Grand Makadi Bay Hotel, Makadi Bay, Egypt
Hotel Information
Hotel Description:
Traditional in design, the well presented Hotel Grand Makadi Bay is set amidst lovely gardens and has its own private sandy beach. Peaceful and serene, this is the ideal retreat. The hotel is in a peaceful desert location just 50m from the beach and 1km from the local shops. Hurghada is 30kms awayNearby Hotels Viewed by Other Travellers
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Grand Makadi Bay Hotel Reviews
" This was our 2nd visit to the Grand... "
Submitted By: Mr M Hollyhomes" Our group of 17 people have just... "
Submitted By: Miss T Grant" Well just got back from the Grand... "
Submitted By: Mr W TomlinsonNow the food, had one good meal whilst we were there, the food was never hot, the meat and chicken were never really cooked properly - if you liked your meat rare you'd be all right. Even the meat in the lasagne was under cooked!
Entertainment, they had a beach party on Monday night, leaflets sent round to come and enjoy started at 22.30 - guess what, when you got there had to pay for your drinks no mention about this is not part of your all inclusive package, one big rip off.
I would not rate this as a 5* hotel going by the food and entertainment, stopped in Sharm last year food and entertainment was far better than this hotel and it was only 4* hotel. Will not be going back to this hotel.
" In total 8 of us travelled to this... "
Submitted By: Mr R P RowsonOut of the 8 of us two suffered S & D quite badly and couldn’t rid the issue until the doctor was called to prescribe drugs, the doctor was at your room generally within 1/2 hour of being summoned. The drugs put me back on my feet and my colleague within 1/2 an hour.
If you intend to go and you start the illness don’t persevere thinking it will get better because it doesn’t, it gets worse, so call the medic immediately. There were quite a few people suffering while we were there I would suggest 3 to 4 in 10 so be aware and it will take at least a day or two of your holiday, I got it twice.
The food all looks excellent but I would suggest that all is not quite as it should be purely down to the number of ill people on the complex.
The Staff were excellent and very friendly, watch out though they expect a tip and this will add costs to your holiday, they will hang around and sometimes this leaves awkward silences whilst they wait for the offer. I reckon the tips added another £250.00
Generally though the holiday and standard was good, I doubt we would return until they are able to assure us that all the hygiene issues are resolved. They claim it is down to the change in foods from what we are used to! Well perhaps it’s just not clean enough for the European pallet. Make your own conclusions. I wouldn’t want to put you off because it seems that most people enjoy themselves just be aware.
" My husband and I had a great holiday... "
Submitted By: Mrs S L ColeRooms at Grand Makadi are very spacious for two persons (we had a junior suite that sleeps 2/3 persons). Disappointed we did not have a balcony or terrace as such but the grounds of the hotel made up for that. They were stunning (gardens and pool area very looked after).
The private beach has plenty of parasols and sun beds. The sand is slightly harsh due to the coral in the sea so take beach shoes.
Also, if you want to swim or snorkel in the sea take reef shoes (these can be bought at the beach shop for £5 or at the shop between the Grand Terrace of Grand Makadi and Buffet Restaurant of Makadi Palace down a flight of steps, also £5 but more choice).
Staff there were very helpful, attentive and very polite. They could not do enough for their guests (for a small tip of course and they appreciate it very must considering the average wage is £20 per month). They accept British pound, dollars or Egyptian pound.
The food at the hotel you cannot fault. Plenty of choice and variety. The Caribbean was our favourite both at lunch time (no reservation needed) and dinner (reservation needed).
Try the pizzas in the Italian Restaurant at lunch time - yum! We ate once at the Lebanese restaurant which was very nice and we were entertained by a belly dancer. It was something different.
If you want bottled water, it's free from the bar at the Grand Terrace from 10am.
Entertainment was a little monotonous in the evenings but if you were adventurous enough you could venture into Hurghada itself. We were told by a few people who had not the bother.
You got a little harassed by shop owners trying to get you to buy their goods etc plus it was a little dirty. Nothing likes the Grand Makadi because it is spotless. They clean day and night.
