Reviews of Savoy Hotel, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

I always tend to read comments...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Can't remember?!?!?

Submitted By:

Miss A Non

Comments:

I always tend to read comments on websites like this before I go anywhere and am suprised by some of the comments. People forget that 5* in some countries such as Egypt is not like a 5* London Hotel. Overall I enjoyed my holiday at the Savoy.



I stayed here for 2 weeks in May 2007 on a B&B basis. On arrival we were given our room key and our bags arrived to our room rather quickly. The room was fine, clean and large enough. The linen, towels were changed regularly.



We ate in 3 of the restaurants and had no problems (Italian, Steak, Chinese), although the Italian on one night was a little too salty for me. At one point we were the only 2 people left as we had dinner quite late and ended up being privately serenaded by the lady singing that night. The breakfast gave loads of choice, cooked, continental, cereals, fruit, Egyptian, lots of breads, cakes, pastries and pancakes etc. So plenty to make a difference every day. The food was fine as far as I am concerned. We ordered room service a few times and food arrived piping hot and tasted very nice. Staff were always very friendly. I think if you are polite to them the favour is returned. Some we spoke to said that some holiday makers were incredibly rude and this seemed to really offend them. I found them all nice and helpful. Even giving us free snacks at the bar when we got a few beers.



The pool was great, plenty of sun beds and parasols to go around and staff were friendly. My only criticism were the bar staff at the pool were a little slow.

As for the beach, again people forget that a lot of the beaches are man made in Sharm, but if you get a snorkel there are some great reefs to see lots of fish.

If you want to get out and about, go to Naama Bay, lots of choices of restaurants and the taxi is approx £5, but try and haggle.



As for dodgy tums, it seems to happen to loads of people in Egypt regardless of where you stay, be it the money (its all notes and rather dirty, always wash your hands! It smells to), not drinking enough water, food, hot weather, your own personal hygiene etc etc, most of the time you can tell when a restaurant is 'good' quality or not. Buffets do tend to be the worst offenders, so best to get there when they open and food is fresh.



Personally, I would stay here again, most of the time a holiday is what you make of it. People mainly tend to comment on something when it has gone wrong. So in closing I would reccommend this hotel.

This was the best holiday we...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

Libra Holidays

Submitted By:

Miss A Appleby

Comments:

This was the best holiday we have ever been on.



The Savoy hotel could not be faulted in any way and the weather was around 40 the whole time but with a nice breeze on most days.



Our room was cleaned twice a day, spacious and very comfortable.



The pool area was kept beautiful; pool attendants very helpful and the bar staff kept us refreshed throughout the day - Mahmoud needs a special mention here :)

Restaurants were all superb although we didn't eat in the Tirana (buffet style) on any evening.

What some people weren't aware of was that there were 3/4 other restaurants across the road that were also included on the all inclusive basis. There were Chinese, Indian and Middle Eastern (soon to be a Ukranian also) and a really funky bar which served some great cocktails.

The food quality and choice is amazing, the Indian or Italian was our favourite but they were all 5* quality.

Evening entertainment is a little bit limited but that suited us just fine, the African dancers one night were fantastic. Again, bar staff were so attentive and made you feel so welcome. Particularly Mo (Mohammed) in the Le Balconie bar.



One evening we went to N'ama Bay and wish we hadn't bothered. Got hassled from the minute we got out of the taxi and found people very intimidating. We couldn't wait to get back into another taxi and get back.

Be careful with taxis. You should only pay 50 Egyptian pounds to get to and from the Savoy to N'ama Bay and they were trying to charge 100. Haggle with them to get them down and even pretend to walk away from them and they will give in.



Sharm airport - what a nightmare!

If you are not looking to go sight-seeing and just staying on the hotel resort or local areas, go straight to passport control (to the right as you walk in). They will try and make you get a visa (which is on the left hand side) but you don't need one unless you are venturing out to places like Cairo etc. It looks very confusing but just bear this in mind.



