Reviews of Iberotel Grand Sharm Hotel, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Family Held Against Their Will - iberotel Grand Sharm

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2008

Tour Operator:

Travel Republic

Submitted By:

harby

Comments:

As for what occurred it as follows:

We were transferred to the Hotel via "Wings Tours" upon our arrival in Egypt. On arrival at our Hotel we handed the "VOUCHER" as requested to the Hotel Reception Desk during the process of booking in. I might ad that we only had a 6 night stay and not the 7 nights that we paid for! On Saturday 25th Oct in the morning we asked the hotel reception staff if they could call WINGS TOURS to arrange our transfer to the airport Sunday morning. They called the WINGS TOUR OPERATORS and handed the telephone to us. Wings told me they would pick us up at the hotel for the transfer to the airport at 01:50hrs Sunday morning.

At 22:00hrs Saturday 25th the hotel reception telephoned our room and told me that my hotel bill had not been paid! I was a bit confused because we had paid any additional services the day before when we arranged the transfer with wings tours! I said maybe I should come down to reception and speak with them as it was not very clear what they were saying on the telephone.

I went to reception 5 minutes later with my wife and son and they said that our tour operator had gone bust and said "JUST LIKE XL AIRLINES" your uk operators have gone bust! I said that what has this to do with me because I have paid my hotel bill and also I have paid "IN FULL" my holiday cost when I booked it some 12 - 13 weeks prior to travelling! The hotel staff said they do not accept any "VOUCHERS" for holidays from WINGS TOURS and that they have not been paid for my holiday! I said, how is this going to affect me, I have paid I am ABTA & ATOL protected! They said you will not be allowed to leave the hotel until we receive payment "IN CASH" for our stay in Hotel Grand Sharm. They said that I need to contact the UK tour operator and arrange "immediate" payment or I will not be allowed to leave.

I was very concerned at this point. My son started to panic at this time after hearing this from the hotel staff and also was very worried when the reception desk was approached by security staff with guns! My wife had to calm him down because he was worried about the men with guns and being told that we could not leave the hotel! I tried calling the UK tour operator which they said was LOWCOSTBEDS.COM on their emergency number but I only got an answerphone. They then said you must call WINGS TOURS in Egypt because they will not speak with the hotel staff and that I should tell WINGS TOURS to come to the hotel and pay the bill IN CASH before they would let us leave! Time was getting on and I was getting extremely concerned. I called WINGS TOURS and they said that it was nothing to do with them and that they had given a VOUCHER to the hotel for my stay and that was all they were prepared to do! The man on the phone "WINGS TOURS" also said that he was the person who would be transferring us back to the airport at 01:50hrs! So I told him that we were not being allowed to leave the hotel until the bill $1,764.00 US DOLLARS was paid in cash! He said that it was not his problem. I said to the hotel staff that we need to return to our room and finish packing because it was getting late! We returned to our room and was in a state of SHOCK at what had just happened, knowing that there was no way we could raise $1,764.00 US DOLLARS before we could leave the hotel.

My Wife and my Son were very distressed and did not know what was going to happen with us. At 01:30hrs Sunday morning the telephone rang again and it was WINGS TOURS saying that they were in the Hotel reception waiting for us to transfer us to the airport. They said do we want them to arrange the hotel staff to collect our luggage from our room and I said yes. We were relieved at last and thought that all was OK and went down to the reception desk to hand in our keys. When we handed in our keys the reception staff said that we can not leave until the bill has been paid! I said that WINGS TOURS were here in the hotel and I thought that all was now OK. They said no, we need to pay the bill before we are allowed to leave! The WINGS TOURS person then walked out of the hotel! I said that I was unable to pay $1,764.00 US DOLLARS and was it possible for me to pay using a credit card! After some consultation they accepted our credit card for the payment in US DOLLARS and allowed us to leave the hotel. WINGS TOURS then transferred us to the airport to which my wife and son were still very very distressed at whether we would be in time for our flight back to the UK.

