Holiday Reviews > Africa > Egypt > Sharm El Sheikh > Sharm El Sheikh Hotels > Maritim Jolie Ville Resort & Casino > Read Reviews
Maritim Jolie Ville Resort & Casino ReviewsPage 1 2
| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
your holidays .com |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs M Cohen |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
We just got back from a two week holiday in Egypt from 15 august to 30 august 2008
This was our family, holiday in our party was a male aged 40 a felmale aged 43 two males aged 17 and 23
This hotel looks quite impressive; it has a very large and beautiful reception area.
The grounds are well maintained with gardeners tending the plants and grass on a daily basis. The swimming pool is the best feature of the hotel its very large has a small water fall which you can stand under, the water is very clean and the pool is well maintained, the pool stretches over half the complex.
The hotels has a buffet dinner area which we did not use, it was quite over priced you can eat out in Nauma bay for a lot less with a lot more choice. The hotel did have a Italian restaurant and Thai restaurant. Both very nice looking but not many people went in to them it was a bit expensive.
The gym was very modem all in working order very clean and open every day from 9am until 9pm.
The hair and beauty department was very over priced but beautifully decorated. The rooms looked amazing and made you fill you were in a tropical spa.
The pool staff were very often not able to understand simple questions.
You would order food and it would not come or food you did not order would arrive at your table. The staff were always saying sorry but after a week of hearing sorry so often it got a bit tiring.
You may have to wait up to 15 to 20 mins to get served, they would avoid any eye contact and sometimes we would have to ask for a menu.
You have to check your bill as you may get charged for food that never arrived. And the reception staff, never have change so you always end up out of pocket 40 to 90 pence every time you need to change up money or pay a bill they never have small change this can amount up over a few days.
The hotels has a shuttle bus into Nauma bay every hour but in the evenings only at six o’clock and then at 10 o’clock , use this bus service if you can the Taxis are cheap but they will try to rip you off every chance they get, make sure you have the correct amount of change in money as most will say they have no change and drive off.
Be prepared to die each time you get in a taxi they drive very fast, they have their hand on the hooters all the time, there are two lanes to drive in but most Taxis can make 3 or 4 car lanes very easy while you hold on for dear life and keep your eyes shut, just hoping you get out a live, so only use a Taxi if you really have to.
The beach was lovely, so clean plenty of free sun beds with 3 new jetties as you cant walk into the see as you will damage the coral.
Do try some snorkelling its fantastic I had never done it before, its wonderful so many beautiful fish to see, the water is very warm and crystal clear.
Be aware the sun is so strong you need a very high sun cream or you will burn we took 50+ sun cream we got a great tan but did not burn, but saw lots of people red raw and in a lot of pain.
The men in Nauma bay can get a bit too much, they keep calling you trying to get you in their shops and won’t take NO for answer, even with my husband men would ask to kiss my hand, and want to touch you, I would never go out by my self but with a man by your side you should be ok. They have no respect for women at all.
Be strong so NO thank you and walk away without looking back, they will call you names then move on to their next victim.
You must do the quad bikes in the desert it was brilliant we saw the sun raise it was breathtaking, and very warm for 4 o’clock in the morning.
We saw belly dancers in the desert and had dinner with the bedwin people that was a real nice evening very relaxing the food was really good.
Overall we had a good holiday and would return as now we know what to expect, nice place interesting places, but some over powering people. Hope this is helpful.
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| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jan 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomas Cook |
| Submitted
By: |
Tedwood |
| Overall
Rating: |
2/10 |
| Comments: |
The first room we were given was so dark it was like the black hole of calcutta. The next room was not much better. The gym is full of expensive equipment which guests can use for free but the hotel make a charge for the use of the table tennis equipment!! We had bed and breakfast only but some guests were on half board and the food ran out. I would not recommend this hotel.
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| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jan 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked IndependentlyAirmiles |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss L Elms |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
This was one of the best holidays I have ever had ( and I have travelled extensively all over the world).
My daughter who is 3 and i travelled here alone, and had a wonderful time. The staff were so friendly and absolutely professional and so courteous.
