Taba Heights Marriott Beach Resort

I can't believe that the previous reviewer stayed at the same hotel as me & my husband! We arrived on 25th July and recieved nothing but excellent service throughout our 2 week stay. Perhaps if you are always looking for problems then you will always find them? We took pictures on the beach & were not threatened by any armed guards (who surely are there for our safety?), we did the trip to Cairo & the guide was great, not angry towards tourists, the food was of a very good standard and not entirely repetitive - we always enjoyed our meals and liked to different themes - it is a buffet, not al acarte but still of v good standard. Yes, there is another hotel being built nearby but I do not remember there being any smoke blowing over or noise etc. It's not as if the hotels are really close together. The watersports place was a short bus ride away which was provided for free and we felt the prices were fair, windsailing was offered as well as other sailing - perhaps the other reviewer didn't read the info correctly. I was very surprised to see that they said that the pool was dirty - it most definately wasn't, I was in it every day and it was great. The spa was very easy to find, I simply followed the signs for "The Spa" and I found it. As we were on honeymoon we were upgraded and recieved many additional gifts such as free massages, romantic meal for 2, heart-shaped cake and other little personal touches throughout our stay. We were constantly commenting on how polite, friendly & helpful the staff were - even the armed tourist police outside the hotel! To sum up, we had fantastic service, accommodation and it made our honeymoon, I'd definately go again!

The hotel food was poor, unappealing and repetative. The Peltour reps were always too busy smoking to be of any help, with their mobile phone always off. When we were threatened to hand over our camera for taking holiday shots on the beach, no-one was availible to assist, the pressure that we felt, we felt we were being 'watched'. There is a construction site next door for an extremely large hotel and the noise, dust and fire smoke blows over regularly, we should certainly been advised of this. It felt very unsafe and we went on several tours, as it was the only way out of Taba Heights, one to Cairo being the most concerning as the tour guide although educated to a degree level held alot of anger for the tourists blaming them for the past!! Only two days after our trip to Cairo the city was bombed. Our trip was rushed at Giza as the Russian president was due and the site was being closed for him, so we only had an hour there instead of the whole morning, we wern't informed of this before we left. I will advise people not to go to Taba as even walking along the beach is limited, due to signs and armed guards. The red sea coral views are poor for snorkling and we could not find the spa facilities at all. The grotto was nick named "grotty" as it was. There was a public bank holiday whilst we were there and clearly witnessed the different levels of service from the staff. The rooms were basic, not what I would expect from a five star luxury hotel.The pool was dirty and smelly looking like it was never cleaned. The watersports were availible however you could not walk there as you couldn't walk on the construction site next door, they were expensive and limited to snorkling and diving, no sailing was availible and if you did go on the boat for a dive day you had to take your passport!! On our return trip to the UK, fellow travellers comented on the same infact one couple were so annoyed that they checked out, other fellow travellers whom stayed at the Sofital and the Hyatt were also agreeing with our comments so generally alot of unhappy people who would not go again Altogether an extremely stressfull holiday I would not recommend anyone to go to Taba Heights and in light of the recent bombings in Sharm, not to go to Eygpt at all.

