Holiday Inn Taba Resort Hotel

th.e best and most relaxing holiday we have ever had. My husband and i just needed to get away for a quiet week. well we got that, but what we also found was all of the staff and mangerment could not do enough for us they even went a few miles to get me some tablets that i needed urgently. We have met two other couples that we really felt we had known forever and hopfully we will all meet up next year at holiday inn taba. Again thank you to everybody at holiday inn taba

This hotel is definately only 3 star and not 4 star as sold in the brochures. Having said that it is one of the cleanest hotels I have stayed in anywhere in the world and the attentiveness of the hotel staff and management was as good as any 5 star I have stayed in. The food was not very exciting but well cooked and there was something for everyone you wont go hungry..The all inclusive was however very basic..no mid meal snacks offered not even tea and cakes in the afternoon..which is the norm for AI..Very poor evening entertainment..We were all a bit sick of watching belly dancers and the DJ played music so loud you couldnt have a conversation.The hotel grounds are very well kept and should be stunning..when finished..the pool area is spotless and pool staff very attentive..pool too cold to swim in even the heated pool was too cold so dont expect to enjoy this facility in the winter months.The beach is very rocky although there is a small strip of sand..but if you want to walk off the small private beach the area is like a disused building site and very dirty..The hotel unfortunatly is totally isolated and is situated in what can only be described as a wilderness.This hotel should offer a lot more because of its isolated position a week is long enough to spend here with so little to do.There are some very good excursions you can do from this area and Isreal and Jordon are a must..To sum up ..a nice clean friendly 3 star hotel but with a long way to go to compete with the surrounding 5 stars..the resort just cant compete with Sharm el sheike or Hurghada and I dont think it ever will..but its worth a visit just to appreciate the proximity of some of the worlds leading historical sites and places of interest.

Having gone to this hotel for the first time and hearing all the negative comments about it we were very doutfull about going but now very glade we did . The hotel was just as in the book , the staff from the cleaners to the hotel manager was first class. We had some probs about the food being only warm but after talking with the manager and head chef this was sorted,all so when you went on any of the trips that were early starts you had to order a packed break fast the first 2 of these we just could not eat but as again after talking to the chef and manager this was put right. This a first class hotel and we can not wait to get back ther for our next holiday

I have just returned from my second stay at this hotel. We stayed there for a week from 19th November and again from 14th January. On both occasions I have been very impressed with both the hotel itself and the very helpful and friendly staff. I have previously been to other All Inclusive resorts and this compares very favourably to my past experiences. The accommodation is excellent. Clean and well furnished with a fridge in the room which is useful for cooling much needed bottles of water. The room is cleaned thoroughly each morning with some amazing towel creations each day. The air conditioning unit is effective both in hot weather and the cooler nights experienced recently when it will warm the room quite quickly. The Food was very good, with a variety of different options at each meal. Lovely cakes can be found during the morning snack time although I found I was not very hungry between meals as the quantity is plentiful. All-Inclusive drinks finish at 11pm each night although we didn’t find this too great a problem. In addition to the different alcoholic choices, we enjoyed wonderful fruit juice cocktails. The Hotel landscaping is not yet complete but the flowers were beautiful during the second visit and I am sure will continue to bloom throughout the year. The entertainment team had improved greatly on my second visit, with two new girls employed who interacted well with both young and old alike. There is a twice weekly display of belly dancing with encouragement to join in. This can be fun for those watching even if a little embarrassing for those taking part! The beach is lovely with sunbeds and towels provided by the hotel. There are large pebbles as you enter the water so beach shoes or flip flops are advisable. Snorkelling is excellent and there is a new diving centre on the private beach offering scuba diving. Although the main pool is very cold, the small children’s pool is both warm and safe. There is a bedouin tent on the beach adjacent to the hotel where you can go at night to smoke shisha and drink tea. This hotel is ideal for couples and people who want a complete rest. Trips can be arranged to various sites of interest through your tour company or the on site travel company.

Transfer to the hotel was supposed to be 50 minutes.With drop offs in between this is more like 1hr 30mins. The rooms were good and the general site was pleasant. you used the pool at your peril as it was freezing. The sea was warmer. We had an all inclusive package which was fine but they were strict on the times for drinks. Entertainment was non-existant apart from new years eve when they put on an excellent banquet. Food was repetative and very average with not much choice. Diving and snorkelling off the beach was very good but there is a building site next door and a derelicy hotel on the other side. No where to walk to outside of the hotel. We went on a trip to Petra which started at 5-15 AM and was supposed to get back at 8-00PM. It was worth going but we got back at 11pm. To summarise, not bad for the money but not my recommendation.

