Iberotel Aquamarine Resort

Recently returned from Aquamarine and had the best holiday!! Prior to going was worried after the bad reviews but from the moment we stepped into the hotel our worries had gone. Checking in was quick and our room was of an excellent standard with pool and sea views. It was large and had 2 showers, a bath and seperate toilet. 2 double beds and decor immaculate with a large balcony. Wherever you decide to eat the quality is excellent and a wide variety of snacks inbetween inc chips, pizza, cakes, ice creams etc. You have the choice to eat at either the buffet, pool or beach restaurant plus another 4 a'la carte restaurants to choose from. We mainly ate in the buffet restaurant. The bars were excellent inc the lobby bar, blu bar, beach bar, pool bar, shisha bar and discoteque! All offering a good variety of cocktails and drinks. There was entertainment every night. The pools were large and 2 were heated and it never a problem to get a sunbed either by the pool or at the beach. The sea was a distance out but didnt cause us any problems as we decided to go on a snorkelling trip which we booked with the hotel's dive centre which was an excellent day out and great value and a must to do. It costs £35 and included a trip to Giftun Island and 3 snorkelling stops, a large buffet luch and drinks, we were also lucky to see wild dolphins on the trip, all equipment was inc. I would highly recommend this. The staff were excellent, so friendly and couldnt do enough to make your holiday as special as possible, they do not look for tips. I will definately be going back to this hotel again.

We spent a week here after having a week's Nile cruise. We didn't know what to expect as a couple of the earlier reviews were less than complimentary, and chose not to tell my 86 yr old mother who was travelling with us. Having only been open for a few weeks there were a few teething problems such as the lack of WiFi, and the method used for booking the A La Carte restaurants, but on the whole the hotel information is fairly accurate. However in one area the brochure description is completely lacking, and that is as regards the on going building works around the hotel. We had a room overlooking one of the pools, and were very pleased with it's outlook, however if we had occupied a room overlooking the building sites on either side of the hotel we would have been less happy. The hotel was full during our stay with approx 1300 guests, but because of the fairly large grounds, it didn't appear too full. There were plenty of loungers available, and some nifty early towel placement ensured a prime spot. The buffet style main restaurant was noisly and crowded at peak times, but eat either a little earlier or a little later, and it was much quieter. We found the quality and choice of food provided to be excellent, and the hygeine standards seemed quite adequate. The A La Carte restaurants provided a different dining experience, the food was good and freshly prepared. The waiter service made a wellcome change and was very attentive. The booking system needs tweaking, and I wonder if the hotel may start charging in the future, but we found it to be a wellcome and enjoyable change from the buffet' Our only disappointment with the hotel relates to the sea and snorkelling or rather the lack of it. To be honest we weren't expecting much but it met our worst expectations. The beach is really a mud flat at low tide, and at hight tide stretches for 200-300 metres at no more than 2 feet deep before the reef/pebbles make an appearance. This makes swimming impossible, but obviously might appeal to families with young children. There is deeper water to the left of the beach where there is a deep water channel into a small marina, but overall there is little if any easily available quality snorkelling available. We took a day trip on a boat and enjoyed a good day, visiting 3 different snorkelling sites, but it would be too costly to repeat on a regular basis. Finally a mention for the staff who looked after us very well, and in particular went to a great deal of trouble to help my mother. Would we stay again? No, mainly due to the lack of snorkelling, and our preference for smaller hotels. Would we reccommend it to others? Yes when the hotel is completed and fully functioning.

Returned last night. Good value for money, very accomodating friendly staff, generally good service, good food, nice bar areas. The a la carte restuarants are good but it was difficult to get reservations, they are currently looking into changing the booking system. The hotel has lovely decor and furnishings in the public areas. Our superior room was large and lovely but the outlook was disappointing as it faced the unfinished additional building and unmade grounds, however, there was no noise nuisance from this area during the time of our visit. We did try to change rooms and were eventually offered one on day 5 but as we only had 2 days left, didn't think it worth the move at that stage. Other guests who were staying for 2 weeks did manage to change their rooms. There is a basic small gym with running machines and steppers, which is functional. There are a few shops near the hotel and within 10 mins walk there is a larger selection, but the surrounding area in general, is desert land and partly completed buildings.

