot of money to spend to have such poor quality given back by these no for good profiteering holiday companies. By the way did i mention that we are both originally from africa and are used to bad food and dirty living conditions but this place took the absolute p**s. I can't blame the hotel it is not their fault it's the management and the uk holiday companies for even putting it on their brochure or how about a bit of a warning. If you are going there i'll say eat out and well don't stay there i'm very disappointed.

We really enjoyed our...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs W A Anderson

Comments:

We really enjoyed our holiday,the hotel was in need of a refurb tho we didnt let this spoil our holiday, the food could of been better as it was the same each day,tho the staff were wonderfull they went out of there way to make sure we had a good time, the amination team were the best ever i would score them ten out of ten, they work so very hard to entertain you and they are fantastic with the children, the swimming pool was of a great size i enjoyed this most of all, wished i could of stayed longer, monistir harbour was loverly they have some wonderfull restaurants which are really great value and they really do treat you well with 5 star service.

Myself my partner and grandchild...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr T WEBB

Comments:

Myself my partner and grandchild went to the saadia for a fortnight and do not recommend going to anyone. For starters we could not get a fridge for our room in 40 degree heat, and a grandchild, we like to keep cool drinks available as the onsite shop was expensive. The nightclub inside the main hotel kept us awake until 2.30 every morning as they left the outside door open every night. After complaining everyday to keep it closed we reverted to tipping a waiter to keep it closed for us. We couldnt see the bottom of the pool it was milky white and felt like there was crushed tiles on the bottom after days of complaining it got slightly better. They charge you for a proper bacardi but fill the bottles with there own stuff wich is water of some sort. Lager there are three size of glass all the same price for some reason. The snack bar food is horrible the meals are not much better and even less appetising when there are flies crawling all over it. If we where awake for breakfast you are lucky to get an egg on toast unless you are french and like cakes for breakfast. Of all the staff we found one guy who was helpful, the rest are just interested in tips and young ladies. The annimacion team, full of energy all day and quite entertaining at night but are all for the ladies and revert to getting children to pester there parents to buy cd's and photos at extortionate prices. After 2 days we wanted to leave but couldnt but one good thing ive lost a good few pounds of weight due to starvation. You cant leave the hotel without being followed by gypsies with horse and carts as they dont take no for an answer. Not reccomended unless you are a group of single, lonely females who dont eat much anyway.

this is not a fab place to go if...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

May 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs Thomson Mrs Gham

Comments:

this is not a fab place to go if you read some of the comments about it they are total correct. my 1 year old daughter who is know 2 had slipped and hert her knee she cut it really deeply and then fall in the pool then my 6 year old daughter nearly broke her head open around the pool.



the room are absolutly dirty and need to be cleaned more often. they are very small but the only thing you do is sleep and shower its not like you have to live in there.



its got a jym and got many activitys for the children at night and in the daytime.the people there are really friendly and love little children.



i went all inclusive and food is not nice the meat was not cooked properly but there was a lot of flies there too.

as if i would go there again the place needs rebuilding and have knew tile fited. plus the tempitures arn't that hot its just like birmingham .

Hi all,
I wasn't...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2007

Tour Operator:

Lastminute

Submitted By:

Ms H Peake

Comments:

Hi all,

I wasn't going to leave a comment about this holiday, but as i have read al the awful reveiws i felt it necessary to say how i found the Saadia Hotel..

I went their with my boyfriend to have a sneeky break away with out the kids..Its lovely, The rooms aren't 5* but they are clean and functional. There is always plenty to eat. Pancakes at breakfast are lovely, omlettes made to order mmmm..If you are a typical English pie and mash man then you will struggle, cos after all your in Tunisia, if your prepared to chill out and enjoy there culture then you will have a great time..

The pool is lovely and the staff work hard to entertain you, they bend over backwards to make sure you have a nice stay.

The beach is stunning. I am going back this october and taking my son also..

I would recommend this hotel.