Lella Baya & Thalasso

Several service issues, including room hygiene, missing clothes and unprofessional staff.

Very Disappointing Experience – We Would Not Return This was our first trip to Tunisia, and unfortunately, it was a very disappointing experience. The hotel is poorly maintained and appears to lack effective management. Throughout our stay, there were repeated water outages, and on several occasions we were unable to shower because there was no running water. The most upsetting part of our holiday was witnessing the condition of many working horses. A significant number appeared underweight, exhausted, and poorly cared for. As animal lovers, this was deeply distressing, and for that reason we cannot recommend supporting horse-drawn carriage rides. Outside the hotel, we encountered additional problems. Street vendors frequently approached tourists and often quoted prices far above the actual value of the products. Traffic felt disorganized, with cars and motorcycles speeding through the streets, excessive noise from loud exhausts, visible litter in many public areas, and loud music continuing late into the night, making it difficult to relax or sleep. This review reflects our personal experience. Unfortunately, the overall quality of our holiday did not justify the amount we paid. Based on our experience, we would not choose to return and cannot recommend this destination to travelers seeking a peaceful and well-managed vacation.

Avoid if Travelling with Young Children – Very Disappointing Family Holiday We stayed at Lella Baya Hotel in Hammamet as an all-inclusive family holiday with young children, and unfortunately it was by far the worst all-inclusive experience we've had. Room Our bedroom was in a poor state. It was dirty on arrival, there were ants throughout the room, and parts of the walls were crumbling. It certainly didn't meet the standard we expected from a family hotel. Pools The pool areas were much smaller than the promotional photos suggest. While they were adequate for very young children, they became crowded quickly and didn't live up to the advertising. Kids' Club & Activities One of our biggest disappointments was the lack of a proper children's programme. There was no structured kids' club or published timetable of activities. Occasionally someone would appear to do basic face painting or hand out paper and pencils for colouring, but this was inconsistent, unorganised, and certainly not a proper kids' club. Evening Entertainment The evening entertainment was completely unsuitable for families with young children. Rather than child-friendly shows, entertainment included performers smashing wine bottles and walking on broken glass, lying on swords, and using petrol to create fire displays. The smell of petrol was overwhelming and made the whole area smell like a fuel station. It was uncomfortable to watch with children and not what we'd expect from a family resort. Restaurant & Food The restaurant was by far the biggest issue. The food was virtually identical every day with very little variety, and there were very few options suitable for children. Our children barely ate properly during the entire seven-day holiday. There were a few cooking stations, but they were incredibly inefficient: One station would cook a single item such as chicken or liver. The pasta station had just one chef using a single frying pan, resulting in long queues. The pizza station only produced four small pizzas at a time, with usually only one being a plain Margherita. Since this is the main option many children will eat, waiting 30 minutes for a few slices was common. The restaurant itself felt chaotic. Food frequently ran out, there weren't enough plates or cutlery, and guests regularly had to wait 10–15 minutes just for clean plates to be brought out. There was often nobody managing the buffet, so empty trays would sit untouched while long queues formed. What should have been a simple 30-minute meal regularly took close to two hours because of the constant waiting. I was also genuinely concerned about safety. There were large frying pans full of several litres of boiling oil sitting on gas burners directly beside where guests—including children—queued for food. It didn't feel like an appropriate or safe setup for a busy family buffet. Snacks & Drinks Despite advertising snack bars, there were effectively none. Between meals there was nothing substantial available. The "snack bar" generally consisted of leftover breakfast croissants sitting uncovered on a display. The all-inclusive drinks were also disappointing. Alcoholic drinks were limited to local spirits, which were poor quality. Any recognised international brands such as Gordon's Gin or Absolut Vodka required an additional charge, despite the hotel being advertised as all-inclusive. Noise Every evening loud music continued until around midnight. Families with young children who need to sleep at a reasonable time will struggle, as the noise carries throughout the hotel. Overall For the price we paid, this holiday represented extremely poor value for money. The lack of organisation, poor food quality, inadequate facilities for children, questionable safety standards, and disappointing accommodation meant we couldn't enjoy our stay. If you're travelling as a couple looking for a budget break, your experience may differ. However, if you're travelling with young children and expecting a well-run all-inclusive family resort with organised activities, decent food, and proper facilities, I would strongly recommend looking elsewhere. Personally, I would not return and would instead pay more for a European destination where family facilities, food quality, cleanliness, organisation, and health and safety standards are considerably higher.

Very Disappointing Experience – We Would Not Return This was our first trip to Tunisia, and unfortunately, it was a major disappointment. The hotel is poorly maintained and lacks proper management. During our stay, there were repeated water outages, and at times we were unable to take a shower. The restaurant service was also below expectations. Staff cleared empty plates quickly, but guests had to find their own cutlery and water after collecting their meals. Service was slow, and many tables did not even have basic items such as salt. The most upsetting part of our trip was seeing how working horses were treated. Many appeared thin and poorly cared for. For this reason, I would not recommend taking horse carriage rides. Outside the hotel, we also experienced several problems. Street vendors frequently approached us and often asked prices far higher than the actual value of the items. Traffic felt chaotic, with cars and motorcycles driving at high speed, excessive noise from loud exhausts, visible litter in many areas, and loud music late into the night, making it difficult to relax or sleep. This review reflects our personal experience. Unfortunately, we did not feel that the quality of our stay matched the price we paid, and we would not choose to return.

We are staying at the hotel now it’s fabulous. All staff are great we had a couple of room issues that were attended to straight away. Food and drinks are fine lovely pool area. Wonderful atmosphere in the hotel all guests are friendly . We will be sad to leave. Ignore the bad reviews!!!