so we have just arrived back from staying here at the aquamarine and what a stunning hotel it is! we didnt have a great start we arrived to check in and informed them that we had up graded our room to a swim up suite which they seemed to acknowledge and they gave us a room number and we then played hunt the room as no maps of the hotel and no one showed us or gave directions! after about 1/2 hour we found someone who showed us to a room on the 1st floor! so again we went back to reception to explain that we had upgraded and i may add this isnt cheap!!!! we were told the famous words "take a seat and i will be with you in 5 minutes" ! after reading reviews i knew that these words meant nothing so i went up to the desk where i was then told to go get a drink and chill! as you can imagine this wasnt going down too well after a long journey! we finally got given a swim up suite though it was at the back with a view of a building site! though at this point there was no building work in process! the safety deposit box had no instructions on how to use it and we were not shown on arrival in our suite though they did arrive in the 2nd week after numerous phone calls to reception to come and open the safety deposit box as it kept breaking! (there was a fault on it) the suite was beautiful and nice and big it consists of a lounge then a corridor with wardrobes and a bathroom with a seperate toilet there is no bath but a huge walk in shower which seriously you can live without a bath for a couple of weeks!!!!! the bedroom had a nice flat screen tv and a huge kingsize bed which then led onto the terrace which had a gate and fence around then the pool which you shared with the other guests in the row, though we never went in our pool as the sun was never on it and by the 2nd week they had started building and the dust around there was terrible. The grounds of the hotel are amazing and even though it will be a huge complex eventually not too many steps to walk up and down. there are so many swimming pools though i would say you have to get up early to get a sunbed as by 9 am they are mostly saved by towels though they do state no sunbed reservation! (yeah right!) The staff at the pool bar are amazing and so friendly and you can get lunch at the pool bar which is mainly snack food like burger and fries and pizza but its a nice change from the buffet. the buffet is good but can get a bit of the same after 2 weeks but then again so can any buffet we didnt try any of the a la carte restaurants as you have to book a day in advance and the que for the reservations was always long! the waiters and bar staff made the holiday they were all so lovely and friendly and appreciated the english with our politeness! a please and a thankyou goes a long way! i have never seen so many rude people in one place the russians dont know manners in any form! the lobby bar is breathtaking and the guys who work in there are fantastic and will bring you your drinks to where you are sitting. the evening entertainment is very poor though the facilities are amazing but then again its a new hotel so they just need to find their feet! the dj for the disco i think is stuck in the 90's and they do cater more for the russians but then again they are the majority in the hotel! at the moment there is no spa and shopping facilities though there are limited shops outside the complex after a short walk would i reccomend this hotel??? hell yes!!!

We have just arrived home from a truly wonderful holiday. I am very well travelled and we previously stayed in the Hyatt regency in Egypt to give some idea of my level of quality hotel. We paid about £520 each including flights for a week all inclusive and feel it was very good value for money. The hotel is very impressive with an amazing blue bar next to reception that was beautiful and relaxing to sit in. There are 4 or 5 bars in total all with lovely relaxing views of the pool or the sea. If you are going for a clubbing English type holiday then this is not for you, but if like us you want a family holiday with warm friendly staff then its perfect. The staff were so concerned that they looked after you that you felt very special. So far there are 5 evening restaurants that are open these are a main buffet Asian, Lebanese, Fish and Italian. You need to book all except the main buffet at a desk in reception before 10am for that evening meal. I strongly recommend doing this as like all the all inclusives I have been to just going to the buffet is boring for every night. On our first night our room was a little too close to the disco but after speaking to the Management they moved us the next morning to an upgrade with its own swim up Pool. I recommend being friendly while complaining as you get a much better service. There is still some work being done and once finished the cost of a holiday will Double. This never affected our holiday. I went expecting the worst after reading some reviews and was very pleasantly Surprised

This hotel is half done (No Wireless Yet For 1). We're honestly easy going people but this hotel isn't good & having been to Egypt 5 times there's far better for the money. The plus points I think are that it's new and that's it, other than the pools nice. 1. No easy access to the sea as the tide was out during the day, which meant a 10 min walk in sticky sand - we gave up and turned back. 2. Night entertainment was very poor or more like non existent. 3. The food choice was poor there's more on the menu at your local pub & mostly cold 4. No Internet or wireless 5. The mini bar £3.50 for a can of juice 6. The shop next door is just as bad 7.The sea view room was a joke, I could see a spot of sea in the distance 8. I've been all over the world and have to say the shop people are very intimidating and seem to be desperate to sell they block your path - it's horrendous 9.There is no table service in the restaurant, everything is self service 10. I think we were the only British people there, mainly Russians. 11. You need to be up at 8am to get a bed at the pool all are booked with towels for people that appear at lunchtime.

