Reviews of Coral Sea Resort Hotel, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

the coral sea reosrt is just...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr H Denwood

Comments:

the coral sea reosrt is just wonderfull the staff are fantastic and clean and so is the hotel and its so well managed and there so helpfull and they go the xtra mile for you every time and they go out of there way to make sure your holiday is fantasic when there was a minor problam they delt with it right away and with no fuss and the food if just great some of the sweets that are on offer are to die for just wonderfull all round and if theres nothing you fancy to eat there just ask and they will cook some think for you that you will like with out any fuss what more can be said for this hotel and the staff and managment over all fantastic

Having return from our fantastic...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs M Martin

Comments:

Having return from our fantastic holiday only last week and like many other holiday makers we too are pinning to go back. In fact I've already obtained prices for next year. Our family room was more than spacious accomodating 2 adults and 2 children, aged 16 & 9. with a fantastic sea view. Hotel staff are very friendly, helpful and polite. The cleanliness around the hotel and our room was of a high standard at all times. The variety of food available was more than adequate and hot were needed, you couldn't fail to find something appealing. Our boys are very keen to go back next year having met some great friends who return to the same hotel year after year, roll on 2009...

My family and I together with my...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs G Potgieter

Comments:

My family and I together with my brother and his partner were lucky enough to have a holiday at coral sea resort. The Hotel was good, the service excellant and the staff terrific. Whil'st there unfortunately, my son had an accident (he inadvertantly went through the very clean sliding doors) The doctors, at the in-house clinic, were professional and polite and my son was patched up in the clinic. The medical service provided by the in house clinic proved to be excellant - my sons dressings needed to be changed every day and by the time our return joshy was up and running in every sense of the word ( he is six years old).



I would like to stress how good the service provided by the hotel was. After the accident even the duty manager came and held joshy's hand to comfort him. All the staff, from the security to the general manager went out of there way to make our stay enjoyable and help in adjusting to the change in circumstances - josh couldnt swim for a week. A dvd machine and movies were provided and a lovely chocolate confection was sent to joshy in our roomand a wheel chair provided (some examples of the kindness shown)



when we left at the end of our holiday the children even gave the very large security men a big hug, egyptians are very people friendly!!!



Unfortunately, our first choice reps were as much use as a chocolate tea pot and despite numerous requests failed to come back to us on a particular issue and of course, when we had the accident, they failed to even enquire what had happened or whether we required any help at all!!!! thank goodness for the lovely eqyptian staff.......



p.s. dont worry about laundry the in house laudry is great and very reasonable.



p.p.s if you take the bus to cairo (which was great once you are there) dont take children, the bus trip is too long more like 7 and half hours each way and very very hot and dusty.



i hope this was of some help

My husband and I were there in...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

May 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

I Jackson

Comments:

My husband and I were there in May and had a fantastic time food exellent and the one's that complained of tummy upsets were usually under the weather with the booze the night before.

I would highly recommed this holel as the staff were great and always available to help you.

10 out of 10 we are trying to book to go back in September but cant get a flight from Glasgow direct to hotel.

We had a great time but there...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr T Fillingham

Comments:

We had a great time but there are a few things that let the hotel down badly. There are serious health concerns. Everyone you spoke to including myself was ill for the majority of the holiday. The drinks are served mainly from bottles and are warm to say the least. I echo the opinions about the pharmacy, it's a complete rip off. I would advise anyone who wants to buy anything to avoid the hotel shops altogether as they are twice as expensive as the shops by the main entrance.

Went with my partner middle of...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr BILL Shaw

Comments:

Went with my partner middle of June. All i can say is thank god for the weather. Airport is a right circus. Alot of military staff just looking at the women go by. After our second day we both got bad stomachs that lasted after we got home.



Accomodation: Room was nice and well equiped but bath was peeling.



Food: Im not a fussy eater at all and try most things but the food is always the same most nights.



Bars: Kept out running out of ice on the evenings. Not the bar staffs fault as the work very hard.



Entertainment: Shocking. Never been anywhere so poor. All the reps were interested in were a group of lads. Other reps did there best.



Overall wouldnt return to this hotel. Weather is fantastic and the sea and marine life makes the holiday.

