Reviews of Tropicana Grand Oasis Hotel, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Just returned from a week in...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Feb 2005

Tour Operator:

Panorama

Submitted By:

Mr N Antoniou

Comments:

Just returned from a week in Sharm El Sheikh. We were a party of 17 and before travelling I read the hotel reviews on this website and were very concerned by some of the comments. We were prepared for anything!



It seems that this is the first time the hotel had a group of 17 to cater for and found it difficult to cope with arranging a table or tables for 17 people at the same time. Even though we were willing to book a specific time for dining in the evening the staff found it difficult to organise and claimed that it was difficult. We could really not understand why, as all it needed was a bit of organisation and planning. In the end, we sat together or close to each other nearly every day, but only after some compromise and negotiating.



I must say that we were pleasantly surprised at the cleanliness of the hotel and the friendliness and willingness to please of the hotel staff who bent over backwards to please. A small tip is appreciated and secures an excellent service!



I still can’t understand why on an all-inclusive package the hotel charges for Orange Juice, when Oranges are freely available. Ice Cream was also extra. Having stayed at all inclusive resorts before, I was very disappointed by the lack of snacks and choice available during the day. Ice Cream had to be paid for, and at the beach bar, where coffee was not served during the day, there was a charge for espresso coffee.



Whilst the hotel claims to have 5 restaurants/snack bars, there are really only two restaurants and the pool/beach bars are very limited. The Italian Restaurant is useless, as all it serves is Pizza one or two other dishes - There are few tables outside, and are only for two people. The oriental (Egyptian) restaurant was good and we had a nice evening meal consisting of various salads, pita bread filled with meat, and various barbecued meats. At lunchtime this restaurant was filled with birds who often sat on the buffet food, which put us off eating there. Overall the food was of an acceptable quality and variety, but the organisation of the main restaurant was lacking (shortage of cutlery, and plates are not located in a logical place).



The resort of Sharks Bay is very quiet, and out of the way. Whilst we ventured out to an evening at Naama Bay, which was very enjoyable and worth a visit, our experience with cab drivers was quite harrowing as they make the rules up as they go along and seem to be driving to show off their racing skills and luck at avoiding accidents!



The hotel is secure, and we felt safe. We had to get up to reserve beds by the pool/sea by 7.30am.



We were blessed with great summer weather in February 33degrees! But I can imagine that if the weather was not good there would be little to keep us occupied.
Snorkelling at the beach of the hotel was out of this world and must not be missed! This was the best bit of the holiday.



The quad biking trip arranged by the hotel was excellent and is highly recommended.



The animation team were very friendly and did their best to cater for predominantly Italian guests. The children enjoyed the entertainment and we enjoyed the football, volleyball and water polo at the hotel.



It is clear that Egypt is a poor country and I can honestly say that during our stay, with the exception of one girl behind reception, who is probably not Egyptian, we did not see one Egyptian woman. All the waiters, cleaners and staff were male. It seems that they keep their woman locked at home. This may be a cultural thing, but is very obvious. We found that the young Egyptian men were very keen to hit on young foreign girls, irrespective of age! This was very annoying and will not do much for promoting tourism.


Overall a great holiday and good value! If this hotel is typical of Egyptian hotels, they are years behind European standards of catering for tourists, but make an extra effort when it comes to cleanliness and friendliness. I don’t think I would stay at this hotel again, but I would recommend it as long as you are prepared for the negative points.

Our party of 28 got upgraded to...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jan 2005

Tour Operator:

Med Hotels

Submitted By:

Mrs M Toussaint

Comments:

Our party of 28 got upgraded to this hotel - at first they didn’t seem too happy about having us there but the next day and every day after that, they were excellent. The food was great - always a good choice. The rooms were a good size and always cleaned well. The pool was clean and warm. The staff were always helpful. We had a big birthday to celebrate and they went out of their way to make it enjoyable for us. the only down side was the fact that you couldn’t walk into the sea from the beach only by jumping off of the pontoon. I would certainly go back there again.

This is a lovely hotel, with...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jan 2005

Tour Operator:

Med Hotels

Submitted By:

Mrs CS Curran

Comments:

This is a lovely hotel, with very helpful and attentive staff. It is spotlessly clean inside and out. The hotel is very remote and you cannot really walk anywhere except to nearby hotels and a few shops.



The food is not too good, breakfast is the best meal, but you will never go hungry, there is usually something to be found.