I saw some of the comments about this hotel before going and was a bit worried but i needn't have been. We stayed there for a week from 19th November and I have to say had a fantastic time. We'd never been to an All-Inclusive resort before so had nothing to compare it to but I have to say that the staff were excellent and it was reasonably good value for money. Food was very good and although I didn't see any free snacks during the day, we were so full from the meals that it didn't matter! My issue was that the All-Inclusive ended too early at 11pm and although drinks weren't that expensive, most people drifted off the bed rather than pay.Yes they serve beer in wine glasses and the local wine is awful but you somehow forgive them!Hotel hasn't been fully landscaped and there is construction going on around the hotel but we never heard it.Beach is lovely although gets very pebbly as you go into the sea so you do need flip flops at the very least.Snorkelling is excellent and there is a new diving centre on the private beach offering scuba diving.Pool however is absolutely freezing and you need to be very hot indeed to even attempt a swim.It's such a shame as it is so inviting and we did complain to the manager who despite promising to sort it out, didn't.There is an on-site "entertainment guy" who will try and get you to play water polo and take part in daft competitions of an evening but since we went at low-season, most people couldn't be bothered and we preferred to all sit around and drink and chat.Perhaps when the hotel is full they'll have more volunteers!There is a bedouin tent on the premises near the beach where you can go at night to smoke shisha and drink tea which was exellent. So all in all we had a very good week and came back very relaxed indeed.This hotel is ideal for couples and people who literally want to do nothing.There is absolutely nothing outside of the hotel to visit so unless you do the trips you will be pretty much confined.But if you know all that before you go, you won't be disappointed.

The flights with Astraeus were excellent. The food on the plane was good and staff were very smart. The resort is safe and totally enclosed, no-one can enter or leave without going through an x-ray type machine (like they have in airports). The TRANSFERS from the airport were efficient. The ROOMS are clean and reasonably equipped. I had booked a twin room, but upon arrival my friend and I were placed in a double room, we don't know each other that well, so we asked for the twin room that we had ordered. We were advised there were no twin rooms available. Reluctantly, we slept in the same bed, but went to reception the next day, who agreed to put another bed in our room. (It was the most uncomfortable bed I have ever slept in - I was able to feel the slats of the bed under the very ancient and thin mattress). We then found out that there were less than 50 guests staying in the hotel at the time - there were definitely loads of unoccupied twin rooms which they could have placed us in!) We found the FOOD to be of very good quality and plenty of it. Always salads (even at breakfast), and a choice of rice and a choice of three of either beef/lamb/duck/veal/chicken and fish. There were many different types of dessert, but these mainly consisted of cake and occasionally fruit. The choice of ALCOHOL was very limited, red and white wine, vodka, gin, whisky, rum (not white) and beer. You can have any cocktail you like, but only if it consisted of those ingredients! The STAFF were exceptionally helpful, friendly and (bearing in mind everything in Egypt takes time) reasonable efficient. Housekeeping made every effort to tidy the rooms (although a lot of my things were moved around ....) and the towell arranging was something else - we were a bit concerned by the baby hanging from the air conditioning unit ... Bear in mind that all inclusive ends at midday on your last day (although you can have lunch and a free soft drink on that day) - we had friends that purchased drinks and didn't want them - so they donated them to us. We extended our room (they will officially only extend to 4pm, but we kept the room till about 5pm) and had other people that we met whilst we were away use our facilities. The ENTERTAINMENT there is absolutely DIRE!! We had one guy who did the entertaining and he did try very hard to get everyone interested in "stretching", and pool volley ball - however, and this is the really big bug-bear, the SWIMMING POOL was ABSOLUTELY FREEZING (24 degrees, the sea was at least 26 degrees). It took your breath away when you got in there and it was not a pleasant experience. If you swam from one side of the pool to the other, you could physically not swim back because you were too cold! I did speak to the management about the pool (which looks absolutely beautiful by the way - the pool, not the management), and they (after a fashion) said they would heat the pool within 2 days and offered us a free meal in the posh restaurant (that not one other person ever ate in whilst we were there) to make up for the inconvenience. The meal was very good (although there was no waiter service for drinks etc) and the manager took great pains to explain that the part was being delivered from Cairo - the pool remained freezing cold to the moment that we left for the airport, 5 days later. The replacement entertainment staff was as miserable as sin and emptied the one and only bar by playing his choice of music (Egyptian) too loud, most people went outside to sit so they could talk to each other, but the EVENING TEMPERATURE is quite cold, so most people went to bed early. A couple of patio heaters would have been a really good idea. The bars were cold and impersonal with no carpet so sound echoed around the room making conversations difficult. The TRIPS were prohibitively expensive and I understand an armed escort accompanied many of the coaches. You will not need any additional cash if you don't do the trips (except for tips - we were told that dollars are not particularly useful as the Egyptians have to exchange them, so either Egyptian pounds or English money seems to be popular). In the winter months, the sun has set by around 4pm. After 11pm there was nothing to do at all, so unless you have a good book or you can smuggle some alcohol back to your room, expect an early night! Girls you CAN go TOPLESS SUNBATHING, the Egyptians in the resort don't mind at all!! I checked with the rep in the welcoming meeting and with the staff by the pool, they have no problem with it at all! I tried a MASSAGE (180 Egyptian pounds), but the girl who did it had a streaming head cold and had the air conditioning on full blast - not very relaxing. After much sniffing and what I suspect she felt was a head massage - hands running over your hair (eugh, no tissues in sight)she proceeded to give a weak massage (they are all the same by the way, Egyptian, Swedish etc - I am not sure that she was actually trained!!) Many of the female guests commented that she had man-handled their breasts (although she didn't with me!!) rest assured this should not be normal practice - it varied from client to client. She also left your upper torso completely uncovered whilst she was working on the other parts of your body - I would not recommend the massages there and for the price would suggest that you wait until you get home and have a professional do it! On the whole, the resort is good, the food was good, the rooms were good, the staff were excellent. But the pool was cold and they need to work on ambience and customer care.

