Reviews of Royal Albatros Moderna Hotel, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

This is the second time to this...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Dec 2007

Tour Operator:

Sunshine.co.uk

Submitted By:

Mrs L Gardiner

Comments:

This is the second time to this hotel this year, first time was in August, (far too hot) but liked it so much we decided to go back for a second week at beg of December.



The hotel is very nice, staff couldn’t be nicer, rooms immaculate, unfortunately, the entertainment is appalling, and I must say that was the only downfall, apart from the hassle in the hotel shops. I highly recommend the jewellers to shop in, you will get NO hassle, and they are proper gentleman.



My partner bought handmade shirts. Give that one a miss!!



Oh and if you go on quad bike trip, the double quad is the same size as a single, very very uncomfortable, don’t go in the afternoon, go in the morning.



I am glad I have been to Sharm, but don’t think I will be back, I have done it twice, and outwith the complex you get hassled and I couldn’t wait to get back to my hotel.



Cigarettes are cheaper in supermarket than they are in hotel, but they are very reasonable in airport at Sharm also.

Just returned from Sharm at...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2007

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

K80NYA

Comments:

Just returned from Sharm at resort Royal Calimera on 21st November, Great time had once again, Food very good and faultless service from staff.



Been here 3 times now at Calimera and our umpteenth time in Sharm and we are still learning how to handle the ways of Sharm and the people.



Below are some points which may be useful if you have not been yet and hope they are of help.



Taxi fares (pay only a maximum of 40 Egyptian pounds to Naama from hotel and max of 50 to Old Sharm) If asked for more than that for 4 people all in then say no and walk off and I bet the taxi driver goes for it. There are two hundred more behind him who will do it.



Under no circumstances get the hotel taxi or bus as it is a major rip off at 5 TIMES THE ABOVE RATE.



Perfume shop owners are a pain in the backside and if you don’t need any then don’t get conned into going into the shop or you will be in for a 1 hour waste of time.



Any watches or handbags that take your eye can be bought by simply setting your maximum price which will equate to the sellers minimum i.e. £35 watch price = £20 or even less, but don’t beat around the bush name your price or walk out and they will again accept your haggle.

I visited this hotel with my...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mr Am Mansuroglu

Comments:

I visited this hotel with my family, it was a lovely hotel, and the people are very nice. It has a wide variety for everybody including kids clubs and massage parlours. Near the bottom of the complex is a road leading directly to a beach, there is a free shuttle run every 15 minutes.



The food was very nice and each day of the week was a different style of food. I’m English and my main concerns were the hotel entertainers, there wasn’t any English speaking entertainers, any English party songs, or entertainment, this meant that the English children were very limited.



It has its own shops in the hotel and they were attractive. Another good attraction was the "shisha" tent. I went there with some friends and it turned out to be fun, an alternative to smoking.



Overall I was very impressed by this hotel and I would definitely recommend it.

Excellent - excellent! We did...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2007

Tour Operator:

Panorama

Submitted By:

Mrs LA Jones

Comments:

Excellent - excellent! We did worry as there were some poor reviews but we had a fabulous time.



The rooms were cleaned and bedding/towels changed every day.



The food was fantastic - we didn't suffer from deli-beli. The staff were by far the friendliest we have ever met (Rudsky in the Relaxing bar was super). Nothing was too much trouble.



The main pool was busy but the relaxing pool was absolutely fab (we have no kids so wanted peace n quiet).



The beach was great - though the sand was rough (buy beach shoes from the supermarket down the road) and again the service was second to none!



We enjoyed every aspect of this holiday and will definitely be going back.

Me and my boyfriend both aged 20...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2007

Tour Operator:

Med Hotels

Submitted By:

Miss K Blatchford

Comments:

Me and my boyfriend both aged 20 arrived on the 4/10, we had a bad experience at the airport as we did not have a coach transfer so I would strongly recommend that you do pay the extra for the coach as we were charged 30 english pound to get the taxi to the hotel and when we bartered him down, we got to the hotel and he still asked for a tip to put on the air-con!! The hotel itself is lovely, very clean, the staff are very friendly, our room was well furnished and we had a great view.