DONT LISTEN TO THE NEGATIVE...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss B Novak

Comments:

DONT LISTEN TO THE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK!!!!!! We came back from Coral Sea a couple of weeks ago and are still pinning to go back!!! It was a brilliant holiday, especially for the price we paid.



Accommodation - Our room was fairly basic but quite spacious and clean. The cleaner visted everyday to make the bed and clean the bathroom and was a very friendly chap! The room was always cool, even without the air conditioning on which was very refreshing once you come in from the incredible heat outside!!! There were lots of chanels on the tv, lots of movies and kids chanels which are mostly in english - very useful if taking the kids. The only problem i had with our room was with the bathroom, the shower was broken and there were always bugs and insects in there, so i'd suggest that you take some form of insect repellent with you! The hotel itself was very well kept, always tidy and you can always see cleaners and gardeners wondering around doing their job.



Location - The location was okay, there was a small parade of shops outside the hotel, with a few shoppin malls down the road. Naama bay was fantastic, hundreds of shops and lots of restaurants (including mcdonalds, kfc and pizza hut!) and definatly worth the journey. The shuttle bus that the hotel provides was very cheap (1 english pound or equivalent) but the journey down there takes about 45mins, although the journey back takes about half that time.



Meals - The main dining hall was enormous, i worried about not being able to find a table but that was never a problem. Breakfast was the same everyday and because they do not eat pork in egpyt my fussy boyfriend struggled a bit but there are lots of different types of eggs, beef bacon, frankfurters, salad, cereal and pastries. At lunch and dinner there was a degree of variety, but as most of it was english food with an egptian twist, it was still always interesting to eat.



Staff - The staff at this hotel were AMAZING! Everyone was very friendly, always smiling and willing to stop and chat to you. They were also very helpful, on our first night we had a problem with our patio door, called the reception for help and had someone come out to fix it within 15 minutes of ringing.



All in all, a brilliant holliday, i cant recommend it enough!!!!!

In response to the previous...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr L Badger

Comments:

In response to the previous poster's criticsm of guests using the in-house pharmacy, I would advise that we were that ill that we could not venture outside of the hotel to shop around for value. Need must and all that. The fact is that there is simply no excuse for a hotel which has already received significant money from paying customers to blatantly rip them off further over the cost of essential medicines.



Re. the issue of internet research, I did carry this out and was well aware of the security issues relating to Sharm and the bombings several years ago. However even forearmed with this knowledge, I simply did not feel comfortable on the streets at night. The distinct absence of many tourists out and about would suggest that significant numbers of visitors shared these concerns and opted to spend their holidays behind the security barriers within their hotels.

Regarding the cuisine at Coral Sea, I did try a wide variety of food on offer. However dishes (whether 'British' or Egyptian) that have been stored for too long in the heated containers will always turn out over-cooked and stodgy.



I would also dispute the assertion that only a minority of guests suffered from food poisining as admittedly anecdotally, most of the people I spoke to had been struck down with this during their stay.



In closing, my fondest memory of the holiday is the excellent staff at Coral Sea. However if I ever hear Rolf Harris sing bloody 'King Caractacus' again, I will not be responsible for my actions..

First of all, I would like to...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

nomadgirl2008

Comments:

First of all, I would like to address some of the points raised in previous reviews.



Firstly, why on earth did you allow yourselves to be ripped off by the on site pharmacist when every review I have read said to avoid them and go to one of the independents nearby? As for the "menacing" atmosphere outside the hotel - have you ever been anywhere outside of Europe? Yes, you get approached by shopkeepers and taxi drivers sound their horns but, again, if some internet research had been done beforehand you would have expected this and known how to deal with it. One gets the same sort of attention in Turkey but neither my husband nor myself would have described this sort of attention as "menacing"!



Secondly, lots of people are saying that the tummy problems were food poisoning. If this was the case, then the whole hotel would have gone down with it, not just a minority of people. Bearing in mind that the bottled water has double the mineral content of that which we drink in the UK, its not surprising that it didn't agree with some people. That, coupled with the high temperatures and the British love of basking in 100 degrees of heat for every sunlight hour do nothing to avert tummy upsets.