Overall Grand Makadi is a great place to stay for some sun and relaxation.
" This has to be the most fantastic... "
Submitted By: Mr M CallaghanThe flight to Egypt and the bus ride from the airport had me a little concerned as to what to expect, not to mention the security barricade that sits in front of the entrance to the hotel.
When through this however, you are greeted with an oasis of palm trees and very well kept gardens. A completely different world to the one that you were in, when leaving Hurghada airport.
The hotel itself was fantastic, the reception area was impressively decorated and well air conditioned which comes in very handy, when getting a little to hot when on the terrace.
We had a junior suite, which was of a good size, with a massive bed; you could have gotten four people in it. The drink in the room fridge was not part of the all inclusive, however we drank from it every day and the final bill after 2 weeks was £98, which I was very impressed with.
I have marked this hotel as 9/10 as there is not much to do after sunbathing, swimming and taking part in volleyball, organised by the hotel. The Makadi centre was dead, stunning looking, but not what I expected. Beware of the perfume sellers, they get you in their shop, they will make a sale, and they are very good at getting money from you!
We were there during the world cup, so the entertainment and set up for the games kept me entertained for the two weeks, when it could have started to get a bit boring.
The staff are very friendly and if you tip well, you have a waiter for the whole holiday, if not the whole two weeks!
We took a day trip to Luxor and Valley of the Kings, which I would highly recommend.
Look out for the orange juice sellers at breakfast, it's not part of the all inclusive, would advise you to get your own, unless you want to pay £2, ok the first time, but not when you think it's free and have four or five.
On closing this was a great place to visit, however please be aware that it is very hot as a desert area tends to be.
Cheers.
" We got changed to this hotel last... "
Submitted By: Mrs K DickinsonMakadi Palace clean, staff cannot do enough and ample day and night activities from both hotels. Hotel gardens lead straight to private beach-many beach bars on the way.
All inclusive meant we could use the a la carte Mediteranean, Italian, Thai, Caribbean restaurants at no extra cost, also Discovery Restaurant and basic buffet. The Melange Restaurant was superb with chef cooking straight from the grill.
Nothing outside hotel, purpose built resort -but free shuttle bus into Hurghada daily from hotel-40mins.
All inclusive meant just this at this hotel, they certainly have the hang of it -some cocktails too are included along with the birthday cake I ordered for my husband for his birthday while we were out there.
Rooms cleaned 3 times a day. Pools and floors cleaned outside daily.
Recommend this hotel, we took my sister -age 12 it was her first holiday - She loved it.
" Our first week was spent on a... "
Submitted By: Mr S MorrisThe hotel is in a fantastic location and once you have braved the sharp coral the beach and fish are fantastic. You must buy a snorkel (£10 in hotel shop - although the price does tend to vary!!)
As others have stated the Palace guests can use our facilities but we can’t use theirs, did not really bother us but it did mean that the Grand was a far more busy/bustling hotel.
We could not fault the staff, their friendliness and service. We did not feel that they were only doing this for tips.
A couple of downsides - the lobby bar is not included in the all-inclusive and the evenings did get very cold for sitting outside. Beware when ordering orange juice, if you are not careful you will get brought the 'fresh' variety and then get charged £2!
The hotel is very picturesque but I would not say it is a 5 star, little things just let it down - smelly bathroom (although we were able to change rooms), shower head that did not slide up or down and French widows that you can un-lock from the outside.
In summary, we had a great time and would recommend this hotel.
" We arrived at the Grand Makadi after... "
Submitted By: Mr A.R. GaitI found the arrival well organised and the reception staff very courteous! With the use of good English (despite what I had read previously).
The hotel is beautiful and the location cannot be faulted, although the entry to the sea would be much more fulfilling and safer if a jetty was added as per some other hotels in the area. I found the staff in all areas very helpful without any of the huge hassle encountered during the cruise demanding cash for doing very little.
The biggest failing at the hotel was the food which I would consider barely 3 star, and the annoying aspect of the Palace guests being able to eat at the Grand and yet Grand guests cannot eat at the Palace!