Be warned they say there is a heated pool, this is not heated at all its just as cold as the others.

The food was not good at all, I'm not a fussy eater at all but I could not eat the food that was on offer. I found myself eating Pringles nearly every night. The breakfast was a selection of cereals, toast, bread buns, omelettes, for some reason there was chicken sausages and they were awful, the baked beans were solid like peanuts. Evening meal was lots of pasta, chicken, it varied every night and on the second week they repeat the food. The only thing I liked was the lasagne. The lunch time bbq was terrible you have flies around you everywhere and they do not go away, also there are lots of birds flying around. The beach bar was a bit better they provided pizza and chips also pasta, sometimes the chip were chewy.



I was ill for 4 days with stomach upsets as soon as you get this you must go to the pharmacy and they will give you a course of antibiotics to clear out all of the bacteria in the stomach. I was advised of this too late however when I took them within a day I felt a lot better.



Beware there are a lot of Germans at the hotel, they are quite rude and a lot of the entertainment when we arrived was in German.



Entertainment of a night time was poor, they have a show every night the animation team try their best to entertain and put a lot of effort into these shows but they were never any good at all. I think maybe the hotel is better suited for the older age group as me and my boyfriend found ourselves bored every night!



We was told Naama Bay was the place to go for clubbing and bars, so we ordered the shuttle bus one night but hotel is so far away from anything it took us 25mins to get to Naama Bay so it would have been too expensive to go there every night.



If you are a young couple planning to come to this hotel I would advise you not to, there is nothing to do on the night times, if me and my boyfriend was to come back we would definitely stay in Naama Bay and would not go all inclusive as there are so many restaurants that you can go to and are not overly expensive. Also beware of the Egyptians they will hassle you so much, we went to Cairo and they were chasing us down the road for a tip as we took a picture of his camel. They are rude people and everything they do they expect a tip, if you don't give them one they will give you a dirty look and follow you until you do.

I travelled to Egypt with my 2...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

ON THE BEACH

Submitted By:

Mrs MARIE LOWE

Comments:

I travelled to Egypt with my 2 daughter’s age 9 and 16. Unfortunately their father couldn't join us due to an illness. We arrived on the 18th Sept from Manchester airport. I was a bit worried about being alone with the children, however the hotel was very secure with guards patrolling. I felt safe at all times; staff were friendly and very helpful. The accommodation was excellent; we had 2 joining rooms both with TV and fridge with free bottled water daily, dressing room and bathroom.



The rooms were cleaned daily, beds changed daily, new shampoos, soaps, flannels etc daily. The food was excellent, a good variety and plenty of any food. The beach party held each Saturday is great fun. The night club on site is very good too, went about 5 times. Music good and children welcome. Karaoke needed more songs but I had a go anyway. Kids found kids disco a bit boring, as they played the same songs each night. Kid’s club lady was German but spoke good English, and was great with the kids.



Went on the free bus to Naama Bay but wasn’t keen, preferred to stay on the complex. However did get some bargains, offered half the asking price. Kids were in the pool every day, it was clean and had entertainment. If you wanted to relax there were two quieter pools. The beach was lovely and clean, not crowded and shallow for children.



I would recommend this hotel and will definitely return.

I have visited Egypt on a few...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Med Hotels

Submitted By:

Alan Amanda

Comments:

I have visited Egypt on a few occasions and stayed at various hotels all fully inclusive.

But this hotel will take some beating rated at 4-5 star. It’s more like a 3 star Butlins holiday camp.



1. Food over all was of a good standard but choose your meal times to fit in with new food arriving from the kitchen so that its hot, or otherwise it will be between warm or cold.