I feel that the negative comments about the food are a little on the harsh side. Why do people not want to try local cuisine? Surely they must have been bored stiff eating chips and jacket potatoes for the entire duration of their stay? Did none of you see the roast beef, lamb or roast duck? Did you not try the pasta or pizzas? Each to his/her own I suppose, but accepting that you are somewhere very different to the UK wouldn't go amiss here.



It always amazes me that people do not carry out some basic research on the internet before travelling somewhere they have never visited before. By doing so, you are immediately armed with all relevant information so nothing should be a surprise once you arrive.



I make special mention of the staff at this hotel who were polite and helpful at all times. We found the Egyptian people to be generally very friendly - even those who knew they weren't going to get anything out of us! Its a shame that the manners of some of the Brits at this hotel left a lot to be desired (both adults and children).



The one underlying theme of all the reviews of this hotel which I would agree with is the absolutely dire excuse for entertainment. The First Choice reps were not only abysmal at their "day job" but also at the entertainment side of things and appeared to be far too young and inexperienced to know how to deal with a resort of this type. Absolutely awful are the only words that accurately express the evening entertainment. If it wasn't for this aspect, I would have given this hotel a higher rating.

WELL WHERE DO I START.OUR...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs L TAPPIN

Comments:

WELL WHERE DO I START.OUR HOLIDAY WAS FROM THE 30TH JUNE - 14TH JULY. ME MY HUSBAND AND MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER STAYED AT THE CORAL SEA. HOLIDAY WAS FANTASTIC. REALLY ENJOYED IT. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT AT 9.30 PM IT WAS A WHOOPING 38DEG. I KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE A GOOD HOLIDAY. 15 MIN FROM THE AIRPORT THEN WHEN WE ARRIVED AT HOTEL WE HAD WELCOME DRINKS AND HAD OUR BAGS TAKEN UP TO OUR APPARTMENT. THEY EVEN KEPT THE RESTUARANT OPEN SO WE COULD ALL HAVE OUR EVENING MEAL. WHEN WE GOT UP THE NEXT MORNING, WHAT A VIEW. IT WAS BREATH TAKING. WE WAS FACING THE BIG MAIN POOL WITH THE BEACH AND SEA AT THE SIDE OF US. I COULDNT BELIEVE IT. WHEN THE CLEANER DONE OUR ROOM, HE MADE SWANS, HEARTS, AND CROCODILES OUT OF SOME TOWELS WITH FRESH FLOWERS. EVERY DAY FOR THE FORTNIGHT THE WEATHER WAS VERY HOT. THE FOOD WAS GOOD LIKE YOU WOULD EXPECT ANYWHERE ALL INCLUSIVE. BUFFET STYLE. AND THE WAITERS WAS SO FRIENDLY. CALLED US BY OUR NAMES EVERYTIME WE WENT IN THERE. THEY REALLY