My daughter was treated like a princess.
Apart from this the complex was ideally situated right next to pedestrian area of Naama Bay. The complex was kept extremley clean.
Baby pool with shade over it means children can use this and be very happy in 2 ft of water. Snoopy club is situated next to pool, here children have a park and indoor activities as face painting , drawing, tv with cartoons, they do also take chilfren between ages of 4 and 12 to play games etc and its open all day except for lunch time.
Gardens in hotel are well maintained.
Only thing really to consider is before you book is whta part of hotel you are staying in.
There is Sports area which is across a busy main road, quite however as rooms nestled in tennis courts and large salt water pool etc, or palm area more on the busy side of pedestriam area ( but i think maybe noisier) or preferential area which is basically rest of hotel. We stayed in Sports area and could not upgrade as hotel was full, but in actual fact it was fine. You have golf buggies driving you about if you dont want to walk, so thats good, and you are so well looked after by security guards etc who all took the time to find out your name etc, that each night we returned back to room from dinner, it felt fine. I could understand poeple with children not wanting the hassel of the road and being nearer the beach, so its just for you to consider.
I though it would be a problem but it was fine.
Taxi from airport can be organised prior to stay by hotel and cost 60 LE 0r $16 ( £8) but they will try and charge more as they did with me, using their prices chart and not being too bothered with the hassel i paid 144 LE ( £14), however going back to airport i was wiser ensuring he knew i was only paying 60LE. Its about 20 mins from airport and if you want less hassel getting ona coach thats going on many pick ups this is a good option also.
Food and eating out is cheap. Goods not so cheap, you obviously need to barter but thats when you will find you will get a bit of hassel. If you look they will be onto you!!
All in all a wonderful holiday, with great weather, even though chilli at night they are well geared up for it with patio heaters and blankets if sitting in the bars on sofas, it great.
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| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jan 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr I Matthews |
| Overall
Rating: |
6/10 |
| Comments: |
The hotel is in the best location and is clean and comfortable and is probably just a 3 star hotel no more. The service is effecient and breakfast is of a good standard with omlettes fried eggs and usual fruits breaks cakes etc.
Pool i snot small, however not exceptional and i would imagine get very busy in peak season. Room service was efficient and food pleasant though over priced as was the drinks.
entertainment very poor and the activity centre never had change or appeared to on the hope of additional funds for staff.
the rooms are well kept and the whole centre is very clean. I can only assume that the people that believe the need to use buggies do so as they are not mobile and found it easy to get about and would walk daill 5 min from pool to the tennis courts on the sports annex.
the key to the hotel is its location which is second to none for na ama bay and the private beach is again clean and the free use of towels a god send.
As for the resort we found it quiet at this time of year and very cold with the cutting wind and would recommend warm coats as most bars and restuarants are geared for outside and with too few patio heaters to huddle around.
I find the egyption leering at woman whether covered or not offensive and the constant badgering off putting in the resort.
As for food i would recommend "ok restuarant", the tavern for drinks not food, hard rock was good but expensive.
make sure to enjoy the sea life and try the lido hotel for romantic meals and great food once again dear but worth it.
Would I go back to the hotel yes ,but the resort or rather the local culture is something I find distasteful and so would not return
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| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jan 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Panorama |
| Submitted
By: |
MMcB McBride |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
We had the best holiday ever - the staff are very well trained and do not intrude on your holiday yet they are always available when requested.
I loved the idea of the buggy's that drove you from place to place within the hotel grounds as it is a big place.
The room was cleaned so well each day with any amount of fresh towels on request.
The food at this hotel was really good.
Thank you so much to the Hotel for giving me such a good first visit to your country.
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| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Dec 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Sekhmet |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
We recently returned from our 4th consecutive Xmas at this hotel; this time we didn’t stay for New Year but have done so before & agree with the comments by emjun about how much effort they put into presenting the evening.
Earlier in the year, we were concerned to learn about the refurbishment & wondered if it would be finished in time for our visit, or how intrusive the process would be if still ongoing.