The only downside is the alcohol, it is awful, the wine is almost impossible to drink and the spirits taste of methyl! Still we needed to cut down.



Our room had a lovely sea view and was in a quiet corner away from the pool. I would return here again, but not all inclusive.

After reading all of the...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Dec 2004

Tour Operator:

Lastminute

Submitted By:

Miss A Ward

Comments:

After reading all of the comments from last summer, we were expecting it not to be great, but using the site to check other hotels it came out the best and we actually changed from our original booked hotel with lastminute to this one.



We arrived 23rd December 04 for 7 days to just chill and recharge and found the hotel to be very clean, rooms where alot larger than we expected with ours having both pool and sea view.



It was obviously not high season so for the first few days it wasn’t a problem getting tables for dinner or breakfast all of which we found the choice and standard of food more than enough for what to expect from an all inclusive, of which we have been to a few around the world. You could never be hungry on this holiday, the waiting staff we found very nice and friendly and when you asked for most things it was there within a short space of time. We did give little tips to the waiters every other night.



The pool area seemed always busy with families so we did go the beach every day which was lovely very well spaced out with being built on different levels, the jetty to gain access to the sea can get busy, but is needed so as to get passed the coral, which is lovely to snorkel in.



The hotel at this time of year was 20% British, 50% Italian and the rest other Europeans and Russians, which reflects the quality of entertainment which isn’t the best but as long as you don’t rely on this to make your holiday complete then it is good for a laugh, and the entertainment staff do try there best bless them.



Over all a very pleasant holiday for winter sunshine, wouldn’t go in high summer or school holidays as the hotel is large and must get stretched when full, but very clean, friendly and just give the waiters and bar staff a few Egyptian pounds every other night and they will appreciate that, and take British £ it is easy to change and most of them seem to prefer it too Egyptian money. Remember that you are in a Moslem country, it is Egypt and there is a very different culture there, if you want Brits abroad catering etc then don’t come here and never drink the water and you should be ok.

My family, consisting of myself,...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Dec 2004

Tour Operator:

Jetline Travel

Submitted By:

Allison

Comments:

My family, consisting of myself, my husband and sons aged 21 and 19, my sister her husband and their sons aged 16 and 13 and my dad flew to Sharm el Sheikh on 23rd December for one week. We weren’t sure what to expect really as we had read a wide range of reports on various websites. Thankfully I can say that we had a fantastic time. After a bit of chaos finding our pick-up bus at Sharm airport we arrived at our hotel at about 10pm. Our rep said that although the restaurant officially closed at 10 we were more than welcome to get something to eat and drink and to check in afterwards. We were very impressed by the beautiful Christmas lights, the huge tree and the very grand reception area. I wasn’t really expecting this and it made us all feel really festive.


We were shown to our rooms and they were really spacious and clean. Our suitcases were brought down later. The only down side was that although my husband and I, my sister and her two boys were all in adjacent rooms, my dad and my two sons were quite a way away. After seeing their room the next day despite it being clean and adequate it was nowhere near as nice as all the others. However, after a quick word with reception they were soon moved to a room nearer (but thankfully not too near!) the rest of us. Christmas Eve was definitely party night and the hard working animation team made sure to wish every Happy Christmas, sing songs and generally make sure that everyone had fun. The older boys went with them on the first of several trips to the Black House Disco at the nearby sister hotel, Tropicana Rosetta. All had a very good time and because of their late night (early morning) they missed the surreal sight of Santa on a camel around the pool on Christmas morning!! It was so relaxing to lie around baking in the sun, thinking of everyone at home rushing around, cooking etc. We have never been away at Christmas but I am already looking to go again next year.


The food was excellent in the main restaurant but I can’t recommend the Fish restaurant. The all inclusive meal was quite poor and the lobster "pieces" they try so hard to sell were £35 each!!!. I would certainly recommend this hotel although I can appreciate that it is a lot different in the summer. Mohammed the pool towel man said that it was impossible to get a sunbed after 8am. Don’t forget to tip the bar staff, waiters, pool men etc. The already great service improves to excellent for just a couple of pounds.