We arrived home last night after a weeks stay at this hotel. It is not finished and therefore lacks many of the facilities you would expect from a 5* resort. The only thing that is worthy of a 5* rating is the decor. On arrival there were no resort maps or information, no idea where things were or when they were open. There is as yet, no shop, no gym,spa or sauna. We were unable to obtain a wifi signal. The cabaret shows are non existant. The entertainment team quite often forgot to repeat some of their announcements in English, so we were left not knowing what had been said. Our room was large, with a huge uncomfortable bed. The bathroom was really a shower room(No bath). It was kept very clean, as was the whole resort. Everything was very spacious, Sunbeds, beach, and dining, never felt cramped. The hotel rooms are only 3 stories high, so for the majority a sea view is not available. When paying for a superior room, you get extra lounge space, which we never used. What really lets the hotel down is the food. The choices on offer are adequate not fantastic. In the main restaurant and the chinese, the food is only luke warm, sometimes cold. I can understand why some people have complained of stomach problems, food left at such temperatures is a health risk. We never suffered but perhaps that is because we were careful only to eat the hottest of food. If I were to go again then I would eat in the Italian every night, it is the only place that offered a hot well served meal. The beach is a very course sand, plenty of sunbeds available. The water is too shallow to swim and there is not an array of marine fish as there is in Sharm. The hotel provides lovely beach/pool towels. There is no need to take your own. At this time of year the sun rises early but loses its heat at around 3.30pm, it gets dark at about 5.30pm. Take some warmer clothing for the evenings as it did get a little chilly.On a final positve note(and being British) the hotel provides the best cup of tea we have experienced abroad.

I just came back from Aquamrine resort, I must say i had a nice week in Egypt, but I expected more from the hotel. my first impression was the lobby, we arrrived at night and it looked magnificent with all its chandeliers and so did the bars(especially the blue one) by the lobby. We were given a room in a newly opened part of the hotel. it was a big nice room on the ground floor but it didn't looked completely finished and very superficially worked out. It also had a nice view of the construction site nearby. So we reconsile ourself with the room, but there was a cricket singing all night long under the ceiling in the hallway of the room, so we weren't able to sleep at all. In the morning we urged at the reception about it, to people came to look but nothing happened. So we changed our room. the room that was given to us was much smaller than the first one, was on the other side of the resort on the second floor and looked on a children playground and also on the other construction site. The next thing that I must complain about was the room cleaning. It was firmly done, but never before 4 pm in the afternoon. The food in the main restaurant was ok, but very average. Not for a 5 star hotel. Almost alll the people I was travelling with got the food poisoning including me. I was obliged to even take the antibitoics becasue of it and it still isn't ok with my stomach. The pharmacist told me that I' ve got some bacterium and that is very common for tourists to get one. The next thing is the beach. It looks nice but you get bothered all the time by some "divers" who wants to sell you their trip to coral reefs. The sea is unable to swim in. You need to walk for 500 meters in the shallow waters to really come to the sea and when you do so you figure out that there is a coral reef and lots of sea urchins ahead of you. But htere is a nice snack bar on the beach with friendly stuff. The pool area is huge, but the deepest pool is only 1,20m deep. The pools are being heated now in "winter" and are crowded with mostly russian kids. All in all is a nice resort with a potenial when all the works are done. It is also worth to mention that thre aren't many Russian guests yet, but lots of Scandinavians which makes a place nicer to stay in. The stuff is pretty much friendly, except of the reception, and they do their best, but everything flows much smoother if you tip them for everything they do.