We were really worried about getting funny tummies whilst we were away but we are fine all week. We drank lots of water during the day and used an antibacterial hand wash throughout the day. We ate all different foods from the salads to fish to cream cakes and had no problems at all. We even had ice which was fine as it's made from bottled water.

Just don't drink the water out of the tap, even when brushing your teeth we were advised to use bottled water.



Hope this helps!



We can't wait to book again next year!

Just back from the Savoy Hotel...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

May 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

V.E Edwards

Comments:

Just back from the Savoy Hotel in Sharm El Sheikh& I can honestly say it was one of the most relaxing& luxurious holidays i've ever had. Rooms were very spacious& spotless, cleaners done a remarkable job. Wide variety of food& restaurants to choose from. Beach& pool were incredible& staff were extremely friendly& attentive. Apart from a mix up with our room (we had booked to stay in the Royal Savoy section, but this didnt happen, Thomas Cooks fault) we experienced no other disruptions. I would recommend this hotel to anyone who's fed up with the same old holidays to Spain, who enjoys the sunshine& who's looking for a little bit of luxury.

Just returned from a week in the...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

Fleetway Travel

Submitted By:

Ms J L Tregelles

Comments:

Just returned from a week in the above. Positives are:



Sunshine everyday

No hassle

Some very attentive local staff - cleaners.

Big enough not to feel uncomfortable with the same people

A range of activities on the beach - we did not do any of them though!

Pools clean and not too many people using them





Negatives:



Not enough umbrellas

System of booking evening restaurants was irratating

Russians are very rude - one incident whereby they demanded to have our sunbeds even though we had been using them for two hours!

Food was plentiful and some of it very good - Seafood





The major set back for me was Fleetway Travel. We booked last minute through Lastminute.com with Fleetway being the travel company. They were awful in my view. After they had taken the money, zero service and communication. I telephoned every day for the whole of the week before, and then had to make a formal complaint to get the booking vouchures.



I will never use them again as the stress did me in.



So to conclude, good holiday if you want to relax and unwind with not stress or hassle.

We stayed in the Royal Savoy on...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Dec 2007

Tour Operator:

Classic Collection

Submitted By:

Miss S V Whitlock

Comments:

We stayed in the Royal Savoy on an all inclusive basis for two weeks in early December. We enjoyed one of the most relaxing and enjoyable holidays to date. Royal Savoy rooms (ours was 4034) featured marble bathroom with separate shower, dressing/wardrobe area and substantial bedroom complete with enormous four poster bed, dressing table and private patio overlooking gardens and pool area.



The Royal Savoy complex has it's own private lounge and reception - this was an excellent benefit and keeps you away from the main complex, it's quiet, elegant and very relaxed. The Royal Savoy staff are very helpful, always pleasant and very eager to please - Hani and Mohammed in particular were always there to help (whatever you wanted or needed). In the Royal Savoy lounge we enjoyed leisurely breakfasts with Hani the omelette chef, mid morning coffees, tasty canapés and nibbles throughout the day and early evening. Canapés were delicious and if you didn't feel like lunch after a large breakfast, these were ideal for light snack.



Within the Royal Savoy you also have a dedicated pool, this is on the small side BUT there's only about 40 rooms within the RS to share it with. Ahmed the pool attendant provides numerous towels, refreshes them throughout the day and keeps your sunbeds in the sun. The private pool bar is open for drinks only, if you want to eat here you can order from the room service menu and the staff will phone it through and bring it over to you. This isn't included in the all inclusive option but we felt it was well worth it to stay relaxed. The Rocky Pool Bar in the main complex was a little too rowdy for our tastes (staff and guests included).



The beach area was disappointing, we felt it there were too many beds and people for the space, we discovered they allow guests from their sister hotel, the Sierra to use the beach facilities which may explain why it felt so crowded. However, walk onto the pontoon and enjoy superb snorkelling - the hotel sits on National Park waters, it really is beautiful.



