Royal Albatros Moderna Hotel

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Returned last night from a holiday at the Calimera. Have never written a review before, but having read some of the ones posted before we left I felt I now had to set the record straight about this hotel.
I'm sure that there were people who suffered from stomach upset at this hotel (as there are at probably every foreign hotel worldwide!!) But no one in my party, ranging from 13 to 40 had the slightest hint of any tummy trouble. We ate and drank from every food outlet and bar within the resort and also ate/drank out in Naama Bay, so for those who do pick up a bug I can assure you it wont be from lack of hygeine at the hotel - Its just one of those unfortunate things.
The hotel is beautifully clean, with cleaners and maintenance men working from dawn til dusk. We had rooms in a block facing the beach, quite a walk from the main restaurant, but it was a lovely stroll through the gardens in the evening. There are several bars and places to eat (Some the brochures don’t tell you about)
Starting at the beach - There is a beach bar that serves drinks all day til 6.30pm and food from 12.30 til 3.30 (lovely pizzas and steak sandwiches) The Bedouin tent on the beach is open in the afternoon and evenings - No drink but shisha pipes are £2. Very exotic when you’re lying back on huge cushions looking up at the stars - I enjoyed it and I don’t smoke.
The ampitheatre has an evening bar that is open when the show is on. The Pool bar is open all day until midnight. It serves soup from 12pm to 6.30 and a barbeque buffet at lunchtime. You can also get ice cream from here til 6.30 - My kids favourite was to take scoops of flavoured ice cream to the barman who will then make it into a milkshake for you. The lounge bar is open all day until midnight.
The Titanic nightclub opens at 11.30pm and stays open til about 3.30am - Great for teenagers, meals in the main restaurant are all buffet service. Even the fussiest of eaters will find something to their taste - the cooking stations are good - omelettes with whatever you want on them for breakfast. Pizzas that you can choose the toppings for at lunch and freshly made pasta where you can choose what goes into your sauce at dinner.
After Dinner on the terrace there are freshly made crepes or fresh popcorn to snack on til midnight. There is another restaurant (Toscani) This is an A la Carte seafood/Italian restaurant that you have to pay a supplement for. (We didn’t bother as the food was lovely elsewhere) From 10 til midnight there is free food in this restaurant if you want a late evening meal (we used this when we came back late from trips)
The staff at the hotel are the friendliest I have ever met. We have travelled extensively all over the world and stayed in top class hotels and have never experienced service like this. Nothing was too much trouble. One night I knocked my drink over and almost before it had chance to touch the floor the waiter was over with towels to clean the mess and a new drink for me. I felt safe leaving my teenage girls to wander around the hotel on their own as everyone was so caring and friendly. I felt embarrassed to be British watching the way some people treated the staff - they seemed to think they were better than the Egyptians and that they deserved to be treated like servants. Show them that you appreciate what they do for you and they will bend over backwards to help in any way they can.
Snorkelling from the end of the jetty is a must - The water is only about waist deep at its deepest and so warm. If you don’t fancy snorkelling just buy some beach shoes and stand in the water. You'll be amazed at the colours of the fish. If you do have a go at snorkelling then swim close to the coral mounds and look closely into the holes. You'll be amazed at the size of some of the fish. No one will believe that in water that is only knee deep you can see huge puffer fish.
The pools at the hotel are huge. You'll always find a quiet spot to swim or sunbathe. Even the ACTIV pool has quiet sections where you can float lazily on a lilo without being disturbed by splashing children. There are sun beds a plenty but the Germans do tend to get up early and pinch all the best positions.
There's plenty for children to do - There are kids clubs, all multilingual, but its good for children to mix and make friends from other countries. There is an excellent park, my kids were a bit old for it, but it was ideal for little ones. There is a crazy golf course and tennis courts. Inside there are table tennis and pool tables and an internet cafe (£3 for 30 mins).
I can’t recommend this hotel highly enough. As a family we hate going back to the same place twice, but this was such a fantastic holiday that we are going to book to go back in February.
Have a fantastic time if you do decide to go here...I envy you!!