The hotel was immaculately...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2004

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Ms A Evans

Comments:

The hotel was immaculately clean, there were always cleaners sweeping up and everything gleamed. The people were always very friendly and helpful. We stayed at one of the 2-storey ‘villas’ just past the hotel as you are walking to the beach. It was a little far away, but quiet. It was a bit strange that they had ‘guards’ (at least I think that is what they did), who sat and watched people walk to the hotel, pool, and beach. At least I felt safe, though. The guy who cleaned our villa was so sweet! I wasn’t feeling well, so I went back to my room and wound up locking myself on the deck. I felt like a total idiot, but he assured me it happened all the time. Later, when my boyfriend and I returned from dinner, there were flowers in the room. He’d always ask us where we were going and telling us to have a good time. It was a big place but that made it feel kind of intimate.



Now the bad bits. The food is edible, but it’s not great. Besides this, I really think they should invest in some buffet trolleys with ‘sneeze guards’, as well as some good tongs to enable things to be picked up without using one’s hands. I constantly saw people digging into things with their hands. This is probably why all four of were ill with stomach bugs the entire time we were there. It didn’t stop or ruin our trip, though. My poor boyfriend lost about a stone! We didn’t go to any of the other restaurants because they were too hard to get into. You had to book ahead and stuff, and that was too much of a hassle. We went to HRC in Naama Bay, which we wouldn’t normally do on holiday, but we had a good meal and didn’t get sick. :)




Another minor point is the alcohol. The beer is cold and it’s pretty good. The wine is icky. They have about eight cocktails, which taste the same - and aren’t served with ice. They are nice, but after a week you just want something different.




Another minor point is that some of the staff were flirtatious. One of the gardeners was behind me saying, "Beautiful, sexy..." while I walked to the hotel. I wasn’t offended, but it was strange. I tried to keep my boyfriend with me after that!



The water for showers was brown, and the water in our bathroom was boiling hot a couple nights. It’s a good thing we didn’t have kids because I’m sure they would have gotten scalded. Just test it before you get in, and don’t drink it. Keep a bottle of water on hand to brush your teeth with, too.

Well despite reading some of the...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2004

Tour Operator:

JMC Holidays

Submitted By:

Mrs A Marquis

Comments:

Well despite reading some of the other comments that people have made, I have to say that I thought this was a very good hotel and thoroughly enjoyed my fortnight. The staff are extremely friendly and absolutely love interacting with the children. Our room was very clean and comfortable with regular towel and linen changes. The pool, garden and beach areas were also kept very clean.



The snorkelling was brilliant and yes the jetty was busy but not to the extent that it caused problems. The lack of sand wasn’t a problem either as we knew the public beach was only a few minutes away.



Moving on to eating - if you want to guarantee a table quickly - go to the restaurant 5 minutes before it officially opens and you’ll have no problem. We found the food to be different but not altogether terrible. It was quite bland but you could easily add salt or pepper to it and even my faddy granddaughter never actually went hungry. The choices were plentiful but some of the food was misleading so it is best to just try everything (you don’t have to eat it if you don’t like it). We found the beach restaurant best at lunchtimes and although there wasn’t a lot of English food (this was Egypt after all, not Blackpool) they still did chips on a daily basis.



We went into Naama Bay where there are lots of shops but try to stick to the main shopping mall because if you get lured into one of the local souvenir shops - you’ll be stuck there for about 2 hours and come out with a lot of things you never really wanted in the first place. Also, there was no sea breeze in Naama Bay so it was quite hot and stuffy whereas Sharks Bay was the opposite.



One outing I would recommend is going to Dolphin Ella but making sure you book to swim with the dolphins in the pool afterwards. That was one of the best experiences of my life and a definite must if you’ve never done it before.



Can’t wait to go and do it all over again.

I was a bit worried after...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2004

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Mrs J Seeby

Comments:

I was a bit worried after reading several reviews that this was a holiday I would regret booking, however Egypt is a wonderful country as is the resort of Sharm-el-sheikh. The hotel however is not quite as grand as its name suggests. The breakfast was good, selection of bread and pastries was fantastic, and the only draw back was the cooked food was never hot. Lunch again a good selection including a selection of roast meats carved while you wait, again never hot enough. Dinner a variation of lunch menu, meat rice vegetables and salads, a lovely range of cakes and puddings for dessert, just a shame it was luke warm. The cutlery situation needs to be looked into as there never seemed to be enough to go round, especially spoons.


We ate in the Italian and Egyptian restaurants and both were very good, but have to be booked in advance.


