Royal Azur Thalassa

Royal Azur Thalassa is built for a holiday where the sea, the garden and the hotel facilities all sit within the same daily circuit. You can step from the property towards the private beach, settle beside one of the outdoor pools, or head indoors to the spa when the sun and salt have done their work. The arrangement suits couples particularly well, but family rooms and a children’s pool also give the hotel a broader appeal.

You will be understood without resorting to elaborate hand signals at reception. The hotel team speaks French and English, as well as German, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, Russian and Arabic. Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel, and the practical comforts are properly covered: air conditioning, balconies, minibars, bathrobes and private bathrooms.

The address is on Rue Assad Ibn El Fourat in Hammamet, Tunisia, directly on the seafront. Hammamet Beaches are roughly 150 metres away by the mapped route, while the hotel itself also has direct beachfront access and a private beach area. That means the return from the water is measured in minutes rather than in a heroic search for a taxi.

Hammamet’s historic side is close enough for an afternoon away from the resort routine. The Medina and the Kasbah of Hammamet are each about 1.5 miles away on foot, and cafés begin within roughly 300 metres. Hammamet railway station is about 1.5 miles away by road. Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport is around 34 miles away by road, while Tunis–Carthage Airport is about 47 miles away.

The room choice is less about finding somewhere to sleep and more about deciding how much of your evening you want to spend looking at the Mediterranean. Superior rooms with sea views put the emphasis on the outlook, while the waterfront bungalows bring you closer to the beach setting. For a couple wanting more room to spread out after a day in a wetsuit, the Junior Suite or one of the larger suites makes more sense than the standard double room.

Travelling alone is catered for with single rooms, while the Superior Triple Room and Family Suite handle extra occupants without forcing everyone into the same sleeping arrangement. The Family Suite accommodates four people, with a super-king-size double bed and two single beds. Cots and extra beds are not available, so that detail matters if your group includes a small child or if you were hoping to add a third adult to a double room.

Across the accommodation, air conditioning matters most when the room is your first proper chance to cool down. Balconies, sea views in selected categories, minibars, kettles, seating areas and extra-long beds add the useful details rather than decorative fluff. Daily housekeeping, private bathrooms with baths or showers, towels, slippers and bathrobes keep the transition from dive kit to dinner pleasantly straightforward. A suite with a hot tub or private pool is the more indulgent choice for a couple who prefer their recovery time behind their own door.

Breakfast is a buffet served from 7:00 to 10:30, followed by lunch and dinner options that cover rather more ground than the usual single-resort menu. Restaurant Eden handles international buffet cooking indoors and outside on its terrace, with breakfast, lunch and dinner. Three themed evenings each week bring fisherman, Asian and Oriental dishes into the rotation. After a morning in the water, that is the sort of choice that prevents the phrase “anything will do” becoming the official meal plan.

Restaurant La Kasbah is the Tunisian option, serving dinner à la carte from 19:00 to 22:00 and focusing on local gastronomy. Restaurant Azzuro takes the Italian route for lunch and dinner, with lunch from 12:30 to 15:00 and dinner from 19:00 to 23:00. The Royal Beach Grill keeps lunch close to the sand, serving à la carte dishes from 12:00 to 18:00.

There are four named bars, each with a different job. Cosmopolitan is the modern cocktail bar, open around the clock and built around signature cocktails. Le Cellar is a wine bar with wines from around the world. On the Pool Bar serves the three outdoor pools from 10:00 to 18:00, while On the Beach Bar keeps drinks beside the beach during the same hours. A coffee house, snack bar, room-service dining and breakfast in your room add further ways to deal with hunger without putting on proper shoes.

Three outdoor pools give you an easy choice between a proper swim, a few lengths before lunch and the more traditional holiday discipline of finding a lounger and staying there. The private beach comes with sun loungers, parasols, showers and changing facilities, while the garden and sun terrace offer a change of surface when sand has found its way into places it was never invited.

The spa is the serious recovery option. Treatments include massages, facials, hammam, sauna, Jacuzzi, mud baths and body wraps, with couples’ massages also available. There is a spa lounge and relaxation area, plus a fitness centre and yoga classes for anyone who still believes the body needs more work after a day of swimming. Pool and beach towels are available, which saves one more item from occupying your luggage.

For a less horizontal afternoon, you can use the mini-golf course, darts, billiards or tennis court. Windsurfing, other water-sport facilities and horse riding are available on site, with some activities carrying an additional charge. Golf is available within 3 km. In the evening, themed dinners, temporary art galleries and live televised sports offer alternatives to an early night or another drink by the pool.

Arrival is from 15:00 to 21:00, and you need to tell the hotel when you expect to arrive. Departure runs from 08:00 to 12:00. A 24-hour front desk, concierge, luggage storage, tour desk, currency exchange and an on-site cash machine keep the useful errands in one place, while private and express check-in and check-out are available.

Free private parking is available on site without reservation. An airport shuttle is available to arrange with the hotel, and car hire is also offered. The property has a lift, although upper floors can also be reached by stairs. Free WiFi covers the whole hotel, and laundry, dry-cleaning and ironing services are available when the holiday wardrobe has started to look as though it has been living in a kit bag.

Children of any age are welcome, with family rooms and a children’s pool available. Pets are not allowed. Cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal and bank transfer are accepted payment methods. If your arrival sits near the end of the check-in window, tell the hotel early; that is a small administrative detail best dealt with before the airport transfer, not after it.