I wish to add that this completely wrecked our stay in Egypt and this was a very special 20th Wedding Anniversary present to my wife.

This is a beautiful hotel in an...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2008

Tour Operator:

MyTravel

Submitted By:

Mrs C NESBITT

Comments:

This is a beautiful hotel in an ideal situation - on the beach and just a 5 minute walk from the local village in El Um Sid Hill. The hotel is built on a sloping hill and has its own house reef. We had spent much time in choosing this hotel, checking with google earth to make sure it was on the beach (be aware many hotels in Sharm have the word 'beach' in the name and they are nowhere near it!.



We booked a sea view and was not disappointed with the view when we woke up to the view on the first morning. The view even got better a week later when they pruned the palm trees. The gardens were in full flower and well tended by many gardeners. Many pathways wind their way through the hotel and gardens with various swimming pools.



The restaurant and breakfast area are at the top of the resort - for us 145 steps!!, but there are lifts for those who do not want to walk. We used the stairs as exercise before eating our breakfast and the views from each terrace on the way up was wonderful.



There is a manmade beach with plenty of sun umbrellas and loungers and pontoons from the beach over the water to the reef edge. The pontoons end at the reef wall and here snorkelling and diving comes into its own. Please note there is no gentle way into the sea as it is illegal to walk over the corals which some Russians and Italians staying thought they were immune to!! - this natural wonder will only survive if we look after it....



Camel Diving have a branch at this hotel. The first time we spoke to a member of staff (Russian) we came away not very happy with their attitude. The following day we went back again and am so glad we did, this time we met another member of staff (english) and he made us most welcome. We went on to do about 6 shore dives with them and a full days diving aboard one of their boats. All most professional.



The hotel run a shuttle bus to Naama Bay and we made use of this service for a few evenings to eat here. There is a great Indian next door to the Camel Dive centre in Naama Bay and the Italian restaurant outside is also very good. There are a few eateries locally in El Um Sid but found the fast food shops in the new arcade on the main road very good. We went into the Old Town one evening by shuttle but could not find anywhere decent to eat. The old town is good for shopping but be aware the pestering by the shop owners gets quite wearing after a while. We also found that gold is no longer the good buy it once was.



Would we go back to this hotel - YES, and have now booked for November again.

Fabulous hotel with large pools,...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

travel repblic

Submitted By:

Mrs Jn Kramer

Comments:

Fabulous hotel with large pools, pool and beach bars and every luxury laid on during the day such as sunglasses cleaned, cooldown spray,watermelon plus more.

Air con in rooms very effective ,massive beds and satellite tv much more uk channels than normally received in europe inc choice of 3 films, CNN,MTV and cartoon and comedy channels.

Was over 40 degrees daily and have a fab tan but not many people seemed to burn. The usual upset tummy did happen however but was eventually sorted by a pharmacist in Naama Bay on our only outing there- given broad sprectrum antiseptic drug antinal??? about 50 egptian.

Food is very nice, the drinks are absolutely fine.Entertainment is just as you'd expect i.e belly dancer,magic show etc. but ok as the hotel is so relaxing you just watch it whilst chilling every evening.

Floating jetty over the coral is amazing as there are so many exotic fish . Also Camel DIve school based at hotel.

The hotel has a large health centre featuring massage,hairdressers as well as a well equipped gym and sauna,jacuzzi and steam room.

shuttle bus to Naama Bay regular and free and takes about 10 mins.

Would definately recommend this hotel and plan to return in next couple of months.

On the whole the hotel is very...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Feb 2008

Tour Operator:

Travel Republic

Submitted By:

Mr P Richardson

Comments:

On the whole the hotel is very good, it isn't 5 star but still very good. We had booked a suite but were given a large family room, this was very 3 star the patio doors didn't lock, the internet access didn't work, nobody explained about the mini bar and the bath plug didn't work. All of these we could live with but the room was over a bar and by the kids pool that played very loud music from 10 am until about 6.30 pm, this we certainly couldn't live with as we wanted to relax.