I rang the hotel, prior to booking, & was reassured by our 2 conversations. Sure enough, everything was fine. There was still a little refurb going on in the “Seagulls Bar”, but we don’t frequent that part & it wasn’t intrusive.
Reception has been altered slightly but the welcome from the check in staff, the security guards, the pool bar staff & pool attendants was the same as ever & they all seemed genuinely pleased to see us again.
We tipped the bell boys with £1 coins on arrival – they certainly weren’t hanging around for a tip though; we changed quite a few coins back to notes for them on departure.
For the 4th year running, we had a quiet room &, for the 3rd year running, we had the rooms requested at the time of booking thru our travel agents.
We have interconnecting rooms, upstairs, in an odd-numbered block, down the side of the complex that is NOT against the town. We recommend that anyone considering this hotel asks for a room numbered 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27 or 29 in the “PREFERRED front palms, beach side”.
If you stay in “front palms”, you may be disturbed by the noise from the action in Naama Bay. If you stay in the annexe / sports side, you will be over the busy dual carriageway &, whilst there are staff driven golf buggies to ferry you around, it’s not ideal as the restaurants & beach are so easily accessible from the main complex.
If you forget something, it’s a long trek back from the beach to the annexe. If you stay in the rooms numbered as above, you will be half way between main reception & the pool area. The sports area does have its own pool & the 4 tennis courts are over there.
Our usual rooms had been refurbished since our last stay. Not a great deal of difference, except the furniture is a darker stained wood & there is a flat plasma screen TV. Our room is slightly larger than our boys’ & must measure about 21’x15, plus hall, bathroom & 2 balconies, so you get the sun at all times of the day. The boys’ room has only 1 balcony, but we were hardly in the rooms & with the interconnecting door, we had the opportunity to use all balconies anyway.
The rooms, pool area, grounds etc are always clean & kept spotless. The rooms are cleaned in the morning & then a man comes round at about 6.30pm to see if everything is ok & to hand everyone a small package containing a chocolate or mini biscuit.
The standard rooms we book have hairdryers in the bathrooms, complementary flip-flop type slippers, bathrobes, kettle & mugs. Strangely, there is no tea, coffee or sugar, but we weren’t bothered as the supermarket is only just outside the grounds & we soon bought some mint tea. I know that the sister hotel Jolie Ville Maritim Golf does provide the beverages though. We just brought the extra sugar packets, accrued throughout the day back to the room.
You are allocated a towel card each upon arrival; towel exchange is by the pool or on the beach. There is 24 hr room service & a Dr. on call 24/7.
One can hire an ironing board & iron from the housekeeping services; there is also a laundry service. We had a complementary fruit basket at the start of each week & a bowl of dried fruit & nuts & a large bottle of mineral water on arrival. We also had a small vase of fresh flowers every few days.
There is plenty of drawer / cupboard/ wardrobe space & a programmable safe. There is even a “menu” of pillows! One can choose from soft, semi-rigid, hard or very hard! This is all listed on a leaflet, saying, “Pillows a la carte”! The double bed is huge in our room.
If you’re feeling lazy, then simply ring reception & ask for a golf buggy to take you to wherever you want to go on the complex. Incidentally, it’s very flat, so ideal for buggies, mobility scooters & wheelchairs.
The view from the room is either parts of the complex, with the mountains in the background, or the side of Ghazala Gardens, next door. That bit’s not very exciting but we don’t go there to spend time staring from the windows.
We don’t tend to eat in the hotel much but have dinned in “Zigolini’s” (Italian) & “La Fleur” for New Year ’07 & like them both; especially “La Fleur”. We stay B+B but I don’t always bother with breakfast; however, the staff were absolutely fine & perfectly pleasant with us in the “Orangerie” (main buffet restaurant). This has themed buffets thru the week – Asian, Mediterranean, Egyptian, Swiss, Italian, Seafood, Italian again. The atm machine is outside this restaurant. There is a bank just outside the side entrance, under the Italian restaurant (“Zigolini’s”).
There are 2 “Happy Hours” on the prom; from memory, they are 12-1 & later / evening; worth checking into.