Restaurants and food quality - overall we felt this was fair but could be improved on. We avoided the main buffet restaurant, the Tirana on negative advice from other guests. It's catering on a large scale and you have to accept that. There are however, 4 or 5 other restaurants to choose from - we stuck with Rosamorino (Italian), Eest (Oriental) and Morgana (a la carte). We always asked the Royal Savoy reception to book us a table and we always got one, we didn't get bogged down with the different menus we just had what we wanted, yes you're charged extra for Eest but we felt the food here was excellent and very good value for money (you are given 25% discount if your on all inclusive and the drinks are still free). Make sure you know what nights the restaurants are open as they have Savoy buffet nights in Eest and Morgana so you can't eat here every night. We didn't really see the point of the these nights - if you want buffet food you could go to the Tirana, it just limited us to Rosamorino only.



Our brief was a "fly & flop" holiday, we weren't interested in sightseeing, entertainment or activities. For us the Royal Savoy was perfect and we were able to relax and unwind, we had superb weather, beautiful accomodation and incredibly helpful staff. It was the little touches that made the difference e.g. fresh flowers appeared on the patio every morning, turn down service in the evenings etc. We are more than happy to recommend the Royal Savoy and are planning a return trip next year.

This Hotel does not warrant 5*,...

Overall Rating:

3/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2007

Tour Operator:

On the Beach

Submitted By:

Mrs G  Goulden

Comments:

This Hotel does not warrant 5*, rooms okay and clean, not much to do either except swimming. If you go all inclusive you receive a different menu from those that are paying and the menu is very basic. We had a free invitation to the Savoy Gala night, don't bother to go... same as the rest of help yourself meals; the only difference was a belly dancer and a singer.



The only restaurant worth visiting is the Italian, the food was very good, but again you are limited on what you can have if you are all inclusive. The Asian restaurant - we did go there but you will have to pay extra for the privilege.



The lunch time food is the same every day, burger & chips, chicken in a bun and chips, you might as well go to MacDonald’s. Drinks are the basic and if you want a bottle of wine you will have to pay for it, but if you have a glass of wine you don’t. The wine by the bottle tastes better, but the wine by the glass is cheap.



This is not an all inclusive holiday I am used too and will not be going back there.

Resort: Rating= 7/10
The...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr N Rehman

Comments:

Resort: Rating= 7/10

The resort itself has some pretty features such as rocks and small waterfalls with flowers to give it that tranquil feeling. Unfortunately this is as far as it goes. The beach is standard.



Not much to do. The quality of sand is average with rock and stone throughout. It’s not all as it sounds and looks. The waters are fine and has some good coral and variety of sea life for eager snorkelers.



Facilities: Rating5/10

Unfortunately if you have children then this isn’t the place to take them as there is little to do for them! The most you will find is a small kids club near the beach in front of one of the restaurants which is poorly staffed as they were never seen to be there. In my experience I only saw them just the once.



For adults there is a club daily from 11pm onwards. For non club goers well your extremely limited to a small gym, sauna and steam room are booked in advance so if you fancy a session tough! You have to book this but nor may you’re lucky and can just go in.



You can participate in water aerobics but this isn’t all the time, if and when it is available.



Excursions are more or less typical of all hotels. The hotel gives free vouchers including



Free gala dinner x1

Use of tennis court x1

30 minute stress massage x2

7 piece laundry voucher x1



Rooms: Rating 5/10 for Savoy and 7/10 for Royal Savoy.

This was the most disappointing part of the hotel experience. The Savoy boasts about luxury and quality. When I was taken to my room it really gave me the impression of a 4 star. The furniture was old and chipped that hadn’t been looked after or replaced.



The rooms looked old and neglected. This was a big letdown. The bathroom was disappointing too. The actual bath was stained yellow through ware and tear and corrosion and naturally decaying factors were taking its toll.



