Melia Sinai

i havent got a bad word to say on this hotel it was honestly the best week of my life. the hotel itself was absolutely beautiful.. it was clean and tidy. The facilities i.e the pool the bars the resturants were great, and tne staff made the week they could not of been more freindly helpful and welcoming and they always want you to do something trust me you'll never be bored with the animation team around! we also met some really great people rom all around the world. it was honestly a faultless wekk. if you want sun sea and sand andthe laugh the week away this is definately the place for you.

Very nice hotel, very quiet and I wouldn't advise for teenagers as there is not much night life there to speak off. But for couples who want to lie on the beach, read books and doze this is the place to go. Fantastic for snorkelling as the reef is right at the beech. Don't be fooled in the going a snorkel trip cause we heard that they take you on a coach to a boat and the boat brings you out to the beach at our hotel !. I would advise you check your bills when you buy drinks etc, couple of times we were charged for the higher costing stuff and then when we questioned it we were given money back instead of a bill. The rooms are lovely and very clean. Just don't put loo paper dwon the loo or you get the drains blocked but they came and sorted it quickly enough. Our tour guide said there was no shops nearby however if you walked out to the left of the hotel (beach side) and walked to the Baron hotel, there was a basic supermarket that was selling water etc at half the price. All in all great holiday but be prepared to pay normal prices. I liked the fact that they don't do all inclusive, as its not the kind of hotel that wants the negiative effects all inclusive can cause. The spa is very good and worth treating yourself.

We have very little experience of staying in hotels as we often self-cater.We chose this hotel largely based on reports we had read. It seems only fair that we should report back. This hotel is relatively small when compared to many in and around Sharm. It is in a very quiet area, there is no local shop or amenity other than on site, it is very handy for the airport ( noise is not noticeable ) but a twenty minute taxi ride to the tourist area of Naama Bay ( £ 14 return from front of hotel ). Hotel is very welcoming and the staff all have good English . The rooms are of good standard, clean , airy and ours overlooked the sea and was just twenty five yards from the pool area which we occupied each day. We were half board ( buffet breakfast and evening meal ) - breakfast excellent, good variety and meant lunch wasn't necessary . Evening meal provided with plenty of choice and was of a good standard. Snorkelling excellent because of living coral reef out from the beach, access to the sea is only from a jetty. Hotel provides all the necessary SCUBA tuition and equipment - tuition always in progress although we chose to sit in the sun ! All drinks are extra, 1 litre chilled bottled water £1 , 1 bottle beer 250ml £2.50, decent bottle red wine £14.(Suggest arrive with some fluids which can put in mini bar fridge). We only took one excursion , a full day by coach to Mount Sinai to see the site of the burning bush ( Moses and ) , St Catherine's monastery ( she met an unfortunate end ) then a buffet lunch, a camel ride and a visit to a genuine oasis inhabited by bedouin.Be warned it can be cold in the mountains but the sun is still very strong.Day trip cost £35 each and was good value,it is however 5 hours on a coach altogether. Would recommend this hotel to couples, those keen on diving but would probably not suit teenagers keen on nightlife.If we return to the area we would take a lot of persuading to book a different hotel.

Well it's taken a while to get round to writing our review but we enjoyed our week stay so much that I had to get round to it eventually! We booked our stay at the Melia Sinai on the basis of the good reviews on Trip Advisor and we weren't dissapointed! Given the bargain price (our holiday was about £400 each including flights) we were thrilled with the quality of the accomodation. Our room was spacious and exactly 15 steps from the pool. A couple of hundred feet away was the most amazing coral reef I have ever seen. I am baffled by people who have complained about having to walk out on the jetty to get to the sea, if you want to be right on top of such a wonderful diving spot, you have to preserve it by not walking across it! The variety of food was excellent, and always with an opportunity to have something cooked fresh, such as an omlette for breakfast or pasta for dinner. We were half board and were usually too full for lunch (and we can EAT!) We originally went for a relaxing do nothing holiday but ended up doing an activity nearly every day! Quad biking in the desert was great and the day trip to the pyramids was well worth the early morning. The staff were extremely friendly, especially if you made the effort to learn a few arabic phrases and the rooms were spotless. Granted, this is not quite up to UK 5 star standards, but unbelievable value. Possibly not the place to go if you are after wild nightlife though, the hotel do their best with quizes and film showings, but if you need to be constantly entertained you may want to be closer to the town. As this was our fist holiday togther, we decided to talk to each other (shock horror!) Would definitely go back again!