Overall I would say the Hotel rated a 4 star and considering the price paid is excellent value for money.
" We had never been to Egypt or... "
Submitted By: Mrs M MoorsThe sister hotel Makadi Palace next door made the complex an astonishing selection of pool space and eating facilities, but we were told that from May 2006 the hotels are being separated so there may not be as much facility sharing after then. Check this out before you go as the fact that there were two hotels and both were only half full when we went added to the laid back, easy access to all restaurants and facilities experience. The one and only down point was waiters constantly trying to sell you the bottle wine rather than the free 'all inclusive' stuff.
The Monday night snake charmer on the terrace is a must! Would suggest you invest in your own snorkeling equipment before you go, a mask and snorkel aren't that expensive, as the ones available disappear pretty quickly in the morning. The access to the sea is very rocky and slippery and footwear is essential.
This costs about £5.00 when you get there or take your own. The complex is frequented by a large German contingency so an early morning start for the beach is essential, although space around the pool is not an issue! Finally must agree with the other reviewer that Rory was a great help when we needed him and didn't pester you with stuff the rest of the time.
We'll definitely be going back next year, probably early March as when we left on the 24th this year it was just about 95 degrees. Happy Holiday!
" Just got back from Grand Makadi and... "
Submitted By: Mrs N BurgessFirst impressions of hotel were fantastic which carried through to the rest of the hotel. The rooms and grounds were spotless with staff constantly cleaning thoughout the day. The Grand Makadi and the Makadi Palace are adjacent to one another and all facilities are shared. The hotel is located on the beach where the snorkeling is fantastic. No need to venture too far afield, plenty of sea life to see in shallow waters.
We went as a group of nine and booked three junior suites. The panorama rep was very helpful in accommodating our requests of sea view rooms adjacent to one another. The rooms were very large and spacious and the junior suite accommodated a family of four with plenty of room to spare. The rooms were cleaned twice daily and supplied with fresh bath and beach towels and plenty of bottled water. There was a minibar in the room with the average drink costing 25le
There were 11 restaurants in total all of which were of a high standard. You are required to book into the a la carte restaurants, Italian, Thai, Lebanese, which normally requires 12 - 48 hours notice. For those not so adventurous plenty of English food was on offer. Tipping was an essential part of the holiday where little and often was appreciated.
The staff were always very helpful and polite and very good with the children. The pool area, which was very large, was safe for them with life guards on duty throughout the day. There was ice cream available for the children as well as burger and chips, fish fingers and chicken pieces.
All Inclusive meant just that, breakfast started at 5am and snacks finished at midnight. You could eat and drink as much and as often as you wanted.
The excursions were excellent and there was no pressure from the rep to buy. The two day trip to Luxor is a must with a balloon flight over the valley of kings/queens. The day trip to Cairo was just that, leaving the hotel at midnight visiting Cairo museum, Giza pyramids and sphinx then onto a perfume factory arriving back at the hotel at midnight. Very long day but worth it.
Overall the hotel facilities were excellent and definitely worthy of 5 star status. Without any doubt I would recommend this hotel to anyone wanting a stress free holiday.
" Just returned from a fantastic... "
Submitted By: Mrs T BartlettYou have the Grand Makadi and The Makadi Palace next to each other and you can use the facilities and restaurants in both hotels.
The food in the buffet restaurants was probably worth a 3 star rating but the specialty restaurants were really excellent, but you do need to book or you wont get in, We enjoyed the Thai in particular but also found the Lebanese and Italian very good, there was also a good selection of snacky type eateries, serving pancakes, sandwiches, burgers etc.
The staff in the restaurants/pool/bedrooms were lovely and nothing was too much trouble for them and they would do whatever they could for you, as for the reception staff this was another thing, they could barely acknowledge you and were quite rude.
The pool areas in both hotels had many sun beds with big thick padded mattresses, and there were lots of them spare, with a parasol to every two sun beds.
One pool was out of action and we were assured before we traveled this would be rectified 2 days after we arrived, but that never happened which was disappointing but we used the pool at the Makadi Palace.
The hotels were both spotlessly clean the staff were constantly cleaning up and and tending to the grounds.