Initially reception said they didn't have any rooms available but eventually they did free up a proper suite and that was excellent and we then looked forward to the rest of the holiday.



The food that is included is what you would expect, a buffet that is plentiful but not the best quality though there is an Italian restaurant which is good and very reasonable and they do some themed meals on the beach which were excellent.



The staff are very friendly and helpful and there are plenty of them to ensure you are never kept waiting very long for anything.



On the whole a good holiday but I would certainly look at some other hotels if I went back to Sharm

Excellent hotel with very...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss V CROWE-HAYLETT

Comments:

Excellent hotel with very friendly staff and lovely facilities

The hotel had a relaxed and at the same time vibrant feel

to it.



I greatly enjoyed Sharm El Sheikh

Travelling as a lone female 20s I had to just get on with

going out and about and not worry (only live once!)

I had no problems at all, felt perfectly safe.



Would DEFINETELY recommend this hotel, clean and great food...couldn't fault it

Upon arriving at Cairo airport,...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

FTG

Submitted By:

Mr B Blaker

Comments:

Upon arriving at Cairo airport, we were glad to see our tour operator with a sign in arrivals as it was so hectic and busy we could have easily gotten lost. We had to each pay a 30 Euro visa fee, which we had no idea about before and thought we were being ripped off. It turns out that this is normal.



We arrived at our hotel quite late at night, however the service was still great. We were given a tour of the hotel and personally shown to our room.



Tipping: We noticed that a little tipping goes a long way with the hotel staff.



The room: large and very clean with a terrace, air conditioning, TV, safe, fridge, and a lot of closet space. We tipped the room cleaner 50 Egyptian dollars (5 GBP) the first day we saw him and from then on he made an extra effort by making animals out of the towels and leaving flowers on the bed. He also gave us a bottle of mosquito spray for the room. (Which was very necessary)



Food: We had breakfast and dinner included. The breakfast was the same every morning and we found it quite boring towards the end of our trip. Dinner however was much better than what we expected. It was buffet style and there was a different theme every night of the week. We found the service excellent, however this may have been due to the tips we left. Word spreads fast amongst the hotel staff.



The staff: They were all very friendly and we became on a first name basis with a lot of them.



The other guests: This resort is mainly German and Italian. They even had separate entertainment in Italian. We went to the shows and still had a laugh even though we couldn't understand it. If you like to get a good spot by the pool, be prepared to wake up early as the Germans were often up at 730 am reserving their spots.



The facilities: The two pools were very nice. The whole layout was breath taking. This resort is very close to the ocean, therefore you had both options. The gym, spa and hair salon was not up to its 5 star rating. This was disappointing for me. I had a massage and it was not worth the 260 Egyptian pounds (26GBP).



The resort has a beach volley ball set up which we used. The Italians who put on the entertainment would gather people to play every afternoon which was great fun. We also took advantage of the diving centre which was on the hotel grounds. (Camel Divers) They were great. We did some research before we agreed to do 4 days of diving and they were the most professional.



We would definitely go back to this hotel. It was a great experience and the diving was amazing! The weather was 40C and the ocean temp was 29C.



B.

I would highly recommend this...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Sunshine.co.uk

Submitted By:

Mr D Smith

Comments:

I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone. It is great for all ages and families/couples alike. The staff in the hotel where out of this world. I went with my girlfriend and she is a bit hard to please sometimes but not even she could fault it. The staff where always either ready to serve or cleaning something or other. We were all-inclusive so we tried many cocktails and drinks. I have been to many hotels around the world and I can honestly say this is the best. I will be back next year but now the standards have been set. If you are thinking of going to the Sinai then I would just stay here - you will not regret it :¬)

An extremely clean, well run and...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

Olympic Holidays

Submitted By:

Ms M Yemm

Comments:

An extremely clean, well run and friendly hotel set amongst beautifully kept gardens, overlooking the sea. We had a fantastic holiday at this hotel and were delighted to open our patio doors on our first morning to be greeted by an unspoilt view of the Red Sea it was breathtaking.