The Royal Savoy was the biggest let down. Really this should have been the starting place where the hotel should have based its bench mark of its 5 star room. Again the furniture was old and used. There was signs of decay and the overall finish was bad. For example the paid work needed going over again and you could spot several coats of paint on 1 particular area compared to others. A very big letdown.



Staff: Rating= 9/10.

Egyptian staff are normally welcoming and will go out their way to help you as much as possible. For example I left my pram at the airport the concierge had this kept safe for me for my return journey.



Restaurants: Ratings = 6/10

The best restaurant was the Rosario, the Italian styled had a nice feel to it with good sized meals and variety. Other restaurants were tacky and didn’t have the same level of service and variety. In total there were about several restaurants which had to be pre booked by 10am but again if you were lucky then you could just go in. Please be aware that all inclusive had its imitations as there are separate menus with better choice and variety which is not for the al inclusive guest which also goes for the drinks!!! Al inclusive should mean ALL INCLUSIVE but at the Savoy this is not the case!!!!Be aware!



Overall rating = 6.

For the price we paid for 2 adults and a baby £1260 it was not worth it.



Please consider and make sure you know exactly what you are getting and entitled to before parting with YOUR hard earned cash.



SAVOY- I WILL NOT BE RETURNING. SORRY.

Good hotel and great staff,...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2007

Tour Operator:

Absolute Holidays

Submitted By:

Mr H Robb

Comments:

Good hotel and great staff, completely ruined by terrible food.



We tried all but one of the hotel restaurants and they were consistently extremely disappointing. Trying to be constructive, and since we do work in the food sector, we left a 4 page report for the general manager which wasn't even acknowledged!



I pride myself as having an "iron stomach" but even this succumbed to food poising, totally ruining the holiday.

On arrival they tried to put us...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

lastminute.com

Submitted By:

Ms T M Smolinski

Comments:

On arrival they tried to put us in a room that was rejected by another couple, so we refused and put into a fabulous room with sea views. Room was spotless and cleaned and new towels everyday, only moan was that they didn't give us tea and coffee when we had used it up. Second day in, they filled the fridge our with soft drinks and a marvelous gift of chocolate and fruit bowl, lovely touch.



Pools were amazing and clean. Towels were put on the beds for you, drinks came to you if you ordered them while sunbathing. They like to be tipped and if you do this you will be surprised because word gets around and they will really look after you but you must keep it up. We only tipped on excellent service over and above.



Food was very much typical of all inclusive. Pasta, bread, meats and salads and the occasional meat dishes, however the deserts are to die for. The last three days I was very ill with food poisoning, but to be honest where ever I go in the world I get an upset tummy. The restaurants especially the Italian was very nice but we were disappointed that the other restaurants were available at a 20% discount only and that was only if you were all inclusive, full price otherwise, I felt that it was expensive.



Drinks free if local and some lager. Look out for the brown drinks menu as they have all the free drinks! You have to show your thin card every time and sign for it, so a tip is to have two cards and two different signatures so that if anyone wants to go out for the day and anyone else left wants to just relax then they can use the facilities.



Spa rubbish but it was free. One use if you are all inclusive.



You get one banana boat trip free on arrival and a laundry voucher.



Gym ok.



My partner went on a night dive and day dive average price but amazing. If you like the sea but can't snorkel then this area isn't for you. There were alot of parents that had children on the beach and they couldn't go into the water as you had to go out on a floating bridge (due to the dangerous rocks and reef) and it was very deep once across the floating bridges, brilliant for snorkeling but not for children. All you can do is watch and build sand castles, so there was alot of kids playing up because they were bored. But the pool area was great but the beds go very early, but you get that in alot of hotels.



There was alot of Russian but I found them very friendly and a good sign as far as I was concerned because they only go on holidays that are first class, which the Savoy was. Savoy had its own beach, friendly staff and you can use your all inclusive paper pass to obtain food at beach cafe.



