Reviews of Crowne Plaza Resort Hotel, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

worst holiday ever !!

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2008

Tour Operator:

Other - Please Specify

Submitted By:

andy b

Comments:

supposed to be 5 star but should bre rated as 2-3 star reasons :-

had to queue for 10 minutes for all meals canteen (restaurant)always ran out of cups, then would run out of tea/coffee. food was very poor quality.
supposed to be all inclusive sold as that but hotel only operates "I wish package " which is a con, only certain times for snacks and drinks (local) still had to queue entertainment too late for young children and outside the package time.
the only good part was the accommodation which was clean and tidy. I have been to Egypt on a number of occasions and a good holiday but I would never stay at the Crowne Plaza ever again

Crown Plaza - Sharm

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2008

Tour Operator:

Travel

Submitted By:

Hazel 22

Comments:

If you are reading this trying to choose where to go on holiday please take my advice - Don't go to Crown Plaza in Sharm if you want to save money by doing the all inclusive option - IT IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE!!

There is only one resturant you can eat in with the All Inclusive, it is no where near the pool or the beach and the food in there is far from good.

The hotel itself is beautiful. The rooms are all very clean and tidy. It's location is fantastic - right on the red sea, the snorkerling is amazing the staff that are diving instructors are all very nice, but I found most of the hotel staff rude and very unhospitable - especially the ones in the main resturant.

I would go back to Egypt but would never stay there again, If you however want to loose weight go there - I lost 5lbs!!!

We looked at all the other...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2008

Tour Operator:

hotels 4 u

Submitted By:

Mr M JENKINS

Comments:

We looked at all the other reviews, decided No, looked at others which we then decided they all had the same complaints, so booked it anyway.

The hotel itself is super, beach, facilities, rooms, cleanliness, Hygiene (&i'm in the catering business)... But i brief this is how it went.

From the airport got on the prearranged "Resort Hoppa" mini bus with 2 other couples, pulled up at hotel, driver couldnt get the luggage off quick enough before pulling away... yes you guesed it with some of our luggage, called despite the hotel staff not carring or giving a damm with no help... and guessed it again, never did get it back!



So not a good start... Room great just what we asked for, Mininbar is poor only get what its in when you arrive (want more bribe the male Maid) A.C works great as does the TV. (Sky movied & Sports)



Sun beds not a problem , yes the Italians run this hotel in their Rude attitude, just give them as good as they give you!



The beach/swimming is far better than most other hotels



The downsides.... Food is a disaster, you can tell from the amount of Mc Donalds that is delivered into the hotel.. yes you can do that!



Im not kidding when I say boring food and Breakfast Lunch & dinner Pasta!!!, Ok Pasta not bad but believe me after day 2 you have had enough. No desserts, or nothing you would chance to eat, it may suit some, but majority I will say after speaking to people on the way home..NO!



Didn't hear of much sickness, one person said she eat everything but paid the price daily!!...



With two small children we thought we done well not one of us ill.... that was until we got back. We have been back 10 days and each of us are still sick or going down one by one, I'm now off work (due to being in Catering I cant work) and my little one off with sickness, doctors say Virus, which in fairness could had been got anywhere in Egypt.



Would I go back NO... not anywhere in Egypt



Did I enjoy the holiday? Yes overall, but not with a family or a blonde wife!

I quite agree with the previous...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

hotels4u.com

Submitted By:

Mrs S Whatnell

Comments:

I quite agree with the previous review i was their at the sametime with the same comments about the poor food and all inclusive(not at all). The food was appalling and you had to buy food elsewhere. You couldn't access any spirits only local beer(froth!) or wine which was drinkable. Everyone was ill with tummy bugs and had to buy antibiotics and cramping pills from the pharmacy we still have it and are now on more antibioitics to kill the bug off. Th e htel looks amazing which you can't fault it was the hotels4u.com that need to be faulted as the management team showed us their contract and it now was not all inclusive so this is false advertising back in the UK which i thought was illegal and we shall be complaining further with regard to this matter. I spent money confirming flight details and the rep is the least helpful rep i have ever encountered and told us a time they would pick us up with two small children. They never arrived so we had to flag a taxi down and arrange things ourselves. We have stayed in old sharm before in a smaller hotel and the service was excellent with no complaints at all. My family and i were glad to get back it was not worth the money we spent getting their.

We were sold an all-inclusive...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Fleetway Travel who used Hotels4u

Submitted By:

Petrafyde

Comments:

We were sold an all-inclusive holiday by Fleetway Travel who had used Hotels4u to book. It was classed as all inclusive and the documents we received by email confirmed the status of the accommodation to be 'AI'.



Following two previous visits to Sharm El Sheikh, on an all inclusive basis we were fairly confident of what to expect -- well, we thought we were. Since booking and travelling though, the descriptions have been changed on both Fleetway, and Hotels4u websites to include the restrictions that the 'all inclusive' package that the hotel DOES NOT offer, which caused us and many, MANY other travellers from all over Europe much upset.