Thanks for all previous comments, we selected our holiday based on your feedback and thoroughly enjoyed the week. I can highly recommend the Marriott and Taba Heights for families and watersports lovers. I could write loads, so have focussed on the kiddies. Taba Heights (45 mins from airport) is a new and slowly developing resort with very little other than the 4 hotels, Waterworld, desert and dramatic mountains. Eventually there will be a lot of greenery, golf course, shopping plaza’s, bar’s and restaurants. We were there during the Sharm bombings, but felt very safe as Taba Heights is a low-rise, spread-out resort with good security and no large public places (yet). It is 25 minutes from Taba which was targeted in 2004 and 100 miles from Sharm. It was perfect for the children, aged 8 and 6. Temp was 46 degrees, children kept hats and cover or factor 60 on at all times, including in the pool. There is no humidity and a pleasant, constant breeze. Very few insects and no mozzies. Nearly everyone had a mild upset tummy, but guests put this down to the July heat as it was certainly not linked to the hotel or food, which are of the highest standards. There is a doctor onsite 2 hours a day, but recommend taking some Immodium and basic medicines anyway. Marriott is only 3 years old, so the facilities are excellent. Our spacious room contained 2 x king-sized beds and modern bathroom – all spotless. The staff were extremely friendly with the children – they anticipated our every need and nothing was too much trouble. There are no other shops in Taba Heights, so prepare well and take everything you’ll need. There are a couple of souvenir shops at the hotel which sell essentials – prices are reasonable. The main restaurant serves a very wide choice, so you’ll always find something nice. Soups and fish are excellent and there is a vegetarian and children’s section with pasta crisps and hotdogs etc. The grotto bar by the pool makes excellent lunches with burgers, chicken wraps and good ol’ chips. We increased our water intake (1.5l bottle is about a £1). There are lots of other English families, so friends are made easily. The pool is 1.2M throughout with a large knee-high toddler area in sun and shade. Kids loved the caves, waterfalls and waterslide. The beach is safe and shallow and there is playframe. Snorkelling is fantastic, in shallow water with an abundance of brightly coloured fish and coral (take water shoes). Equipment and buoyancy vests can be hired. There is a kids club and daily beach games, but we didn’t leave the kids there as it wasn’t like the Club-Med/Mark Warner day care where they get sports tuition etc. For older children, the facilities at the nearby Red Sea Waterworld are fantastic - free shuttlebus every 30 minutes. Our children went parasailing, banana boating and on the snorkelling boat trip. Our 8-year old was old enough to have her first Scuba lesson. There are Hobie Cats, waterski-ing, wakeboarding and a vast range of other watersports available – all very competitively priced. A bar, restaurant, beach with sun loungers and glass bottom boat are available for family members that aren’t so keen. We didn’t take any trips, although there was a good choice. Cairo was 5 hours each way on the coach which we didn’t think the kiddies would enjoy. Hints for adults. You can charge everything to the room at the hotel, so you'll only need cash for Waterworld sundries and tips. Take a wadge of 10 Egyption pound notes which is equivalent to 1 English pound and be ready (and willing) to start tipping everyone that helps you from the second you arrive at the airport. Coins don’t exist in Egypt. We love our wine and couldn’t manage a single glass from our first bottle of Egyption Rose. Agree snorkelling at the nearby Hyatt is fantastic. Try the diving too – there is a range of dives for everyone inc the full PADI course – prices are keen and the tuition is excellent. At the end of the day, when the kiddies have flaked out, you can enjoy a free movie from one of the movie channels (good selection). Night entertainment is very limited, so forget this resort if you are a night-bird. Hope this helps – have fun!

After staying at a fantastic 5* Marriott in the UK, I booked a holiday in Taba and expecting a similar calibre of hotel, again booked a 5* Marriott. I was very disappointed with the level of service and have to say that most of the staff were mediocre, some were good and a few were VERY RUDE! I don't expect or like staff to kiss up to me but I at least expect them to be polite, it is a 5* hotel after all! The half-board restaurant was OK but very busy and the tables were dirty. A few plus points: The a la carte restaurant is good and the service there is excellent, the rooms were clean and well presented security was tight and the beach was lovely. However, I wouldn't recommend this hotel - try the Sofitel or Hyatt.

Have just come back from a weeks holiday at the Marriott. I'm not normally the type of person who can unwind quickly but I was so chilled after just a day at the Marriott it was great. The hotel and in particular the staff are fantastic. If you are looking for a relaxing sun kissed holiday you cannot go wrong here especially at the prices! I paid £320 for a weeks half board - the temperature didn't drop below 40 degrees and I didn't see a cloud all week! Although it is hot, it is very dry heat so very bearable, especially with frequent dips in one of the most stunning swimming pools I have been in! I read a lot of reports on this website about the hotel before travelling and some complained about the food. Although it is not what you would expect from a 5* or maybe even 4* in England the choice is second to none. Breakfast offered anything from Continental to 'Full' English (Egyptian style!) with pain au chocolate, cold meets, cheeses, cereals etc etc. We were rather cheeky and took some bread and meat for our lunchtime sandwiches as well! Dinner were also very good with a wide selection offer with some themed nights thrown in as well. Drinks were the same price as the UK (which is probably expensive compared to the rest of Egypt) however if you made good use of the 2 happy hours you could get quite merry at half the cost! My only slight disappointment on the holiday and this is me being picky was the beech. It is man made with a 4ft wide strip of 'rubble' protecting it from the sea which you have to walk over to get into the water. The sand is also quite gritty. However having said that there are not many places in the world with a reef 20ft away that provides an excellent snorkelling experience. Managed to see a Lion fish and clown fish! Booked my holiday through Lastminute.com and went with Peltours who were very good as it turned out. They offered lots of excursions for those not wanting to sit by a pool all day! Will definitely be going back when work gets on top of me again!!