We tend to spend a lot of time around the pool; perhaps that’s a slight weakness on the hotel’s part – there is only one main pool area which includes a smaller pool for children on one side. It doesn’t bother us, but I would imagine that it can be very noisy & overcrowded at certain times of the year. From the pool to the beach, it’s only about 30 secs walk.
There was a new life guard / pool attendant this year; a very pleasant, smiley young chap, called Ramadan. He looked after us well & seemed quite surprised to receive a tip within the 1st few days. We also tipped him at the end. Two elderly Swiss ladies bought him some chocolate from the supermarket & he was delighted.
We tend to eat at the pool bar quite a lot & whilst it’s expensive as compared to some places outside the complex, it’s so easy just to laze around & eat by the pool. If it’s not on the menu ask, & the staff will try to accommodate. We took them some mince pies & tipped them daily & received excellent service. Look out for Hany – a cheeky chap, always happy, with a big smile.
An elderly Swedish lady fell off her sunbed one morning; I reached her 1st, with one of the pool bar waiters. I sat with her for about 20mins & ordered some water & non alcoholic cocktail; the staff wouldn’t let me pay after, cos I’d helped her; we found them to be a really nice bunch.
There were a lot more Egyptians this yr; a few German, Swiss, Italian, Scandinavian & maybe 2 or 3 Russian families at most. The numbers of Italians seemed to be down in resort too.
The internet access is near Seagulls & is 40LE for an hour, so it’s cheaper to go to the nearby internet café, where one can have a shorter time slot too. The hotel has 3 terminals, plus 1 billiards & 1 snooker, 2 large plasma TV screens in that room aswell.
There is quite a large library facility now in the “Seagulls” block. The gym area is bigger now, but didn't go in (near the spa). There are different rates for guests, visitors, & if you have a personal trainer.
The Jolie Thai Spa & Wellness Centre is new & although I fully intended to try it out, I didn’t get round to it; a perfect excuse to return yet again : )
The sauna & steam is free, the massages can be neck, head & shoulders, or legs & feet (both 30 mins each) or 50-80 min body massages. Prices range from $50, thru $85, up to $135. They also offer a 30 mins hydrotherapy experience. I saw 2 Oriental ladies in Jolie Thai uniforms, so assume its proper Oriental massage techniques. There is also a hairdresser on site, offering manicures & pedicures too.
On the last day, we had an extension in just our room till 3pm (we were collected at 3.10pm) & they didn't charge; never have in 4 visits. You have to go to reception & get your room door cards charged up with the extra hours as they automatically “shut down” at 12 noon & won’t let you back in.
Found out that if you decide you want a visa in resort (if you don't get one on arrival) the rep can sort that - sometimes within the same day, usually within 24hrs; you pay about £3 extra though. We did get ours on arrival; both queues for the $15 dollar kiosks were very long when we arrived, so we went to the Thomson desk & waived £30 at them (4 of us, working on £7.50p each) stating that as the silvery oblong things says $15 dollars on it, we were NOT paying anymore. They weren't happy, but we stood our ground & settled on £34 total, which is £8.50 sterling each; we don't take dollars with us.
Out of interest, I asked our hotel what their price is for the hotel taxi to do an airport transfer; it’s 85LE.
The hotel animation team (Italians) seems quite active; there is aqua aerobics every morning, Latin Dance class by the pool several times a week & a full prog. Of activities (like beach volleyball) is posted up near the pool. The aqua aerobics & dance class is the only time when music penetrates the stillness (along with normal sounds from folk having fun in the pool). The children’s club (Snoopy Club) is also near the pool area.
The hotel offers a wide range of excursions thru its Activity Centre, plus a variety of water-sports, parasailing, sailing, boat trips, tennis, table tennis, mini soccer, large outdoor chess & Subex diving centre. One can also rent bicycles from the activity centre & cars (!) from a desk in reception….that is if you fancy participating in something like a cross between Wacky Races & Mad Max! Leave it to the taxi drivers; there are plenty of them just outside the front of the hotel. We visited the Coloured Canyon thru the hotel & were delighted with the trip.