We chose the Crowne Plaza following intensive reading of what we were booking. It was to be our honeymoon and when we complained later, we were made to feel as though we were just another stupid English couple who hadn't read the small print.



The hotel does NOT offer an all inclusive package for alcohol, ie: unlimited local spirits wine and beer. You may have the one beer they offer (Sakara) and either white, red or rose which is particularly repugnant but you do acquire a taste for when you realise how much it costs to buy the other drinks you would normally expect for free on an all inclusive package. Two weeks on that awful Rose though is enough to turn even the strongest tum, I fear.



The alcohol was the biggest bug-bear for us in truth, we have three children and totally intended to enjoy ourselves at night-time with that bit more freedom we were allowed. I spent ten days intermittantly ill and am just recovering from awful bouts of cramps and 'pharoahs revenge'. My husband suffered the same, but we're a fairly happy-go-lucky couple and appreciate there can be many factors which cause this. I found to my dismay the lager was the cause of mine, which meant if I wanted anything alcoholic to drink I was allowed wine, wine or wine *sigh*. As a result, we spent a good few hundred English pounds behind Seville Bar over the course of the fortnight. We do intend to take this further, and if the people we became friendly with do as they said they would, I can see there being a bit of an uprising against travel agents who we feel are mis-selling holidays to vulnerable holiday makers.



The hotel itself is of average 4 star quality. Quite nice presentation, good standard of cleanliness and the food is exactly as would be expected. Typically Egyptian buffet. Regardless what anyone else says, the chef and restaurant staff work very hard and food presentation is always of a high standard. Yes -- it gets extremely repetitive, but it is flavour-some and always offers one style of rice, potato, and pasta. There is usually beef or chicken and fish on the menu and outside La Veranda restaurant they cook in the open air (Kofta, Lamb, Fish, Chicken etc) which is usually very nice.



There is always plenty of fruit. Dates grown by the hotel are served daily and whilst grapes aren't on the menu too often, there are usually apples, watermelon, figs etc.



Desert/pudding is wide and varied. The Egyptians have a flair for presentation and know how to make the cakes they provide look absolutely delicious. In all fairness, some of them are delicious, but don't expect all to be as tasty as they look!



If you are on the 'I wish' (and we did!) package, and not the ultimate I wish, then you will be expected to pay for local spirits. Water is not offered by the bottle unless you choose to pay, and the hotel make it quite clear that if you leave the area with an all inclusive drink they've poured for you (each bar has limits to the area) then they can and might just charge you for it.



As honeymooners we received absolutely no recognition -- apart from a plate of fruit given by housekeeping on our seventh day. We had previously contacted the hotel after being told by several people that we would be made to feel special but they either forgot, or couldn't be bothered. Another honeymooning couple (who also spent the holiday with cramps and toilet runs!) received a basket of mouldy fruit, apparently.



Eventually on the tenth day we were invited to an exclusive cocktail 'do' organised by the management. We wondered if it was because the hotel had realised how let down and upset we all were, and only found out when they got there that they don't invite those who display their feelings in the form of a complaint(we had been relatively quiet)!. It was a totally snobbish affair which explained in full the elitist attitude some of the staff (particularly those at reception and frontline management) displayed towards those on such a meagre package (I Wish). Oh the irony. Of course, no complimentary spirits were served.



After the cocktail event, we were finally given two bottles of complimentary water per day, I think the person we spoke to (administration office manager if I remember correctly) mistook us for yet another stupid couple who hadn't read T&Cs. He seemed to become annoyed because we could convey our points easily, without shouting. Our argument was a legitimate one, although I did wonder if it was because I as the woman did a lot of the talking at the end, when he strode off angrily.



This review is long and quite personal I know, but the frustration we both feel at the ruin of honeymoon because of some over-zealous travel agents desperate to make a few thousand pounds no matter what the cost to the holiday-maker is tremendous. It's more than just a bit of free booze, it's the principle and we've been let down.



The hotel visitors are Arabic, Russian, German, Italian, French with a few English. When we arrived the visitors were predominantly Russian, when we left the balance had shifted to the Italians. The ignorance of the Russians is widely noted and some staff members struggled to conceal their own upset at the lack of manners and bad treatment they received from some of the same. I feel I must point out though, there are bad people from every country -- different cultures have different ways of doing things and if you keep an open mind and a smile on your face as you thank the staff gratefully for the excellent service they DO provide, you'll be rewarded in kind.



Cleanliness is good. Food is average egyptian buffet fare and suited us fine. Waiting staff are marvellous in the majority.



Overall the holiday was mediocre. Its sad putting it into a nutshell like that, but that's it. Due the treatment we received from certain individuals in the Crowne Plaza Sharm, we shall not be utilising any Crown Plaza hotel again.