I have been to Egypt for the past 3 years and have always had a 24 hour deli belly. But as suspected from the posts here I got ill within 2 days of getting to the hotel and it lasted for around 7-8 days of my 10 day holiday.
I suspected the swimming pool to be the cause but it could have been the food. Nearly everybody I spoke to had got it English, Germans etc. There were tablets you could get from Naama Bay as the pharmacy's have like an in house doctor who diagnosed you. The tablets take away the painful stomach cramps but not the diarrhea. It did spoil the holiday a bit but I managed to get a couple of days diving in.
The rooms were quite nice, starting to look a little tired but the fridge worked fine for beers (there is an on site off license selling decent beer and wine) and the air con was really good. The food was ok and the white wine, rose and local Stella beer not too bad as part of the all inclusive drinks, you could get ice cream as well all in.
Overall the holiday would have been a lot better without the illness and apparently the residents at the 3 corners hotel down the road staged a sit in at reception as 90% of the hotel were down with it and the residents demanded free doctors treatment which I think they got!
The staff were friendly except for reception who ignorantly answer the phone half way through your conversation and spend 10 minutes talking away to another guest.
Would I go back to that hotel, frankly no its put me off Egypt a bit and there are far better hotels along sharks bay a lot closer to Naama Bay (it's 30 minutes drive to see some life in Naama Bay). The entertainment at the active pool and at night in the auditorium was bad as well.
If you have booked this hotel its not the end of the world it is fairly enjoyable and quite a few English to get on with. But get the tablets on arrival from a pharmacy not by having the Dr called in as he charges £75 per injection and apparently he was offering it twice to a lot of people, one in each cheek which is probably a rip off.
I think in future I will go for a lower star hotel and eat out in Naama Bay or Old Sharm as the food is cheap and you can choose decent different dishes every night. Anyway that’s my tuppence.

Just got back from the Royal Moderna and I have to say that I don't usually give reviews about my holidays, but I think people need to be warned about this place!!!!!
We got there at approx 2100 and it was all very nice, with cold towels to freshen up with and a porter service to take your bags to your room. We spent the first day around the active pool, which if you’re like me and don't like the scream of foreign kids all day, is not recommended.
So we spent the rest of the holiday around the non-active pool, nice and quiet and a more favourable presence of British people who are NOT rude!!! The food, in presentation and in some cases taste, is of a very good standard until it reaches your small intestine and acts like a WW2 bombing raid!!!
I am in the British armed forces, and I have been to every continent on this planet and eaten some local cuisine in some places you probably haven't heard of. I am telling you now, I have never been so ill in all my life, my sickness and diarrhoea was so bad that the dehydration that went with it made me delirious. It completely wiped out 3 days of my holiday, as it did for the other 3 members of our holiday party.
I read the reviews about this place before we booked it with the opinion that it can't be that bad!!! Believe me, it is, and if you want a holiday where you've got half a chance of not being ill, then don't go here. Everyone we spoke to while we were there said that they had had the bug, it was the most common topic of conversation!
The hotel staff try and tell you it is caused by the transition from extreme heat into the air conditioning of your room, the air conditioning is all this hotel has got going for it so read from that what you will. I myself will not be going back to Egypt as a result of this experience, and as someone who doesn't usually vent my feelings so passionately I recommend you take my advice. This is my own personal Health Warning to you.....DO NOT GO TO THIS HOTEL!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

We have been Egypt twice before, and I can't imagine that any of my family will be eager to return after our stay last month.
The hotel is lovely, staff friendly. The pools are great, the beach is OK, but nothing spectacular. All other things you may read on the forum are correct. Don’t bother trying to get a deal on the taxi transfer, the cabs all base there prices on the transfer you would have paid with the travel firm so they won't alter.
We paid £12 which seemed about average. The main thing that lets the hotel down is there is some sort of food bug circulating. It affect my wife, my two boys and myself, for the whole second week, and continued for 7-10 days after we returned. It is unlike any other thing I have experienced, as the stomach cramps are really painful. Don't go with the expectation it won't hit you, as everyone we met whilst there had the same story to tell.
Egypt is lovely and Sharma is magical, just don't forget you Imodium! (Several packs).

We booked this holiday at the last minute.
The flight going out was delayed for 5 hours due to a technical problem.
We were warned that when we got to the airport that men would be trying to get you to take their trolley, so we were warned.
Arrived at the hotel and was impressed, we had a suite as there were 4 of us which overlooked the active pool. It was a great location. The Germans and Italians did get up at 6am to put their towels out so we beat them to it!!!
We thought both the pools (active and non active) were fantastic pools and spent a lot of time in them.
The beach was great, and snorkelling was fantastic.
We didn't go on excursions as we wanted a chill out week.
The food was very good and they catered for everyone. The deserts were fantastic. Weight watchers beware!
The hotel shops were really expensive we learnt our lesson and didn't go back for more!
My son had diahorea after the first day, we went prepared and gave him Imodium and he was fine.
My husband had a really bad case of diahorrea which he tried Imodium and it was not enough. He ended up seeing the doctor at the hotel and he gave him an injection and some antibiotics which seemed to help after a day or so.
My daughter and I also had a case of diahorrea but we managed to control it with Imodium.
I did speak to others and they understood it to be airborne which would make sense as everyone we spoke to seemed to have dodgy tummies.
Even though we didn't have the healthiest of holidays we still did have a brilliant time and would go back. Next time we will get the injections prior to going, this apparently reduces the chances of getting diahorrea.
It is a great hotel and they are very clean and there are guards patrolling the hotel at all times which makes you feel safer.