One can also enjoy discounted golf at the sister hotel, Jolie Ville Maritim Golf & Resort; hubby & elder son often do! There is a shuttle bus service between the 2 hotels as well as into Old Sharm. One can visit the sister hotel & use the facilities there.
The beauty of this hotel is its location. It’s right in the heart of Naama, yet when inside the grounds; it’s so private & quiet. The stretch of private beach is lovely, with view over the bay & it’s nice to stroll along the prom in the evening, watching the sunset.
If you exit the grounds under the Italian restaurant, you’re standing at the top of the T-junction, which is the start of the main pedestrianised shopping street in Naama – His Majesty, The King of Bahrain Street. There’s a supermarket to your left (on the left hand cross of the “T”) the duty free shop if you go along a couple of minutes to the right, Thomas Cook exchange if you begin walking down the “stick” of the “T” & keep looking left. After about 5 shops, you should see the sign for Thomas Cook.
There are a couple of chemists nearby. There are also 2 mobile phone shops on the left, one has internet access too; well worth investing in an Egyptian sim; check your phone is unlocked 1st though. So, you can see how ideally situated this hotel is; you’re moments away from all the bars & restaurants, plus the facilities that you need to make your holiday go that bit smoother.
Will we be returning? Yes, definitely!
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| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Nov 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
ittic |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs Monna Hilal |
| Overall
Rating: |
5/10 |
| Comments: |
I spent a good time there but the room does not deserve the rate I paid; besides I had BAD experience with there service staff. I can not recommend it as a five star hotel because it is not. And also it is not under the Movenpick anymore and I wonder why!!!
I am an hotelier, I studied hotel management including kitchen and stores, I work in the same career since 20 years until now, and I had noticed BIG BIG mistakes that a five star hotel should not have.
I am sure that the hotel will be much better if the management will change.
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| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Panorama |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss T Wild |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
Our second time to this hotel which is extremely unusual for us, and we found the service and hospitality exactly the same.
We were informed prior to departure that the pool would be closed for part of our holiday and were given the opportunity to change free of charge.
I must say that this did not bother us in the slightest, we have not once been in the pool nor did we want to at any time as there is the most beautiful natural clean sea right in front, why should anyone want to get into chemical filled water anyway?
The marine life is just amazing, don’t forget your mask and snorkel.
We ate in the Italian Restaurant a couple of times (even though neither I nor my partner like Italian food) because we found the filet steaks and minted lamb chops to die for! This restaurant has one of the prime panoramic views of Naama Bay, which is the place to be in the evening.
We hope to take our three children next year as more and more children are staying here and I am sure they would love the clear water exotic fish tank outside! Seeing the Parrot Fish, Stone Fish, Lion Fish is something quite unbelievable.
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| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Mar 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
MyTravel |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs J Ballantyne |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
Have just returned from 7 days in the sun at the Jolie Ville Movenpick. Slightly disappointed that we were on the sports annexe, which you have to cross the busy road outside of the hotel to get to, but the Hotel will send a golf buggy if you find the walk too much.
Not the Hotels fault though, as we had booked through Direct Holidays and this is where they put everyone unless you pay another £150-250 per week more. On upgrading your accommodation, so be aware.
The Hotel staff were extremely polite, helpful and attentive and even the Reception staff allowed us to use their office to obtain a important email. The Pool area, could do with a slight upgrade, but on the whole very clean and the pool staff were always testing the water.
Food was extremely good, we stayed bed & breakfast and went to a couple of the hotel restaurants in the evening. The restaurants out in the street were very good value and ranged from good to excellent.
Went on the Hotels evening excursion to a Bedouin Village, which was ok, but very cold, so take a jumper and a good pair of shoes to walk in. Also make sure you always take your own toilet paper on any of the excursions and especially when you are leaving to go to the airport, as the ladies that clean will hold you to ransom.
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| Board Basis: |
Room Only |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Mar 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss S Johns |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
The hotel was lovely, clean and tidy. Food in the restaurant was of an excellent standard. The swimming pool was awesome, and there were activities throughout the day run the hotel's animation team.
