Intercontinental Resort Hotel

Just returned from a March 2006 trip to Mark Warner in Abu Soma, Egypt. Here is what was good and bad: Bad: - The holiday was a creche, with watersports on the side. One of the two questions at the watersports brief was 'where can I find nappies?'. - Tonnes of screaming children - and I mean tonnes. If you are after some head peace, then forget this one. Bring earplugs for the flights. No need for an alarm clock - the kids will wake you between 5am and 6am. The marble complex is just one big sound chamber. - It is in the middle of nowhere. This isn't a bad thing, but the hotel plays on the fact when they price their drinks. - I counted nearly 10 people in the hotel pub on the busiest night. Four of them stood behind the bar. - There is no informal beach bar for snacks during the day. - 1/7 days the wind was too strong for sailing. 4 further days were blown out for a large proportion of the day. - Rescue boat cover seemed poor, with one rescue boat covering both the windsurfing and sailing areas. - The Laser dinghies were poorly put together - a pity - as they were newish boats. - Mark Warner staff morale seemed low. Good: - Nice rooms. - Polite hotel staff. - Great weather. - Good food. In all, pretty disappointing stuff.

We have just returned from a weeks holiday with Mark Warner to this hotel where we had a fantastic time. My husband loved all the watersports activities, particularly the windsurfing and my daughters aged 6 and 3 had a fantastic time at the childrens clubs. The weather was lovely and although sometimes the wind could be a bit chilly it was always hot around the sheltered (heated) outdoor pool in the health club. The main pool looks fantastic, but unfortunately isn't heated so was a bit cold to get into although by the end of the week as it was getting warmer alot of the kids were paddling and jumping in! Both the MW staff and the Egyptian hotel staff were great - they were all so friendly and helpful and nothing was ever too much trouble. We had been worried about getting bad stomachs before going but we needn't have worried as the food was lovely and we had no sickness problems at all and didn't hear of anyone else being ill. Bottles of water are provided in the rooms and at lunch and dinner so very little chance of being dehydrated! The rooms overlooked the sea and were very nice and clean - only thing I would warn about is that the beds are very firm! so don't expect to bounce up and down on them!!! We tried the lebanese and Italian restaurants and had lovely meals in them both - the beef medallions in the Italian were especially good. There isn't alot of evening entertainment - we only saw a show on our 1st night (which incidentally was very good), but the bar has a nice cosy atmosphere - it was just a shame there weren't more people there! The safari day trip to the Bedoin village was a really good experience. Overall I would highly recommend this holiday and we would definately go back again.

Great Hotel, unlike other Mark Warner holidays the accomodation was fantastic, we had a suite which housed us and our two children (plenty of room for more), there were huge windows floor to ceiling that over-looked the beach, what a great view (2 tellys' and a mini bar together with a bathroom bigger than my kitchen at home!). Food was great, spoiled for choice, staff were fanstastic in the hotel, evenings were quiet and I was surprised how quiet the Hotel was, however with such great weather (agreed it was windy) we had no complaints. The pool by the Health club was totally sheltered a real plus. I would return as other guests said the excurtions were fantastic although not great with small children. We spent Christmas week there and maybe 2 weeks with no excusions would be a bit much, we made full use of all the water sports and our children did a couple of days in the kids club which offered fantastic experiences such as wind surfing and canoeing which our children loved. Also loved the fact we really were in the middle of knowhere!

What a fantastic holiday we have just had!!!! My husband, myself and our 6 children (ages 12, 11, 11, 5, 2, 2) have just had the most amazing holiday ever. Mark Warner are fabulous, they made our childrens holiday, the best ever in their words!!!! The hotel itself is beautiful and most definatly deserves its 5 stars, the buildings, surroundings, beach, health club all top notch and as far as the staff and food go ........... wonderful! Cafe Stella is excellent, however the other restaurants (small supplement required) are nice but not as good as cafe stella. Yes there is a slight wind (which you need for some watersports) but we were there at the coolest time of the year (though still hot) and it is not gale force , nothing that would spoil your holiday anyway, unless you are really nit picking! The rooms are very spacious, we had the panoramic suite which to be honest could have slept about 10 people, it was so big. Everywhere is spotlesly clean, towels are provided for around the pool and beach. My only small complaint (though it didn't really bother me) would be that there are no washing facilities, only the hotel laundry service which can be a little pricy when you have 6 children, but hey it is a holday after all and who wants to be washing when you can be lying on the beautiful beach with a cold beer listening to the waves!!! I would reccommend this hotel to everyone, especially if you have children, they will love it, in fact we hardly saw any of the for two weeks, so you get the best of both worlds with this resort a family holday, but also lots of time on your own to relax. Go on book it you will be so glad that you did, we are already planning our visit again for next year, it really is paradise! P.S The trip to Cairo is a must for all (except small children) and the Mega Safari is brilliant!

