Yasmine Beach Hotel, Al Hammamat

I recently returned from my vacation in Yasmine Hammamet in Tunisia from July 27-August 2, 2005. I have very few negative things to say about the hotel Yasmine Beach but will try to provide a balanced perspective to others so that you can make an informed decision. It was a wonderful, relaxing vacation. Upon arrival, we were informed that they did not have a room for us. This was frustrating considering we called hours before our trip to confirm our reservation and everything was set. They sent us to another hotel for 1 night- it was located in Hammamet, which is in driving distance to this hotel. I learned later, this hotel is notorious for overbooking so keep this in mind. I made sure to emphasize to the hotel staff that I did not want to stay in the other hotel for more than 1 night, if at all. Other small negative things: The elevators are very slow and extremely small. Actually, I don't think I have ever seen elevators quite this small. I also have to comment that some of the hotel guests must have failed to attend etiquette school, as they often pushed their way onto the elevator before allowing others to get off. If you opt for the all inclusive meal package, the buffet food is okay. People act slighly crazy around food, and it is usually a mad house around meal time. Breakfast food is the best with a wide array of pastries, eggs/omeletes, fruit and coffee. My husband is Tunisian, so I am slightly spoiled when it comes to authentic Tunisian food. The buffet is geared towards its international clientele- Italians & Germans. Very few British were at the hotel, and I was the only American as far as I know. Bottom line: the buffet is good, but I highly recommend exploring Hammamet for some real local food like cous cous, meshwi, loobia (spelling), and other yummy foods. Some of the food is really bland but the fruits/salads are always fresh. There is no internet access at the hotel and there are no newspapers/magazines in English (I wasn't entirely dissapointed by this, it just meant that I had a REAL Vacation for once). Positive side: Once we arrived at the hotel, we were impressed by the cleanliness, the room, and the staff. Our room was cleaned daily and we had a beautiful view of Yasmine Hammamet from our balcony. There are 3 relaxing swimming pools at this hotel and the beach is right across the street. The hotel is located right near all the action- we went to the Medina where there are lots of restaurants, entertaintment and the like. I rode a camel at the Medina which was lots of fun! I also spent 3 luxurious sessions at the spa located in the Hotel for a very affordable 180 dinars. In the U.S., a 1 hour massage would cost that much. Each session lasted approximately 2 hours. For the shy women, be prepared to wear your bikini bottoms only. I highly recommend it and you can choose individual services if you don't want a package deal. Overall, I highly recommend this hotel. Hope this helps!