Dar Ammar Hotel — Hotel in Maghreb

Terrible receptionist attitude – worst we've experienced. When we arrived, the two receptionists seemed unsure of what to do. A younger woman came over to help and asked for our passports, which we handed over. But she didn’t return them for a long time. When she finally told us we could go to our room, we had to ask for our passports back, and she handed them over with a bad attitude—that was just the beginning. Later, we had no internet connection, so we went to reception. She seemed irritated that we brought it up, despite Wi-Fi being included in the price. After a big sigh, she reluctantly came to our room. Every time we asked her something, she rolled her eyes, sighed loudly, and responded with rudeness. Her English was fluent, so there was no misunderstanding—she just didn’t want to help. When I asked about a taxi for the next day to visit the Colosseum, she cut me off saying, “I know! You told me that, and I said yes.” I was only trying to confirm the time, but it led to a heated argument due to her attitude. She even asked me, “What do you want!?” Unbelievable. We've travelled through many countries, and this was by far the worst receptionist we’ve ever dealt with. Beyond rude. She refused to apologie, refused to call the manager, and said, “OK, I’m going back to my work,” then completely ignored me. Completely unacceptable. Thankfully, we later spoke to another staff member in charge of reception—she was lovely, apologised, and helped fix the Wi-Fi issue. She even followed up to confirm the main connection was working again. The hotel itself was clean and nice, though not in a convenient location. It seems to host lots of tour groups for buffet lunches—those were okay but definitely overpriced. Dinner was average and also overpriced. On a positive note, the café and dining staff were polite and professional. Room issues: No complimentary water bottles (even small B&Bs in Mahdia provided these), No kettle, The fridge didn’t work, Shower was cold (We didn’t even bother reporting the issues after that receptionist experience). We never heard from the manager, which was disappointing. If the hotel is trying to upgrade its status with a new pool and facilities, it should focus on proper staff training first. That receptionist's attitude was unacceptable and, frankly, unforgivable. Just to add: I don’t usually leave negative reviews—I know they can seriously affect a business, and most of the time things aren’t that bad. If you look at my other reviews, they’re nearly all positive. But this experience was beyond what anyone should have...

The hotel has a lot going for it. Staff were generally warm and welcoming, and most seemed to take pride in their work - from catering to housekeeping to the day-to-day running of the hotel.

We booked one room but were pleasantly surprised with a free upgrade to two rooms connected by an internal door. It felt like a private suite for the price of one. The bathroom was clean, spacious, and modern, and the rooms were cleaned daily, including the toilet.

The hotel was quite busy with international tourists, which shows how popular it is. Despite that, it felt very safe and well-managed, with proper on-site security throughout.

There’s also an astroturf football pitch nearby that’s open to the public. We didn’t use it, but it was good to have close by.

We had lunch on the first day and really enjoyed it, so it was surprising to read some of the negative reviews online. The buffet had a wide selection of dishes, and there was fresh fruit available for dessert.

There are a couple of drawbacks. The location isn’t central, so you’ll need a taxi to get into the heart of El Jem. Also, taxis can be unreliable. We asked the hotel to book one for the airport at 7:30 am, and they were adamant it had been arranged - but it never showed up. Reception couldn’t reach the driver and didn't provide proof or details of the booking, so we still don’t know if it was ever properly confirmed. Because of that, we missed our flight, which was incredibly frustrating. A private individual kindly offered to take us - for half the price - but by then it was too late. Definitely worth arranging transport independently and having a backup plan.

Breakfast is the same every day and not a buffet. It’s a fixed menu, so it can get repetitive. That said, you can have it at any time, which is a convenient touch.

Overall, the hotel delivered on comfort, cleanliness, and general friendliness. But the airport transfer situation left a bad final impression. I’d consider staying again, but I wouldn’t rely on the hotel to arrange anything...

We had buffet lunch here as part of a bus tour to the amphitheater. The food was mediocre at best, the chicken was ok, the vegetarian pasta was terribly bland. The watermelon was great and fresh. However, food was not labeled well, so we had to guess what we were eating. The dining hall was very cramped and even though it was mid-day, the only light came from very cold LEDs from the ceiling - not too comfy. The main disappointment, however, was the head waiter (only one wearing a black suit). He seemed unable to cope with the stress of having multiple busses arrive within an hour. He aggressively shouted at us to move to a different table, without approaching us in any way before that. For someone working in hospitality, we would suggest „Excuse me sir, I know it looks quite empty right now, but the table you’re sitting at is reserved for another group. Would you mind sitting at one of these tables we have reserved for you?“ for next time. He also kept picking up half-full plates from other guests who were not yet finished eating. That’s also a big no-no! All in all, we did not feel like guests at this hotel, more...