Rehana Sharm Resort

Returned from Rehana Sharm Resort on Monday 29th October 2007.
This hotel is definitely not a 5* hotel as stated on the internet. I believe that Egyptian Law states that a hotel must be on the beach to have 5* status, however, to access the beach from this hotel you have to walk about twenty minutes and cross a main road. The promised cool tunnel is not open or even finished.
I believe the hotel that is being built across the road under the Rehana name will be the finished 5* but will not be finished until late 2008. The rooms are really nice but on arrival I was expected to share one double bed with an 18 year old a 15 year old and a 9 year old. I complained and was moved to another not so nice room, this time with two single beds.
The hotel staff brought in two sun loungers from around the pool and we just couldn't move.
The hotel manager said he would move us to an executive suite but when we arrived at our room again we just had one double bed and it was not an executive suite. I was brought two sun loungers for my two eldest children and I shared the double bed with my 9 year old. I was promised two single beds for the following day. The following day I received one broken single bed and was told that there weren’t any more single beds until the following day.
I never got another single bed and my son slept on the sun lounger for 11 nights. I never got the broken single bed fixed either. I complained everyday to my rep and the hotel manager but to no avail. Every family I spoke to have the same problems as me.
The general hygiene at the hotel is poor. The bar staff only swill glasses out under the tap and you can taste the drink that was in the glass before.
I did get clean towels everyday and toilet roll (which you need as everyone gets deli belly).
The hotel room floors are tiled but they are not cleaned for the duration of your stay. The food gets quite repetitive. The children liked the Italian and you can get your drinks from the sister hotel, Prima Life. You don't have to pay for anything at Prima Life unless you use their restaurants. This is charged to your room. You do have to sign for your drinks at Prima Life but you don't have to pay for them.
Be very careful if you walk around on your own in the dark. I was there in October and it went dark by 5.30. We had two incidents with staff and they were both dealt with by the management.
On the up side... it was half-term and the hotel staff did say they were overbooked. Both my children and I met some great friends. The kids loved the slides and the eight pools.
We went on the submarine but we didn't get the submarine as advertised. We had a cramped old submarine without air conditioning. If you stayed in Prima Life you went on the same bus to the sub marine as everyone else from Rehana, but Prima Life guests went on the air conditioned submarine with swivel seats and plenty of room.
Prima Life is definitely the better of the two hotels. Plenty of Russians and Ukraine’s holiday at this resort so be beware! The Egyptians don't like them. The animation team worked really hard (Russian) and my kids thought they were great although there was a slight language barrier.
Although we had some bad experiences with the staff the majority are great... but beware!

This hotel has a long way to go before it reaches 5 * status, I would rate it 3. This hotel is being sold in the UK as a 5 star but the tour operator Wings Tours in Egypt and the management of this hotel openly state it is only a 4 star.
The hotel itself all looks lovely but as for the rest of it… the food - terrible very little choice nothing is labelled to tell you what it is etc. Thankfully we had left our children at home but if you are taking your kids good luck as they prepare nothing for them other than a separate dining area within the main buffet.
The choice of drinks soft or alcoholic is terrible even if you want to buy a branded drink it’s not available. It states that mineral water is included in the All inclusive at this hotel and foolishly I assumed this meant bottled water! Apparently its mineral water but you can only obtain it in a small plastic cup from a covered dispenser, supplied across the bar, Not in sealed bottles.
Oh and the air conditioned tunnel that leads you directly from the hotel to the beach is not operational until next year at the earliest. Unless you don’t mind a 25 minute walk to the sister hotel and across then forget it.
We also noticed whilst we were there that hotel is very much catering for the eastern European market rather than the brits, we found the Russians and Ukrainian guests very aggressive.
If you have stayed in any 5 star hotels around the world and are used to a certain standard then you will be supremely disappointed with the quality if this hotel, even allowing for different standards/ratings in countries.
We stayed in 4 hotels in 7 days not very relaxing! The Royal Plaza in Naama Bay which was 10 times worse than the Rehana, the New Aqua Park Hotel which was a pleasant 4 star; great if you have kids and finally the Calimera back down on Nabq Bay by far the best out of the 4.
I am currently pursuing a claim with ABTA as I was mis-sold the rating of this hotel, and the facilities that it provided and no one informed me about construction work that was taking place behind the hotel and to the pool whilst I was there.
I had been advised that the special offer was due to this being a new hotel wanting to encourage UK bookings. The new hotel is still being built in front of this one!
I loved Sharm and will be going back next year but not the Rehana or the Royal Plaza!