Entertainment was rubbish, they haven't a clue but when the drinks are pouring who cares. They need an entertainment manager for sure. While we where there we found out that they where having a change of management so they may put this right.



The disco was fabulous and brilliant all round music. Shops within the hotel were ok but expensive.



Toilets all very clean.



On departure if you are lucky like us, we were able to shower in somebodys room because of a late flight. But you have to pay for a room if you have a late flight. Also everything is computerized if you are all inclusive the deal finishes at 12 noon, so stock up on your drinks otherwise you have to pay full price



I don't think I have missed anything, so final conclusion: very good, will love to go again. The trip was a special trip as it was for my 40th so if we win the lottery I will go again. However we meet a lovely family who paid less then us for two weeks all inclusive so shop around.

As a frequent traveller to...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Fleetway

Submitted By:

Ms T Huggins

Comments:

As a frequent traveller to Egypt, I can say that this has been one of the best holidays I have had.

We arrived at the Savoy fairly late at night, and although there was a slight problem with the adjoining rooms we had requested not being ready, it was quickly put right while we took dinner.



As it turned out en-route to our rooms, we decided to upgrade to the Royal Savoy part of the hotel. This was probably one of the best moves we made; the Royal Savoy has many benefits, one of which was free Internet access (two children and msn...it's a must).



The Royal Savoy also has its own dedicated reception which was always manned by efficient and friendly staff who could not do enough to help you, and we found this attitude mirrored all over the complex.



The facilities we found were second to none, and spotlessly clean.

This is a stunning hotel, well staffed, and extremely spacious. I had read reports prior to leaving about the huge amount of Russians there, why this should be a problem I have no idea, as far as I could see it was a fairly wide mix of nationalities.



There is a platform leading to the sea, and whatever you do take a mask and snorkel as the most fantastic fish live on the reef right at the end of this. While we were there we tried out most of the water sports, and also undertook a weeks diving, choosing the company Oxygene to do this with who are situated in Sharm Telephone: +20 69 3660900. We had superb instruction, and Mohamed our Instructor had the patience of a saint! He also produced a fantastic dvd of our diving experiences.



To sum up in my opinion this is a great hotel for both children and adults, and no doubt it success is due to the personal touch and interest taken by Management and staff.

This was our first time to...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Fleetway Travel

Submitted By:

Mr M Gohil

Comments:

This was our first time to Sharm, and to be honest, I don’t think I could stay in another hotel.



Upon arrival we was greeted fanatically with free a glass of champagne. Taken to our rooms, which were spotless and huge.



Most of the staff were very friendly, not all... but hey, I didn't go to become friends with the waiters.



The weather was so hot, we went for 2 weeks and I can’t wait to go again, we already booked our October trip and got a free sea-view upgrade. For the money we spent and the quality of hotel the Savoy is, it’s a fantastic deal.

I would definitely not recommend...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Dec 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Miss J Seidel

Comments:

I would definitely not recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Sharm.



For our fifth visit to Sharm in 2006 we decided to stay at the Savoy. This hotel is more like a 3* than the 5* rating as advertised. The Savoy certainly does not live up to its reputation.



The staff call this resort little Moscow, I'm sure you can work out why... the staff were also pretty unfriendly as a result of arguing with the Russian guests all the time. 90% of the guests were Russian, the animation team and some events seemed exclusively for Russian speaking guests.



The food was vey poor overall, I have had a better meal in a 3* hotel. There was very poor food choice and unless you want room service it is impossible to have a light snack for lunch. Breakfast was disgusting!



Everything is incredibly overpriced for the standard of food and the serving size. Alcohol is also extremely overpriced and sold in 25ml measures.



The shuttle bus to Naama Bay is impossible to get a place on as there is only one extremely limited service for the whole complex. You are forced to spend allot of money just getting in and out of Naama Bay.



It was also impossible to use the Spa and we were ferried to the adjacent sister hotel that had wonderful spa facilities. There is nothing to do at this hotel except snorkel - the reef is amazing!