1. Hotel & Food We went week beginning 12th November and it is a lovely temperature – around 80 degrees with a very nice breeze. It IS cooler in the evenings but this is mainly due to quite a strong breeze which apparently occurs at that time of the year and is a feature well into the New Year, so a jumper/light jacket is advisable as most seats in the restaurants are outside. Also, mosquitoes are a feature in November though certainly not a problem overall. The hotel is pleasant, well laid out and well maintained, quite big but not the biggest. Not many Brits there as it seems to take predominantly German, Dutch, Russian and Italian packages. Our room was categorised sea-view (we didn’t specify, it was a late booking) which it had from the balcony, over some other buildings, but made it a very pleasant place to sit. Rooms have a fridge (no freezer compartment) and ours was quite big with balcony chairs and comfy chairs inside. Rooms always very clean; my partner went back to the room once when they were cleaning it and they spent at least 20 minutes on each room, very thorough. The hotel itself is spotless and the gardens beautifully maintained. Food was good and we ate all our meals there (half-board). We found some of the evening themes better than others and it did get a bit boring but overall it was fine. An amount of tip chasing goes on, not too bad but a couple of instances did irritate us. The worst was the guy running the sunbeds and towels on the beach. Mattresses are taken in each night but, possibly because it was quiet, he only put them out as people arrived. One day when my partner was there before me he strongly insisted on carrying the mattresses for her and then was less than courteous when she didn’t tip him (we may sound a bit mean here but I don’t see why I should tip for something I didn’t want them to do?). The guy has a system worked out where he puts mattresses and towels out for people very early so they get the beds they want in return for a tip. We just started going before breakfast and sorting our own out, he gave up with us eventually. They let us keep the room on until 3.30 p.m. (the time we asked for) for 10 Euros (18.30 flight). This made our last day very enjoyable and stress-free as we did the beach, lunch, then showered and got ready to depart. 2. Beach & Pools Beach is excellent, lots of room and a fantastic reef. Do not even THINK of going there and not snorkelling. Some irritation from music from the beach bar and one of the bars nearest the beach, this was usually tied into to their “animation” programme (water aerobics etc.) but we did feel the music was frequently being played for the staff. It may be different in peak season but only in the sense that it may be more popular! There are four pools, none of them that big. We didn’t really use them because the beach was so good. However, my partner would have used them more when I was off diving if the music hadn’t been so intrusive. Every pool has a sound system playing music we didn’t like, far too loud. They would turn it down if asked but maybe other people liked it. The music (beach and pools) was probably the worst point of the holiday; it was easier on the beach to block it out with our own MP3s. 3. Location Getting anywhere else is a bit of a pain. We reckoned an evening in Naama Bay (taxi, meal etc) was going to cost us at least 60 sterling so we didn’t bother. Taxis through the hotel are twenty odd sterling return. You can walk along the beach to the Baron Hotel where there is a small supermarket (no alcohol) and some shops; it is worth it to buy water etc. Still dearer than Naama Bay but a lot cheaper than in the Melia. There are a few restaurants there but there is building work going on between the two hotels (no noise issues) so you have to walk along the beach to get there, unlit in the evenings). We didn’t bother. 4. Diving I chose to walk up to Sinai Divers at the Baron Hotel as I could not find any feedback on the Melia’s dive centre. I enjoyed diving with the Sinai people but some of their safety wasn’t as good as it should have been (basically, they did not operate the buddy system to anything like the level it should be). If I returned I would use the Melia dive centre, not least because they have so much going on. They do the usual trips (Ras Mohammed, Tiran); a seemingly never ending stream of shore dives (including night ones) and they also have two RIBs which were taking divers to other bits of these excellent reefs a least a couple of times a day without the hassle of being bussed to Shark’s bay harbour. 5. Overall We enjoyed it, in fact we had great week. Would we go back? We feel the choice is between being in Naama Bay (where the coral has been destroyed) with lots of bars and restaurants or having a fantastic reef to dive and snorkel on but being locked into what the individual hotel offers. You can have both if you’re prepared to move about but it is a hassle. We like to wander about in the evenings stopping in bars and choosing where to eat so next time we’ll probably go back to Naama Bay. It doesn’t really make any difference to the diving as you go to most dives by boat and I would plan a couple of snorkelling trips (as my partner doesn’t dive) to the better reefs. Mind you, we booked this trip thru Lastminute.com so wouldn’t rule out a return to the Melia if the price was right. Being in a hotel with few Brits meant our transfers were easier, not many people and no queues at check-out for example. Incidentally, the airport is quite small and looks chaotic but our check-in was really quick and very straightforward.

The choice at the buffet breakfast is quite amazing and the food was very high quality. We went on a few early morning tours so the hotel made us a packed breakfast. The reef on the doorstep is absoluetly stunning. Divers from all over Sharm come to dive here so it was really nice to have it so close. The rooms aren't exactly 5 star but they are clean and nice enough. Th 4 swimming pools, gym, bars and accessibility to reef make up for it. The cleaners make fantastic animal arrangements with the towels. Drinks will cost you as much as they do in London.

