We stayed at the Dreams Beach Hotel in May 2007 for 1 week half board and we (family 2 adults and 3 children ages 14, 12, 11) had a great time.
ROOMS Our rooms were spotless, A really friendly girl came in everyday and cleaned the rooms (she changed the bed linen 4 times in the week we were there which is pretty good compared to some hotels In Tunisia Im told) A really nice touch was that she folded our nightwear into lovely butterfly shapes ( a bit like origami but with clothes) A couple staying in the hotel did complain about thier rooms (they were on another floor from us) but we couldnt fault ours. The shower was hot at all times of the day and the toilet was clean.. Facilities are sparse (no internet access in rooms, no drink making facilities etc but there are electric sockets and plenty of cupboard and wardrobe space and both our rooms were large and airy with a small balcony overlooking the beach.
HOTEL The Dreams Beach isnt huge, which I prefer. It has a large open foyer and reception with a bar in the corner, 2 dining rooms (one looking out to the beach), a bar / club room upstairs, a shop, indoor pool, leisure suite, outdoor pool.
The whole of the hotel was kept clean (with the exception of the leisure suite which is privately run) and staff are always on hand and very willing to help with anything you may need. there are security lockers available for valuables. there is only 1 lift to all floors but as its not a big hotel this never gets over busy.
LEISURE SUITE The leisure suite (sauna, indoor pool, massage, turkish bath, excercise equipment etc) was a bit grubby as were the people working in it . -The pool is very very hot and small but the kids had a good splash around although it wasnt
very pleasant to sit around. We were offered a turkish bath, steam room, facial and massage as a family treat at a very cheap price so we thought why not...... the whole thing was a bit yukky from start to finish but we did have a few laughs and surprisingly the massage at the end was excellent (Im trained in aromatherapy and shiatsu so have a little knowledge). Just a note that if you are somewhat shy or shockable please be aware that tunisian massages are FULL body massages (for adults - the kids get back and legs and are supervised at all times) so you really need to explain to the girls before they start if there are any body areas you do not want massaged because they just do it automatically.
BAR The bar / club upstairs has a very limited entertainment program (a tunisian man with an organ singing who was hilarious as he tried to sing English songs from the 50' and 60's without actually knowing the words and kept us highly entertained for about an hour) but is quite nice for relaxing in at the end of the day and chatting with and getting to know your fellow guests.. It has a fabulous centre piece of a serpent wrapped around a tree which is ceiling height. We saw a group of traditional belly dancers and a very impressive man who walked on broken glass and balanced on swords while carrying members of the audience. Both acts (these acts do the hotel circuit throughout sousse and port el kantoei) are worth seeing and are good fun without being too holiday campish.
SHOP The shop sold a few tourist gifts which you can find all over tunisia and the staff were very friendly. One point I would like to make is DO NOT go on the guided trip into sousse which is advertised by the hotel and run from the shop. This trip is free and is advertised in a way that makes you assume it is an officially orgainised trip - they say it stops you being hassled in the Medina (large market like place - please read reviews of Sousse iteslf ) but in reality they take you to the owners shop in the medina and really pressure you to buy very expensive carpets. It is quite intimidating and I would not reccommend it. Luckily we are not easily pressured so escaped relatively well (bought a couple of small items) but I heard of a few people being pressured into spending up to £200 so please beware.
FOOD AND DRINK The food at the Dreams Beach is plentiful if a little weird. All food is on a buffet style help yourself basis and is unlimited. On the whole the food is freshly cooked and there is a wide variety to choose from. Breakfast consists of fruit juices, yoghurts, cereals, eggs, meats, cheeses and then a few odd looking curry type dishes. Main Meals usually comprise of varieties of chicken dishes, fish, noodles, salads, good old chips, vegetables, cheeses and a few local dishes. Tea, Coffee and Fruit Juices are always available. There are also a selection of cakes and puddings. The food is freshly replaced often and the whole area is clean and spacious. When eating in Tunisia you have to remember that it is a foreign country - you wont usually get fish and chips or pizza but it is good fun to try different foods. It was my birthday when we were there and the dining staff decorated a table with rose petals and candles and gave us free wine with our meal - this was a very nice and much appreciated touch.
