Thalassa Shalimar

This was a one-week holiday with my wife for a last burst of sunshine, with the plan being to sit by the pool and do as little as possible. That is exactly what we did, and we had a lovely week. Our room was on the third floor of the main building, with a balcony. Some reviews I had read of the Shalimar worried me a bit, so I will address them rather than ignore them: No, this is not what you imagine as a "4-star" hotel. It's a bit too shabby round the edges for that - there are faded carpets, chipped crockery. The vast majority of guests were French, and while all the staff spoke some English very few of them spoke it well. A lot of guests - and staff - smoke or vape way more than we are used to in the UK. The food in the main buffet is a bit bland, and won't win any awards. It is quite noisy round the pool during the day, with loud music, as there are lots of activities so it is not ideal if you want to read your book in peace. But.... The room was clean, and was cleaned every day, and was spacious. The air con worked, the door locks worked, the TV had US films on every night (with subtitles). The large pool and the area round it is kept clean. The staff were perfectly friendly, and told you what you needed to know when you asked. The entertainment team worked relentlessly and enthusiastically so if you do want to do volleyball, zumba, petanque and bingo they will make it fun for you. They figured out pretty quick that I wasn't interested so they left me alone and that's OK by me! The range of food at the buffet is fine and is pretty much what I've had on previous all-inclusive sunshine holidays - there were stews, rice and cous cous; pasta dishes, omelettes, salad, chips and pizza, cakes, and fruit. The beach is maybe 4 minutes walk away and the hotel has its own section so loungers were free of charge, and no hawkers bothered you. We looked at all sorts of resorts and countries for this holiday, and for the price the Shalimar was good value and did the trick. Don't expect a world of luxury and you'll be fine! We enjoyed it.

The best animation team! They are doing a great job! Special thankful for animator Hannibal, he's amazing, very kind and outgoing.

4th stay at the Shalimar. I am currently here for 10 days and I have made the decision to extend my vacation by 5 additional days because I feel so good here, just like during my 3 previous stays. Human-sized hotel, friendly, family-oriented, it's like a second home and a second family. A huge number of tourists return year after year to enjoy the kindness and hospitality of the staff. Whether it's the servers, the head waiters, the head chefs, the entertainment team, or the unsung heroes who work at night to maintain the hotel for your awakening, they bend over backwards so that you can have an excellent stay. Food quite varied for Tunisia. There are repetitions, certainly, but everything is always well-cooked and fresh. Good quality bedding, I sleep like a baby (for sensitive people, bring earplugs, as in any hotel there are always people who are inconsiderate of their neighbors' sleep. Tourists should be educated first). Criticizing the hotel would really be complaining for the sake of it. I can only recommend it to you. Besides, I will come back next year in June