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

The hotel was large and clean,...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2004

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

percysbird

Comments:

The hotel was large and clean, the rooms were a good size, and the pool was always clean and cold which you need in the heat.



The food and drink were awful, all the English guests were complaining that at least one or more of their party was ill. If you wanted bottled water before 9am you had to pay for it, you also had to pay for ice cream. If you wanted a decent pitch by the pool with sunbed, cushion and sun umbrella you need to be by the pool before 7am yes 7am!!



The trip to Cairo is well worth the money, we took the bus tour and although it was a long journey the guide was informative and a good host. I would go back to the resort but not this hotel.

Well where do I start!
I...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2004

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Mr L Smyth

Comments:

Well where do I start!

I think this is probably the worst place we have visited as a family, the hotel looks very nice, the rooms and facilities are very clean but I am afraid that is where it stops.



Lets start with the food, the buffet restaurant was pretty much the same every mealtime - stew and rice after stew after stew, oh, now and again there was chips for the kids. Actually we stopped eating there after about 3 days when my wife came down with 'acute gastroenteritis.' It turns out that almost every other person was becoming ill with the same thing. We personally think this was being spread by the staff in the hotel not washing glasses and crockery properly as we witnessed this with our own eyes!



Along with the very nice doctors bill we received for my wife’s illness, my 4 year old son then took a very bad slice into his foot off the tiles on the steps to the main pool as they had big pieces missing from them and therefore where very sharp. This took another 2 days off our holiday, so if you add this to the number of days my wife was sick for in total we had to spend about 7 days in our room.



We had paid for all-inclusive and ended up only eating bread rolls and drinking water, buying the rest of our food and drinks in the town.



On an up note however the Red Sea is absolutely fantastic for diving and the town Naama Bay is a good experience. We also went quad biking which is great.

This was our first holiday...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2004

Tour Operator:

JMC Holidays

Submitted By:

Mrs C Petch

Comments:

This was our first holiday without the children, so for us it was about total relaxation..., which we certainly got.



The food was as expected, nothing spectacular but it was ok.



Disappointed with the bar facilities seeing as we were all inclusive there wasn’t a lot of choice even for soft drinks, also we thought that it was a bit much that you had to pay for bottled water in the mornings and if you wanted ice cream at anytime.



Yes you had to be early for a sunbeds and parasol (6.30ish) but it was worth it later through the day.



The entertainment left a lot to be desired...ok if you were Italian or Russian...the Brits are definitely in the minority here. We saw a couple of evening shows again they were nothing to get excited about!



The pool was clean as was the hotel and the public areas, the staff cleaned through the day and night, we were sat on the balcony late at night watching the gardeners!



The trip to the pyramids was well worth the bus journey. It cost about £120 each but the service from the guide, the drivers and the armed guard that you have with you was fantastic. The trip also takes you to the largest open air bizarre but is prepared to haggle and fight through the crowds!



Would we go again?? Yes, it’s an ideal place for a winter holiday to get away from our grey days. we saw 1 tiny (white) cloud in a week...

The holiday was very much...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2004

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Mr J Darby

Comments:

The holiday was very much enjoyed because of the Hotel and facilities afforded.



The food in the Hotel was very plentiful and always something to eat. The chef was on hand most days to carve beef, duck or different fish dishes.



The pool area is so popular that the best areas are taken up very early. Rules state to stay with the sun beds in the morning and not reserve them and come back more than a few hours later, a number of people complained about this. We had no problem as we enjoy the morning Sun.



Animation team were very lively and the games and entrainment was great.


Did a diving course arranged through Airtours and was very impressed with the standard and friendliness. Snorkelling down by the Hotel is like swimming in an aquarium.

Heard a few people complaining about the Hotel but if you listened these appeared to be almost professional moaners complaining about the place being foreign and too hot (where did they book from)?

We have just returned from a...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2004

Tour Operator:

JMC Holidays

Submitted By:

Miss C Newton & S Copeland

Comments:

We have just returned from a brilliant holiday at the Tropicana Grand Oasis, Sharks Bay.