Plenty of chance for scuba diving, with 2 diving centres on the beach, right by the hotel.
The rooms in the hotel were spacious, with excellent bathrooms. The area was a short taxi ride to naama bay, where there were shops and choice and restaurants ( TGI Fridays, did lovely steaks).
All in all and excellent holiday, would recommend to any one.
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| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jan 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr G Thomas |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
It was only a short holiday, but it was superb. The hotel was stunning, with excellent food in the hotel.
The hotel had 2 scuba diving centres on the beach, which is a 5 minute walk from the hotel. The rooms were nice and spacious, with large beds, excellent bathroom.
With games through out the day, run by the hotel animation team. And a huge swimming pool, this is a great place for all ages.
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| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Nov 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Ms D Vegan |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
We booked B&B. On arrival we were offered to upgrade to all-inc. for 64euros pp,pn,
Which was not for us but may suit some people.
Our room was not luxurious but it was adequate and huge, as was the bathroom. There is a minibar.
In room tea making facilities are optional extra (45Ep per night). There was a TV, 40 channels, but very little in English. Our TV was only in black & white. This may have been a fault; we did not report it as we were not interested in Watching TV.
Fortunately, there were some English cartoons on TV in the morning to entertain our child.
The sea was warm and shallow. There were two play areas on the beach for small children (pre-school). There are 3 swimming pool areas, two of which are heated in winter. There is a nice cooling breeze from the Red Sea.
The hotel is surrounded by 3km of private beach. There are organised activities, such as beach volley ball, but you need to find it! There are timetables around the Hotel.
There is a kids club, with timetabled activities so you know where they are and what they are doing. You can leave children over age 5. The kid’s club room is very small, with one toilet - which I think reflects that it is not a big feature here. There are Camels on the beach, so you can have a ride without leaving the Hotel.
Cleanliness was outstanding in all areas of the hotel. You could never feel that the hotel was crowded, there is space and sun beds for every one.
FOOD. Breakfast was very good. Everyone should try the fuul and the falafel - traditional Egyptian food.
On site there is a buffet restaurant with a different theme each evening. We ate here once. 150Ep per head (children free - not sure age limit). There was very limited veggie choice.
The food was OK, but not wonderful - as you would expect in a hotel, mass catered buffet. We ate more cheaply in the hotel’s Italian restaurant; we did not try the Seafood or Thai restaurants.
The Spa on site was quite wonderful. This is a separate business, which you have to pay for. The surrounding were luxurious, we had pampering treatments of 2 and half hours costing 700Ep each.
As we were in our room before 8pm almost every night we can not comment on the night life.
One thing that often confused us: they refer to Egyptian things as Oriental, and what we would call the Orient they called the Far East.
This holiday is ideal for being lazy, days by the pool, and reading, playing board games and with very young children. Safe, simple and hassle free. Many people could be bored here. The main activities in this area are snorkelling and diving. There was kite surfing on the Hotel beach. There is also a golf course near by.
El Gouna: A new, small, up-market resort. All built within the past 15 years. English is widely spoken and is probably the main language used with tourists. Very safe, friendly and hassle free. It is like an up market, European seaside town, (not 3rd world).
There are no beggars; no bartering; no litter on the street; the building are all freshly painted.
There is a simple shuttle bus service around the resort - only 2 buses routes and their total journey times are about 5 minutes! You buy unlimited travel for the week for 15Ep. Or if you prefer to get a taxi - again, all the prices are set. Anywhere in El Gouna 10Ep, airport or Hurghada 100Ep (approx. £10).
There are a variety of restaurants covering international cuisine. It would appear that generally you could dine for the equivalent of £10 per head or less. We ate in the Moroccan restaurant one night.
There were a number of veggie options on the menu. The food was quite pleasant, edible but bland and unexciting. If you don’t like spicy food, you do not need to be cautious of eating in here.
The Indian restaurant had a very limited menu with almost nothing vegetarian. Our favourite was the Lebanese Cafe next to the Foul House.