Then this is the place. There is nothing in Taba Heights bar a handful of hotels, the beach and the sea. This is the kind of resort that you come to to do aboslutely nothing, sit by the pool, swim, snorkel, dive, read a book and just relax. There are plenty of cheap deals to entice people to this new resort which has planning for another 20 hotels in the coming years. We went in July and it was HOT I got a tan simply by sitting in the shade! The hotel is fantastic, the staff are so friendly and helpful, sit by the pool and they will serve you morning until night. The pool is amazing really large with caves and waterfalls to swim through (all man made of course) and a swim up pool bar. The half board option is good value, plenty of choice at Breakfast and Dinner times with traditional offerings to simple salads and pasta. There are three other restaurants to try out at lunchtimes all equally good. The hotel also has a spa with treatments, jacuzzi, gym etc and if you go you must have a Thai Massage by a lovely lady called Naya. I would only say to go for a week unless you really could sit and do absolutely nothing for two weeks as like I said there is nothing else in Taba. Tour operators offer excursions to Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh, Moses Mountain and even Eilat.

Me and my partner picked up a one week half board package, upgrade to sea view for under £300 PP. What a fantastic deal, the staff where friendly (ok a little slow but that is the way of life out there) Beach was clean, Room was clean, Food was good enough (although not to my taste - but I am fussy) but must say if I wasn't fussy the selection was brilliant. Cakes for desert where lovely. Drinks soon add up but same in most places. VERY HOT - drink lots of bottled water, stay out of the sun mid-day!

Just returned from a week at the Marriott in Taba Heights. The package was excellent value for money. Not so , the drinks at the hotel which are very expensive. Local wine is dreadful , and expensive, don't try it. Security is good, all vehicles are checked on entry to the hotel grounds, and all bags are searched. The hotel is well maintained and clean , with pleasant staff. Food is buffet style, but generally is well presented with a good selection. The pool area is great for children and only became busy at weekends with Egyptian and Israeli families. Sandy beach but pebbles make access to the sea difficult so take shoes for the beach/sea. Excellent swimming, shallow waters with a small coral reef just offshore. Taba airport is 40 minutes away from the hotel and small making arrival and departure relatively painless.

Having read many mixed reviews on Taba Heights, my husband and I decided to go anyway and see for ourselves. We stayed at the Marriott Hotel and simply cannot praise the Hotel or its staff enough. The holiday was absolutely perfect in every way, the rooms were immaculate and the resort was the very best ever, the food was good but best of all was the staff, including the Captain, who ran the restaurant with military precision and professional courtesy. Inappropriate footwear in the sea resulted in a minor cut to my foot, which was immediately and professional attended to by Poolside staff, later followed up by a visit from the local Doctor - all carried out smoothly and efficiently. A day trip to Jerusalem including a 'float' in the Dead Sea was the icing on the Egyption cake! We shall certainly go again!

This place is great. The facilities are excellent, clean, well-maintained and not too crowded. The location is wonderful, with aquamarine sea and granite mountains encircling the Gulf of Aqaba. If you're a picky eater or just want burgers and chips, forget this place, but if you love a large buffet with local and mediterranean food, you'll be in heaven like I was. Some folks have commented on the price of drinks. They're like UK prices, but when you consider what a bargain the place it and that it's in the middle of the desert, it's not so bad. If you're on a budget, bring snacks/drinks with you. Also, bring rubber sandals, shoes or flip-flops as the edge of the seashore is a bit rocky under foot (you can get these at the resort). 4* hotel with 5* staff. I went on my own as a woman and had a completely hassle-free holiday. Bear in mind that you're in a muslim country, so take a long skirt or trousers and something to cover your shoulders for trips to places like Cairo. Bring small denomination US dollar/Egyptian pound notes for tipping as the staff never seem to have change for larger notes. You can travel to Petra in Jordan for the day, but bring dollars for your border taxes. Bathing topless - many women were doing it, but personally I think it shows great ignorance and arrogance for the local culture. I'm quite proud of my bikini marks. There's a pool bar that you can swim up to, but you have to duck under the waterfall first. I'd definitely recommend this for singles, families and couples who want to get away from it all, read some good books, eat well and re-charge the batteries. Organised nightlife is not really present, but one of the bars has a disco/dancefloor. I expect nightlife is not too lively but that's probably due to the lack of numbers of tourists. Bring a pack of playing cards if you think you'll get bored. Also, happy hour is from 5-6pm at the bar next to the restaurant. You can sit out in the balmy warn evening breeze looking out over Jordan, Saudi and Israel whilst sipping a pineapple pascha. Our rooms didn't have hair dryers so if you are one of those folks who has to style their hair before going out, pack one just in case. Staff supplement their income from tips, so don't be tightwads.