Apologies for the long review,...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

May 2008

Tour Operator:

Alpha Rooms

Submitted By:

Miss N Wooding

Comments:

Apologies for the long review, but I wanted to write this for the benefit of those people thinking of staying here (and in Egypt) for the first time, as we were new to both. Reading this review in its entirety may save you some heartache. :)



Sharm El Sheikh marked my first foray into Egypt, and my first holiday in over 6 years! I was really looking forward to a well deserved break, and so myself and company chose Sharm's Crowne Plaza hotel because it had a decent star rating, most of the reviews praised it, and the setting looked amazing.



I will start by reviewing the actual hotel (which is what you have come here for), and then finish off with some holiday nightmares (which may help some of you - especially those booking through alpharooms.com)... and some holiday do's and don'ts.

FOR THOSE OF YOU CONSIDERING USING A PRIVATE TRANSFER SERVICE THROUGH ALPHAROOMS.COM PLEASE READ MY NEGATIVE REVIEW FURTHER DOWN.



First off, we arrived at the hotel probably around 1am Egyptian time (11pm GMT time). I read an earlier review by somebody that stated the entrance to the hotel reminded them of the entrance to Jurassic Park. How true! It was partly the thrill and relief of finally getting there (safely) and partly awe that made our eyes widen at the beauty of the resort as we got driven to our room on a golfing style buggy. Everything looks beautifully lit here at night. We had a Twin Double bed garden room, which was pretty good as rooms go. Everything we needed for a relaxing short break was there. There's a TV channel (the last on the channel list, I think) that talks completely about Sharm, Naama Bay, and the Red Sea area, so that you can see all the things that you can see and do during your stay.



We always woke to a lovely heat and extremely bright sunlight. I have trouble coping with hot days in the UK so was dubious about a holiday in the sun. However, the heat is very different here and feels lovely. I was surprised how well I DID cope.

We always missed the early-served breakfast (bar one day where we found they served lovely pancakes with maple syrup or chocolate sauce... mmm).



Lunch and Dinner here is a bit of a weird mix here, to be honest. We spent all of our All Inclusive time in the La Veranda restaurant. We found a menu plan of sorts hidden around a corner wall in the main reception (pinned to a noticeboard) which stated that on such-and-such a day it will be "Mexican", then on ____day it will be "Italian", then on ____day it will be a "Spanish" style menu. However, the food did not seem to bear any similarity to the food of any of the countries it claimed to represent. Every day, we seemed to have an offering of lukewarm pasta, which quickly became cold. And the meats don't look that appealing after the Russians push in the queue and take all the best looking pieces. (I will talk more about the over-population of Russians later). The bread rolls became a staple favourite of ours, as they were nice and soft and probably the best food on offer there! (Do try the "Gravy Chicken" whenever you find it on the menu. It stated that it's a "chicken in a gravy sauce", but they either ran out of gravy as there was no sauce there, or the nice seasoning on the chicken was actually them marinating the chicken in gravy granules and cooking it. It was quite nice, whatever it was).



I think his name was "Emad" in the La Veranda restaurant. He used to play for Luxor's football team. He is a lovely, lovely waitor, and deserves tipping. You only have to drop a knife, and he is there within seconds to pick it up for you and replace it. After tipping him on our second-to-last night, he reserved a lovely romantic table for us on our last night. The waiters are all good there, but Emad was always smiling and the best and friendliest waiter there in our opinion. It is a shame, as we were told by many genuine Egpytians that they earn in three years what we earn in a year here in the UK.



The "beach" wasn't far from our room. Don't expect sand. It is more like a tiered cliff edge where there are a couple of jetties in order to lower yourself into the lovely blue sea where there are beautiful corals and extraordinary fish to swim alongside. I didn't get around to snorkelling or diving during my stay, but it is extremely popular and you will see many people doing this (as this is supposed to be one of the world's premium diving spots). I did, however, stand on a submerged jetty to marvel at the wonderfully stripey and rainbow-coloured fish that tamely swam around my legs. If you aren't too fussed about having a traditional sandy "beach" and just want to sunbathe and dip yourself in a pool or the sea every now and again to cool yourself off, then you will like it here. If you like to snorkel or dive, you will LOVE it here.



We visitied Naama Bay late into our stay, and we spent two consecutive nights gift-shopping there. I wish we had discovered Naama Bay sooner, as the food there is more reliable and cheaper. In Naama Bay's "Pizza Hut", I couldn't believe that a Large cheese bite stuffed crust pizza, a big bowl of caeser salad, 4 x BBQ fajita rolls and sauce, and two large bottles of water cost us the equivalent of only £14 tops in UK Sterling. The pizza alone was only about £3.50 UK Sterling!!! Over here, that meal would have cost us close to £20 or more! The food prices are cheap/average in Hard Rock Cafe, but it gets very noisy. The waiters encourage everyone to have a good time, and also turn up the music at certain times so they can all dance in a group for your entertainment.