2. Expect to be pushed and shoved by the POLES and RUSSIANS who seem to think that a queue is only for Brits.



3. The standard of the cleaning was very low and you would find food from previous meals on plates and cutlery. The plates were of different sizes and reject quality not what you expect to find in 4-5 star hotels.



4. Tables were left unclear for some time and not cleaned properly. On 1 occasion l ask for the table to be laid with cutlery and was told by 1 of the restaurant managers that someone had already eaten at this table.



5. Room furnishing was of a good standard but varies from room to room what size beds you got so once again nothing was standard.



6. To check on the standard of room cleaning, we put a strip of toothpaste along the front edge of the sink in full view so unless you were blind it could not be missed, guess what, it stayed there for six days before it was cleared away. The bath was badly stained and looked dirty, so yet again we planted 2 dead mossies in the bath and yes they stayed there for 3days.



7.You will find broken floor tiles in your rooms so don’t walk around without shoes. The broken tiles seem to be all over the hotel and not replaced but the broken pieces just stuck back but unevenly and jagged.



8.Stated that there is a heated pool don’t believe it, this one is colder that the others.



9.Pool cleaning is carried out daily you will notice this because all the cleaning equipment is left either half in or out of the water or there may be an Egyptian leaning on one of the brushes or you may trip over it because it is left laying by the side of the pool. The area around the pool was washed down once in the 2 weeks that we stayed

here.



10. To indicate how good the cleaning is in one bar you can still see what is left of last Christmas decorations hanging from the walls.



Will l be going back again, yes to Egypt next May but never again to this hotel or the group Royal Albatros.



If you or any member of your party DON’T GO, to this hotel you will get no help or assistance. The layout is such that it is dangerous for disabled people even with slopes to assist you will find these slopes more at home in the Alps or in a theme park.

My, husband, daughter, Mum and...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs SA Martin

Comments:

My, husband, daughter, Mum and Dad and I all travelled to Sharm El Sheikh to the Calimera Hotel, Sept 07. Gorgeous Hotel, super friendly Hotel staff, they are brilliant with kids! Rooms cleaned daily thoroughly without fail!,



Would not say this is a 5*, but more a 4* by British standards, but lovely nonetheless. Even though there were not many kids staying at the Hotel at the time, they still put on the Kids Club. My daughter still went along with about 3 others, but loved it.



Food was nice, lovely little touches, such as cooking omelettes for breakfast, pizzas for lunch all cooked in front of you to order. Cooking meat out doors on the BBQ so tasty! Cooking fresh pancakes after lunch time. Beautiful, and the desserts and cakes were to die for!



Two huge pools, which were cleaned from morning until night! You are given a towel card. Basically you hand the card in to the little shacks near the pool and they give you a clean towel to use either round the pool or even on the beach. At the end of the day, you take the towel back and they replace it. Saves you even getting your beach towel wet!



The drinks were ok, but not for a cider drinker like me (None available at all, not even to buy). Only beer, wine and some cocktails.



The Gym was great, well equipped again staff brilliant. Although we did not personally see any entertainment, we heard through other people that it was good!



There is a free bus on the beach which takes you to another part of the beach which is absolutely AMAZING for snorkelling. This is a MUST. We booked a couple of trips from the Hotel, Quad biking which my husband and daughter loved. Highly recommended. Also the glass bottom boat trip. BRILLIANT. Although they state you have 20 minutes snorkelling we actually got 10 minutes MAX. Also don’t bother with the DVD of the trip, we got home, and it does not work!



We also had a trip into Naama Bay. We hated it, too much hustle and bustle, shop keepers trying to drag you into their shops. Was glad to come away. Also do not be conned into buying any of the pictures painted on papyrus beware, these are fake! We got conned, so believe me.



There is a shop in the Hotel, Alex runs it, and these are authentic paintings. Alex is lovely, and only sells the best. Authentic papyrus has an official stamp on it. Mike who runs the jewellery shop is lovely too! He loved my seven year old, she even helped in his shop! I brought some lovely pieces of jewellery from there, not bad price too.



