Alf Leila Wa Leila

After the mixed reviews I had read about this hotel I was pleasantly surprised.
The rooms were very basic but very clean. The cleaner was very polite and did more than was his job role.
Staff were friendly and polite. Hotel was lovely. Pools were clean and plenty of sun beds. There was a choice of eating places as you could also go to at least 2 of the restaurants in the hotel which offered both an all inclusive menu and a menu that had to be paid for.
Yes we had tummy bugs but nothing major and as we had been expecting it we had been prepared.
The shop keepers were very nice in the hotel. Jack at the papyrus shop especially. Although, I didn’t like shopping in Hurghada old town. I was out of my comfort zone with the shop keepers trying to entice you into every single shop and some taking offence if you wouldn’t go in.
We met some lovely English people on this trip who we plan to keep in contact with.
The Russians and Germans were quite rude though and pushed in the food queues, on the buses to the beach or at the bar etc. The entertainment was virtually non existent but I suppose you can’t have everything.
For what we paid for this holiday I would definitely recommend it to anyone.
I would definitely go again.
If you want to just chill out with the occasional trip out I would definitely try here. The day trips were brilliant too and very well organised. We did snorkelling, jeep safari and a city tour. I rode a camel and a horse.
We rode quad bikes and dune buggies on the night time jeep safari. The fish were amazing on the snorkelling trip. As was the fantastic island surrounded by turquoise sea. Stunning.
One thing I would say though and I wish I had known it before us left- do not change all your money before you go. Day trips were charged in sterling. Also you could pay for everything with euros or American dollars. Sterling was widely accepted too.
We changed our money in England into Egyptian pounds at a rate of 10 Egyptian pounds to the £1.However the rate in Egypt was over 11 Egyptian pounds to the £1. Therefore when we were paying for trips in Egyptian pounds that were priced in sterling we were losing out as they needed more Egyptian pounds to the £.
I would recommend you take a small amount of Egyptian pounds and then either sterling or euros.

We got a very reasonable all-inclusive deal to this hotel and thought we would give it a go despite the poor reviews we had read on this site. We were very pleasantly surprised and had a fantastic holiday. The hotel is not English orientated but this was at no point a problem, all the staff spoke perfect English and with good manners you received good service.
The food is nothing special but it's varied enough for a week, we did experience tummy upsets but we expected this traveling to Egypt and brought treatment with us. The hotel pharmacy also prescribes antibiotics for about £5 should you need it. The flies are a pain but it's like going to the desert and moaning about the sand, unfortunately it comes with the territory.
The hotel pools were fabulous and we had no problem getting sun beds etc, we spent some of our best times swimming and sipping cold beer at the poolside bar. The rooms are spotless and spacious and the hotel itself is clean, the shop keepers are keen to speak to you and obviously want you to buy things as that is their living, if you are courteous but firm they are no problem at all.
The entertainment was poor (and very random) but I'm sure that with imagination you can find other things to occupy your evenings if it's not to your taste. Hurghada itself was a short cab ride away and has more to offer in terms of bars/restaurants/clubs etc. Basically, if you are looking to lie back, chill out, relax, scuba/snorkel, and explore other parts of Egypt this place is perfect considering the cheap deals. If you want a fry up, karaoke and union jacks then stay at home.

I cannot understand the positive reviews I have read about this Hotel. It was a first for me - the first time I have looked forward to the end of the holiday!
The hotel is in the wrong position, the food was well below standard and in particular the food hygiene was very poor. Lots of flies settling on the buffet food, even in the indoor dining areas where the flies could have been controlled. My wife and my daughter were ill during our weeks stay and we were told of many others that had gone down with sickness. We heard of people that were ill for 6 days of a 7 day stay!
The entertainment was mostly aimed at the Germans and was completely pathetic.
On the positive side, the rooms were clean and the service good. Beware of getting fobbed off at reception. They will tell you what you want to hear with no intention of carrying it through.
Free shuttles were provided to the beach behind the Dana Beach Hotel. The beach was good but the food provided for the all inclusive customers was as bad as the hotel but with even more flies. Speaking to people staying at the Dana Beach Hotel, they gave good comments on the food and hygiene.
Hurghada is a building site which I can’t see being anywhere near finished for at least 20 years. The main attraction is the Red Sea which is fantastic. Most of the better hotels on the beach have built their own lagoons for safe swimming and water sports. To enjoy Hurghada you must research thoroughly and possibly spend a bit more to get a good hotel.
We will go back to the Red Sea but will learn from lessons learnt at Alf Leila Wa Leila Hotel.