OUR HOLIDAY NIGHTMARES:



THE RUSSIANS: A lot of people mention the Russians as being a great bone of contention. They are. I don't think the Egytians much like them either. I was told by many Egyptians during my stay that they find the Russians rarely smile at them or seem very friendly. One miserable Russian lady even snapped in Russian at my companion for laying a beach towel down on a VACANT sun lounger!! If you are going to lay your beach towel down on a VACANT sun lounger (god forbid), just make sure you can read minds and know that the VACANT lounger hasn't been reserved for a non-present friend who can't even be bothered to come down to the lounger to secure it for themselves!



BLONDE HAIR: Expect a lot of hassle in Egypt. Espcially if you are English with blonde hair. They LOVE the English. Especially blonde hair. Also, expect a lot of comments as you walk through Naama Bay. They are more polite about it in the hotel, preferring just to gawp at you with a huge smile and remember your name. It got a bit annoying and bordering on rude at times though, as my companion, having brown hair, was often left out of conversations which made me feel bad.



UPSET TUMMY: We took 3 small bottles of convenient "Dettol" dry antibacterial soap, as we had heard that the money is a bit dirty (it is), and that it is very easy to get an upset tummy in Egypt. Also, take some face/hand cleansing/refreshing wipes, as the water is a bit different to ours and you don't really feel as "clean" when you wash your face. We were told to use bottled water to brush our teeth with and to drink. About halfway through our holiday, we switched to brushing our teeth with their tap water, as a small pocket guide situated in our hotel room drawer said that it was safe to brush our teeth with the water, but not to swallow it. We got upset tummies, but don't know whether it was from something we ate, or small quantities of the tap water being unknowingly swallowed.



HAGGLING: You either love this or hate it. I wasn't that bothered by it, and managed to get a few bargains... but sometimes you just want to go in a shop and buy something and walk out without having to spend about twenty minutes trying to get a more appropriate price. Most shopkeepers know they are taking the mickey out of you for being English (as they think we are made of money, but don't seem to realise the cost of living is usually in proportion to what we earn, so we are no more better off than they are). One got a bit funny with us when he was told that "in England this would only be worth about ____". He went on an angry rant about how we shouldn't compare England to Egypt, and that they have nothing and we have everything!



PHOTOS: There was a camel in Naama Bay that was well groomed and pretty. There were two Bedouin men by the camel who were persistently trying to entice adults and children to sit on it for free, and then craftily turning around once a picture had been taken and charging you for taking a picture of your child/loved one sitting on the camel. I didn't want to take a picture of anybody on it. I just wanted a picture of the camel. I quickly took a picture, then found myself asked for money, and then was chased for a good few metres as I backed off and told them I was NOT going to pay for taking a photograph of their camel. If they had persisted to chase me, I would have deleted the damn picture. I wouldn't have minded so much if a RUSSIAN lady had not taken a picture of their children on the camel and had wealked off hassle free. Things seem a bit corrupt in Naama Bay, usually finding out that people want to charge you AFTER you have done something. If in doubt, you can always threaten them with getting the Police. ALWAYS find out if there is a price attached to whatever you are doing. You'll find that a lot of Egyptians will push their luck with you just for being British (or looking like you are from England).





SHARM VOYAGE (Private Transfer service arraged for us by ALPHAROOMS.COM): I have one thing to say about these people... DO NOT USE THEM!!! If you have booked a return (or one way) private transfer from the airport to your hotel, please make sure it is not with these people. Our flight out to Egypt was delayed by about 4 hours, and we updated our point of contact (an English Lady) as to this fact and we were told that this would be fine, and that they would arrange us to be met when our flight actually arrived. We arrived, two girls alone in Egypt for the first time ever, and we were met by nobody. We waited around for a good half-hour to forty-five minutes before phoning our point of contact who was apparently trying to teach us to suck eggs by telling us that the driver was there and was holding a sign up, and that they were wearing a blue shirt and orange tie and could we not see them? We waited around for almost an hour amongst the dwindling queues of peole being met by their travel agencies and designated drivers. Between us, we covered both the main exit of the Terminal, and the alternative one. We waited until we were the only poor souls left at Terminal 1. We were getting quite worried and concerned at this stage, as we kept getting aproached by the most suspect looking people asking us if we wanted to get in their cars, claiming to be taxis. We had never been to Egypt before and had no idea if they really were taxis or not. Another phone call was made to our representative (who we believe is probably an English go-between for Alpha Rooms and Sharm Voyage), and she was quite rude and snotty and stated that she didn't want to argue but our driver was definitely there. Like hell he was! In the end, we managed to get the suspicious man following us around and asking for 200 EGY £'s to drop us to our hotel to do it for just 100 EGY £'s, which is far too much (as we found out afterwards that it should only be about £74 EGY £'s tops to the Crowne Plaza).

