Hotel La Residence Hammamet — Hotel in Maghreb

We booked this hotel for our family of 5 at a very reasonable price, so we didn’t expect luxury, but we did hope for the basics to be in place.||On the negative side, the room we were given was quite outdated, something from the 80s, and not very well maintained. There was only one socket in the entire room, and it was occupied by the TV, so charging electronic devices was always a challenge, especially with a family of 5. This led to constant queues for the one available socket. The toilet, shower, and kitchenette were all extremely old, to the point where we didn’t even use the kitchenette, but of course, we had to rely on the toilet and shower facilities. Cleaning also didn’t seem to be a priority. The lighting, storage, wardrobes, and windows were all very old and in desperate need of an upgrade.||Breakfast was decent enough, especially considering the price we paid.||On the positive side, there was a reasonably well-kept rooftop swimming pool with stunning views of the trees and the beach/sea in the background. The hotel also had a nice courtyard with plenty of greenery and seating, perfect for relaxing. The reception area was welcoming, and the hammam (spa) on the ground floor offered good service at a very reasonable price. We also had the pleasure of meeting Chawki, a very helpful person who sat by the entrance to the courtyard during the day. He offered us a Quad package at a very reasonable price, far cheaper than any quotes we had gotten from other sources. He is also a very good source of information on anything you need, and one of very few people who speaks English well enough to have a good conversation.||The staff were generally helpful, although interactions were somewhat limited since I don't speak French or Arabic, and English isn’t widely spoken in Tunisia.||The best feature of the hotel is its location. You’re not in Yasmine Hammamet, which is shiny, busy, and full of tourist traps with overzealous shopkeepers and taxi drivers who think it’s acceptable to charge 5 times the regular fare. Instead, you’re in the old Hammamet, or as the locals call it, the real Hammamet, not the touristy version.||Right outside the hotel to your left, you'll find plenty of food stalls, coffee shops, and juice bars offering fresh, tasty food at prices geared toward locals. If you prefer a restaurant experience, there are plenty of good options nearby. The old fort and old medina are just a 5-minute walk away, and the public beach is about a 2-minute walk. While you might need to walk a little further to find a cleaner spot, it’s not much of a hassle. Near the fort, there’s also an MG City supermarket, where you can pick up all your daily essentials.||There’s a taxi stand very near the supermarket. While the taxi stand marshal made it clear that the drivers will not use meters as they are only for Tunisians, we were given a fixed price for our ride to Yasmine Hammamet (10 Dinars). This now seems like a reasonable fare, especially compared to the much higher prices we were quoted by taxi drivers in Yasmine Hammamet.||Coming out of the hotel to your right, you’ll find an Orange shop where you can get a SIM card and data package, as well as a currency exchange with great rates. There’s also a very nice cafe arounf the corner where you can grab a coffee or a fresh orange juice for about 3 Dinars.||The Louage station to get back to Tunis is only a 5-minute walk away, on Avenue Mongi Slim, just outside Hammamet Hospital. Even with heavy suitcases and kids in tow, we managed to get there in about 8 minutes. Right near the station, there are plenty of food options, with the standout being Two M Pizzeria on Avenue Taleb el Ezzabi. There’s also Ettahrir restaurant (listed as Liberation restaurant on Google Maps), a traditional Tunisian spot, nearby on Avenue de la Liberation.||Overall, while the room itself was a disappointment, the hotel and the experience, considering the price we paid for a family of 5, were not bad. I hope that the owner/management will invest in modernising the rooms to bring this place back to its former glory, as it must have been quite charming...