I stayed at the Holiday Inn Taba with my 4 year old daughter for a week from 23 October 2005. The hotel is well presented and well maintained, and we found the staff pleasant and helpful throughout. Despite its isolated location, we had a good week. The house reef is fabulous - we saw fish a-plenty, and even squid! Where it failed for us, and what will stop us going back, was the all inclusive arrangements. This is NOT an all inclusive hotel. It is full board plus - and when you have a hungry child in the late afternoon with no food on offer you know the difference! A scraping of ice cream is 5LE, plus an obligatory tip. It may seem petty, but I have stayed in all inclusive hotels the world over and never had to pay for snacks between meals. For vegetarians (and there was a strong contingent of us that week!) meal choices are limited, and there is a nasty tendency to sneak meat into salad and vegetable dishes! Fruit was a rarity too - although dates and melon figured amongst the numerous (and in some cases luminescent) puddings. Another disappintment was the hotel run kids club, which only operated from 5-6pm. You definitely need to make your own entertainment here - but if its a quiet week in the sun you are after - this hotel would be a reasonable choice. There are trips available to Dahab, Tarabien, Sharm, Petra, Cairo, St Catherine's etc, and these can be booked with uk travel operators and the in house travel team.

My partner and I stayed at this all inclusive hotel at the beginning of September and found it be very relaxing. The hotel is about 1 hour and 15 minutes by coach from Taba Airport. Check in was very quick and efficient. As we had missed dinner due to a four hour flight delay out of Gatwick, a meal was waiting for us in our room. The very large and spacious air conditioned room at first seemed very bland and plain, but after a few days one became used to it. There was a TV, hair dryer, telephone, fridge and safe in the room, the bed was a surprising stiff yet comfortable queen size. The bathroom was very nicely furnished and decorated, and the balcony had a table and chairs with a nice view of the sea and pools. Most days the room cleaner created out of towels and flower peatles a design which was quite stunning to see. Although my partner at first missed the man made from towels hanging from the ceiling when walking into the bedroom on one day. The common areas, pool, beach, and rooms were all very clean and most days we saw a man going around spraying an insecticide early evening to keep the insects at bay. A few times I swallowed water from the pool and was concerned about this due to previous reports, but I had no ill health problems – not even overseas tummy. Staff were very friendly, helpful and keen to assist. Ordering drinks to have with meals from the waiters in the restaurant was slow going though, and often they did not arrive until the meal was almost finished. To beat the system we would get our drinks as we walked into the restaurant from the café opposite and walk in with them. Food and drinks were fine, no problems there as there was always various choices available and you could help yourself to as much as you want. We felt that tipping was not expected except for when suitcases were delivered to our room, so we tipped at the end of our stay and where good service was given. However, at the airport I was asked for a tip by a man who loaded my suitcase from the ground into the coach luggage hold, a distance of two feet! Also, I was asked to tip at the Airport toilets for no service given! Those who took the one sheet of tissue paper offered at the doorway were pestered for a tip afterwards – at least they had something for their tip! The pool bar had the usual pop music blaring out until late afternoon, but it was not overpowering. The beach is sandy and very quiet and a relaxing place to be with a breeze to take away the heat of the day – 38 deg C. It is recommended to take water shoes for walking through the rocky and stony beach area along the waters edge. There is a large area of water about four feet deep that is sheltered away from the main body of sea which is a calm area to snorkel in and see the various fish. Once through the stony waters edge the sea bed turns to sand in most parts but becomes very deep quickly, and it is a nice