We would definitely go back and maybe try the scuba diving.



If you have never been to Egypt before, ensure you take plenty of English money, they prefer to take this than Egyptian pounds!

My friend and I stayed at the...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

A1 Travel

Submitted By:

Miss A Birkett

Comments:

My friend and I stayed at the Calimera in the first week of September. We arrived late at the Hotel but were soon seen to and taken to our room. It was really hot day and night so all the air conditioning is well appreciated. Our room was nice and away from the pools so it was nice and quiet.



There are 2 main pools both are very nice but one is called the activity pool for a reason. The music gets a little annoying but it depends what you like. The relaxation pool is very quiet and where we spent most of our stay.



The food is probably not 5 star but I can’t see people going hungry, there is loads of choice and something for everyone. It did sometimes remind me of a school canteen but if you went later in the evenings it was better.



The entertainment is not fantastic but they try their best and the pool bar is the best place to be. You will soon realise the singer likes singing Hero!



The hotel staff were very nice and helpful and not pushy like they are when we stepped out of the hotel. Two woman on their own we were like some phenomena, but a few polite no's was all it took.



Overall we loved the holiday, very hot, nice hotel, good food, and a good time had by us both.

Egypt is so hot I love the heat...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Olympic Holidays

Submitted By:

Miss B James

Comments:

Egypt is so hot I love the heat so it was lovely but it was like 36 at night! when we arrived at the hotel after being on the coach and dropping people off to all these glamorous hotels it was ok, there was no wow factor, and in fact the upstairs bar looked and sounded a little like a canteen (a sound you will get used to) and there were zebra print chairs.



Anyway the reception staff were so lovely and took us to our room which I do admit was amazing! It was massive, with a huge bed an almost too big wardrobe and lovely big dressing table, honestly I’m a snob but it was perfect! Our room was in the best location I’d say, away from all the noise, with our terrace going out to the relaxation pool.



The food is horrid, I ate cheese rolls the whole time, ok I wasn’t horrid but when you got to fight for your food, who could enjoy it! There were loads of scummy English people there and even a fight (no wonder the English have such a bad reputation).



We went down to the beach bar for lunch every day purely for the fact it was waiter service! Don’t bother with the beach, you can’t swim in the sea and there's a long jetty to go out on, which we did but to be perfectly honest, you’re so bloody hot by the time you get to the other end you just wanna dive in and you can’t!



Our hotel looked really shabby seeing it compared to the one next door! they were doing things to the hotel to improve it, and it wasn’t bad, they just need to use the space a bit better I think and the paint work looks like it was done in the 70's and could do with a face lift!



There is the most adorable sheisha corner outside where we laid at night and chilled out sadly that was ruined slightly (although it was quite funny to watch) there were about 15 girls and boys ranging between 13 and 16 who were just drunk, coz the hotel is so big and its all inc the parents were obviously leaving the kids to it, they were swearing, shouting and being so rude to the staff!



We did have a wonderful time though, and we had no tummy trouble which was fabulous! We decided that we were going to go to pacha before we got the, so we arranged a cab (£20 both ways and it took about half an hr to get there).



Oh my god, if your a woman be so careful, I’m 20 with long blond hair and I got so much stick off the men in naam bay, at first we just kind of shrugged it off but then it got scary, in fact the was horrible! We also wanted to go to hard rock but there was a massive queue and it was very expensive so we found this gorgeous little restaurant, looked like a Japanese style, strada that kind of thing anyway it was so wonderful and to have wine was amazing anyway it cost like £20 so bargain!



Oh yeah, the wine at the hotel tastes like vodka and water eurghhhhhh! pacha was so good we went twice the 1st time was the best but it is London prices for drinks!!!



The pool bar at the hotel is probably the best! They had chess table on the tables so we played when we had had too much sun and the have life size chess which is always fun and crazy golf but it was impossible, we gave up! Oh and to play pool cost £4 for half an hr!



