My family have just returned from a 2 week holiday at the Alhambra Hotel in Jasmine Hammamet. We were expecting a 5* hotel with 'attentive' service and surrounding which we could relax in. We went with a major well known tour operator which I think was our first mistake as we found out from other guests who had travelled there independantly that we had paid well over three times as much using our operator - so shop around for a good deal.

On arrival the hotel is quite impressive, the lobby area has a contemporary feel and looks every part the 5* rating. We had a Junior suite plus another room for our teenagers next to ours. Again the accommodation could not be faulted. The grounds were well kept although not extensive and did not provide anywhere to have a walk in the evening and Jasmine Hammanet itself is just miles of hotels with not much else. The beach is a 5 minute walk away from the Alhambra and you could not see it from our room although you could see the coast line in the distance but this was spolit by the piece of wast land located next/to the side of the hotel. The hotel has a section of the beach marked off and has a bar and restaurant which was nice but not what I would call a private beach, in fact it was very busy with locals and other hotel guests taking walks in front of the sectioned off area.

The biggest problem with this hotel was the clientelle. It was obviously marketing itself locally as a short break hotel which meant an influx of people at weekends and again for a few days midweek. The majority of people coming on short breaks also had lots of young children who, spent most of their time making lots of noise in and around the pool area with the parents not caring at all that they disturb other guests. The hotel had rules which were never enforced which would have dealt with this issue ie no children under 6 in the pool (there was a seperate childrens pool area in another part of the grounds which was never used).

This family market also affected meal times which on some days were very chaotic. The food was excellent - buffet style - but the hotel tried but failed to enforce any dress code (people were eating their evening meal in shorts / bikini tops/vest tops etc), children also run about making lots of noise. The restaurant manager did apologise and explained that it was becoming impossible to manage - we understood his situation but as a hotel with a high star rating we were expecting a quieter more attentive dining experience. There were lots of other little things that made us feel that this hotel may in future lose a star rating unless it sorts out some of these issues. In summary if you are looking for a quiet hotel with nice views/extensive grounds and a resort with a bit of culture - this is not the place for you. You will however find excellent accommodation at the Alhambra, good food and a nice spa (when it's open).

I stayed at this hotel in September 2005 with my partner and an infant.

It is a rather new hotel, opened not long before we went to visit...

The staff were friendly, the buffet very nice with a lot of different meals offered (Mainly Italian, French and Arabic cuisine ). Breakfast was excellent, especially the omelettes that they freshly prepared for and you could choose from a variety of things you wanted to have added to it (cheese, ham, mushrooms, veg etc). Lovely arabic pastry and French crêpes!!!! I have put on a bit of weight during my stay...

The pool was nice but quite small, and you had to go early as space was limited. The hotel is not located directly by the beach, but it only takes 8 minutes to walk. The beach restaurant is quite pricey but tasty and the staff very friendly. They loved our daughter, she was treated like a princess and everyone knew her name.

Most guests were Italian at the time we were there, a lot of families with kids so if you are travelling with kids, it is very nice.

The hotel has internet access on the ground floor, not too expensive, I can't remember the price for 30 minutes.

The room was clean and beautiful, in oriental style, with a nice bathroom. Satellite TV was very practical for cosy evenings but most channels were in French or Arabic.
Our room overlooked the pool but as someone has said in a previous review, further in the back, outside the hotel, you could see a lot of rubbish and "unused" land. I think a hotel was to be built there...it wasn't the most beautiful view ever but ok. Part of the hotel was still under construction and the spa hadn't opened yet but in the meantime for sure.

A visit to Tunis is a must, ask at reception for a transfer by taxi.

I would recommend this hotel although I have seen other nice hotels while in Hammamet located directly by the beach...It was my first trip and therefore absolutely nice for me.

For me personally, the staff made the difference as they were very nice and helpful.

Found the Hotel of a reasonable standard, most facilities OK though the spa wasn't fully open when we stayed. However all the staff went out of there way to ensure that you had a good stay and really gave the impression that they wanted you to both enjoy yourself and to return.

However, we were somewhat disappointed in the restaurants (or lack off), the main dining restaurant was again attended by excellent attentive staff however we found the food not really to our palate and the al a carte restaurant had a very limited menu and on two occasions we were the only guests in the restaurant which was a bit disconcerting!

If your palate is more adventurous and your like Arabic food then I'd suggest that you would enjoy yourself... But we will not be going back.

We stayed at the Alhambra recently (beg May '05) and we found a few things wrong with the hotel.
The hotel website says that it has spa facilities and quite a few restaurants but these are not yet open. Only 2 are available. The beach is not fully equipped and the only evening entertainment is one man and his piano, occasionally!
The view from our hotel looked over the pool, but in the distance we had to look at some wasteland littered with rubbish and building materials.
The waiting staff at the hotel were very efficient and friendly, however behind the scenes there is a real lack of commuication.
I would consider carefully before staying at this hotel as the lack of facilities and reception/management staff did not live up to the standard of a 5 star hotel.