Stayed at La Residence for a couple of days. Staff were helpful & responsive when we got in contact before the trip. ||The hotel was a lot larger than we thought & was very well located, close to the medina & ribat. Although we had paid for taxes & fees as part of the booking, we had to pay the tourist tax, which apparently was separate. Card payment wasn't possible. ||One staff brought our luggage to the room & walked all over the room with his shoes on, which was really annoying when we tend to remove our shoes at the door. ||The room is massive & there was a lot of space but OMG it felt like we had stepped back in time to the sixties or seventies!! Based on the pictures we have seen online, some rooms have been modernised but we were sadly not offered one of them! ||There was a kitchenette which seemed really old & grimey, a bathroom which is decades old, and sheets & furnishings from another era. ||There was a lot of storage space & hangers, which was helpful. No kettle or tea & coffee was available. Though the hotel had said we could get a hairdryer when we contacted them before the trip, there was none in the room & none available at reception. ||There was a thin sheet on the bed & what seemed like a single quilt was placed horizontally across the bed, so it was not long enough to cover the whole length of our bodies! Ludicrous! After housekeeping the next day, we were given a blanket in addition to the silly quilt. ||There were quite a lot of mosquitoes so it was difficult to get a good night's sleep. They could have attached some netting to the lattice in the window which would have helped keep the flies out. ||As the hotel was built in the era before smartphones & portable electronics, there was no plug socket in the bedroom other than the one the TV was plugged to. Thankfully, there were a couple of plugs in the kitchen. ||The temperature of the hot water in the bath was actually pretty good & there was no need to include any cold water. Overall, though the room was a historical relic, it was functional & things worked better than in some other hotels we have been in. ||The pool is on the roof but we didn't use it as it looked quite dirty. From the roof, there is a view of the surrounding area. ||The breakfast room was a bit depressing & grimey with dark lighting. Breakfast didn't start on time at 7 am & the warm food tended to be served closer to 7.30-8 am when we were almost finished with breakfast. There was basic a basic spread - salad, yoghurt & meat, as well as boiled eggs, bread & spreads. ||There was droo, ojja & a courgette dish one day & staff were setting up a crepe section but there was no one to man it. There was an area where you squueze your own orange juice, which was a nice touch. ||There always seemed to be a lot of altercation at breakfast among the people running the place & it seemed there were many people around but not much was being done! ||When we first arrived at La Residence, we absolutely hated it! But as time wore on, we got used to it, except for the mosquitoes! ||It feels like a place which used to be the place to go to in Hammamet but has sadly been allowed to decay through the years & there is no investment in it. It's a real shame as it's a property with a lot of...

This is a good standard 3-star hotel, within easy walking distance to town and many restaurants. It is clean throughout the hotel. The hotel is suitable for people who want to get out and explore a bit. As someone else mentioned, there is a bit of faded charm to it.||There is a rooftop pool and pool bar area - probably the best feature at this hotel - with views of the sea from here. There is also a courtyard bar. There's a ping pong table on the roof as well and paddles are available with a small deposit.||Breakfast is available as an optional extra, a reasonable 15 dt per person, though we preferred just to go out to a cafe. Breakfast includes things like croissants, boiled eggs, Ouja (a Tunisian tomato and pepper sauce with eggs) and even a crepe making station. There is dinner for 30 dt. There were regularly 5-6 tables of people dining. A few other restaurants in the area have dinner at around the same price so we preferred to choose something different every night.||There was entertainment (a guy playing guitar and singing some old eric Clapton songs) on just one one night when we were there, which was a relief as I'm not really keen on all those so-called entertainments and animation. If you're looking for one of those places that has entertainment every day then this hotel may not be your best bet. ||At the front right of the hotel is a restaurant where they have music at night. Fortunately our rooms were on the back side and we couldn't hear anything at all from this. Not sure how you'd fare if your room was at the front.||Regarding the staff, some are really friendly and helpful. Two of the front desk staff were great. I had a nice conversation with the middle-aged lady receptionist.| |For excursions, there are a couple of guys at the hotel selling them pretty reasonably, about 120dt. Horse riding and camel riding and things like that. They're just doing their job so try not to mind even if they ask you several times. If you're not interested just politely tell them you're not planning on any excursions.||There are busses from the town's main bus terminal (about 10 minutes walk) to Tunis (one hour) and Nabuel (half an hour). There's also a train station that you can get to by taxi with trains for Tunis.||Nearby, the Cafe de la Plage is right on the beach where you can sip coffee or have snacks while watching the sea and the fishermen.||They are in a slow process of renovating the rooms. We were offered an upgrade to a renovated room for an extra fee which we decided to go for. Nicer bathroom and shower and the room just feels fresher and more modern. It seemed like the upgrade money went straight into the receptionist's pocket, though of course I could be mistaken. ||One of the staff is an older lady who seems like she's gotten a bit fed up answering guests questions. I asked here where I could put a small bag I was throwing away and she pointed outside. When I asked her what she meant she sort of rolled her eyes, took the bag, went out in front of the hotel and deposited it in a bin in the street! (Don't they have bins in the hotel?)||Overall I can recommend the hotel and would be likely to return if we come back...