After reading a few scathing reviews of this hotel before leaving, we were worried that we had wasted our holiday money and would have a bad experience. But, we didn't! We had a really good time.
The hotel is marked as 4* but I'd say that translates to European 3*. However, we had a large room and a parental bedroom with a toilet and toilet/bathroom that was cleaned every day to a good standard by a really sweet guy. The food buffet style experience was mixed. My dh usually did well to take the Tunisian speciality dish. It was a very varied menu and there was usually something for everyone. We didn't find the food particularly greasy as others have mentioned; There were plenty of drinks available. We particularly liked the cool bar after a hot day outside. The alcoholic drinks were really weak (almost without alcohol) but that was ok, we didn't go to get drunk! Bottled water was free and plentiful, still or sparkling.
The inside garden in the reception is really lovely and when we arrived, we were entranced by the reception, gardens and swimming pool that were beautifully lit and just as we'd seen in the photos. The public areas are of a high standard. It was just a shame that the upkeep seemed to have been a bit neglected and some parts were a bit tatty, which let the overall impression down.
There are 4 swimming pools and the main pool is really spectacular. The waterfall is on for a couple of hours a day and was a bit noisy so I was always glad when it stopped. The entertainment during the day was good; I enjoyed the water aerobics twice a day, they were fun. There were two good evenings of entertainment (snake charming and traditional dancing) but the other nights were lame (although the children laughed).
I would say that the music at the pool was a bit too loud and I tried to find seats away from the dj booth. I also didn't like the idea of reserving sun loungers early but that was necessary.
The hotel were not helpful when we tried to extend our room on the departure day and that request was refused. They said they would provide a room to take a shower but given the number of groups leaving that day, there was a huge waiting list for the one room. The receptionist was, frankly, rude when I tried to speak to her about it.
Otherwise, the staff were pleasant, friendly, efficient and obliging.
We came with a French holiday company from France and we all speak French. When the waiters heard me speaking English with my children, they were really keen to speak English with me as they 'loved English'. but basically this hotel is for French or German or Arabic speakers.
The hotel's private beach is not of a good standard. We went once and didn't return although the sea was warm. There was black algue on the beach and in the shallow water. Even my children hated it. They should clean up that beach. And the shower on the beach was a hosepipe!
Yasmine Hammamet is basically a huge hotel complex with large hotels on every corner. There was some nightlife but with young children we didn't see it. The hotel is a short walk from the shops and beach and is well situated and I liked that we couldn't hear traffic there. Our room was very calm and quiet (apart from the air conditioning).
We found the shops were of the tourist type with a small supermarket and we did get really sick of getting hassled by the merchants, to the point where we became rude sometimes and we found they were always 'trying it on', saying something was 80 dinars then in 30 seconds reducing the price to 15 as we were walking out of the shop. Maybe this is a cultural thing but as tourists we felt always on our guard and suspicious that someone was trying to rip us off or make money out of us. There were also guys selling trips lounging around in the hotel all day. One of them was really pushy and rude when we said we didn't want ot go on the camels!
My dh had a good massage in the spa and I had an hour long pedicure which was good. The spa though is again a bit tatty and not luxurious and not entirely spotlessly clean. The fitness room was a joke with out of date and dangerous machines. I didn't see anyone using it. They need to change it. The games room for the children was not great either, with games that were old or didn't work properly (and cost 1 - 2 dinars per go). They really could do better and that would make the hotel really impressive.
We took one organised trip to a sound and light show which was enjoyed by all and we took a taxi to the market at Nabuel which we enjoyed (but be careful of the shopkeepers again). We took a taxi the street for 30Dinars round trip.
I would give this hotel 4 out of 5 stars.
We did have a nice time and it was great to laze, swim, eat and generally relax. We would return.