On our second-to-last day, we were met in our hotel by a Sharm Voyage man called Ahmed Ibrahim. He apologized for what happened and said that he hadn't been given all the information for our collection. So the lady had lied to us and there hadn't been a driver at the airport to collect us after all!!! Not only was this dangerous to leave two inexperienced girls at a foreign airport (and we did explain this fact to her), but it was DISGRACEFUL as we had also paid for this service due to wanting to feel safe upon our arrival, and wanted everything to go smoothly. We explained to Ahmed that we would be making a complaint as we were disgusted, and he wanted us to write the facts down to him there and then, but would not give us the name of his manager who we wanted to address the complaint to. He was a middle man, and so we did not feel happy to leave this in his hands. It is not for him to deal with. He did not seem pleased with this. This is probably why we were not picked up at 06:30am on the day of our departure which is what he came to the hotel to arrange with us. Again... DISGUSTING. We ended up booking a taxi service from the hotel, which was always reliable. I highly commend Crowne Plaza's taxi ("limousine service") desk for doing this for us.







THINGS YOU MUST DO:



1) First things first, go and find the "GAMMAL" (SAFARI & WATER SPORTS) rep who will be wandering around people who are sunbathing by the beach and pool. Our rep was called Waleed, and he was lovely. He made our holiday truly amazing with the experiences he arranged for us out in the Sinai desert. He will have a leaflet of trips and excursions that he can give you and talk you through. GAMMAL do lots of things at mostly good prices. The trip to Cairo to see the Pyarmids was a really good price through them, but we couldn't do it as there was a conference on at the time of our stay which meant that a few significant places were closed to the public for security reasons. DO make sure you try the Quad biking in the desert excursion. It is an amazing journey. I tried it, but found it difficult for my small arms to steer, so I jumped on the back of my companion's quad. I am glad I did, as the experience was even better shared, and being able to chat about it as we saw more and more of the desert open up before us. I wasn't that bothered about not driving one myself, even though I did try. GO IN THE EVENING, as it is a more varied and amazing experience. We set off about 5:30pm. If you go in the evening, you see the sunset in the desert on your way. We stopped at a Bedouin camp where the kids are very playful and curious. Don't buy any goods from them as it is expensive. You then drive out to the ECHO VALLEY where you stop and shout your name at the valley and hear it echo back at you. It is amazing. You drive back in the dusk with your headlights on. You always drive in a line behind the guide, so you are always safe and accounted for. Be careful for random abandoned tyres in the desert sand when you drive back at night. The headlights on the quads do not reach very far and we almost totalled it over one, narrowly missing it by mere inches! The trip cost us 200 EGP £'s each + 25 EGP £'s for a head scarf that we got to keep. That's just over £40 UK Sterling each for what we both thought was the trip that MADE our holiday. It is a long trip (just over 2 hours) and well worth every penny.



2) Again, organised by GAMMAL, made sure you ride a camel if you haven't already. We opted for the short camel journey, as it is not the most comfortable of experiences!



If you can't find the GAMMAL rep, he will probably be by the snorkelling hut by the larger jetty that is made of the blue plastic floating containers (located on the lower cliff tier at the beach). This hut acts as a base for GAMMAL's excursions.



3) Journey to the poolside hut outside C-View BBQ that serves free drinks for All Inclusive board and ask for 2 - 4 cartons of orange juice, apple juice, etc each time you visit... so that you can start stocking your mini fridge with them. If you do this a couple of times throughout the day, you won't ever go thirsty of a night when all the bars are shut.





REMEMBER TO TAKE:



* EXTRA STRENGTH BUG SPRAY: One with lots of DEET content, preferably. We took some and got bitten quite a bit. We did use an extra strength spray, but the bugs are really crafty there and always find a way to get you anyway. I'd like to think that the spray helped though, and that we got bitten less than we would have done without it.



* DRY ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP: We loved our Dettol dry soap to bits. It really helps to make you feel clean before you eat and after you have handled Egyptian money. Take some out with you in a handbag or satchel. You won't regret it.



* ADAPTER PLUGS: They use the twin rounded prong plugs in Egypt, like those used in the EU, Russia, Turkey, etc. These are the "ungrounded" style and they are the style you will find in your Crowne Plaza rooms. We didn't need a step-down adapter to convert our 240v to their 220v. Things should work well enough. Our phones and cameras charged, our ipod speakers worked, and my GHD straighteners worked (and it's all about the GHD)!







PROS: Egyptians are very friendly people who always smiled at me and remembered my name (although this was probably because I was English and had blonde hair)!



CONS: The over-population of Russians, the poor All Inclusive food choices, and the fact you have to pay the earth for decent beer and drinks at the bars because your All Inclusive drinks only get served free up until 10pm in little plastic cups if you are by the C-View BBQ poolside hut, or in glasses if you are dining at La Veranda. Room Service is over-priced and its food is not worth paying money for. Being charged for bottled water when we are staying All Inclusive is a joke, considering you can get it free if you have it poured into a plastic cup!





WOULD I STAY HERE AGAIN? My answer would be yes, but only if I ran out of holiday destinations and ever wished to return to Egypt again. This may happen, as I never got to see the pyramids. However, now that I am wiser to Egypt, I would prefer to eat out in Naama Bay as the food is good and cheap, and I will probably look for Naama shops that sell beer and juices cheap so that I can stock up the mini fridge that is provided in the hotel room.

