Hasdrubal Thalassa & Spa Yasmine Hammamet ★★★★★

Set on a long sandy beach, the Hasdrubal Hammamet is an extraordinary complex of buildings. This place feels like a hymn to the endless beauties of water in a visual, aural and visceral way. Everywhere you look, artfully designed light plays with the movement of water, from the submerged outdoor pool illuminations to the glass ceiling of the indoor hydrotherapy pool, flooding it with the brilliant clear daylight of the Mediterranean.

In the grounds of the hotel you can linger in flower-surrounded terraces, listening to the fresh sound of fountains in the decorative pools or recline at a dining table set under sunshades, with the shimmering southern Mediterranean just beyond. Outside is a seriously indulgent massive pool with little rounded sitting areas so you can relax in the water, made an even more memorable picture with the palm trees illuminated by the underwater glow.

When you enter the central hall, you are engulfed in a golden, tiered and chandeliered palace of light and flowing fountains. In the lounge area, a wonderful palette of orange, red and deep jade green greets you; arches and carved screens delineate the spaces, a grand piano stands by nonchalantly, and watching over everything is a marvellous decorated ceiling. We knew we had found the right place for refreshing the body and spirit!

In our room, pale greys and blues create a delicate feel, matching the slim decorative pillars framing the bedhead and the silk pillows. Our adjacent lounge area has a bold African design on the walls, reminding you this is no ordinary Mediterranean resort. Lovely as it was, we didn’t linger as the evening was drawing in, and we set off in search of dinner. The Restaurant Le Gourmet has a five-star international à la carte menu, Restaurant L’Olivier offers Tunisian à la carte cuisine … with all these terrace buffets, beach bars, snack bars, what were we to do? You can guess what we did – sampled them all, and they were all top-class and delicious.

We spent happy sister-time in the spa every single day. There were so many options and treatments to try and, as for the restaurants, we wanted to sample everything, but could not possibly try everything in a single week. So next time… the Hasdrubal Hammamet awaits!