area to snorkel or dive in as there are many different fish to see who swim right next to you. The hotel is remotely situated, so do not expect to stroll to shops etc as there is nothing next to the hotel to see or do except for another one being finished off. There was no noise or dust whatsoever coming from the hotel next door, about a quarter of a mile away, it is due to be open early next year so I guess it is in its finishing off inside stage. There was evening entertainment at the hotel, karaoke, belly dancing, etc, but not many people attended so it did not seem to go well. In fact the hotel seemed to be half full so was a very quiet and relaxing place to be. Cairo is about five hours away by coach, and there are various other trips out available. We did not go on any trips and came back with all the money we took out except for £2 for five post cards and stamps. There is a small shopping arcade inside the hotel selling the usual things one might need while there. We paid £12 to extend our room from 12 noon to 4 o’clock which was a very good deal. A tip is to have some small change, £1 coins, 1 dollar bills, or 10 Egyptian pound notes in your pocket for tipping when you feel it is correct to do so. Egyptians do rely on tips, but I feel it should only be given for a good service done. If you want a noisy action packed hotel and where you can stroll to the local shops then this is not for you, but if you want a quiet, clean hotel with nice attentive service this is a nice one to go to. I would return if I was looking for a quiet place to holiday at the Red Sea while snorkelling and scuba diving off the hotel beach. I do not dive only snorkel, but the diving team seemed to be exceptionally good when dealing with novices. I would recommend this hotel’s diving facility to those who are interested in their first dive as it is quiet, not pushy, and you seem to get good attention and care. You were not made to feel the odd one out because you have not done scuba diving before. Oh yes, sorry to say, but Egyptian wine, red, white and some rose, we have tasted over the years has a strong not so nice after taste. At Gatwick the duty free shop sells 3 litre boxes at £13.20, we purchased two and had two bottles packed in our suitcases already. When we stayed in Sharm El Sheikh last June the cheapest Egyptian wine was £10 a bottle, and imported started at £50 a bottle. This time we thought we would enjoy some decent wine at a reasonable price and took our own.

My girlfriend and I returned this weekend. We paid £400 each for an all inclusive deal. The hotel itself was well layed out, with a lovely pool complex and great views out to sea. The Hotel was only about 50% full if that, so there were plenty of sunbeds etc. Music by the pool wasn't intrusive and the atmosphere was extremely relaxing. The food was edible but in all quite a let down. Though I suppose not too much should be expected from a Buffet restaurant, it was repetitive to the point of nausea. Worse was the atmosphere, it was a large echoing room, that was too bright and felt rushed by the over attentive waiters. A shame as I like to linger over a bottle of wine in the evening. Which brings me on to the very worst part of the hotel, the drink. The only wine available was an Egyption called Obelisk (white, red and rose), quite possibly the worst i've ever drunk (and I've had a few cheapies in my time). The spirits were equally terrible, worse than the spanish island's paint stripper. The beer was fine however. It was also very difficult to leave the hotel, half an hour from the water centre (diving/sailing/snorkling etc) which was $40 return. So to go sailing for 1 hour for two cost $100, not my idea of great value. To finish the negatives, anything which was not included in the package was very expensive, from snacks (minstrals + Mentos x2 + Pringles = $10) to day trips (Cairo trip started at $140 each but was really $240). Thats the gripes over, what can you expect for £400 each? The hotel was clean, comfortable and a decent standard. It was a perfectly relaxing week, which was the point of it in the first place. I for one wouldn't go back, I'd rather be able to walk to a restaurant or bar outside the hotel. My impression of Egypt is also a little tainted by a grab your cash attitude (they'll have ya eyes if they can).