The pool is lovely, a bit chilly but in the heat it is a welcome relief. The music played around by the pool is very loud, and this matches the Italian’s that seem to be in the majority here.


It is quite a walk down to the beach area (about half a mile)this doesn’t seem far going as it is downhill but in the heat it seems twice as far on the way up.


The entertainment is absolute rubbish again geared around the Italians.


There is a shuttle bus that goes to Naama Bay(again book a day in advance) but it has a good selection of shops, bars and restaurants. We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe and a two course meal with drinks was less than £30 for two and we didn’t pick the cheapest foods on the menu.


The trip to Cairo was great. To fly was £185 each but well worth it, you cannot however take cameras or video into the museum now.


I would go to Egypt again and possibly stay at the grand oasis again, but we have seen the Pyramids, museum etc so would only go for a week as you are guaranteed the weather so it is ideal as a winter break.

My partner & I visited this...

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2004

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Not Specified

Comments:

My partner & I visited this hotel at the end of August 2004 for a fortnight all inclusive.



The accommodation was spotlessly clean and very comfortable. Clean bed linen and clean towels every day. The cleaning staff were very friendly and really did work exceptionally hard.



The dining room is a shambles and the food was terrible. The waiting staff were very, very slow so it is worth ordering two drinks at a time to save having to wait forever. I would advise that once you have found a table in the chaotic dining room - someone stays at the table whilst someone else goes to get the food otherwise you can kiss goodbye to your table. Breakfast is the worst meal of the day and there is never enough crockery etc. The bread was delicious and I would have come home a stone lighter if there had been no bread.



We found the food in Naama bay to be good and very cheap, certainly worth a visit at night.



The swimming pools were good-although the Italians seem to like stubbing their cigarettes out in the pool filter on the outside of the pool. The Italians definitely have the rule of this hotel. The pool bar was a bit shabby and needs a make-over.



We were a bit disappointed in the beach as you had to use the busy jetty to get into the water rather than just walk off the sand into the water. There is no sand. Once in the water the sea life is amazing. An experience everyone should have.



We ate lunch at the beach restaurant mostly and found the food to be much better there and the service of the waiters was excellent. We tried the Oriental restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed the service and the food. On the other hand, the Italian restaurant is not to be recommended. Possibly our worst meal in the whole holiday.



On a plus point - the hotel is very secure and the reception staff are very friendly. The bottled water was included in the price although not often served chilled. Very rare to be able to get a chilled diet Pepsi.




We will definitely return to Sharm El Sheikh but not to Tropicana Grand Oasis.



Complained about the food to the Airtours rep twice but to no avail.



Did not feel we got our money’s worth from all inclusive at this hotel.

My husband and I have just...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2004

Tour Operator:

JMC Holidays

Submitted By:

Mrs D B

Comments:

My husband and I have just returned from two weeks at this resort. What a fantastic holiday!


The hotel is very clean, and when we arrived we were seen straight away and taken to our room. We had a king size bed in our room (which was great, loads of room), and a small balcony looked out onto the pools below and the sea beyond - a lovely view first thing in the morning. We had a fridge, TV, hairdryer and air-conditioning, but no kettle as stated on their web site, so if you like a cuppa in the morning take your own.



The main dining room was quite large, but not very well organised. The food is laid out in the middle of the room, and tables all around. We could walk in and get our food, and then have nowhere to sit as people were coming in from both entrances and getting the tables first. In the end we’d get a table and get our food separately to secure it.



The lobby bar downstairs was very clean and the waiters friendly. If you tip the waiters they will treat you well all holiday, £20 Egyptian (£2 GBP) isn’t a lot to us but is two days wages to them and they really appreciate it.



The hotel has its own dive centre and the staff there are very friendly and helpful. My husband did an open-water diving course, and was fascinated by the underwater life. I snorkelled just off the jetty, and could not believe the fish that were all around. You cannot walk into the sea from this beach because of the coral, but you can climb down, or jump off the jetty. The jetty can get quite crowded though, as it is also the main entrance point for divers as well as swimmers.



We went on a glass bottom boat trip, and the coral and fish made it a worthwhile trip. We also went quad biking in the desert, you could either go at sunrise or sunset. We went at sunrise as it was cooler (although it was a 4.30am pick-up), and after quad-ing into the desert (which was a buzz) we walked up the side of a mountain and watched the sun rise. What a sight!!!



