Domina Acquamarine Pool Hotel

This hotel is set in enormous, beautifully landscaped grounds. It resembles a small village but felt extremely relaxing.
There were several shops, bars and an attractive souk built up the hillside. Little open air minibuses shuttle you around the site. Some of the accommodation is a long way from the beaches and facilities so it’s best to request a room close to the main restaurants/shops area.
The rooms were very attractive, air-conditioned and comfortable, decorated in a traditional style. My only criticism would be the slightly tired bathrooms. We appeared to be just about the only English guests, the majority being Italian and Russian/East European.
The entertainment was very much geared towards the Italians, which is understandable as we discovered the hotel chain is Italian-owned. We had a choice of three restaurants to dine in. There were several others reserved for the "premium" guests or available on paying quite a high supplement.
The food initially appeared quite good but inevitably with mass catering, buffet style food it became monotonous after a few days. Staff were very variable, ranging from friendly to disinterested. The hotel had several private beach areas, some areas reserved for timeshare/owners.
The sea was entered from the plastic jetties that lead you out past the coral straight into the amazing sea where dozens of tropical fish came right up to the jetty. Naama Bay can easily be visited by taxi a mile or two away. I would recommend bargaining with the taxi drivers who wait outside the hotel main entrance, which is some way from the reception building.
It will only cost you a few pounds whereas the hotel will book you an inflated price taxi. You can also flag down the public minibuses which pass down the main road and cost only about 10p if you are feeling adventurous.
I consider this hotel to fall at the lower end of the 5* hotels but is priced accordingly. Although it suited us it is not for British visitors looking to socialise with other Brits.