The main thing with the food is that you had to have meals; it was never sandwiches or toasties although they did serve pizza which again you had to queue forever!



The beach bar is def the best for lunch, dinner you can’t escape from but we ate outside which was nicer than actually in the canteen! we only made the real breakfast once, no matter how good the potatoes look, they were always raw, break, lunch and dinner, but the late breakfast is good, actually perfect you get to sit outside, in a different restaurant and its just nicer! They sausages taste like mash!



All in all we did have a wonderful time, I would never go back to this hotel and I wish someone could have told me about it first coz I wouldn’t have gone, but it was ok and it was only for a week, if your going for 2 take loads of spending money coz the hotel food is dyer and you will not be impressed having the same thing every night!



I would only go back to the Egypt in general for the wonderful weather which was perfect but with the constant molestering and being disturbed id say no, it was better then spending this summer in this country though!!!!!!



So basically if you like nice things and that is what you are used to this is not the place for you and it is no way on earth a 5 star hotel! A 3 I’d say!!!!

I and my boyfriend have just...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Med Hotels

Submitted By:

treacletoes

Comments:

I and my boyfriend have just returned from the Calimera Royal Moderna, and may I say what a great time we both had.



The hotel was lovely, and everything was great, the food was a bit bland in places but there was always a great selection so you can always try something new.



We altered each day which pool we sat round, despite the active pool being called the active pool I expected it to be taken over by water aerobics etc but was pleasantly surprised, due to the size of the pool they only corner off a small section to do the activities in, and it wasn’t bothering either of us, just means we had some music to listen to, the activities were not at all disruptive!!



The relaxation pool was also lovely just a tad quieter than the active one. The pool bars were great and the staff are lovely, always polite, if you give them a little tip, you will have your drinks on the table before you have sat down.



The singer they have on an evening can only be described as a "tryer" he is so bad it’s entertaining!! Get him to sing Cotton Eye Joe, its hilarious!!



The entertainment that the reps put on is ok!!We saw a variation of things e.g., the kid’s club children performing Grease, Lord of the dance tribute attempt, and a comedy club that we didn’t stay to see, a few nights we left the shows early as it wasn’t our thing but the kids love it!!



All in all great holiday 10/10.

We have just returned from 2...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mrs L A Gilmore

Comments:

We have just returned from 2 weeks staying at the Calimera that is I my husband and our 4 children aged 16 15 12 and 9.



We had 2 rooms overlooking the active pool the singer goes on till midnight but then all is quiet. The rooms were fine, cleaned every day.



We have a range of fussy eaters but no one went hungry, we ate at all the available restaurants and a couple of times at the Italian which has an extra charge (less than £20 for 6 of us). The Italian is where the late breakfast is served 10am till noon this was lovely on the lazy mornings.



The beach was disappointing as we could not snorkel off the jetty but we did the lazy boat trip which was fantastic the children were given life jackets if they wanted and the guide pulled them round on the life ring and pointed out all the fish and even a blue spotted sting ray.



We met some wonderful people with children of similar ages. The teens spent all day at the heated pool and most nights at the nightclub on site. This gave them their space and the chance to be independent but still in the grounds of the hotel.



The younger children had the park which is next to the pool bar which was handy for us parents that are on holiday to.



We went to the Hard Rock Cafe in Naama Bay which was great it cost us £100 for 6 of us we didn’t stay long as you get hassled all the time the same at old Sharm and it was too hot to be bothered with anything else.



The onsite photographer was good and charges £3 for a 7x5 photo which we had some taken viewed them but before we ordered them I had my bag stolen from the beach bar with our money, camera, glasses, and room keys in it. Needles to say I was devastated the children had their money in there to. The staff were brill and even asked me the next day if it had turned up but it hadn’t, we then spent 2 hrs at the tourist police reporting it thank god for Sammy our rep, because I don’t go much past hello in Arabic.