not a good experience at all.. we recently got back from a stay at thw Aquamarine.. It seemed they really rushed to open.. and it's a pity, because it seems to have potential.. From the moment we made the reservation we had problems.. We booked over the website, and while it took our credit card, and charged it for the entire stay, It never gave confirmation. We tried to call the hotline, no answer, EVER.. We tried to call the hotel directly, no answer.. Finally after several days, we were able to get through to the hotel, who assured me "all is fine, it sometimes happens, dont worry, your reservation will be here".. Still without confirmation, we contacted the hotline again, and spoke with a man who told us he would look into it, we received an email from him, stating, "everything is fine, your reservation is here, I have fixed everything" Arriving after a long overnight travel, and checking in at about 630am, we were told to "please have a seat" (the favorite phrase of the reception staff, be ready to hear it A LOT!!!) They finally tell us they do not have our reservation.. and if we would like to check in, we will have to pay again.. It took us an HOUR, in an EMPTY lobby to get checked in.. Finally, after 2pm, they got it worked out.. Everything looks ok on the surface.. but when you start to look, the building craftmanship of the the hotel is not well done, for a new hotel, I wouldn't expect gouges in the wall of my room, and mildew in my shower already.. and the grounds could be much cleaner, There was garbage outside of our terrace the whole time that was never cleaned up. Food- It was ok, other than getting food poisoning, and spending half the trip in bed, with severe vomitting and diarrhea.. there is alot of choice in the main restaurant, but a lot of it seemed geared towards the Russian travellers. You do have to watch a bit, as it does seem that food sometimes gets "re-used" Especially the rolls, which were normal on some days, and progressively got more stale.. There were only 2 other restaurants open when we were there, my husband tried out the Lebanese grill, but said that almost everything he ate there, he had already eaten in the main restaurant buffet.. We wonder if the Italian restaurant is the same.. The good thing is you can get food almost all day.. you certainly wont get hungry.. but I think the "all inclusive" drinks are a bit stingy.. My husband ordered a glass of wine from one of the bars, and it seriously came 1/4 full.. and the all inclusive drinks are ONLY available from the outlets (bars, restaurants) in small cups.. you only get one small bottle of water in your room for the stay, so basically you cant drink from 10pm until 7am, and you must leave your room to do it.. which was not convient for me, being 7 months pregnant, in 99° heat .. We had to walk down the road to buy "extra" drinks to drink in our room.. plus when my husband went to a manager in the main restaurant, and explained that his pregnant wife was quite ill in bed, and could he please bring me something, I was allowed a stale roll.. nothing else.. The front desk staff needs more training, everything is waiting there.. They had my son's passport for what should have been until the afternoon, we didnt get it back until the end of our stay.. When we asked for a bit of a late checkout, we were told, "ask again tomorrow evening", then "ask again the morning of checkout" finally, we were told no, which is understandable, a bellman showed up at 11:45 am to get our bags, we werent ready so he said he would be back in 10 minutes.. We called 2 times for them to pick up luggage after that, no one ever came, my husband finally went to the from desk to check out, an hour later he still wasnt back.. when I finally got all our luggage lugged to the front, he was still checking out!!! I asked him if it was busy, it wasnt.. they just gave the "please have a seat" after 30 minutes, he saw they still werent working on it, so he went again.. only to be told to "have a seat".. More than 1 hour to check out of a room, thats already been paid for, but we couldnt have a little bit of a late checkout seems a bit rediculous to me.. and then to top it all off, they couldnt figure out how to give us a reciept.. that took even more time.. Maybe after they have some time, to get organised it will be better.. I can say the one thing "5 star", was the housekeeper, Islam... He was the best!!

I've just returned back from there, it was a very nice experience , actually i was hesitating before booking there as it 's some thing new and I've no feedback from there. but i was not disappointed at all. the hotel is very nice , beautiful and clean. once we arrived (me , my wife & my 3 months child ) we had a warm welcoming , fast check in and a cold welcome drink. They have updated my room to a small suite , it was very nice , clean and large enough for our luggage , a beautiful view from terrace . The buffet breakfast was very nice , you can choose to have your breakfast indoor or out door over the pool view , the weather was very nice. breakfast buffet starts from 7:00 to 10:00 am The buffet lunch starts from 12:30 to 3:00 PM , the buffet dinner starts from 7:00 to 10:00 PM , you will enjoy your dinner also out door in a romantic view and some lite music. I didn't try any of the a la carte restaurants but there are 2 or 3 ( Italian and Lebanese ) that is what i remember. The all inclusive service over the pool/sea from 10:00 am to 5:00 PM , you can have cold / hot drinks , ice cream , fries , pizza and small sandwiches . The staff were very helpful and caring from the restaurant , pool and room service. If you are looking to swim in the sea , you will be disappointed as the sea there is not for swimming there are many rocks and plants for about 500m also the water height is only 30 -50 cm , after that I'm sure you will enjoy diving and coral reef , if you wanna enjoy wind surfing it would be the right place. The 3 big pools will keep you in the mode , you will enjoy you time relaxing over the pool. The lobby is very nice and the hotel gate at night is marvelous. I can tell you it was a very nice experience and i can assure to you a nice stay specially in the soft opening and every body will take care of you if any body has a question , please ask , you are welcome.