DO PUT THEMSELVES OUT. AND THEY DO WORK ALOT OF HOURS AND THEY STILL ALWAYS HAD A SMILE ON THERE FACE. MY BEST TIME OF THE HOLIDAY WAS DURING THE DAY. WE GOT UP AT 7 EVERY MORNING SO WE COULD GET A PLACE NEAR THE POOL AS IT GOT VERY PACKED. OUR DAYS WAS GOING OVER TO THE BEACH A COUPLE OF HOURS TO DO SOME SNORKLING AND THEN BACK TO THE POOL FOR SUNBATHING AND DRINKING TIME. WE MADEGOOD FRIENDS WITH A COUPLE OF THE BARMEN THE BEST ONE WAS NABIL. THEY DO LIKE TO PLAY ALOT OF RHIANNA BUT BECAUSE WE GOT ON WITH THEM SO WELL, NABILL EVEN LET US PLUG OUR IPODS INTO THE POOLBAR SPEAKERS. SO WE HAD QUIET A VARIETY. HE MADE THE BEST COCKTAILS. VODKA SUNRISES AND SWEETDREAMS. THE SECOND WEEK THERE WHEN WE WENT UP TO THE BAR HE JUST MADE US OUR DRINKS WITHOUT EVEN ASKING.THEY WASENT WEAK EITHER. THAT WHAT I CALL SERVICE. WE SPENT OURDAYS OUTSIDE FROM 8.30 AM TIL 6.30PM. TO THE SUN WENT DOWN BUT IT WAS STILL SCORTCHIO. THE EVENINGS WASENT THAT GREAT BUT DIDENT REALLY WORRY US REALLY AS WHEN IT CAME TIL 10.30 TIME WE WAS KNACKERED AFTER LAYING AROUND ALL DAY IN THAT HEAT. THAY HAD BELLY DANCERS, SPINNING MEN, BINGO AND KAREOKE AND QUIZES. BUT THAT ALL FINISHES BY 11PM THEN YOU CAN GO UP TO THE OTHER BAR NEAR RECEPTON FOR A QUIET DRINK. THEY MAKE A NICE CUPACHINO AND HOT CHOCOLATE. THE OTHER BAR IS CALLED FINLEYS BAR. WHERE THEY DO ALOT OF THE KAREOKE. IF YOU GO OUT ON ANY TRIPS DO THE SNORKLING ONE WHAT TAKES YOU OUT ON A CRUISE BOAT WELL WORTH THE MONEY. WHAT AN EXPIERIENCE THAT WAS. GREAT DAY OUT. YES WE DID GET THE TROTTS BUT WHO DOSENT GET THEM WHEN YOU GO ABROAD. THE CHANGE OF FOOD, ALL THAT HEAT AND DRINK.IT WASENT NO BIG DEAL. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE FOOD. AND IT DIDENT SPOIL OUR HOLIDAY ONE BIT. JUST POP TO THE CHEMIST ON THE RESORT AND GET A BOX OF THE YELLOW PILLS. CLEARS IT UP NO PROBLEM. THE BLOKE IN THE CHEMIST WILL KNOW AS SOON AS YOU MENTION UPSET BELLY.ITS NOT AS BAD AS PEOPLE SAY. AND IT WONT STOP US GOING BACK.A QUICK TIP FOR YA, IF YOUR GONNA EAT ANY CHOCOLATE OUT OF THE FRIDGE, JUST MAKE SURE YOU POP TO THE SUPERMARKET JUST OUTSIDE THE RESORTS GATE, AS THE CHOCOLATE IS A LOT CHEAPER IN THERE AND YOU CAN THEN REPLACE IT. WE THOUGHT THIS PLACE WAS FANTASTIC AND WE ARE HOPING TO GO BACK NEXT YEAR. IT ENDED UP A REALLY GREAT RELAXING HOLIDAY. AND A TAN TO DIE FOR. THE ONLY REASON I GAVE A RATING OF 9 WAS BECAUSE OF THE EVENING ENTERTAINMENT. BUT THERE AND AGAIN YOU DO TEND TO MAKE LOTS OF FRIENDS THERE. SO YOUR HOLIDAY IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT. HAVE A FANTASTIC HOLIDAY. AND SAY A BIG HELLO TO THE BARMAN NABIL IF YOU READ THIS AND SAY SHARNE SAYS HELLO. JUST GOTTA START SAVING AGAIN TO GO BACK NEXT YEAR. AND WE WILL RETURN.

