Tunisian seaside resorts, along with Egyptian ones, provide tourists with the highest European level service within the framework of African culture, at the same time at fairly affordable prices. There are many resorts on its coast, and among them is the respectable and slightly conservative Hammamet. However, this does not mean that there are no discos, clubs, bars and other entertainment venues. Just plenty, just the contingent of vacationers is distinguished by a certain stiffness. However, the situation has changed a bit lately, and all thanks to Russian tourists, who, with their presence, brought Hammamet’s measured life to liveliness and inherent ease.
Along the coastline of the resort, magnificent hotel buildings flaunt. Many of them are surrounded by neat bungalows in oriental or Andalusian style. Many tourists prefer to stay in separate bungalows with terraces or oriental courtyards, where you can relax in the evenings, breathing in the intoxicating aroma of the sea and southern exotic plants. Such hotel complexes include Thalassa Shalimar 4 * (Tunisia). In almost all 4 and 5 star hotels, thalassotherapy centers can be found. The “sea and sun” treatment has been practiced in this country since the time of French colonization. The shores of the Mediterranean are simply magnificent, the sun almost always shines brightly and gently.
There is no hotel thalassotherapy center in the Thalasso Shalimar hotel, however, you can order a lot of wellness treatments at the SPA center, among which there are those based on seafood (seaweed, sea water, pearl powder, caviar, etc.). The biggest feature of the hotel are low housing prices (food is included in this amount). The minimum cost of daily living can be reduced in the low season to 1,500 rubles. In the high season, tours are a little more expensive - up to 3000 rubles.
general description
Hotel Thalassa Shalimar 4 * was founded at the very end of the 20th century, in 1999. Since it did not correspond to today's concepts of comfort, it had to be closed for some time and subjected to complex reconstruction, and already in 2005 it reopened its hospitable doors before visitors and appeared in an updated and more modern form. Despite the fact that it is on the second coastline, it has its own 3,000-meter-long beach, where all amenities (sunbeds, umbrellas, mattresses) are provided to tourists free of charge, and this is a big plus for vacationers. Le Shalimar Ex Thalassa 4 * in its structure is a hotel complex, which consists of the main building - a three-story building with beautiful architectural solutions - and more than 50 one-story bungalows in the traditional Andalusian style. Naturally, the infrastructure includes restaurants, cafes, markets and kiosks, and much more. The complex has several pools at once - both for children and adults.
Location
As already noted, Shalimar Ex Thalassa Shalimar 4 * is located in the south of the Tunisian resort of Hammamet. From the international airport located in Infida, the complex can be reached in about half an hour, since there is a distance of 35 km between them. The airport that is more known to us, in the city of Monastir, is 90 km away, but from the center of Hammamet resort to the complex is only 9 km. Tourists from Russia, and from other countries, mainly fly to this same Infida airport, and from there they get by car to their destination. You can take a taxi, take a bus or minibus, you can even rent a car before arriving in Tunisia. Nevertheless, the best option is to pay for a transfer from the airport to the hotel, and then you will not need to delve into the road map in search of the desired address. This can be agreed both with the tour operator and with the hotel itself. Almost all hotels have this service. Near the complex there are spacious golf courses - Citrus and Yasmin, as well as a water park.
Number of rooms
The hotel has a total of 208 rooms of various categories. They are located both in the main building and in the bungalow. Most of the rooms (208) are standard. Their area is from 24 to 32 square meters. The maximum number of guests in rooms of this type is four. The rooms are located both in the main building and in the bungalow. The third apartment option is junior suites. They consist of a bedroom and a living area and cover an area of 60 square meters. It can also accommodate up to 4 people. These rooms are located only in the main building of Le Shalimar Ex Thalassa 4 * hotel. In addition to these two types, the hotel complex has the most comfortable senior suites. There are only 4 of them, and each of them covers an area of 90 m². The room consists of a bedroom, a living area and is intended for a family vacation of 4 people (maximum). The rooms are also located in the main building. In a word, the bungalow has only standard rooms, but in the central building all three types are at guests' disposal.
Room Amenities
This hotel belongs to the prestigious Thalassa hotel chain in Tunisia, therefore, the interior design and service are consistent with the general concept of this brand. All rooms have balconies with outdoor furniture, and those located on the ground floor have spacious terraces. The bathroom is combined. In it, tourists will find all the necessary bath and toilet accessories, as well as a hairdryer. Individual air conditioning. There is satellite TV, a telephone with direct international dialing, a minibar, a safe, etc. The rooms are cleaned daily, and linen is changed three times a week, that is, every other day. As for the level of service, this is best said by the comments of vacationers in Thalassa Shalimar 4 *. Hotel reviews are quite positive. Perhaps in some matters it does not correspond to the number of its stars, but overall it is very good and can guarantee tourists a great vacation.