Our family of four (children aged 14 and 13) had a wonderful three-day winter break, away from it all. We were impressed by the facilities, especially water sports, the choice of restaurants, and the cleanliness of the hotel. Soma Bay, where the hotel is located, has a natural sandy beach, something one rarely finds in nearby Red Sea resorts. Water colors are unbelievable and snorkeling was lots of fun. The staff was courteous and helpful. We would very much like to go again.

We've just returned a couple of days early from our 2-week Xmas break. This is our 2nd Mark Warner holiday and we were quite disappointed, though I have to say it wasn't Mark Warner's fault. After my husband had an early accident and broke a toe the water sports and tennis were out (though in truth the advertised tennis courts were unplayable being very soft sand with patchy grass covering)- as were any trips which involved much walking - so we were largely left with relaxing and sunbathing. So to be fair, maybe if we'd partcipated more it would have been a different story. Be warned, if you do need medical care outside the hotel, payment is expected in cash and in Euros, Dollars or Sterling - not local currency. The hotel is in the middle of nowhere (really - it's just bare desert for miles) and the nearest town of Hurghada (40 Km) isn't worth the taxi fair to see - so what you see in the brochure is what you get. Within a few days people were talking about forming an escape committee and digging tunnels! On the plus side the setting is quite beautiful, with a spotless golden sandy beach lined with palm trees, and shallow waters - great for kids though a bit cold at this time of year. The hotel building and rooms are excellent and the sea view to die for. The main restaurant was a bit lacking atmosphere and the food was more 3-star than 5 and very repetitive - by the time we went home I could hardly be bothered to eat. The service was generally very good though, the many waiters friendly, attentive and fast to respond. On Xmas eve we opted for a gala meal in the italian restaurant but for the most part we were their only customers and 5 or 6 overly-attentive waiters and a "serenading" guitarist made for a very uncomfortable meal - we were glad to get out of there. In fact the lack of guests was one of the main problems - the hotel was only about 10% occupied - and even the MW block was only partially filled so we all rattled around a bit. The wind was relentless - which might be welcome in the Summer heat, but not at this time of year when for 3 or 4 days it was too cold to even sit by the pool. Even experienced sailors were describing the conditions as "difficult". It was dark (and pretty cold) by 5pm and the evenings were long and boring - no organised entertainment and a very expensive and often empty bar. I know it's not really Mark Warner's 'thing' but I'd strongly recommend they use one of their extensive staff allocation as an evening entertainment organiser until the hotel sorts something out - they do a weekly half-hour quiz but it really doesn't suffice, especially at this time of year. We were warned about the cost of the drinks (small can of Heineken about £3.50, glass of local wine more than £4) note - taxes add about 25% to all quoted prices- and so took a couple of wine boxes - but obviously could only partake of these in our room. Tipping is expected at every possible occasion -and on the one occasion I didn't leave something, one of the waiters made a point of apologising for not being up to scratch and promising that he would personally ensure better service the next day - which made me feel bad. Fresh water wasn't a problem at all - there was plenty supplied (mind you it wasn't hot weather so we weren't particularly thirsty). Still we all succumbed to tummy troubles to varying degrees. To end on a positive, the Mark Warner staff were great. The childcare was terrific - as expected -and our 7 year old son couldn't wait to get to kids' club each session - which did actually make the holiday (afterall - we could have been in the UK!). We decided to cut the holiday short by a couple of days - though it did cost us £90 each to change the tickets and we had problems with the revised tickets at the airport and nearly didn't get on the plane (and this with British Airways who didn't recognise the e-tickets"). It hasn't put us off Mark Warner - but we won't be back to this resort.