I have just returned from an 8...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

May 2008

Tour Operator:

Travel Republic

Submitted By:

Mr S Adam

Comments:

I have just returned from an 8 nights stay at the Crown Plaza in Sharm el Sheik. I went with my wife and two kids, aged 5 & 4.



It was an excellent holiday. The Hotel was very good, and the staff were excellent.



I had read previous reviews and ensured that I got a Taxi from the airport for no more than 70 Egyptian pounds (£7), though I had to haggle. State that you come every year and you know the prices. Walk away if someone says no as you will find another or they will say ok.



When I arrived the rooms were ready and we were escorted to our rooms via a buggy.



The rooms were basic, maybe of a four star quality, but not bad - the decor was North African.



The surroundings of the hotel was really beautiful and pleasant. The staff were really friendly and always had a smile.



The food was ok - some days it was good some days, it was not - but they had a lot of variety. The Deserts were excellent. They did provide us with French Fries for free, when we had dinner, which was good for the kids. One thing to take note is that drinks are not included in the half board meals. Drinks are quite expensive in the hotel.



What we used to do is go to Naama Bay and buy plenty of drinks and bring them with us to dinner. We saved a lot of money this way.



The rooms get cleaned every day.



The sun beds near the pools and the beach do get taken (people put towels on them quite early) so ensure you do the same, if you are planning to use one.



There are a lot of Russians in the hotel, but I did not really have a problem with them.



Make use of the shuttle buses that do to Naama Bay - they are free.



Food is cheaper in Naama Bay.



There is a beach at the hotel, but not the normal beach (with waves coming in). It's on a cliff area, so it’s great for snorkelling.



Make sure you do not pay more than 25 Egyptian pounds to and from a Taxi to Naama Bay.



The Egyptians will try to lure you into shops, so if you’re not interested, don't go into the shops.



Top tip : the rates in Egypt are a lot better, nearly 1 Egyptian pound more to a pound, so only take enough for a taxi (£20 is more than enough). There is a bank at the hotel, which offers very good rates.



Book your tours through Gammal (Situated at the beach). Mahmood speaks very good English and is very helpful. We did the Safari (including Camel Riding and Snorkelling) which was excellent.



We also went to the Cleo Park (Water Park). The kids loved it. We also went for a trip on the glass bottom boat. If you don't snorkel, it’s a great way to see the corals and the fish.



On your return, ensure you book the hotel shuttle for the airport. This is free and it will save you money.



Please note - Sweets and Confectionary's are very expensive in Sharm (more than double the prices here) - so if you have children - take your own.



The weather is quite hot, and is getting hotter every day.



If you are half board - Gym is free but you have to pay for Sauna, Steam etc



For the money paid, I still think it is excellent value for money and would recommend to all.

I have hust returned from an 8...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

May 2008

Tour Operator:

Travel Republic

Submitted By:

Mr S Adam

Comments:

I have hust returned from an 8 nights stay at the Crown Plaza in Sharm el Sheik. I went with my wife and two kids, aged 5 & 4.



It was a excellent holiday. The Hotel was very good, and the staff were excellent.



I had read previous reviews and ensured that I got a Taxi for no more than 70 Egyptian pounds (£7), though I had to haggle. State that you come every year and you know the prices. Walk away if someone says no as you will find another or they will say ok.



When I arrived the rooms were ready and we were escorted to our rooms via some buggys.



The rooms were basic, maybe of a four star quality, but not bad - the decor was noth african.



The surroundings of the hotel was really beautiful and pleasant. The staff were really friendly and always had a smile.



The food was ok - some days it was good some days, it was not - but they had a lot of vareity. The Deserts were excellent. They did provide us with French Fries for free, when we had dinner, which was good for the kids. One thing to take note is that drinks are not included in the hald board meals. Drinks are quite expensive in the hotel.



What we used to do is go to Naama Bay and buy plenty of drinks and bring them with us to dinner. We saved a lot of money this way.



The rooms get cleaned every day.



The sunbeds near the pools and the beach do get taken (people put towels on them quite early) so ensure you do the same, if you are planning to use one.



There are a lot of russians in the hotel, but I did not really have a problem with them.



Make use of the shuttle buses that do to Naama Bay - they are free.



Food is cheaper in Naama Bay.



There is a beach at the hotel, but not the normal beach (with waves coming in). It's on a cliff area, so its great for snorkling.



Make sure you do not pay more than 25 egyptian pounds to and from a Taxi to Naama Bay.



The Egyptians will try to lure you into shops, so if your not interested, don't go into the shops.



Top tip : the rates in Egypt are a lot better, nearly 1 Egyptian pound more to a pound, so only take enough for a taxi (£20 is more than enough). There is a bank at the hotel, which offers very good rates.



Book your tours through Gammal (Situated at the beach). Mahmood speaks very good English and is very helpful. We did the Safari (including Camel Riding and Snorkling) which was excellent.