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| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Panorama |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs M Phillips |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
We almost cancelled this holiday, due to bombings in Egypt again - Wow are we glad we didn't. This is by far the best hotel we've stayed in. Not only is it beautifully laid out and maintained - all the rooms are spread out in separate 2 storey buildings with max 2 rooms to a floor - so no noisy guests returning in the wee small hours waking you up banging doors!
But the staff are wonderful! They are so friendly and can't do enough for you. We came away with several offers of individually guided trips to Cairo etc. Although we didn't try all the restaurants, those we did - Beach BBQ, Italian, and ice cream parlour were fab.
Far and away the best food we had. Pool and beach were spotless and I liked the fact that you could walk into the sea and see the coral, as I'm not a great swimmer. You don't even need to snorkel, as you can see the fish all around you. Plus you can go over to the golf resort anytime (the free shuttle runs on time!) and there you'll find a lazy river and another beach area with much more coral, though you need to be a bit more confident as you can't just walk out and it is really deep. We will definitely be back!
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| Board Basis: |
Half Board |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Airtours |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs GA Foster |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
My husband and I have just returned from our holiday to Egypt staying at the Jolie Ville Golf in Sharm el Sheik.
It was a bit horrendous at the airport and although we were only 20 minutes away from our hotel it took us over an hour and a half to get to it on the transfer coach. Very, very tired when we arrived and I might add not looking very fresh.
We were greeted by a lovely man on reception who immediately apologised for the delay (not at all his fault) and made us extremely welcome at the hotel. We were immediately upgraded from a deluxe room to a full suite which was lovely, sea view, two rooms plus kitchenette, two loos a huge bedroom and bathroom etc. Much appreciated.
The facilities at the hotel are superb, lovely little spaces to relax by one of the many pool areas, the lazy river is lovely. A lot of visitors don't realise but if you turn left outside the hotel you come upon the most amazingly huge modern swimming pool. The pool staff even come round with cool towels for your head with ice cubes in, bring drinks to you and wait on you hand and foot if you want it.
The Ascot bar - we had a drink in there most days and the barman in there is lovely.
There is a shuttle bus that runs down to the Naama Bay area, the only problem is they don't run on the hour. If you catch the 6 o'clock one down it's still very, very hot in the Bay and I think if I remember rightly the next one is not till 10 o'clock.
We only had one complaint. And I am really sorry to have to mention it but the food was not all that good, it was edible and breakfast not too bad. One day we were a bit late and did not get into breakfast till 10.30 (its supposed to be on till 11) and everything was cleared away, no bread, just coffee and a hard boiled egg was on offer. One night we were a bit late for dinner and there was nothing left, it had all been cleared away or was in the process of being cleared away.
Also there is no entertainment to talk of and the staff tried to charge us tax for sitting outside on the terrace to eat because there was a man bouncing up and down on a drum (the entertainment). I refused and was immediately told not to worry about it and the charge was stopped. So basically if you want entertainment there isn't any and you would have to go to Naama Bay.
My son and his girlfriend were staying at an all inclusive down the road and we spent the day and evening with them - basically the hotel was not as posh as ours or as relaxing in the day but the entertainment was superb, the food was superb and the staff great.
To sum up - the hotel is fantastic, staff fantastic, beach area fantastic (although a bit of a trek and loads and loads of steps) and we cannot fault the cleanliness, friendliness and overall style of the hotel. Just unfortunately the food and entertainment. Me being me would ask "why is my hotel not full" whilst the all inclusive (with entertainment) is buzzing just down the road and I think the answer is clear - go all inclusive and make a lot more money!
All in all though - a sincere thank you to all the hard working staff you made our holiday! Owners and managers - sort out your food and entertainment and you'll be laughing.
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| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Panorama |
| Submitted
By: |
ysabelle |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
Fabulous hotel, extremely clean.
Food excellent - all staff very courteous - nothing is too much trouble.
Beach is great with good snorkelling opportunities.
However, it does get extremely hot as the month changes to June - literally 40 degrees plus - almost like someone had flicked a switch.
Fab time, met some really "nice" people too. The Jolie Ville Ice Cream is an absolute must! Enjoy.
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