A 10-minute bus or taxi ride away is Naama Bay. You can get McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut, and they were great. The meals were better than at home and cheaper, pizza’s and drinks for two for about £8. You need the shops to walk the meal off afterwards!!!



A very good holiday, and we will definitely be returning to Sharm-el-sheikh.

My wife, son and I have just...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2004

Tour Operator:

Panorama

Submitted By:

Mr A Ridley

Comments:

My wife, son and I have just returned from a 2 week all inclusive stay at the Tropicana Grand Oasis Hotel. I can honestly say it is the worst two thousand pounds I have ever spent.



I strongly advise not to go all inclusive to Egypt. The food was terrible all Italian and French foods not enough English. There were chips around twice a week and that is if you were lucky enough to get them as Italians do not believe in queuing. The food was always cold we never had a hot meal in two weeks. There was not enough food for kids, as the so called snack bar only had pizza. All of the English people who were there all said the same about the food too much foreign foods.



Could not complain about the rooms as they were cleaned everyday the weather was also great. If you want to get a sunbed, make sure you get up around 6.30am as that is the only time you will get one.



My view is that if you are Italian you will get served at the bar first no matter how long others have been standing there they don’t want to know us English.



If you do holiday in Egypt, you would be better off staying near Namma Bay as there is a hard rock cafe and other restaurants to go to.



I would also think twice about staying at the Tropicana Grand Oasis Hotel. We were pleased to get home for something nice to eat.

Returned yesterday from what has...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2004

Tour Operator:

JMC Holidays

Submitted By:

Mr D Jones

Comments:

Returned yesterday from what has to be one of the most amazing holidays I have ever been on. It was just fantastic!



Hotel - Room:

Our room was very spacious and clean (cleaned daily). Air con was in use all the time! (You need to use your room key card to activate the air con but in the early evening would return to the room and disconnect the key from the key card and would leave the key card in to keep the air con going so the room was cool over night.)



Hotel - Staff:

Their default language is English; they are extremely friendly and will talk to you for hours if you let them!



Hotel - Food/Drinks:

The food was of a good standard, plenty of variety in the different restaurants - if you want to eat in the Italian/fish or oriental bar book early in your stay with the lady who sits in the main lobby (the same place as you book the free shuttle bus tickets to town and back). The pool side drink cups are on the small side but just as for two of everything and you will be fine!



Hotel - Rep:

One word - fantastic - she was always friendly, willing to help and explain stuff; if you saw her about the hotel she would always ask how you latest trip was etc.



Hotel – Evening Entertainment:

Shockingly bad – really, if you can’t speak Italian you’re going to be up a creek without a paddle! – It was done by a group call Animation who only speak basic English. Don’t know what else to say, it was bad!



Hotel - Checking out:

If you flight is not till the afternoon just ask the reception desk if you can keep your towel card until you leave - that way you wont have to sit inside all day but can relax by/in the pool for the final few hours. They also allow you to keep you writ band on so you can still lunch and all-inclusive drinks.



Day Trips:

We did three trips: - all trips were paid for in US dollars



Finding Nemo:

This was a day trip to Tiran Island with three snorkelling dives and lunch/drinks on the boat (snorkelling equipment provided)



Arabian Nights:

We did this on our last night and it was brilliant was a tip for you to let your hair down with the people you had met in the hotel and other organised trips. All night their was traditional dancing - food/ drinks included in cost



Quad biking:

Did the costal quad biking which was brilliant (take plenty of sun cream and put in on the back of your hands!) if you get the choice between just quad biking and a costal quad biking with snorkelling I would recommend you take the option without the snorkelling the water was cloudy and we didn’t see much!



Intro Dive:

JMC have Camel Dive as their recommended dive company (www.cameldive.com) these people were great also. With the intro dive we were taken down about 10m on and one-on-one basics for about 1/2 hour for the rest of time they provide you with snorkelling equipment to see the corals at the other snorkelling stops. As a Thomas Cook customer we also cot a 10% discount and they pick you up and drop you off at your hotel.



Sharm Town:

Now this was an experience and a half! you cannot walk 10m with out being asked to come into their shop - it’s hard to say no but under you will learn fast (trust me!).



When bartering a price with the man always go half the price they say and then you will always end at a price between but if you agree 40 Egyptian pounds (about £4) and give them a 50 (£5), don’t expect to see the remaining ten! Instead before they have a chance to say it’s for the service and stuff tell them they can keep it as a tip (we did that and they always seem to throw something extra in for free!