We read reports before we went and we were dubious.
But all I can say is we had a fantastic time! We paid £450 for a week all inclusive for the two of us! For that money I cannot understand why or how anyone could complain! You certainly couldn't eat/drink all day for that here! The food is buffet style but there is something for everyone! The hotel is going to be a 'resort' and parts are still being finished, but we never heard a thing! We met fab people who were mainly up for a fun time.
The animation team is new and it's enjoyable for what it is. You are not going to get a 'London or Broadway Theatre' show but they are fun and do try! The hotel is very clean the staff are very helpful. I used to be a holiday rep and all I can say is that these people complaining (mainly bout the food and the heat - hey ho you are in Egypt in the summer – (very hot!), where forgetting they are in a foreign country - and I don't think they were ever going to enjoy themselves! If you want English food - stay in England!
I am a very fussy eater and I enjoyed all the foods I ate - I did not have any trouble finding food I liked! The only time we had a jippy belly is after going to the Hard Rock Cafe!
Do go snorkelling it's a fantastic experience - and I hate the sea! Wear a t-shirt in the sea as I burnt badly! The days were getting up to 47degrees! Choose wisely when you go!
The sister hotel, The Dana Beach is huge - over 6000 rooms and it did make this hotel look like a 3*, but for what we paid and the fun we had - it's worth it! I don't think we would have met such great people in a more imposing hotel.
I am only knocking a point off as it does not include spirits in the price, just wine and beer! I am also now looking to go back within the next month as we had such a great time!
One last point, tip the people you think worthy at the end of the week and not daily! (50 Egyptian is what we gave them bout £5). Take Stirling or use Egyptian pounds - we found that they like to charge to the room - just pay when leaving. It's very cheap and a relaxing hotel!
Have fun and enjoy - we did!

This hotel in my opinion was superb. The standard of cleanliness could not be beaten. The staff were very friendly and made you feel at home.
The food is typically Egypt so do not go there if you want ham egg and chips. The pools are secluded in small garden areas. There is a good children’s playground and free horse riding and camel rides daily for all inclusive guests. You also get pool towels for the beach and pool.
Daily a bus runs down the there sister hotel the Dana beach for which you can get free drinks and lunch. All inclusive drinks are serve yourself fizzy soft drinks and Stella beer no spirits.
Entertainment was a bit scarce in the evening. If you want to book any trips do not do it with the hotel or the med hotels rep, go down the road to the shops outside the Dana beach and the last tour shop is called spider tours.
You can go snorkelling for the day for 9.80 including lunch and drink. We will visit this hotel again.
Ps. There is also a movie channel on 24hours in English with all the to[p movies. Have a nice trip.

My wife and I have stayed in some wonderful hotels throughout the world and this was by far one of the worst holidays of my life.
The Hotel architecture was pleasant and the hotel surroundings also. The rooms were very basic for a 4 star hotel but they were clean.
The food was the biggest problem, breakfast was okay if you like eggs. Lunch and dinner was disgusting, we met a family there who had 3 children and they had been there 4 days and not eaten! We ate out every night either in sekalla which was about a 2 pound and 10 minute taxi ride where we found some excellent eateries (Fish house, shanghai Chinese, McDonalds!! Even this was better then the restaurant).
We also ate at the Hard Rock cafe in Nawarra which was also great although expensive.
The entertainment in the hotel was awful ( unless you are German/ Russian)the only good bit was the fact you could ride the horses and camels for a half hour every day free of charge.
In sekalla there are various pubs, clubs and shisha bars which are brill.(papas bar, liquid lounge, joli bar)
The beach (500 metres away) was also disgusting there seemed to be a puddle of water right down the length of the beach. The sand was like grit and the sea was filthy with rubbish floating in it. The food although better was still only German hotdogs, cold pizza and undercooked chips.
This was our 5th visit to Egypt with the other 4 being in Sharm El Sheikh and if we go back it will certainly be there and not Hurghada.

When I looked on the net at this hotel it looked lovely, and upon arrival it was very nice apart from the remote location. The staff were very helpful apart from one of the girls on reception who was very helpful with my partner but not with me. We felt very out numbered by the amount of Germans (some would even pay the pool attendant to put their towels on beds at 6am) there also many other nationalities to the point where the entertainment staff did most entertaining round the pool in every language but English, as a result we were not included in anything.
The food on a whole was terrible unless you like to eat cakes 24/7 but the omelettes in the morning were gorgeous also it is worth paying that little bit extra in the A La Carte as the food is delicious, however watch out for getting stung with Lanson champagne, we had a waiter holding two bottles one with the label facing us and the other turned the other way looking identical and was offered to us for £15 English pounds, so we had two bottles but they were actually £60 each, he hid the sparkling wine label (which was £15)
No need to get Egyptian pounds as they prefer to use euros. Evening entertainment was rubbish. Planet Hollywood in Hurghada was nice, local taxi ride fun but hair raising, they all turn their headlights off when there are no other cars around. Snorkelling trip with the turtles a complete rip off as you don't actually get to see any.
However it was a wonderful country to go, you feel very safe with security everywhere but not over powering, where the weather is guaranteed, no time difference and a flight of just under 5 hours. Best not to take children in summer months as it is so, so hot. We are going back to Egypt but to Naama Bay for a bit more nightlife and a central location.
We wouldn't recommend this hotel.