Well, the flight there was really comfortable with good food and service. When we arrived we had been warned about the taxi drivers charging obscene amounts for the 5 minute drive to the hotel, but we were so tired and the taxi men are unrelenting and we ended up paying 20 pounds for the taxi, which is ridiculous when they can fill their tanks for 2 pounds.
The hotel when we arrived was clean and tidy and the staff were fairly nice (some more than others) though certainly not a 5 star- more like a 3 star. The biggest bonus was very good air conditioning in the rooms. The pools were nice but the beach was lovely. Snorkeling was amazing, especially at the beach just up the coast a bit from the hotel.
The food was horrendous. We got dodgy bellies and had to dose up on Imodium for the whole week- I’m still recovering from it now. It really was so unappetizing, some of that food I wouldn't feed to my dog. On the plus side we lost a lot of weight whilst there! The alcohol was also pretty bad, its crazy as they have bottles of Smirnoff vodka and other good brands of alcohol on display but they don’t actually serve any of them just really cheap copies that taste like meths - though the lager was ok. One good point was that they handed out big bottles of mineral water quite freely.
We went to Cairo on a trip but it was such a long day- 4.00am til 11.00pm. I’m glad that we went to see the pyramids but I don’t think the trip is worth the money it costs-140 pounds. Its such a tiring day as well and quite a shock to see how deprived a city it is- almost like stepping back in time. Also prepare to be hassled more than you can imagine- your best off putting your head down and ignoring everyone otherwise they will trick you into buying things by forcing things into your hands. The quad biking is great though and is a must for anyone young or old- really, really fun.
The biggest irritation was people hassling you to buy things off them in the hotel- all of the people at the shops (which sell absolute tack) every time you walk past try to drag you in and they get quite angry with you if you don’t. It makes you wish you didn't have to walk past their shops but you have no choice due to the layout of the hotel. Also people hassle you on the beach for magazines, massages, trips etc. and if you say no they hassle you even more as to why not?! I just wanted to relax in peace and enjoy my holiday but they really don’t allow you to get off that easily.
Overall, this holiday has not only put me off going back to this hotel but to Egypt in general. I think Europe is a lot better value for money, has ten times better food and is generally a lot more enjoyable.

I went to the Calimera Moderna on the 8th June for a week. The flight was fine and the pilot warned us about having to pay for the trolleys in the airport. We booked it through planet travel on Teletext holidays. Flight was Thomas cook but we weren't with Thomas Cook. When we got off flight we got ushered into queues to get visas but we got to go into another queue as we were not with Thomas Cook. I have read other reviews saying they were made to get visas but we just said we didn’t need them as we weren't leaving Sinai and we got our passports stamped n straight through. That saved us £20 - £30 and we truly didn’t need them at all.
The hotel really is gorgeous and the staff treat you so well. The rooms are good (nothing special) and are cleaned every day. There were always security guards around the hotel and road blocks on your way in and out of the hotel and Naama Bay. Don't bother taking beach towels as you get a towel card which entitles you to clean beach towels every day.
The pools are really amazing. Our room was near the beach and amphitheatre so we went to the active pool which is the biggest. Beware! There are loads of Germans and Russians who put their towels on the sun loungers at 6am so you'll be lucky to get one.
The world cup began on our 1st day and they have erected a huge screen right beside the pool bar which showed the night time games. They are all shown on TVs throughout the hotel and are projected on to a wall beside the pool tables.
If you go to Naama bay, don't fall for any of the Egyptians tricks to make you come into their shops. They lock the doors and keep you there for ages. Make sure you have change to tip as everyone expects a tip. We asked a security guard in the shopping centre where the bank was and he pointed us in the direction then asked for a tip!! Also take wet wipes with you everywhere outside the hotel as there is no toilet paper in the toilets - you have to buy it from a person at the toilets.
Definitely go quad biking! That was the highlight of the holiday! Well worth £20 each as you are out for hours.
OK, the reason why I have given it such a bad rating is that on my second day I became very unwell with sickness, diarrhea and terrible cramps. I got some antibacterial tablets from a guy in one of the souvenir shops in the hotel and these helped but the diarrhea didn't stop. Almost everyone in the hotel that we spoke to had some form of stomach bug. I couldn't eat much for the rest of the holiday and definitely couldn't drink.
When I got home I went to the doctor and was prescribed medicine which didn't work. After 13 days of diarrhea I put a sample in and was contacted to say I have Dysentery! My boyfriend also got a dodgy stomach the day he returned home and his sample is not back yet. This is transferred through food and ultimately came from an unclean chef or food handler as I never drank the water.
This wasted my holiday and I would not return to Egypt because of this. It really is not worth it as I have now been unwell for 2 and a half weeks.
Be warned about this!