There is still a little bit of building work going on but not enough to be troublesome to you it never bothered us.
I would just say one comment, we traveled with MyTravel and the rep in the hotel was Rory what a rep... he was fantastic , very knowledgeable of the area and hotel and nothing was too much trouble for him, he treated you very special and very individual, and he was always completely truthful with you.
So in summary We will definitely be going to one of the Makadi hotels again, hopefully soon, the hotel is 5 star in appearance but not in the food quality, take small amounts of Egyptian pounds for tipping as they do get tips in £ coins but they cannot exchange them. My advice is to book as soon as you can and get the holiday of your dreams.
" Just got back from the Grand Makadi... "
Submitted By: Miss E MoranThe hotel is in Makadi Bay, which is a quieter part about a 20-25mins drive away from Hurghada. If you want a relaxing holiday this is the place to come to.
Staff were excellent very helpful, and the food on offer was outstanding as we went on AI basis!
We stayed in a junior suite which was very roomy and to a very high standard.
We weren't aware at the time of booking that the Makadi Palace, its sister hotel is on the same complex, which means that you can use the facilities at both hotels. There are 10 restaurants/Bars so there is a lot of choice, whether you want to go buffet style or use the al a carte restaurants and order from the menu. The Thai Restaurant at the Palace was our favourite and try the crepes in the afternoon at the palace pool bar gorgeous!!!
We didn't go to the bars, but there's 2 and I think one turns into a night club but think its all low key. You can use the AI in all bars until midnight apart from the Lobby Bar.
Hotel is right on the beach, we did find it quite windy but majority of the loungers have a wind guard around them so you can sunbathe fine.
Snorkelling was really good, your best to go on the righter side of the hotels beach... and if you wait till the afternoon the tide goes out, making it easier to get into the sea! Coral Reef and fish were amazing, make sure you've got a waterproof camera!
If you need a cash machine or need to use the internet the Meridian which is about 30 mins walk away on the beach (Right of the hotel) has these facilities, and its a really lovely walk.
We did a couple of trips while we were there... quad biking in the desert included a camel ride and went to a Bedouin village, and went to Cairo to see the Pyramids which was really, really tiring, but glad I went.
I'd definitely go back to the Grand Makadi again.
" My partner and I returned from a... "
Submitted By: Mr D CummingsThe room was fantastic with a high standard of cleanliness, we were in a room overlooking the island bar and pool the view from the room was breathtaking. Waleed kept our linen and towels changed everyday and tidied our room twice a day leaving bottled water on the pillows for our return from our sun worshipping. We did however have to get up at 6am every morning to put our towels out on loungers to beat the dreaded Germans and French!
There are 11 restaurants in the resort some located at the hotel grand and some at the Makadi palace which is joined to the hotel grand. I would recommend the Italian which we never needed to book as they don’t take bookings during quieter periods. The Thai restaurant in the island pool area was fantastic with authentic Thai chef's to give you the food you required. We were spoilt for choice whatever our food tastes were.
It was my birthday whilst we were staying in the hotel and on the day around 6pm a knock at the door was heard and there was a waiter with a cake and a card from the hotel wishing me a happy birthday with compliments from the management. This was a very welcomed surprise and it touched me that they would go out of their way to wish me a happy birthday!
There were only two things that let this hotel down and they were:
Number 1 entertainer (who we called "back to the dance" lady) who sang the same songs every night in the same order!!!!! For 11 out of 14 nights then she had a couple of days off!
Number 2 Hotel reception the guys on the reception were extremely rude, myself speaking German, was flabbergasted at what they say when they think you don’t understand them! They are extremely helpful to the German guests which make up 80%of the visitors to this hotel
We are going back though in Feb 2006 booked and cant wait!!








The rooms were cleaned daily and the beds were turned down every night. Out of all the meals we had we only had one bad experience and that was poor service in the Caribbean restaurant.
The Italian restaurant was excellent but remember to book the day before to ensure you get a reservation.
Overall be prepared for a nice holiday with friendly staff and loads of German guest and the odd Russian.