The best thing about this hotel is the use of the Dana Beach Resort, but more on that later...
The hotel has a very usually appearance - looks like a cross between Las Vegas and a Disney version of Ali Baba's castle. LOTS of fairy lights, multicoloured flashing palm trees and so on.
Room was spacious and clean, with plenty of new looking furniture. Bathroom large (shower only though). Large fridge in room, which was very handy as we bought plenty of duty free on way out as spirits are extra in hotel.
I was on the ground floor, and my balcony looked onto an enclosed corridor, so it was always dark, and people were walking past occasionally. So balcony was not really used, and I couldn't even dry clothes there (for fear of theft).
2 small pools in the hotel - both too small and shallow for swimming. Pools are not heated, but just about bearable at beginning of November (Egypt's winter).
Food was all horrible except for bread, room service (which is extra - a Lot extra), omelettes (morning only) and pizza (2-4 pm only). What the hotel calls Snacks (2-4 pm) are just the lunch leftovers carried to a different room, although the addition of pizza makes it slightly preferable to lunch (12-1:30 pm).
Ate out every evening bar one in Sigala, which has very nice and reasonably priced restaurants (although many do not serve alcohol).
Wine was foul as you might expect, but beer (Egyptian Stella - no similarity to Belgian Stella) was fine and served straight from the bottle. It didn't taste watered-down as I read in some other reviews.
Staff nice and friendly (especially Ramon), but they are trying to sell trips, massages, facials, hair braiding, etc constantly.
Guests are mainly Russian, then next biggest group is German. There were only 4 other British guests whilst I was there.
Found the evening 'entertainment' very irritating (even from as far away as my room), and tried to go out every evening.
Sigala is quite far away at 17 km (Ed Hadar is even further) and 1 way can take anything from 20 minutes to an hour (longer in the minibuses than the taxis). We took to getting a taxi direct from the hotel, getting them to wait and then bringing us back when we were ready (about 45 Egyptian). Although the minibuses seemed a bit cheaper, they took longer.
There is a shuttle bus from the hotel every 30 minutes that takes you to the beach at the 5 star Dana Beach Resort. At the Dana Beach Resort you can help yourself to free food and drinks - the food is far superior and you can have spirits as well as beer and wine to drink.
The sand on the beach is a bit gravely - I heard that it is a man-made beach, but don't know for sure.
If you go snorkelling in November, take a jumper for the boat ride.
I would look for alternative accommodation unless this is by far the cheapest option.

The hotel itself is very nice- the rooms were lovely and cleaned every day. The location, however, was something of a disadvantage. Definitely not the place to stay if you want to go out in the town in the evenings. There are hotel buses, but these are irregular and expensive compared to the other possibility, which is to use to transport of the locals- minibuses. Don’t be conned into paying ridiculous fees. We paid 5 Egyptian Pounds to be taken to the town during the day (and apparently even this is a lot more than the locals would pay for a similar journey). In the evening, between 15 (if you are good at bartering!) and 30 is reasonable. Anything more and you are being royally ripped off. A good trick is to say that it cost you 10 EP to get from town to the hotel, so you know it is cheaper.
The staff are generally helpful, but full of promises that will not be kept. They will also try to send you on expensive daytrips when these very trips may be booked for much less from other providers. There is a man called Alex who has an office along the traders gauntlet who offers trips and diving etc for half the rate your tour operator will offer it for. Probably a better bet as well because there are likely to be less people on them than on the massive commercial trips.
Finally, beware of the food. Everyone gets sick- its unavoidable- so I would recommend taking lots of medicine with you.
Oh, and the orange juice and cocktails (which incidentally cost a ridiculous 6€) are not included in the All-Inclusive offer.
Enjoy!

Excellent value. Hotel very clean and comfortable, staff helpful and friendly. Beautiful building, very ornate. Excellent selection of food, especially at dinner. Particularly liked the home produced breads, pastries and puddings. Chefs clearly took a pride in what they produce and were on hand to cook to order omelettes (at breakfast), pastas and various meat dishes (lunch and dinner). All inclusive drinks limited to wine, beer and soft drinks, but we knew that in advance and were happy with what we got.
Hotel is a bit remote, but the beach at the sister hotel is close enough to walk (10 to 15 minutes stroll) and there is a courtesy bus service. Animation team not the best, but it always is difficult to cater for varied nationalities. Not much to Hurghada, but trips (especially snorkelling) are very reasonably priced.
Ideal hotel for a relaxing break - but take plenty of reading material! Would recommend and would be happy to return at any time. Take Euros rather than Egyptian Pounds - local currency is the least used!