Just back from the Coral Sea...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

L Badger

Comments:

Just back from the Coral Sea Resort. Like many others, our family fell victim to stomach cramps et al throughout our period of stay.Sad to say that the hotel seemed to capatalise on the misfortune of its ill guests by allowing their in-house pharmacy to rip people off by charging £15 quid for a few stomach and anti-diahorrea tablets-very sympathetic, eh.



Food was very disappointing. A wide variety of dishes were on offer but most were kept for far too long in heated containers- result, stodgy rice,stodgy meat dishes etc. etc. Food choice for kids was abysmal which is regrettable since this is meant to be a family -friendly hotel.By the end of the second week, we hated going near the restaurant due to the dubious odours and the repetitive and bland food.



Entertainment was dire with the reps fixated on the idea that everyone there must be English-so if you're Scottish, Welsh or Irish, be prepared to be stared at as if you have just arrived from Outer Space. The majority of shows put on by the reps revolved around dodgy eighties disco and bland electro-Pop. Perhaps the reps should think about delivering entertainment based on what guests would prefer rather than on their own dubious musical tastes? The only saving grace among the First Choice entertainers was the sole male rep whose off the wall humour and barbed put-downs of hecklers (of which there were many) at least broke the boredom by giving us a laugh.



The Bedouin trip was very good and well worth the money.



Aside from that, I was always a bit apprehensive about leaving the hotel (apart that is on the long-awaited journey home) due to an under-current of menace caused by the high security and the aggressive approach of street vendors and taxi-drivers.



The best thing about the Coral Sea was the fantastic staff who remained patient and good -humoured even in the face of rude behaviour by guests and their offspring. Naby in the Pool Bar was great and deserved the large tip given to a genuinely nice guy.



In closing, I would say that the Coral Sea is showing signs of slippage in terms of the quality of facilities but regardless of that, where is the fun in a holiday where you know before you even depart,that you are likely to be ill for a good part of your stay?

24th June till 10th July

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr G R Morledge

Comments:

24th June till 10th July

There was a group of 12 of us all together that went.Well First thoughts of the hotel when we got there was it was very clean and the rooms were very big but very plain.Certain lights in our room were not working so i had to call reception to fix the problem,well thats what i thought anyway as 1 day later had same problem with the lights again then some others were not comming on also the beds are very hard its like your sleeping on the floor.And also all the drinks in your fridge in your room are not free and as its ment to be all inclusive i thought it was a rip off anyway did not touch nothing in the fridge and kept hearing stories about when people were checking out they were getting bills for drinking the drinks in the fridge when they had not touched anything in the fridge and 1 of our party was given a bill for £15 which they refused to pay as they did not even touch nothing.it was later found out that it was the cleaner drinking the drinks and also he was eating and drinking some of our food we bought from the metro store.Anyway the entertainment was very very poor.we had 1 good nights entertainment which was the egyption night which was excelent.The pool was great very big and kept very clean.The food was nice but became very boring as did not change much. we go on all inclusive holidays every year so we knew what to expect.most of us in our party had the trotts most days and some of us were ill with stomach cramps so beware of what you eat here . the weather was fantastic not a cloud in the sky for the whole 2 weeks that we were there for.Most of the staff are very friendly and make you feel very welcome.one of the barmen called mohammed was fantastic always getting our drinks for us and went out of his way to help us we thought he was very nice and tipped him well.The sea was so warm and clear really nice.Every time you leave the hotel all you get is hassle from the locals come in my shop buy this buy that and as soon as they find out your english and from london they think your loaded.A few of us booked up the trip on the quad bikes in the desert which was really good and we even got a videa of it to take back home.On the day we were checking out the reception gave us a bill for a bus jerney that we did not pay for which i refused to pay for as after talking to one of the party we came with he said it had all be paid for.So just becarefull as the hotel do try it on abit.Overall egypt i thought was quite nice but would not go back to this hotel

We have just come back went out...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs J A Best

Comments:

We have just come back went out on the 26th June and came home 10th July 2008.

Hotel ok but my husband got an electric shock from the hairdryer on the first night so we got upgraded to another room the next day one with a balcony, although the manager said all the hair dryers are checked! Also said he could not have got a shock. We had black earwigs on the second night in the room and had to have the room sprayed. We discoovered why the beds are uncomfortable, the cleaners tilt them up on a red box to clean underneath and all the slats slide to one end of the bed leaving none at the other end. Its very hot at the moment and had a few problems with the tummy 12 of us went two eldest granddaughters were both ill bu the two younger ones lived on their favourite spagetti bolognese and weren't ill once!

They try to charge you for stuff in the mini bar on the last day which we had not had. The cleaner said dont leave me any money just leave your husbands Joop aftershave to my daugter. My granddaughter caught the cleaner sitting on her bed drinking her water and eating her biscuits and the hotel reckoned stuff was missing from the mini bar for £15 they never paid and we think it was that cleaner! Be prepared to get up early for the sun beds with brollies we started at 8 the first day and got round to 6.30 on the last day its a joke and if you dont follw the rest you have to sit out in the sun all day! The food was ok and plenty of nice cakes. Entertainment tried their best but rubbish. Nothing to do for my 9 and 12 year old granddaughter they were bored. I wish there had been more for them to do definatley go back but earlier or later as its too hot 50+c

My husband and I arrived in...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs JC Barnes

Comments:

My husband and I arrived in Egypt on the 9th June at around 9.45 pm Egyptian time and it was extremely hot for that time of the night. The airport is a military airport so there are lots of police in white uniforms and guns milling around. Don’t bother with a trolley for your suitcases it’s not needed, also ignore the taxi drivers and people offering to help you with your suitcases as they will try to get money out of you for helping.