We also went to the Cleo Park (Water Park). The kids loved it. We also went for a trip on the glass bottom boat. If you don't snorkel, its a great way to see the corals and the fish.



On your return, ensure you book the hotel shuttle for the airport. This is free and it will save you money.



Please note - Sweets and Confectionary's are very expensive in Sharm (more than double the prices here) - so if you have children - take your own.



The weather is quite hot, and is getting hotter every day.



If you are half board - Gym is free but you have to pay for Sauna, Steam etc



For the money paid, I still think it is excellent value for money and would recommend to all.

5 STAR !!!!!!! Try 2 star at a...

Overall Rating:

3/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

Portland Direct

Submitted By:

Mr Peter Ludlow

Comments:

5 STAR !!!!!!! Try 2 star at a push. This resort promises much and delivers nothing. Accomodation poor, furniture stained, totally inedible food, no pool furniture and rude ignorant Russians that provide 90% of the guests.

In all our years of travel mostly all inclusive 5 star we have never been so appalled by a hotel like the Crownr Plaza, it is simply appalling.

The accomodation booked was side sea view ! Take your most powerful telescope and you may just see it. Thank god we could only get half board as the food was completely and utterly inedible, we had to resort to eating out every night. The furniture was all mix and match and heavily stained by previous guests ? Everyone wants tipping for everything and i mean everything !

Every day was a fight for pool furniture with the pool areas looking like a refugee camp. It was at least 30% under provisioned for pool / beach beds with guests having to relax on any patch of grass, concrete steps and even other guests ground floor patio furniture ! Forget about the germans and early towel securing of pool furniture / location, the russians simply remove your items and locate themselves even resorting to taking the poolside beds back to their apartments with them for overnight keeping !

The staff are ok but refuse to implement any form of control on the russians who themselves simply do not understand the concept of polite queuing resorting to just barging their way to the front of any line they choose.

This was the most awful holiday experience of my 50 years. DONT GO THERE !

Myself and my boyfriend have...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Dec 2007

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Miss S Roberts

Comments:

Myself and my boyfriend have just return from Sharm having spent an excellent Xmas there. The hotel was lovely, typically North African inspired decor. The staff went out of their way to help you.



The room was basic but that didn't matter because we didn't spend that much time in it... we spent each day basking in the 25 degree heat by the pool!



The views across the sea were fantastic, especially at sunset! I couldn't believe how close we were to the coral, close by where we were sunbathing you could spend hours watching the fish. A short platform takes you out to the sea, you don't even need to actually go into the water to see the fish, although snorkelling with them was amazing!



The food in the buffet was generally ok, variety and a good mix (better than other hotels we've stayed at in Egypt) but just ok! The restaurants in the hotel were very good, we particularly liked having lunch at the Cview restaurant by the pool. Fresh fish and salads were a delight.



Taxis... don't get ripped off on arrival at the airport like we did. It cost 75 Eyt pounds (£7.50) on our return to the airport from Crown Plaza and we paid £20 going! When going into Naama Bay walk out to the front of the hotel through the security barriers to the main drive. Taxi's arrive here regularly dropping off people. A taxi into Naama bay should cost no more than 30 Eyt pounds. If they sense you are new to Egypt they say 70 Eyt pounds so tell them you've been there for days and you know the score, you'll get a sly smile and they'll be happy to take you for 30!



Don't get drawn in by the touts in Naama Bay, they'll tell you they have a free gift for you, drag you into their friends shop and try to sell you the earth!



I would happily go again but if you are looking for a 5 star room you might have to spend a couple more pennies and get a junior suite!

Had a fantastic holiday at the...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

MyTravel

Submitted By:

Miss E Smith

Comments:

Had a fantastic holiday at the Crowne Plaza, I'd say it was the best I’ve ever had. Never had any problems and the service was always A star.



The rooms are great; I had interlocking room which was great as there was 6 of us there. They have a mini fridge and air conditioning which is a necessity as it’s so hot over there.



I stayed round the bottom pool as there was great entertainment and I just loved the atmosphere.



Food was great and staff were always helpful etc. The only thing I did not like was the sea as it’s very salty and I struggled to swim in it.



I would definitely go back.

This was a fantastic first visit...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2005

Tour Operator:

MyTravel

Submitted By:

Mrs L  Towers

Comments:

This was a fantastic first visit to sunny Egypt and my family had a wonderful holiday as the Crowne Plaza is a fabulous place to stay. The staff were very courteous and nothing was a bother for them.



The rooms were lovely and spacious and we had 2 interconnecting rooms. One of the rooms had fantastic air conditioning while the other rooms were not much good.



However if we kept the adjoining door open but rooms were aired. These rooms were always kept clean.



If you get a sandwich in the bar beware it will actually feed 2 of you, I was shocked at the size of the plates brimming especially when they are reasonably priced. We had loads left over so the next day we just ordered a variety and all shared.