Within the Sharm shopping centre in the basement area there are two painters who paint on canvas and they are amazing and cheep - paid 200 Egyptian (about £20) for two large paintings - just fantastic they are!



Taxi:

When getting a taxi always agree the price before you get in and if possible only have that money in your hand when agreeing and paying.

At night they drive without any headlights on (its saves them petrol apparently!) and whenever you get to a speed hump a two lane road will turn in to a 3 or 4 lane road!!

And if your window is down and you ant to put it up and don’t have a window winder just ask the drive he will pass you his!!!



Overall I have had a fantastic time, I really didn’t want to come home, would defiantly recommend it to those who wants to try diving in one of the most amazing places in the world! Would love to go back, it was a drop of paradise!

What a holiday! Sharm el sheikh...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2004

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Miss K Phillips

Comments:

What a holiday! Sharm el sheikh was absolutely fantastic. The hotel was spotless and of a very good standard, with exceptional staff who always worked to the highest of standards, but if you are a fussy eater, then be careful. Most of the food consists of rice and strongly flavoured chicken or fish, and the meals are very similar every night.


The holiday itself is very different from what I usually go on, but I would definitely go back again! The snorkelling in the red sea is amazing, it’s definitely worth a look and its something you’ll never forget!


Naama Bay is very busy. You are constantly pestered by the locals, wanting you to buy this and go there, and it can all be a bit scary and off-putting, but other than that there’s nothing to complain about.


Take a trip to Tiran Islands if you enjoy snorkelling as that is definitely worth it, and a camel ride through the Sinai Mountains is another quite different experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.


Cairo is a must. I went on a two day venture to Cairo and visited the Egyptian museum and the pyramids of Giza, and I have to admit, travelling all the way to Egypt just wouldn’t be worth the trip without the journey to Cairo!




If you’re thinking of going to Egypt, Sharm el Sheikh is a great destination, and I would strongly recommend the Tropicana Grand Oasis Hotel as an ideal place to stay.



Have a good holiday!

We have just returned from the...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2004

Tour Operator:

Libra Holidays

Submitted By:

Mr J Hanratty

Comments:

We have just returned from the Grand Oasis resort in Sharm El Sheikh and we were thoroughly delighted with the whole package. We have been to Egypt 3 times before (different locations and star ratings). We found the food very enjoyable - plenty of choice, the service excellent, the rooms well decorated, clean and tidy (they are cleaned daily unless requested not to). The staff were friendly, cheerful and helpful. We took a previous visitor’s advice from this website and took a kettle with us. The beach was about five minutes walk from our room, we were situated near the main restaurant. The sea life in the water at the beach was amazing. We did take a boat trip - which we enjoyed but would have preferred unguided snorkelling as in previous years. We would have no hesitation in returning to this hotel. I would recommend this place to anyone.

An enjoyable holiday especially...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2004

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr S Williams

Comments:

An enjoyable holiday especially for sun worshippers, divers and those prepared to travel to see unique historic sites.



The hotel is a true 4 star, the rooms are spacious, cleaned every day and the AC works fine. Staff work very hard and make a real effort to be friendly and helpful. The swimming pools are great and snorkelling here is world class.



Some downers: as it’s the height of the season everything is stretched to maximum capacity: you really need to be at the pool or beach before 7.00 am to secure sun loungers and parasols (very necessary). Food is good in the main restaurant with an excellent selection, but the buffet approach gives it a feel of ants swarming over the food - although there were no long queues meal times were far from relaxing. The Italian restaurant was OK, the Oriental was in fact Egyptian food and fine, but the fish restaurant should probably be avoided by all but those with the strongest constitutions.



We really missed there being a 'cosy lounge': somewhere to chill out in the evenings - it was either by the pool with the substandard 'ethnic entertainment' Russian hour etc, or in the brightly lit area off the main reception with marble floors, and glass and metal tables.



Many Italian guests at the hotel so not surprising the entertainment was provided by an enthusiastic group of Italians: Animation? This unfortunately meant loud, daily repetition of pop songs which would embarrass Black Lace, and probably explain why Italy no longer participate in the Eurovision song contest (nil points is SO tough to take).



Dive Centre is fine, but there are many cheaper - we used Aquarius at the Sheraton, which was good (but be careful who you buddy up with, some Egyptians show more interest than others..)