1 reader found this review helpful

Hello to all who want to know.
Due to the amazing prices being offered in England for this hotel and the (claim) of it being a 5 star hotel which it is not, there are 80% British and 20% Russian. All nationalities in the sister hotel Prima Rehana.
The hotel, and the wonderful kept gardens and the amazing pools, waterfall and Jacuzzi and water slides along with the hot sun makes it look and feel like a 5 star. If all you want is to chill by the pool and join in a few activities you will be happy happy.
Unfortunately everything else is not 5 stars. This is due to the hotel over booking. Especially the week I went being half term. They expect a family of 4 to cope with a room and 1 double bed. They did say they had ordered another 50 single beds to arrive next week but this did not help the poor families with children having to sleep on the sunbeds that were for around the pool. This of course made a shortage of sunbeds.
If you were not at the pool by 6am you would have trouble getting a bed. Plus they ran out of towels daily. I advise giving the pool attendants a £5.00 note and they will save you a bed daily. Wrong I know but the only way.
I could never get a coffee cup always hanging around having to wait for the dirty ones to be cleaned, badly, using their water with no soap or wipe over. So came back with scum on them, the same applied for the glasses. Had to drink lager from a wine glass or vice versea and usually no glass and unclean. I did not get a bad tummy but I think I was lucky to be honest.
I suggest you hold on to a coffee cup and your glass and wash it yourself and keep it all week. But beware as they collect glasses quick and you may lose it.
Food is OK but cold and repetitive, after a week you will do anything to get something different. Go the Naama bay, lots of choice Hard rock cafe is great.
The staff will do anything for you once you give then a tip of say £2.00, 20 Egyptian pounds. But they are only human and the hotel is over booked.
If you are a couple or like me a single mum and my son you will be OK for your room. Nice clean and plenty of space, and mine was cleaned daily. I recommend not having rooms 800s and 900s, as they are smelly and noisy and have no view. 700s, 600s, and 500s are best I think. Any more than 2 in a room and you will struggle for a proper bed. Maybe.
I think and hope the hotel is learning from experience as the big bosses were called in and things were improving even when I was there. I can even say that if the reviews started to improve I would go back.
Mosquito's are bad. You must not chance it, (wear jungle repellent) as soon as the sun goes down. Or you will get bit and it will itch like hell and if you scratch they become infected and bad. Please listen to this, as I am not exaggerating. Jungle works. Buy it at least 3 bottles and spray all over every night. So what you smell like the itching is unbearable.
Egypt is lovely the weather is hot but a dry heat so not sweaty. Tiring but easy to chill. All the trips are fantastic and well organised. Especially any diving or snorkelling. The beach to the hotel is not far but no tunnel as stated. Take beach shoes and as long as kids are helped to enjoy the shallow Coral they will love the beach also. Snorkels are a must. The snorkelling boat trip is best.
Rumours of the hotel not being opened in July 2007 are not true. There is a hotel over the road being built but that is another new Rehana going up. I know this one is new as the couple who stayed in the sister hotel last year said the hotel was only half up then.
This hotel looks like a 5 star but is a 3 star but has potential. You will be looked after well by the staff if you tip them and if you are not happy with anything you must complain and they will try.
Try and keep an open mind. I am very brown and well relaxed but I was a little conned into thinking this is a 5 star.
I have so much knowledge of the hotel please does ask me anything I may have not mentioned. I will answer honestly. Questions can be asked on the holiday watchdog forum.
Amber.