I found that room service was good, they really do have a wide variety of dishes that you can’t get in the bar and it really is cooked to a high standard. This again is really cheap but my favourite meal was the breakfast, the omelettes were divine.



The pools are good and I mainly stayed at the bottom pool as they had entertainment on their plus it was nearer to the jetty and my husband and kids constantly snorkelled. I tried it but then decided that I would rather not know what was swimming near me.



There is a shuttle bus that the hotel runs and this takes you into Naama bay where there is everything from restaurants to souvenirs. It’s great to walk around.



I loved this place and I’m sure that you would too.

This is definitely the hotel for...

Overall Rating:

3/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2007

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mr C Clarke

Comments:

This is definitely the hotel for you if:



* You like spending your holiday with rude, arrogant, and ignorant Russians, Poles, & other Eastern Europeans.



* You like food served cold that should really be hot.



* You like drinking tepid tea and coffee at breakfast, lunch, and dinne.



* You like stirring your tepid tea and coffee with your finger as there are no teaspoons to be found.



* You like waiting 20/30 minutes for a plate or dish to put your luke warm food on.



* You like waiting 20/30 minutes for an item of food that a rude, arrogant and ignorant Russian has just taken the last portion of.



* You like returning to your table from the buffet only to find that a rude, arrogant and ignorant Russian has placed his or her mountain of food on your table.



* you like being treated like a second class citizen by rude and ignorant barmen whose main job responsibilities are to chat up as many Russian as they can and ignore your wishes to have a drink you have already paid for.



* you like drinking red wine in a glass that has just come out of the dishwasher and it is so hot you can't even hold it and when you complain the lovely barman, who is still chatting up the Russian crumpet, pours your wine (that is hotter than the tea and coffee served in the restaurant) into a cold glass for you to enjoy.



You then have a choice argument with him explaining that you do not enjoy drinking mulled wine. When he finally pours fresh red wine into a clean cold glass, the time has slipped past 11pm and he now produces a bill for you to pay as all inclusive has finished. Priceless!



* you like spending a large proportion of your time in the loo with a particularly virulent strain of "Delhi Belly"



* you have to wait 2 days for the plumber to come and fix the flush on the loo.



* you then have to wait a further day to wait for the plumber to come back because now that that the loo has been fixed the bath/shower water won't run away.



* you like being dropped off by a taxi 200 yards from the hotel entrance so that the security mans friend can come and pick you up in a buggy that of course requires a tip



Oh, another thing, at the time of booking, we were promised a "special treat" as this trip was to celebrate my 50th birthday. Upon arrival, the receptionist even confirmed this. When it got to the date of "special day" I foolishly waited for my "special treat".



The day passed without one. When checking out, we were told by reception that the "special treat" was a complimentary bowl of fruit in the room upon arrival that consisted of 1 red apple, 1 green apple, 1 unripe peach, 1 over ripe banana.



You have to laugh don't you?



Apart from that, diving was first class and our plane trip to The Pyramids was fantastic.



Think we will stick with 3* Spain in future as you know what to expect.



5* Egypt is not even 3* standard in Spain - beware you have been warned!

Had a fantastic holiday at the...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2005

Tour Operator:

MyTravel

Submitted By:

Mr S Rushton

Comments:

Had a fantastic holiday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. It really was a place that I would go back to. Everything about the place was top class.



On arrival I was so impressed with the how the hotel looked, it looks so grand and as you driving down its private road. Once you have booked in at reception, one of the guys takes you round on a buggy to your room which gives you even more chance to have a look at the greatness of the complex.



The rooms were fantastic, very spacious even though they have 2 king size beds in, there is complimentary tea and coffee facilities and these are stocked up each day. There is a television and they have great English channels playing all day. The bathroom was very clean and each room has its own hairdryer.



The hotel has 5 swimming pools, one of these is a diving pool though so I never used that one but the others were always kept clean and believe me the weather is so hot so you will find yourself spending lots of time in the water.



The food I give top marks as well, I never once had anything bad to eat. They have such a wide variety of dishes that you really are spoilt for choice. The dining area is really spacious as well so you will always find a seat.



Also if you are into snorkelling then I have to say that this is one of the best places I have been. The hotel has a jetty running into the sea and the water is very clear with coral reefs at both sides of it. There are so many fish to explore that this really could occupy your entire holiday. Its great fun.



I would look to revisit this hotel.

I have never been to Egypt...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2005

Tour Operator:

MyTravel

Submitted By:

Mrs L Evans

Comments:

I have never been to Egypt before so was not sure what to expect and I must say that this was the most fantastic holiday ever and I’m definitely going to go back.



It’s amazing I’m actually saying that as when we were there a bomb went off. Although this caused great concern, the hotel staff made us feel completely secure and on the night of the bombing the hotel staff checked that everyone was safe and lots of people from the surrounding hotels then joined us.



The Hotel itself is a dream come true, great atmosphere, 5 pools and the food is to the highest quality.



The rooms were immaculate and the whole feel of the hotel made you feel special.



This is a great place to stay so please don't hesitate to book.