I have just returned from a two week stay at the Abu Soma Intercontinental on an inclusive holiday with Mark Warner. Great weather, great sailing, extremely comfortable rooms, quality food and superb Mark Warner staff! My girlfriend and I learned to sail and windsurf in a matter of days with expert tuition and perfect conditions. We also went on the overnight trip to Luxor which was superb and worth every penny. The problems with drinking water seem to be fixed. We received 4.5 litres of free purified water a day between the two of us. We did not experience any problems with food poisoning in our two weeks. Though some other guests did experience some upset stomachs, it was not reported as serious. The Egyptian wine (Obelisk and Marquis) is awful with an aftertaste of soap and disinfectant, not good for the GBP£14 it costs. There are European & Australian wines on offer starting at GBP£30 a bottle. Save your money and take a few wine boxes with you. Other drinks are also pretty extortiante in the bars and restaurants, so buy duty free and take mixers with you. If you are not going with Mark Warner then be prepared to have your wallet plundered. The whole hotel is designed to extract the maximum ammount of money from you. So bad is the situation that in Jonny's Bar you have to ask the bartenders for your change, even when you do get it they round it up to the nearest note they have, keeping the difference!! Do not change your money at the hotel reception as they only give EGP£9 to the GBP£. You will do much better changing before you go. If you want to go diving. Don't go to Intercontinental owned Barracuda diving, dives cost Euro 80 each and the PADI open water course costs Euro 450, a total rip off!! There is a stunning dive and snorkelling centre at nearby Sharm el Naga that charges Euro 40 per dive. You will need to get a taxi there, don't take the hotel taxi as it could be Euro 24 per person each way, book a local taxi at reception, the hotel may try to refuse but be persistent and you should pay no more that Euro 15 round trip for the taxi, not per person. For some nice snorkelling take a canoe and follow the sandbar to the small island east of the sailing HQ paddle along to the right of the isalnd and you will find some great marine life: giant blue trigger fish, lion fish and giant trevally. On the whole a great holiday with any negatives made up for by the amazing Mark Warner team.

Just back from our third October half term in sunny Egypt. Seemed a bit strange going with Mark Warner but staff and organisation were excellent. Our two teenagers had a great time in and out of the Indy group. Flights were both slightly delayed and seats on the way back too cramped - we were nearer the front on the way out which was fine. Best tip is to do one of the Cairo or Luxor trips. Fantastic. We did Luxor by road with a wonderful guide called Mustafa who had studied Egyptology at University - a real expert. Diving was good and reasonably relaxed but not much snorkelling off the beach, you really needed to go on one of the trips which was extra expense and less convenient than at the Hyatt at Taba, for example, where the jetty goes out over the reef. Pool is beautiful but too cold for most people to use! Beach is pleasant but often windy - good for the sailors tho sometimes scary for novices. Gym was vg. Food was fine for a week. Soups and desserts were good, as was the Italian restaurant; main restaurant struggled a bit with mass catered main courses. We only had one minor stomach upset. Last year we were at the Hilton Coral at Nuweiba, which was less expensive, more compact, more international and hotter (little wind). More was included in terms of food and drink in the all inclusive, the pool was smaller but more sociable as the water was warmer, the public areas were less grand. You didn't get the MW sports staff or childcare, but the Egyptian ents team were great fun. All three places have been enjoyable in different ways. Whether we go back to Egypt will probably depend on the political situation.

I and a friend travelled to the Intercontinental Hotel at Abu Soma with Mark Warner on 7th October 2005 for 1 week. I can highly recommend the hotel and the Mark Warner as a tour operator.The holiday was very relaxing and great value for money. The weather was of course perfect. Flights were good and on time. The Intercontinental hotel really is 5* with lovely rooms (apparently much better than the normal Mark Warner accommodation) and great facilities + great service on the beach (towels and drinks). The main pool is lovely and you can get a good swim in it. The beach is manicured so very clean with good facilities -e.g showers. The food was good in the main restaurant, with a wide selection and some cook to order dishes but not as exquisite as Club Med at El Gouna. We ate in the Lebanese which was very good too. It is very windy there, just as well as it was very hot! Good for Water sports facilities which were great - kite surfing, wind surfing, dinghies, catamarans etc - you have to pay for lessons though. All the kit is new and if you are proficient the use of the kit is free. The healthclub is probably the best I have seen in a hotel, with a lovely pool, well equipped gym, steam, sauna and Jacuzzi. The night life was very quiet and would not be good for a people who want to party all week. But suited most people (either with families or doing lots of sports during the day). Only areas of slight disappointment - 1) a number of people got mild upset tummies while there including myself - which I would not expect from a 5* hotel. 2) The hotel allowed selected people onto beach to sell trips / camel rides to residents - I found this a bit of a pain although it wasn't too intrusive 3) Alcoholic drinks were quite expensive so stock up on duty free! The Mark Warner staff are brilliant - the best tour reps I have met. Warm, friendly and helpful and always on hand. The people travelling on the holiday were all very nice (no drunken yobs) and many families as the facilities are great for them - kids clubs and babysitting. I would definitely go there again and recommend it to friends for a relaxing or water sports orientated holiday.

My sister and I stayed here for 2 weeks on a Mark Warner Holiday. Our room was great and had a fantastic sea view. Staff were very friendly, tours organised from there were great fun and was a well informed tour guide. There isn't much of a nightlife so if you are into clubbing and hectic nights out this is not the place for you. Personally I don't so for me it was perfect. There are 2 pools and each day there is an aqua aerobics class which is fun and worth doing to burn off all the food!