This hotel is not disabled or pushchair friendly there are no lifts at all only steps. The reception is on the first floor and the restaurant is on the ground floor. There are steps to get to your room; there is wheelchair access ramps spread around but very slippery and quite steep. The bridges over to the pools etc are not wheelchair or pushchair friendly either as slippery.



The hotel was only 15 minutes from the airport so if you live under the flight path and are going on holiday to get away from airplane noise go somewhere else as they fly directly over the hotel most of the day and sometimes at night too. On arrival at the hotel first impressions were really nice. The reception was great and the staff friendly. The grounds are fantastic and look great at night. We got our luggage taken to our room for us, but we could have taken it ourselves, but probably would have been walking around for ages looking for it. We were in room 2251 with a view of the sea and the diving centre. (not a direct view of the sea, but you could still see it). Our room was very large and had a huge balcony. It was cleaned every day and our cleaner was very friendly, although didn’t speak that much English. He always cleaned the room well and would make our towels into different designs every day. We gave him a generous tip the day we left.



The restaurant – what can I say. Don't look too closly at the floor, Greasy, dusty and disgusting, I think there was one day that I can remember where I got excited about the food – jacket potatoes I love them, but this was barbecue night and that was the only night I liked the food. The food was very samey and very salty too. Watch out for the butter I had crusty bread and spread butter on top only to find that it was off and smelt like sick – put me off eating there for the rest of the holiday. I would definitely recommend the Italian restaurant though, 3 course meal very nice, only down side you have to pay extra for drinks. Don’t bother about the beduin night at the hotel the food is the same as the restaurant and you have to pay £6.00 each for it. The only good thing about this was the entertainment they laid on it was excellent and they got you involved. It was held in the beduin tent in the hotel grounds which is independent from the hotel they just rent the space there. They charge £5.00 English pounds for a shesha Pipe (recommend cherry) which is a rip off as you can go to a café across the road and have one for 80p.



There is a Metro that has opened up outside the hotel go there if you want to get any suntan lotion or bits and pieced, they don't sell alcohol get that at the airoirt or on the plain if you want the proper stuff.



The beach is fantastic and the water is warm but very salty. You can walk out for ages before it gets deep and is very child friendly. Definitely go snorkelling as the fish are amazing. (If you wear glasses you will be able to see the fish as the water magnifies everything). Go for a walk along the jetty and you can jump in and go swimming from there. We didn’t sit by the pool mainly because we could never get a sun bed there as we were never up early enough. (Breakfast at about 9.30ish and then on too the beach). I would say that if you get a drink from the beach bar the cups are not clean, they are washed out from the shower that is on the beach and this is probably a cause of our stomach upset. You can’t get bottled water from there either and can only get it at lunch time and evening meals from the restaurants. We would get 4 bottles in the evening and then take them to the beach with us in the morning and then get more at lunchtime. You won’t need to take beach towels with you as they are given to you when you hand your card over to the guys at the beach. The temperature was over 40 degrease every day.



You can hire electric bikes located down by the beach they cost £10.00 for an hour and you just ride backwards and forwards alongside the beach and the hotels, but you can only go so far on them. The kids will use them and will beep the horn continuously which can get annoying. You can also hire water sport equipment from Aquarius on the beach they are cheaper then the reps prices and well worth using.



The entertainment – what entertainment you have 4 First Choice holiday reps prancing around a stage making loads of noise trying to entertain people. The children’s entertainment lasted an hour and they did the same thing every night and the adult’s entertainment lasted till 11.00. They did bingo every night where you could win Egyptian money and they got annoyed if you made noise during them calling out the numbers. Your on holiday your supposed to have fun. Finlays Irish bar wasn’t very Irish at all and was really smoky. If you want entertainment and a little dance pop along to the Jasmin centre 10 minutes down the road (walkable) you get atmosphere there, but be warned you will be pestered by the shopkeepers. Don’t sign there book if they ask it’s a ploy to get you in there shop.