Wow, just read some other reviews. Me and my partner went here last week (15th June - 22nd June) and he has been many places all over the world and he rates this the best! I myself am the hardest person to please, the most fussiest eater and I found this place close to perfect! The rooms were huge, our room opened up to the Pool and our sun beds were directly outside all week.
We only wished we had 2 weeks instead of 1. The rooms had digital AC, they were cleaned everyday, had Tea/Coffee and Kettle, mini fridge which a big bottle of water was put into everyday, clean towels, towels for Pool/Beach so no need to take your own. Grounds were amazing, always being cleaned from dawn to dusk, many Pool Bars, Hotel is marble set with AC, staff are extremely friendly and will do anything for you! Watch out for the TVs and screens, which were everywhere for the World Cup.
Snooker/Pool area, have to pay though about 2Euro? Shops inside Hotel, the gift shops downstairs will do great deals but upstairs near reception I wouldn't touch. They are very, very expensive, and there prices change everyday, I managed to argue the price down for a packet of cigarettes but never went in their again, the Jewellery shop on the other hand will do good deals for you, they prefer Stirling to anything else. The items are hand made and some are amazing. Downstairs, bag maker makes any bag you want. From your own design to the exact copy of the designer bags!
Food, lots of it! The biggest buffets I've ever seen and I've been AI to Cyprus & Antigua, always something to eat and very clean, looked nice, few times some of the food didn't look nice but I always had something else to eat! Did get upset tummy but always do where ever I go, tables were cleaned as soon as someone finished. Staff are fantastic, some grumpy or rude people need to learn some manners! Be aware that a certain nationality are rude/abrupt here, they push anywhere they go, push them back!
Walk through the complex to the Beach, the sand is more like builders rubble as it as grind down dead coral and shells, so do take diving shoes! This Hotel as a long jetty, which has some sun beds on and stairs leading into the Sea. Fish are very visible for you people who don't like the Sea, I have a very big fear of the Sea and tend to stay on land but I did snorkel for the very first time and it was amazing, it took me 6 days to get in the Sea but I did it!
You can see part of a ship wreck and when the tide is out you can walk around it, but the diving schools offer very cheap deals to go deeper to see the main wreck. 1 Week is not enough time to see Cairo/Diving/Old Town/Naama Bay so do organise ahead of yourself what you want to do. We are already planning to come back here in a few months for 2/3 weeks and we will visit Cairo/Valley of the Kings and do a PADI diving cert.
This place is so laid back, the sunsets are amazing and takes bout 20min from the airport. But please be aware that once out of airport you will be bugged by Taxis, Touts so they can get your cash, it's pretty scary! If lone females travelling make sure someone is scarier than them ha ha.
To us this place was more than a 5 star, the weather was perfect, very hot everyday! You will burn straight away if you have very fair skin so do take a very high factor for first few days, we see some blistered people on our flight home, they looked sore! Can't recommend this place enough!

Overall hotel was very good value for money and was basically what I expected for the money paid.
Food was very good and a wide variety for the two weeks we were there. The beach bar had excellent lunches. There are a number of bars serving drinks until Midnight and the beer "Stella" was very nice. The Hotel was very clean and staff were very friendly.
The only downside was the evening entertainment, which was ok but lacked imagination.

Well what can I say, this was the first time we had been to Egypt and we are looking to go back again. We paid £289 pp for all inclusive and this was definitely worth it.
The food was good there was a superb choice you had a choice of 3 places to eat you could eat at the beach bar which offers you a wide range of snacks for the children like pizza and salads and chicken nuggets, there is a place near the main pool which has a bbq running for most of the day and then you have the main dinner hall where there is a choice of salads a meal or you can have a omelette made for you while you wait.
The cleanliness of the hotel is also superb I never saw any rubbish anywhere or anything the rooms were cleaned daily and you had new linen everyday.. The pools where cleaned daily aswell.
The hotel is situated about 10/15mins from Naama bay which is the town part all I say about Naama bay is that you are hassled alot of the time to go into there shop and if you give them a polite no thank you they get in a mood which I think is quite rude. They make you pay to go on the beach there also which I think is wrong myself but we went back to our beach.
The trips are great we went quad biking in the desert that is superb also never done it before and it was a good laugh you go as a big group which is good only thing I recommend is to where a mask or something or sunglasses as your going so fast the sand goes in your eyes..
The hotel shops are quite friendly (hi to mesha and Sammy of the perfume shop) this blokes are so friendly and now are a friend of the family and we keep in close contact with them. There perfume is very good aswell (ladies when you go on a night out you like to know you smell fresh all night well this does def worth the money you can still smell it the next morning)... There is also a little shop on the corner that sells like little necklaces and things they are really nice and a bargain place. The only shop that I didn’t like as they hassled you was tapestry shop.
Anyway that’s enough of me going on. Hope this review was ok and if I was you I would be booking yourself on a flight I know I am.