Infrastructure and service
Thalassa Shalimar 4 * (Hammamet / Tunisia) is suitable not only for relaxation, but also for conferences, seminars and symposiums. For these purposes, it has a fairly spacious, for 300 people, conference room, business center with the necessary equipment (printer, copier, scanner, several computers with free wireless Internet, etc.). The hotel also has one indoor and one outdoor spacious swimming pools for adults, as well as a children's pool with slides. Sun loungers with umbrellas located around the ponds are provided free of charge for guests, the same applies to towels, but air mattresses, which are very popular among sunbathers, swaying gently on the water, have a rental fee. The hotel complex Thalassa Shalimar 4 * (photo can be seen in the article) also has spa, fitness, thalasso, ayurvedic centers and a beauty salon, Turkish hammam, sauna, massage and medical rooms, currency exchange, tennis courts, laundry and ironing, lobby, car rental, restaurants, cafes, as well as a banquet hall, souvenir kiosk, etc. Guests can store their valuables in a safe at the reception.
Nutrition
Hotel Thalassa Shalimar 4 * works according to the most convenient all-inclusive formula for tourists. This means that throughout the day, guests can use the services of restaurants, cafes, taverns, bars, and at the same time do not pay money for drunk and eaten, however, they will still pay for drinks of non-local origin at the prices set in this hotel. There is a main restaurant for guests in the complex, which serves a buffet several times a day, a barbecue restaurant on the hotel’s own beach, thematic à la carte restaurants serving Italian, Tunisian and Mediterranean cuisines. If tourists wish to have dinner at one of these establishments, then they need to reserve a table in advance. In addition, guests can always quench their thirst, refresh themselves with light snacks or enjoy a dessert in the Moorish cafe, bar or lobby.
Sports and Entertainment
For guests who prefer a healthy lifestyle, in particular sports, the hotel has many interesting options: a fitness club, aerobics and gym, tennis courts and table tennis, billiards, darts, basketball and five-a-side football, mini-golf (classic golf near the hotel) and others. In the evenings, live music is played for tourists, a disco and funny animation is organized, a show program with the participation of professional actors, dancers, etc.
Children's entertainment
For little vacationers, the Thalassa Shalimar 4 * hotel has a children's pool with slides, mini (for kids from 4 to 10 years) and junior (from 10 to 14 years) clubs, a playground with a sandbox and swings, a games room, a children's room menu, animation, etc.
Beach
The hotel, as already mentioned, is not on the first coastline, it is blocked by a promenade from the beach. You can get to the beach area in just 5-7 minutes. Here, as well as by the pool, sun loungers and umbrellas are provided to Thalassa Shalimar 4 * guests for free, and to take towels, you will need to leave a small amount (deposit). On the very shore of the sea, tourists can take advantage of a whole range of beach and water activities, namely beach volleyball, a boat or banana ride, a scooter, water skiing, diving, snorkeling, surfing, etc.
Hammamet Attractions
In order for the leisure of tourists to be varied, the hotel periodically organizes excursions to interesting places both in the resort itself and in other parts of the country. Most tourists want to visit the Friguya Zoo and get acquainted with its exotic inhabitants. One of the most interesting routes is a tour of the ruins of the ancient city of Carthage, as well as interesting, from the point of view of historical sights, the cities of Sidi Bou Said and Tunisia (capital). You can also take a walk to the Sahara desert and experience the charm of the sandy elements. Many tourists also prefer to go on a sea voyage on a pirate ship with Jack Sparrow at the head of the crew. But in Hammamet it is interesting to see the Medina, the Great Mosque, the Ethnographic Museum, the Ribat Fortress, etc. All of them are located nearby from each other, and they can be examined in just a few hours, without wasting time on tiresome bus rides. In addition to the above, it is also worth visiting George Sebastian’s Villa, Pupput Ruins and Cartage Land Entertainment Park.
Thalassa Shalimar 4 *: reviews and ratings of tourists
As already noted above, you can find both positive and negative comments about this hotel complex on thematic portals. But much more admired reviews. That was as it should be, because thanks to the hospitality and helpful attitude of the staff, as well as the high level of service in all the institutions inside the hotel complex, vacationers turn a blind eye to the minor imperfections that exist in any such institution. For example, there are comments that the hotel restaurant is like a dining room, but the cuisine here is amazing, and the cooks are just professionals. Some recall that at first they were confused by the tiles on the walls, but they immediately began to describe how well Thalassa Shalimar 4 * employees clean rooms and other rooms. In a word, the positive in the hotel is much more than the negative.