The shopping - If you want to go shopping I recommend going to Nama Bay and Old Sharm. The camel bar in Nama Bay is renowned, get a drink and watch the action from the roof terrace. Don’t bother getting the bus laid on by the hotel cost £1.00 each way use one of the blue mini busses outside. Just stick you hand out and get on, it will cost you 50p and will take you the costal route about (40 minutes) to Nama Bay and you will have a laugh as they will sing to you when they know your English. We went into Nama on several occasions to eat as the food was nicer than the hotel and was really cheap. Watch out for the shop keepers they are very persistent and will keep on at you to look at there shop, be strong and say no or tell them you have spent all your money and they will leave you alone, but be warned if you go one day and then walk past several days later they will remember you. Remember to hagle I loved it, but my husband hated it.



Trips – I would not recommend going on the shopping and dinner in Dehab trip, we were picked up at 5.00 in the evening took nearly 2 hours to get to Dehab and the driver drove like a mad man without lights in the dark. We got taken to 3 shops a gallery, jewellery shop and a perfume shop and had a sales speal in each one. No one wanted to buy anything and we just wanted to get something to drink and eat by this point. The restaurant was nice, but didn’t serve alcohol and you had to pay extra for chips and your drinks. IF you wanted sea food you had to pay extra for that too. There was 8 of us on the trip and we decided that we would stick together we also had a security guard with us that followed us around and made us go into shops that we weren’t interesting in going in. I would say don’t bother going on that trip.



Car drivers - watch out for the car drivers they drive around at night with their light off (saves the battery apparantly) and they beep all the time something to do with over taking.



The downside to this holiday was that both my self and my husband were ill with the dreaded runs 7 out of the 10 days that we were there. We found out after speaking with some other people that they had also had it. This wasn’t very nice and we had to be close to a toilet at all times. We took Imodium with us, but this did not help at all. I put it down to the cups not being cleaned properly at the beach and the ice in the drinks.



I will not be going back to this hotel and will not be recommending it to anyone soon. If you want to spend most of your holiday on the toilet than I would definitely recommend going.

Where do i start! What a...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

May 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs M Brewster

Comments:

Where do i start! What a nightmare .This was our 3rd visit to the resort in a year , 2nd visit the food was poor but our last visit it was absolutly ghastly, under cooked fish over cooked rice , steak that you did'nt know either it was a camel or cow . My husband who is a sea food lover and cook pointed out under cooked sea bass to the head chef ,He was told that the fish is imported in frozen from other countries , and sometimes they dont have time to thaw it out and they cant watch every portion of fish .from that day on they flooded our room with fruit and wine but to no avail.We lived in Mc Donalds and chineese .Second day in to or two week nightmare myself came down with the cairo bug , Hotel manager Mr Ali put it down to the swimming pool still suffering now. But the worst is to come !

Our 6 year old son who loves the water was severly burnt on both arms and needed medical treatment for 8 days , after we were sold fake nivia f50 suncream ,from the HOTEL PHARMACY!!!!!!!!!, There does'nt seem to be any law regarding counterfeit goods in egypt. Fags ,purfume,clothes,boozes, i often wounder was the big mac the real deal .

As none smokers we do not subject our children to a smokey envoirment but FIRST CHOICE seem to think that it is ok to do so , there was no outside ents for 7 days of our nightmare the reson being that NICK THE ENTS MANAGER was blown up by faulty equipment !!!!!!!!!!!!! bad weather!!!!!!, no mic's !!!!!!!!!!!! the list of piss poor excuses was never ending by FRIST CHOICE .We spoke to the hotel managment who seem to be only worried about the next plane in .MY FAMILY HAVE BEEN TO THIS RESORT 15 TIMES AND NEVER EVER AGAIN !!!!!!!!!PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS HOTEL .(DIRTY GLASSES,BIRD DROPPING'S ON THE FOOD IN THE MERMAID BAR)THE LIST JUST GOES ON AND ON .A lovely country being spoiled by greedy tour operators .After several emails with the manager Mr Ali he told us not to tell no one that he would give us a free hoilday ex flights ,but since then he has gone back on his word now no reply's at all !!!!!!!!!!!!!