OUTDOOR POOL This is very small and the area around the pool was being renewed so it wasnt at its best for us. The space around the pool is limited and fills up very quickly. The water in the pool is freezing. The good news is that the beach is just outside the hotel - plenty of room there.
SMILEY MILEY You will find him on the beach !!!!! He is a local man who organises trips for holiday makers. We took a chance after another guest told us about him and would reccommend using him for most of the local activities you may want to try. You choose which trips you want to go on (he has a book with all details and pictures)and pay him the money...he organises a pick up from the hotel (usually a taxi which you have to pay for but it is still cost effective) and you dont have to queue at the venue, then he has the return taxi to the hotel booked for you. We took the camel ride through the olive groves and the quad bikes (twice - loved it). He is very amusing and kept us entertained with his sayings but I wont tell you too much because I dont want to spoil the surprise. He really is a treasure we found on the beach and very honest and reliable.
TRIPS I would reccommend the African Dreams trip - organised by the holiday reps - it really is a great night out and worth every penny.
Camel rides - these are available everywhere but I would reccommend using Smiley Miley from the beach as opposed to the holiday rep. You get exactly the same trip (same location and everything) but with smiley you are picked up and arrive at your destination in a few minutes- with the rep it takes about 2 hours to get there because it travels to all the hotels picking up guests. Smiley is also a little cheaper and you can haggle with him. You get to see the famouse camel drinking a coke and a woman making traditional bread which you can try....
Quad Bikes - this was great fun and my kids loved it. My only reservation is that they really dont have any safety rules as such , the bikes do go quite fast and you cross over main roads a couple of times so if you have younger children it may be not such a good idea.
Pirate Ships - this was a lovely trip. You go out to sea on a pirate ship (they really are lovely). The ships crew cook you fresh fish for lunch and a variety of fresh fruits and drinks are handed around throughout . The ship anchors and you have the choice of fishing (my youngest song caught a fish and was very chuffed) or swimming - only 1 person did this on our trip and it looked very cold.... the crew are really nice and take pics for you with the kids wearing pirate hats. We met a really interesting 76 year old Indian man who had decided that the time was right for him to take a trip around the world and visit places he'd never been - excellent.
THINGS TO DO A trip into Sousse is a must. Its an experience in itself just rying to get around the town without being hassled but its good fun. Dont wander off the beaten track and stick to the busy areas and you will be fine. If you do get hassled be polite but firmly say no thankyou(in arabic) and walk away - do not start up a conversation with anyone unless you want to be there for hours, and dont accept a cup of mint tea unless you are going to buy something - remember to haggle its expected but dont be greedy because people have to make a living.
A trip into Port El Kantoei is a great way to spend a day or two. It is more developed than Sousse and is geared towards tourists. You still get a bit of hassle but not as much. some of the shops are lovely to look around and the harbour has lots of nice places to eat and drink. We had a really lovely meal at a restaraunt on a boat (it is well advertised in the harbour)
TUK TUKS AND HORSE AND CARRAIGE If you fancy something a bit nicer than a taxi to get you were you are going then I would reccommend using both the above. Its a really nice way to travel around and although a little more expensive than a taxi its very little and worth it especially in the very hot weather..
One tip I would give anyone travelling to Tunisia is to tip your hotel staff (just small amounts) on the first day - you will find you get much better treatment for the rest of the week - A little respect and kindness goes a long way. Learn a little of the language before you go (we got the waiters in the hotel to help us with pronunciation) - just please, thankyou, yes and no will go a long way and I think the local people appreciate the effort.
If you would like to see pictures of Dreams Beach Hotel and the surrounding areas please look on Trip Advisor - I have uploaded some onto the site.
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attractions and business addresses in Sousse. The Dreams Beach Hotel boasts a convenient location with modern amenities in every guestroom and superb service. Each gue...
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