After reading several reviews on other sites I was a little worried as to what I might find there. However the hotel was spotless, there were staff cleaning, polishing and gardening at all hours of the day. The bar staff (especially at the pool bar were very friendly) They appreciate manners which get you served first too...



The food was typical All Inclusive, but they did live cooking on the balcony on an evening where there were always BBQ meats. (Lamb, chicken & kebabs) It was easy to book into the A 'la carte restaurants. The Oriental served Egyptian food, which was like a BBQ at your table. Drinks service in here was excellent. The fish restaurant was good too, although we aren’t big fish eaters.



We went into Naama Bay on the free hotel shuttle (book in advance at reception). We found several English bars to watch the football. We ate out a few times in town too, about £5 for a steak. The Hard Rock Cafe was also cheap around £3.50 for a huge burger.



We went on 2 trips during our stay, both booked through the rep. We flew to Cairo £185. This involved a very early start, 4.30am but was well worth it. Went to see the Pyramids and Sphinx, and also went to the Egyptian Museum and saw some Mummies. The market was a little intimidating but you just have to stand your ground if you don’t want to go into their shops.



We also went on JMC Arabian Nights. We paid around £35 for this and got to see the exact same dance group as we could for free in the hotel, and eat the same food we could in the Oriental restaurant also for free. We did have a camel ride there which we had to pay for, but it was an all right night when you got over being a bit ripped off!!! That is my only whinge.



We are going to return to Sharm El Sheikh next year for our holiday, and would not hesitate to stay here again.

I stayed in this hotel for 10...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2004

Tour Operator:

Jetair

Submitted By:

Miss K G

Comments:

I stayed in this hotel for 10 nights with my friend. We are not the only people from Belgium to say: this hotel isn’t even worth 3 stars. Everything went wrong: we got a room al the way down at the beach which means we had to walk 10 mins everyday up on a 'mountain' to go to the restaurant or the reception. In the morning we had to get up at 6 o’clock to be sure to have a place at the swimming pool (which was also up on that mountain) and if we weren’t at the swimming pool before 10 o’clock, our places were given to other people!! There were not enough parasols for al the people, which really are needed in that heat. Also the swimming pool for the children was very dirty and never cleaned!



If we talk about the food at the hotel: very very poor choice, everyday the same things to eat, the drinks were almost every time warm (no fridge??) and in the all inclusive formula we could only get drinks at the bar from 11 am until 12 pm... After that we had to pay, also ice cream is not in the all-inclusive formula! The animation-team was all-Italian! And above all: animation was everyday the same and every evening also the same stupid shows! And don’t forget, once past 11 pm: no more music, no more animation... NOTHING!



The only thing we don’t have to complain about was the room and the staff... people were very friendly, always willing to help us, the room was very tidy and big, with a good working fridge :-)



We would never go back to that hotel, or Sharm El Sheik and we don’t recommend this place to young people like us (23-28) because you can’t do anything at all in the evening!

For people who do go there: don’t forget your own humour!!!!



Greetzzz

K & Ph.

My husband and myself have just...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

May 2004

Tour Operator:

Not Specified

Submitted By:

Mrs S Doran

Comments:

My husband and myself have just returned with two other couples from a weeks stay at the Tropicana Grand Oasis Hotel. I can honestly say it is the best holiday we have had. We cannot praise the staff within the hotel highly enough for their magnificent customer service and friendliness - nothing was a problem for them. The food was above standard in comparison to other all inclusive stays and if you are unable to find something amongst their daily menu’s then I can only say All Inclusive is not for you. You can also book at the fish, oriental or Italian restaurant within the hotel. The rooms were spotlessly clean, towel and bedding changed daily and no need to pack your towels for by the pool, as they are also readily available.