We visited Egypt at the height of the season and the temperatures soared up to 45oC! which was way to much for my 7 year old son (who spent most of the week in the air-conditioned room - Bless!).



The hotel was spotless throughout and the food on an AI basis was lovely, although by the end of the week we were tiring of the same selections 3 times a day. Drinks were plentiful and the local beer was gorgeous, the only problem was keeping it cold in the heat, (just meant you had to drink quicker!). Sat around our swim-up bar, looking out to clear blue skies and crystal clear waters felt like being in paradise and the snorkelling is out-of-this world, just like being in a huge aquarium.



We treated ourselves to the hotel's seafood dinner, (£25 each extra charge) which was served by the sea on the man-made beach. Food, service and ambience were excellent and a very romantic evening!



The only down side to the holiday was an attack of 'Pharaoh’s Revenge', which we put down to the water (although we didn't drink/wash our teeth in it), just think our English bellies are a bit wimpy. We just visited the local Chemist who, for a few quid, gave us the local tablets, which helped a great deal. This did last at least a week on our return, but all a distant memory and certainly won't stop us returning next year!



A fantastic hotel/country/people and such good value for money, you won't be disappointed if you stay here.

We were originally due to stay...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Jan 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss G Awcock

Comments:

We were originally due to stay at the Iberotel Lido in Naama bay, but re-booked to the Iberotel Grand Sharm a few days before departure. What a bonus this turned out to be!



The hotel itself was excellent, with all the facilities you would expect from a 5 star resort and with excellent service. On the hotel beach for example during the day there is staff that comes around to clean sunglasses, spray you if you are too hot, and give you strawberries dipped in chocolate.



However, we found the location was one of its best features. Its located in the haddaba area in between old town Sharm & Naama bay. This means its considerably quieter than Naama bay, which gets busy and has planes flying over every few minutes. The hotel runs a shuttle bus into both Sharm & Naama and taxis are £1.50 to Sharm £2.50-3.00 to Naama, so its easy enough to get into town in the evening.



The hotel has a substantial pool & man made beach area which is superior to the adjacent hotels. The area of coast is known as Ras Umm Sid and this provides some excellent snorkelling and diving just off the hotel's floating jetty, which you use to access the sea and coral reef. The variety of marine life just off the jetty was incredible, making nemo & friends very easily accessible!



The only slight problem we encountered was that the hotel security are quite strict about guests bringing food & drink in from outside. Which, is fine if you don't mind paying the hotel prices but not so good if your on a budget. There is a good restaurant nr the hotel called Columbus that we went for lunch 3/4 times.



This was our first trip to Egypt, and after a few days to settle in and get used to the "friendly" Egyptian shopkeepers, we loved it! We booked 3 excursion's from a company in the Naama bay shopping mall as Thompson were expensive. We went to Cairo by plane, which was really good and well worth seeing, if you don't mind a very long day.



We also went to St Catherines Monestry, the Coloured Canyons and Ras Mohammed national marine park, both of which were excellent.

The Hotel was lovely; nice and...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Dec 2005

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Miss LC Trees

Comments:

The Hotel was lovely; nice and clean with a nice pool, not too busy and the staff very obliging and attentive. The area itself was gorgeous with lots of lovely beaches offering exciting snorkelling/diving opportunities.



Many expeditions on offer, although the local area is pleasant to tour with a bustling little town at centre; Naama Bay. The locals can however get a little annoying with their constant pestering to look at (and then buy) their goods. I would rate that area of Egypt, Hotel etc 9.5/10, it was the Thomas Cook Service that let it down. (Also, the local airport was a nightmare.



Queuing several hours to board our plane back and a lengthy wait to enter the country.) The Thomas Cook staff were insufficient at the airport for the amount of people, customers from other providers getting through the queues etc in 1/100th of the time it took us! The staff were unavailable and when they eventually turned up at the hotel very unhelpful, as they had very little knowledge of the local area.



I'd recommend Sharm El Sheikh to anyone but I would not go there again with Thomas Cook.