We were so miserable at this resort that we packed our bags and went to stay at a hotel in Naama Bay on the waterfront for 6 nights - just to get a break from our break.



What I would say is the Savoy like the wow factor with decorations (esp. at Xmas time) and the presentation of the food for example but the attention to detail is lost.



I was served undercooked chicken at the terrible Xmas Gala. Our room smelt damp and had cracked dirty tiles, ripped rugs etc.

On arrival we were pressurised...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr D Gilchrist

Comments:

On arrival we were pressurised to move to the sister hotel Sierra on all-inclusive basis, we refused and 1hour 30 mins later we eventually got our booked room. All the British guests are given the same option.



The Savoy hotel is 3*+ at best, sockets hanging off the wall and toilet basin cracked. Most other nationalities are on All Inclusive and flash their white card to get service; I stood at the beach bar for 15 mins and could not get served.



The restaurant staff are friendly, but the choice of food is limited and the themed nights only change the way the meat is cooked, creamed sauce it is French, spices it is Mexican etc. The lack of snacks meant quite a few guests either had to order room service at lunchtime or get a cab into Naama Bay.



The other restaurants are very expensive for what they offer. At one of the beach restaurants food is left out in the sun on a boat sometimes covered in cling film, sometimes covered in birds feasting?



Get used to being asked what class you are, i.e. All Inclusive you are First Class anything else you are Second Class, this comment comes from staff members. This is definitely not a hotel I would recommend, but I would recommend the area and the diving is excellent.

Just returned from an excellent...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2006

Tour Operator:

Olympic Holidays

Submitted By:

Mr R Dunn

Comments:

Just returned from an excellent week in the Royal Savoy, part of the Savoy 'complex'.



Upon arrival we were offered to move to their sister hotel across the road, Sierra, on an all inclusive basis. Not wishing to take advantage of this we were upgraded to a Royal Savoy Suite. The room was both spacious well equipped and an excellent location within the resort.



With half board you have the option to dine in other more selective restaurants within the hotel with a 25% discount applied to the meal and also local drinks. To be honest I would say the food in the selective restaurants, although very nice, does not warrant the high price tag. Meal for two with wine would cost approx £45 after the 25% discount is applied. The Italian restaurant fares better than the other restaurants.



The meals provided in the main restaurant are of extremely good quality with a vast amount of choice and varied themed nights, oriental, Mexican etc. I would choose to dine here as the price is included in the half board meal basis. The main dining room is very big and a little like a 'canteen' but if you step outside you can dine in more 'intimate' surroundings.



The staff and hotel cleanliness leave nothing to be desired and anyone staying at this hotel will surely enjoy the experience.



Make sure you either take a mask and snorkel or purchase one when you arrive, fantastic coral reef and fish in abundance.



Only one thing I found to be negative and that is the Russian guests. You will know what I mean when you see/hear them giving the staff and everyone around them a hard time.

My friend and I have just...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2006

Tour Operator:

Lastminute

Submitted By:

Miss E Dodd

Comments:

My friend and I have just returned from a week at the Savoy Hotel in Sharm el Sheikh and have had a wonderful time. The hotel is well designed and immaculately maintained and the staff are attentive and friendly.



We found that 'bed and breakfast' suited us as it gave us the freedom to try the various restaurants in the hotel (although the Italian was very popular and hard to get a table in - despite trying to book in advance!). The European wines are quite expensive, but there are some very good local wines which are much more reasonably priced.



There is a free shuttle bus into Naama Bay (LE10 charge after a certain time at night) but this must be booked in advance as it is very popular! Otherwise a taxi into Naama Bay costs around LE40 - be warned though - some of the drivers think they are Schumacher!



The transfer time from the airport is only 10 minutes and despite it's proximity to the airport - the noise is actually minimal.



I would highly recommend the Savoy as a wonderful place for a peaceful and relaxing break in beautiful surroundings.