Neema Bay is incredibly cheap about £3 - £3.50 for a meal in the Hard Rock Cafe, other restaurants much the same. Taxi’s cost £5 for a good 10-15 minute ride and that was for all six of us. We went on an all day boat/snorkelling trip (lunch included) £24.00 from the hotel - a great day, also treated ourselves to a massage around £10 for half an hour. It was extremely hot, although a nice breeze around 104 degrees so ensure you pack your high factor cream. We really can’t wait to go back but will bring our kettle for our morning cup of tea in our room

We have just landed from an...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

May 2004

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Mr J Williams

Comments:

We have just landed from an excellent holiday at the Grand Oasis. We had a great time, the hotel is very clean and tidy, as are the pools and beach. Overall the staff are fantastic it’s worth tipping if you get good service, they will look after you like royalty. You don’t need to tip much 10 LE is about £1 and is more that enough. The only thing I would advise against is using the hotel phones. One family had lots of trouble settling a big phone bill when we left.



Snorkelling is a must do it’s like swimming in a tropical fish tank you cant miss the amazing diversity of beautiful fish. Take care not to harm the coral though. The hotels private beach has a floating jetty that extends past the coral, but this makes the water quite deep as soon as you enter. Don’t worry the water is very salty which helps with floatation and it’s well worth the effort.



Trips

We visited Cairo (by flight) to see the pyramids & Museum it was expensive £180 GBP each, but well worth the effort and from others experience would not recommend going by coach some spent as long as 16 hours travelling too and fro.



We visited St Katherine’s monastery & walked up Moses Mountain (4 mile hike in the dark) to see the sunrise. This trip is worth the effort but is VERY hard work. It’s freezing cold at the top of the mountain so take some layers and the ground is rocky so take good footwear. We left our hotel at 11pm and didn’t return until 1:30pm the next day. I would only recommend this trip for the healthy fit and religious.



We also did two Snorkelling boat trips Ras Mohamed & Tiran £30 GBP each we never actually got to Tiran. Although we did see some great coral and fish we didn’t feel the boat trips were great value for money.



Also check out the Quad biking. It was great fun and we felt very safe. We booked this trip from the guys at the beach.

Just returned from 2 weeks at...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

May 2004

Tour Operator:

Travel Bargains

Submitted By:

Not Specified

Comments:

Just returned from 2 weeks at the Tropicana grand oasis hotel Sharm, I can tell you that this hotel is really nice don’t be put off by any other comments, the hotel is just 2 years old, the room we had was excellent, even a phone in the loo!!!! Beds were changed every day, the room was cleaned daily, all clothes that were left on the backs of chairs etc were folded and placed neatly on the bed etc. The food was very well presented although the taste of most of it was not to our liking but hey your in Egypt so enjoy, you can get Italian food freshly cooked and is really nice. The swimming pool is a welcome relief from the heat, it is very hot here so just use common sense with the UV rays. Only disappointment was the beach and jetty, the beach is man made and goes down to the sea in stages, the jetty is plastic which is about 6ft wide and 20ft long, so when you get lots of people on it can be quite dangerous so hold tight, when snorkelling from the jetty people will just jump in the water so be careful that they don’t jump on you. These comments I have made are not me moaning just things to remember, we had a fantastic time and would go back in a heart beat.
Now for tips to remember:


First of all Get up at 6.45 and get your sun bed around the pool or the beach and get the towel man to put your towel on them or you won’t get a bed.


Next if you tip the towel man, the waiters, the room boy, etc they will look after you, you don’t have to give much,,10 Egyptian pounds= £1,,,,,their wages = £30 a month so what you give is very very welcome to them, they are very friendly people.


Next. A few just a few people got the 2 bob bits, to coin a phrase, I was fine thankfully, so remember, don’t drink the water, there is oceans of bottled water for you, the salads look just wonderful but I kept away from them (my choice), ice in your drinks is a no no but its up to you!!!


This is a big Hotel and must have been built for the Italians 2 years ago, nothing wrong with Italians, the Hotel is 75% Italian,10%Russian, 10%German, 5%Brits, but having said that the day we left there were a lot more Brits arriving so I think the tour companies are investing in this Hotel.


Do go to Namma Bay it is vibrant and very clean, but make sure you go at night time as during the day not many people are there so you will get a lot of hassle asking you to sign their history book, and come with me to my apartment etc, just say laa, his means NO in Egyptian, so go at night.


