"As a former hotel inspector, I tend to view hotels through a professional lens, and our recent stay at Oceana Hotel Hammamet left me with mixed feelings.
Firstly, the positives. The hotel grounds are beautifully maintained and are clearly a credit to the gardening team. The overall atmosphere is peaceful, relaxing and exactly what many guests look for in a holiday. The service staff throughout the hotel were pleasant, hardworking and welcoming, and standards of general cleanliness around the property were good.
Unfortunately, several issues prevented this from being the five-star experience we had expected.
The first concern involved mould in the shower, particularly on the grout lines and silicone sealant. Despite reporting the problem, it ultimately required four separate attempts before action was taken. It was only after I presented reception staff with a video showing me removing some of the mould myself with a wet wipe that the issue finally appeared to be taken seriously.
Another surprising incident occurred when pest control attended the hotel during mid-morning while guests were relaxing around the swimming pool. In full view of holidaymakers, poison pellets were being thrown into the palm trees to deal with tree rats. Regardless of the necessity of the treatment, this was not something guests should have been witnessing during peak relaxation hours.
However, the final incident on our last evening was the most significant concern.
At approximately 9.30pm, while preparing for bed, my husband and I stepped onto our third-floor balcony. We had deadlocked the main room door, as many guests naturally do at night, and upon closing the patio door discovered that there is no external handle. Apparently these handles have been removed for security reasons, meaning that once the door closes, guests are effectively unable to re-enter the room from the balcony.
There is no warning notice advising guests not to close the balcony door, despite the fact that many people would instinctively shut it, particularly when air conditioning is running.
After attracting the attention of another guest below us, reception was contacted. Maintenance staff arrived and initially shouted instructions from the ground while throwing up a corkscrew and later a screwdriver in the hope that we could somehow open the door ourselves.
When this failed, a ladder and rope were produced. My husband was asked to help secure a ladder that appeared unsuitable for the task. It was positioned vertically against the building, resting on a narrow overhang between rooms, while the rope was used both to stabilise the ladder and assist the maintenance employee climbing it.
The maintenance gentleman, who was simply doing his best in difficult circumstances, spent considerable time attempting to open the door using the screwdriver and corkscrew. Eventually, after approximately 80 minutes on the balcony, he succeeded by repeatedly pushing against the door with enough force to gain entry without damaging the glass.
Once access was finally gained, the bar manager entered the room accompanied by several staff members and immediately stated that the situation had resulted from us locking the main door and closing the balcony door behind us.
In my view, the issue arose not from normal guest behaviour, but from the absence of an external handle and the lack of any warning signage. Of additional concern was the improvised method used to regain access, which presented potential safety risks.
Oceana Hotel Hammamet has many strengths and some excellent staff members. However, this incident affected what had otherwise been a relaxing holiday and highlighted several areas where guest safety and communication could be improved.
As a result of the incident, we spent the remainder of our final evening on the balcony before drafting an email to the hotel requesting an incident report. We also took videos and photographs of the scene, but at the time of writing we have yet to receive any response. All of this information, together with any future correspondence from the hotel, will be forwarded to our travel company.
As we were checking out the following morning, another couple informed us that they had experienced the same situation on their first night. The only difference was that they had not engaged the deadlock on their room door, which allowed hotel staff to gain access more easily.
Based on our experience and the account provided by the other guests, this appears to be an issue that would benefit from prompt review by both the hotel and the associated travel companies. Addressing the matter proactively could help improve guest safety and reduce the likelihood of similar incidents in the future."