So please be careful and enjoy your stay.



One last warning the bell boys! We had checked out at lunch time then our flight was delayed so on leaving the hotel, they tried to charge us for a cup that wasn’t even in the room when we arrived, this had also happened to a couple an hour before us who had paid 5 Euros to the bell boys. We didn’t.



All in all we had a great time and felt very safe at the resort which accommodated all ages.

My partner and I arrived in...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Feb 2007

Tour Operator:

Direct Holidays

Submitted By:

Miss J Sayer

Comments:

My partner and I arrived in Sharm el Sheikh airport and after having elbows and my handbag at the ready for the mass mob fighting their way towards the security and luggage, we survived and didn't find it as scary as some reports have made out.



Just keep your head and have your passports etc ready for the security as their sense of humour is less than non-existent!



We didn't book transfers with our travel agent as we'd heard it was very easy to get a taxi at a cheap price. This didn't disappoint us and we arrived at the hotel before we knew it.



The Calimera looked very impressive from the outside (we arrived late at night so it was hard to get a true feel of the place) and everything seemed very clean and shiny inside.



I was however, a bit dubious about being ordered to abandon our luggage in the road outside reception (there was a guard there), but it made its way to our room no problems, so panic over!



The room was lovely and clean, we had 2 large twin beds that we just pushed together and slept comfortably for the week. There was always a fresh, chilled supply of bottled water in the fridge and fresh sheets every day.



Due to my partner and I working with horses out in the elements all year round, we chose Egypt basically to relax and soak up the sun. The temperatures were more than we could have asked for and we sunbathed on the beach from 7.30am until about 4.30/5pm in about 30degree heat.



The beach was immaculate and the water crystal clear with an array of fish (albeit a little chilly to start, you soon found the temperature comfortable once you got your head under with the snorkel on, and the beautiful fish made you think of nothing else!), just purchase some sea-shoes from one of the shops in reception as the corals are very sharp and there are mine-fields of clusters of spiky anemone!



If you find yourselves twiddling your thumbs in the evenings, I suggest checking out and videoing the entertainment... I don't think I’ve ever laughed so hard before! Bless them for getting up there and trying, but it really is shocking.



We were treated with a river dance show that involved lots of stamping and jumping around on stage, some sort of dramatic dance show, and the singer in the reception bar upstairs... well... I’m sure Simon Cowell would have one or two things to say to him!!



I know that sounds very harsh, but hey, the children seemed entertained so that's surely the main thing!



You will find yourself getting a little hassled by the activity organisers (scuba, snorkelling trips etc) and you'll be asked to sign up for the trips about 10 times a day, but they're not too pushy, I just told them we had already been, or had something else on, it's just their way, but they're harmless. Although, if you enjoy your topless sunbathing, you may find yourself even more hassled by staff and a flock of cleaners!!



*Just a little warning; some of the trips aren't all they're made out to be. We paid for a snorkelling trip and were told we would be taking a boat out to 4/5 snorkel spots around the Tiran island where we would swim alongside numerous amounts of turtles, rays and other incredible sea-life.



This was not the case and we found ourselves on a boat with a scuba excursion and did 2 swims when they did theirs in the middle of the red sea. We also found it quite amusing that we sat on the boat for about 6 hours and ended up in the sea practically in front of the hotel... we were tempted to make a swim for it back to our sunbathing spot!



Also a couple of people scuba diving only had two 10 minute dives because their instructor forgot his flippers and didn't fill their oxygen tanks up fully. They were very disappointed to say the least.



Apart from this (which may have just been unlucky timing) we had a lovely week and are planning to go back for 10days to the Calimera next feb 08 and I hope we can improve our experience to a 9 or 10/10. I did pick up a stomach bug, however according to my uk doctor I made the mistake of buying antibiotics from the hotel pharmacy, which stripped my stomach of all the bacteria I needed, then I was more susceptible and picked up another bug as a souvenir to take home; I lost 2stone in just over a week!