Old Sharm is a real eye opener well worth a visit. If you want to buy anything, make sure you haggle they love it and you will too. This is for the women, the Egyptian men will talk to your breast’s not your face and stare for quite a while at them you might even get the odd one that looks at your eyes, but hey.



Last but not least, and you will love this, when you leave to come home, make sure you take some toilet paper with you for the airport, as when you go for a wee or a poo at the airport,, there is no toilet paper in the toilets, BUT there is a woman in the toilets who will charge you for 3 sheets of toilet paper, could be an expensive poo or wee, if you forget it.



After all that you have a fantastic time there is so much to do and see out there, try the quad biking in the desert, FANTASTIC


Enjoy your holiday and have a great time, we did any spelling mistakes I will put down to travelling times.



Anyway, have a great time.

We enjoyed our visit to this...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2004

Tour Operator:

Panorama

Submitted By:

Miss M Perez

Comments:

We enjoyed our visit to this part of Egypt and found the hotel to be very enjoyable. The staff were helpful and our tour rep was very knowledgeable about the places to see and what was worth visiting. The hotel was spotlessly clean and rooms were cleaned every day and fresh towels daily. The pools were the best I have ever swam in and my partner always commented how clean they were. The beach was a two minute walk and breathtaking. We went snorkelling and it cost five pounds to hire the equipment and was amazing. The sea life was unbelievable with the coral and different species of fish. We visited Ras Mohammed and went snorkelling and saw a turtle and some white tip sharks which made the holiday.


Overall would go back. Not suitable if you are a picky eater but if you like fish, chicken, veal, beef, salads and vegetables. Potatoes and lots of pastries and cake then you will be fine. Also there was always the Italian restaurant serving chips and pizza. The weather was really hot so take plenty of high protection cream. Didn’t get bit once and no dickey stomach. Namma Bay is worth seeing and taxi are so cheap around four pound but got really busy in the evening so we used to go in about 4.Anyway an enjoyable holiday and cant wait to return.

The hotel looks very...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2003

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr Matthew Thomas

Comments:

The hotel looks very non-descript from the road, and a little tacky with its neon sign and cheap looking snack bar by the entrance to the reception. No views to speak of, as across the dual carriageway from the seafront and desert to the rear. Having said that, the rooms were clean, and the atmosphere was quiet and friendly. Breakfast was basic but good. We didn't eat any other meals at the hotel, and by the looks of things, neither did many other guests. A 10 minute walk from the Emperor Dive Centre, which is the reason for most people staying here. All in all, good value for money if you're looking for a basic, but clean and friendly hotel. If you are looking for something a bit special dont book this one.

My husband and I stayed a week...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2003

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mrs I L MacLeod

Comments:

My husband and I stayed a week all-inclusive at Tropicana Grand Oasis. The Hotel in the brochure looks immaculate but when you enter after the huge Chandelier that's were it ends, everything is quite shabby including the rooms where the rugs were all dirty and the safety deposit box was not attached to the wall so if an intruder entered your room they could just pick up the small safety deposit box with your treasured belongings.



The food was awful, the Hotel is only about 10% English guests so does not cater for us, we had omelette every morning and ended up going out the last half of holiday as couldn't stand the food anymore. Another English couple that were staying for 2 weeks asked to be transferred late on 1st week as couldn't stand the food.



It's very difficult to get into the sea as you have to walk on a floating jetty with steps at the end that are very slippy, a guest actually broke their leg on our stay. You have to be a confident swimmer as you can't touch the bottom because of the beautiful coral even though some stupid guests kept doing so.



I would stay in the Tropicana self-catering but PLEASE PLEASE don't go all-inclusive as it's not worth it, you can get a taxi (£2) to NAMA Bay which has great restaurants, really cheap, £5 each for 3 course meal, if you like Chinese the Peking is great Restaurant with good views (if sitting outside). My husband and I love snorkelling so the Hotel was great for that as I said earlier the coral and fish are amazing. The Hotel is a bit shabby but as our rep said it's Egypt and that's what you expect but if the Brochure states 4* that's what it should be!