Zodiac Hotel

The staff were pleasant and helpful overall, especially the wonderful cleaning ladies, who made the experience better. The exception was the very rude woman at reception. Our first room smelled of mold and damp, with dirty linens and towels and a filthy toilet seat. We asked for a replacement in the morning and were moved to a room by the pool, where loud music played all day. We’d explained that we were traveling with a small child and needed quiet. Because of the room changes, we didn’t get a proper room until the afternoon of the second day. That room was clean, and we stayed there through the end of our trip. The food was terrible. The salads were moldy, and there was mud in the fruit section. Cats wandered freely through the restaurant, climbing on things and leaving hair everywhere. They even got onto the griddles used for making snack pancakes, and nobody seemed to care. We repeatedly stepped on sharp, broken tiles at the bottom of the children’s pool, which could easily cause injuries. The pools weren’t clean, and there was sand on the bottom. The filthy accommodation and the illness that followed ruined our vacation. I’ve never seen filth like it. Overall, the accommodation was nothing like the website showed.

The rooms were acceptable and the receptionist was good, but the door guards weren’t good with customers. The cleaning lady always seemed angry. Food was ordinary, with limited choices, and there was no open buffet. You have to order what you want. The indoor pool was a bit small and not very warm. Generally acceptable, though there’s no evening entertainment.

What made this stay so disappointing was how far the reality fell short of what the promotional photos and high ratings suggested. By the end I was counting down the days until I could leave. I wouldn’t return or recommend it to friends or family. There are better places in Hammamet for service, food, comfort, and atmosphere. The all-inclusive meals became repetitive quickly, and many dishes were bland, cold, or simply unappetizing. Drinks were underwhelming too, with few options and inconsistent quality, according to many guests. The facilities felt outdated, some amenities didn’t meet expectations, and the hotel lacked the quality I’d expect from a proper four-star resort. Cleanliness was inconsistent, with reports from numerous guests of dirty plates and poorly maintained rooms and shared areas. Sleep was difficult on several nights. Music, entertainment, and outside noise continued late, and the thin walls let me hear people in neighboring rooms and hallways. The room looked acceptable at first, but the old furniture and worn areas soon became apparent, and it never felt comfortable. The overall maintenance and cleanliness didn’t seem like priorities. Service was frustrating as well. A few staff members tried their best, but the experience varied. Sometimes requests took too long, and at other times asking simple questions seemed to inconvenience the staff. I also saw multiple guest reviews describing similar problems with reception, responsiveness, and general service. A hotel can make up for many issues with good customer care, but that wasn’t my experience here. This was one of my most disappointing hotel stays.

The spa was lovely. I had a hammam and massage, and it was honestly one of the best massages I’ve ever had. The women there were friendly. The hotel was lively, with loud pool music and activities, and most guests were French. Toward the end there were lots of Algerians too. Everyone was nice enough, and we had no issues with them, but expect games and activities to be in French. It could be frustrating when I wanted to sit and read quietly. Some of the staff were great. Mohammed at reception was lovely, the restaurant manager, also Mohammed, was great, and Leo in entertainment was fab. Everyone worked really hard. Sadly, the older woman at reception was unfriendly and sour-faced throughout our stay. She gave a poor first impression on arrival. At 11am, she told us to sit until the room was ready, making it sound as if it would be ready soon. Nobody explained that we could use the facilities or where to leave our bags. After an hour I asked how long it would take and learned the room wouldn’t be ready until 2pm, which was fine, but I still had to ask where to store our luggage. There was no service offered. The rooms are basic and missing some finishing touches, but it was cheap, so I can’t really complain. There was a fridge, which was handy because the shops are across the road. The beach is a 10-minute walk away, and it isn’t included in the all-inclusive deal, which wasn’t clear when booking. The listing also says there’s a gym, but there isn’t one. The town is about a 20-minute walk. You can get a taxi to the Marina for 5 Dirham by day or 10 in the evening, and it’s worth walking around to see the yachts. We went to the old Medina for 20 Dirham and spent a nice few hours walking through the Souks and the old fortress. We found a museum with English translation about Tunisia’s history, and it had a beautiful rooftop where we could sit and relax. The taxi from the airport felt like a bit of a rip-off. They asked for 150 Dirham, and we haggled it down to 130. On the way back we got one for 80. I’d definitely pre-book, since haggling on arrival is the last thing you want when you have no other way to reach the hotel. The drive took about 40 minutes.