It didn't spoil our holiday at all though and even had a tribute Bedouin tent Egyptian party this July for my partner’s birthday (with shisha pipes, Egyptian artefacts, everyone dressed like an Egyptian and a professional belly dancer!) it was a huge success!



Thanks for reading and if you choose the Calimera I’m sure you'll have a wonderful time and not be disappointed.

This was our first abroad...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Miss L Harding

Comments:

This was our first abroad holiday together after exams- three of us 18, 18 and 17 were very nervous when choosing a hotel but I have to say that the Calimera was superb.



Personally I am quite well travelled having stayed at many 4/5* hotels all around the world, and the Calimera is certainly worth a visit.



Upon arrival we were greeted by Bellboys who took our luggage to our room and very friendly reception staff.



The pool was huge, the multi-lingual entertainment team were good but the night time entertainment was a little cheesy, the food was great, none of us were ill and there was plenty of choice, although on some nights I struggled as I am a very fussy eater.



The only thing I would say is that if you are one of these people who doesn't like to be asked to go on trips every two minutes this isn't the place for you. However, having said that, the people are very nice and a polite no thank you goes a long way.



The English are well looked after at this hotel even though the hotel had a mixture of nationalities-German, English, Polish, Italian, Arabic, Spanish and French.



Sunbeds are usually a big problem at hotels but I have to say this hotel wasn't as bad as others. Usually you could still get a sunbed by 9am and if not there were plenty on the beach.



The beach was clean and well looked after. It is not golden fine sand but there is sand and a short walk along the pier allowed you to see numerous fish. I do recommend swimming out to the edge of the reef if you are a strong swimmer/snorkeler as it just drops into the abyss and the fish are amazing- not for the faint hearted!!



We did a scuba diving trip with the company that was based on the beach. It was an all day boat trip with two scuba dives (for introductory divers) and snorkelling. I think it worked out as £58 English pounds for the diving and rental of the equipment and one of us did just the boat trip and snorkelling for £22 pounds. This included drinks and a meal.



The weather was very hot in July and reached 40c+ every day, even the pool temperature was 27c and the sea was probably not far off of that.



We did manage to go to Naama Bay one night but this was not enjoyable for us-being three girls on our own- it was petrifying but please do not let this put you off, we managed to pick up some real bargains by haggling- we normally halved the price of everything and went from there.



We only stayed for a week and feel this wasn't long enough at this hotel. We will certainly be going back in future!

This was the first time I had...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Med Hotels

Submitted By:

Miss C Bell

Comments:

This was the first time I had gone to Egypt so I was quite worried about what to expect.



The journey from the airport to our hotel was very smooth and when we arrived, we was greeted and was given a nice warm towel and my little brother was given a colouring book and pencils.



We were then accompanied to our room by a very friendly member of staff. The room was very big and contained one single bed and two double beds for three people so there was a lot of room.



The bathroom however wasn’t 5*, but you can’t expect their five standards to be the same as ours as we found out, their star rating is based on the pool, pool and beach restaurant and how many people the hotel holds. The room was cleaned every day and was done very well.



The staff members seemed to work 24/7 in the hotel. The entertainment was PANTS but there was a park for the children under 11 years which was very nice.



The food was amazing as we was worried about that to. There was lots to choose from at all meal times. The staff were also very child friendly and loved to have a laugh and a giggle with them.



The pool was massive and had a large area which was shallow for children. The beach was so lovely. The sea wasn’t to swim in but it was lovely to work in as you could walk for ages and look at the star fish and other creatures.



The jetty is also a must to do in the night time because the sun set from here is amazing.



There is also another beach you can go to which you can walk to or get the bus. It’s about 10 minutes walk and 5 minutes on the bus. It has no shade, chairs etc but it is lovely to snorkel in, and if you feed the fish bread they go crazy and it is great to watch.



This hotel is lovely. I only gave it 8 because of the bathroom and the entertainment.