My boyfriend and I (19&21yrs) stayed at the Rehana Sharm Resort in Oct. We arrived by taxi (Which we got ripped off! he charged us £20 and it only should have been around £7).
When we arrived at the hotel we were greeted by reception who had orange juice for us! (Just what you need after a 5 hour journey). Our suitcases were taken and after checking in we were taken to our room.
The rooms were very clean and the view was amazing (pool and partly sea view) Big open shower in bathroom.
The people were very friendly, although the Russians are very arrogant and they seem to take over the whole hotel!
The pools weren’t that clean and the food is rank! Eating out is good though and cheap.
The people outside the hotel were nice but they do try and get every penny out of you!
Quad biking in the dessert is a must although I crashed as the Egyptian man was going so fast but he then slowed down for me! £800 Egyptian pound (£80 for 2 people)
Overall it was a good holiday and I’d recommend it for a week, I felt 2 weeks was a bit long.

We were sold this as a brand new hotel - which it is not. From talking to locals and staff the new hotel is across the road and is not even near complete yet! It is not 5 star but nearer to 3 star.
You are lulled into a false sense of security when you arrive as the reception is very clean, modern and comfortable. However when we reached our rooms it was clear that this was not a new hotel. The rooms were comfortable (although we had to change ours as our view looked out onto a wall and building site and was very small) but not very clean. It was clear from the decor that this was not a new hotel as the tile grouting was poor and the furniture definitely not new. Even the sunbeds and parasols had seen better days with just a few new ones dotted about!
Pool areas were only cleaned once whilst we were there (1 week) and not really very well. The pool was never clear and we all had stomach problems - my husband the worst sufferer.
On the positive, side the staff were friendly and tried their best - there were just not enough of them. The food was pleasant and the entertainment was good apart from constant loud music every day at the poolside which meant it was hard to relax.
With more staff and cleanliness however I am sure this could be a much better resort. I do not believe it should be sold though as a brand new hotel when only the reception area is brand new.

Hotel was stunning, staff were brill and really helpful. There are 3 very large pools which are all clean and have pool bars.
There was lots to do in the daytime with the entertainers (aerobics, belly dancing, aqua aerobics, water polo ect) also in night good acts.
Food was absolutely crap , they don’t cater for brits at all, if you don’t like they're food there's no choice and nothing else around.
Bar staff were really good and friendly. Rooms were lovely and cleaned daily.
Its only 15mins taxi ride away from Naama Bay and 10 mins to the airport.
Overall fabulous hotel with really friendly and helpful staff but we starved badly as we did not like any of the food choice.

Hotel Rehana Resort in Sharm is actually a separate hotel to Prima Life Rehana, although they will merge shortly and almost everything is free, the only issue is some restaurants are exclusive to each hotel.
In 3 months the hotel will have an abundance of restaurants and facilities and the Resort end is very new with additions whilst we were there.
The rooms are fantastic and the staff where friendly.
No pressure to join in and very good with serving you quickly.
The beach is typical for a resort in Egypt but will benefit when the cool tunnel to the beach is finished and the hotel expands across the road.
The only downsides are illness which 1/2 our group got even whilst being very cautious and avoiding tap water etc.
The other issue was with the Naama Bay area, the main part was fine but getting there was a real nuisance having to pass people desperate to get you looking in their shops almost aggressively... don't they understand that if you don't want to look you certainly won't buy.
Hygiene of staff was a small problem, it's not too nice to smell the staff when they are serving you food.
Also be aware that you need to get a price for taxis before setting off they will rip you off if not... they believe all English people are wealthy, one friend was asked where he was from and what job he did before trying to sell him tablets for £35 he got that down to £10 which was still a rip off.
Overall great holiday just a few annoying bits to take the edge of it.