My husband and I stayed for one week at the end of June '07. Some of the bad reviews worried me a bit but I have to say that we loved the place. The grounds were immaculate...the reception area was spotless.. we had a sea view and it was a fantastic room...Although it took the cleaning lady the entire day to actually clean the room and this was one main problem people might have with the place because they would take the pillows at 10:00....sweep the room later that day...then take the towels....then bring towels at about 5pm but seeing as we went on holiday to do anything BUT stay cooped up in a room all day it did not really matter enough to ruin the holiday!! Breakfast was fun....the mix of nationalities is interesting when you compare manners or the lack thereof but we didnt have any problems really...just got our food and table like everyone else....I had pancakes most mornings from the grill outside...The dinner buffet was excellent with a good varied choice and the staff overall, especially our waiter were all extremely courteous.

The markets have to be seen as the prices are great if you like to haggle...overall it is a very cheap holiday once you get there...

Only problem I really had with the hotel was the annoying "Animation" dudes around the pool....the night time "entertainment" was embarassingly bad and they spend the day waving darts and volley balls at you asking if you want to play...They got a bit irritating but we just ignored them

All in all it's a great place and we loved it and it has everything you need...pool....sea...shops...and a thalasso centre in the adjoining hotel...you can use the facilties in the adjoining hotels too I think you just need to get a guest pass...not sure...

The Sol Azur is a huge hotel situated directly on one of the many beaches of the Mediterranean Sea. It is located about 1 kilometer from the medina and the town centre.

Our room was of average size and adequately furnished. Our twin beds were also very comfortable.

We had buffet-style meals in a huge dining room. À la carte was also available at lunchtime.

This hotel has a huge pool and was well kept throughout our stay. Being part of the Azur complex we also had access to the facilities of the Royal Azur and the Bel Azur hotels.

We are planning to return to Tunisia next year and I would probably choose the same hotel.

We stayed at the Sol Azur mid may 2006 for 2 weeks. The weather was excellent, temperatures varied enormously from nice and warm, to too hot.

The positives:
The hotel itself was clean and tidy, especially our rooms. We had a lovely outlook - pool and beach. The hotel gounds were well kept. The pool was very good Excellent choice of food in the evenings; salad, soups, variety of meat dishes, vegetarian options, lovely desserts and lots of fruit. You can use the facilities at the other two neighbouring hotels, which is great if you want to dine somwhere different. Highly recommend the thalossotherapy pool at the royal azur. Close to mini markets where you can buy much cheaper bottled water and snacks. Good selection of dishes available at lunchtime, good pool side bar. Generally a fairly quite hotel especially at night. Nice sand down on beach.

The negatives:
Staff on reception not particularly friendly or helpful, very slow at sorting out problems. The door to one of our rooms would not lock, anyone could walk in and steal our belongings, and they didn't seem to think this was a problem! The problem was sorted out eventually. Constant harrassment (by the pool, on the beach, in the grounds) from entertainment staff wanting you to go on trips, play games, exercise, walk down the beach with them! etc. Entertainment in the evening very poor. Choice at breakfast could be much improved, fruit on offer in the evening often mouldy. Generally not a very welcoming atmosphere although staff in the dining room of an evening where much more jolly and welcoming. Beach area could be much improved only have to walk a short distance from the hotel and the beach looks really grubby and dirty.

Hammamet:
Expect to be harrassed, shopping is not a relaxing experience, people not very friendly, no night life, not picturesque, will never return.

Yasmine Hammamet: concrete jungle, not much better.

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Sol Azur nearing the end of Sept- we booked a late deal, and wanted a peaceful holiday with lots of sunshine.

On the whole we had a really peaceful relaxing stay. The hotel was perhas a little well worn, but the rooms and bathroom were spacious and clean. Staff were generally very friendly.

The hotel is right beside a gorgeous sandy beach. The Bel Azur had a great little restaurant on a peninsula right by the beach with really great veggie opts at a very reasonable price. Being able to wander through the sister hotels and use the facilities there was a plus point.

Most annoying point was having to share tables with other guests- we were permanently sat beside the same couple, which by day 3 was rather irritating. The hotel food was ok, but as every night was a buffet, we had to persist in what felt like an ongoing scrum with our fellow russian guests.

We travelled with Panorama- we found our welcome meeting a real waste of time- the restaurant recommended to us by the rep- Les Cascades was mediocre. A few days later we found another restaurant- Les Trois Moutons, also in Hammamet, where the staff were charming and the food equally good.

We also went on a day trip to Carthage, the Bardot Museum in Tunis and Sidi Bou Said, again booked through Panorama. This was quite a tedious day, our Tunisian guide didnt seem to know what he was talking about, however the best part of this was Sidi Bou Said- one of the most picturesque villages I've ever been to, and also a great opportunity to get away from the tour guide for a wander by ourselves!

Another down side about the hotel was that in the evening we felt rather isolated due to location. We didnt want a wild holiday, but it would have been great to have had some activity just outside the hotel gates- there was literally nothing. As it stood we needed to get a cab ride into the centre of Hammamet- which although inexpensive was a hassle.

For a very quiet beach holiday, I would recommend the Sol Azur, though having visited Tunisia before Port El Kantoui is much more tourist friendly, and not too commercial- given the choice again, i'd perhaps avoid Hammamet!