My husband and i visited the hotel for two nights at the end of a very busy trade mission to Egypt. 14 of our fellow travellers were booked in at the Four Seasons hotel nearby, but as we decided late in the trip to go to Sharm that hotel was booked up. We chose the Melia as we had stayed at the amazing Paradisus Veradera in Cuba, and were impressed with the Melia hotel chain. We arrived in Sharm exhausted, having had less than 5 hours of sleep each night for 10 days. I was expecting a warm welcome at the Melia Sinai, similar to what we experienced in Cuba... ... The entry to the hotel was almost non-existant, did not even look like a hotel, much less an Eygption 5- star one! We were taken to a very dismal hotel room...the bedspread was entirely pilled, with black streaks, the sheets likewise, pillows flattened, extremely cheap looking lamps, etc, etc. We asked for an upgrade and got a great room near the beach and pool, and it was super clean and fresh looking. So once we got past the lobby area things really changed. After two nights there, we did not want to leave! I could have easily have spent a week there reading and snorkling. On our day out in a boat snorkling we could hardly wait to get "home"! So beautiful and peaceful. There was no happenin' night life, fine with us, so we just sipped duty-free scotch on our balcony, smothered in mosquito repellant, wearing our Egyptian robes. Nice that it is casual there as far as clothing goes, guests dressed up a bit for dinner but nothing too over the top. Quiet and respectful guests. The staff were very nice, it seemed that a lot of them knew the guests by name. They were not in- your- face looking for tips. The fellow in the beauty salon was a real character, threading my eyebrows before i even said yes to it, giving me his first henna tatoo ever and did a super job. I loved the Middle East feel, there is a tiny souk, essential oils stall, and bar with houka pipes. Security there and everywhere else we visited in Egypt was good. Felt safer there than most places. Compared with the swanky Four Seasons we felt we were at the better hotel. They paid $800 a night, we paid much less! The 4 Seasons ... the beach is about 40 feet long, the staff constantly greeting, too much for us (i'm sure great for the uber rich). The Melia Sinai has the better beach and a more relaxed atmosphere. But i think it is best to go sooner than later as there is a lot of construction going on adjacent to the hotel. tips: bring your own mask and snorkle, my husbands leaked. Rent a "shorty" wet suit for snorkling, for sun protection and extra buoyancy. Only one beach towel is provided so may want to bring an extra. BYOB. Ask for a room upgrade - worth the $.

Hi, We booked this when it was rated #9 on the site. We paid £350pp HB including flights from Glasgow for a week. We were looking for a quiet hotel, good snorkelling, nice food. The Melia sort of delivered. Check in- couldn't wait to get rid of us, barely said hello. Didn't listen to a word. Rooms: We booked a seaview room. When we got there it was kind of a seaview - past the stage, across the courtyard and through the beach restaurant. Phoned reception who said that the hotel was full. try tomorrow. In the morning we got it sorted out, by being persistent but nice but the hotel was still full apparently and it took the whole morning to sort out. The Thomas Cook rep was nice, but as soon as we said we had a problem with the room had to leave suddenly. The rooms we had were both very clean and comfy. we had hassle with a sliding door, but it was fixed within 10mins of our mentioning it. the rooms were cleaned every day and we were asked if we needed anything extra pillows etc. In the week we were there someone came twice to check we were happy, everything worked and that the room was being cleaned to our satisfaction. Food: Not bad at all. Breakfast was very good with fresh pancakes and eggs to order. For dinner, the buffets were pretty standard, but one night was seafood, then Arabic bread baked on the terrace, then Oriental etc. the only thing was that with the Russians, it was a scrum at dinner time if you went early with pushing and shoving. The hotel did lots of fruit at dinner and there were people with 10 figs or half a dozen guavas on their plate. They went and got all the food first dessert etc and then sat and ate. If you went early the restaurant was like a very crowded canteen. If you went after 8pm, it was lovely. However, the a la carte bit doesn't exist. there is a place downstairs, but they only open that when the hotel is full! Lunch at the Pergola was really nice, fresh pizza for £4, calamari and prawns for £9. The first day we ordered the same thing and got a plate to share! We ate at the hotel mainly and had no tummy problems at all. Bill came to about £150 for food and drinks for us both for the week. Beach - Lovely beach, always loungers available. Snorkelling was great and the watersports people very helpful. Check out - smooth, fast, no hassle. Overall: Nice comfy, clean hotel. Avoid Mahmoud on the front desk, everyone else was fine. Food was not bad and the service in all the bars etc was grest, lots of smiles and they always remembered our Turkish coffees after dinner.

Hi We went to this hotel In early october after the reviews on this site. if I had to grade it for a 5 star hotel I would give it a 7 out of 10 more like a upper 4* But for value for money 9 out of 10 we paid £320( for a couple half board) hotel only no flights on lastminute.com It was a lovely hotel everything for you on your door step and very relaxing Most staff pretty friendly but some a little moody or maybe couldnt spk much english not sure??! They didnt bug us for tips which was good unlike many other egyptians i found so made a nice change. Location excellent awesome snorkling and diving and right on the beach with most rooms with a sea view couldnt fault that. Room was very clean infact cleaned every day and a lovely shower and bathroom with our balcony over looking the sea. Hotel in general was very clean would defently go back in a few years and would recomend to other people. Right next to the savoy to namma bay took 30minutes by a curtsy bus which cost 2euros return. We went quad biking while we were there and highlt recommend it

Just returned from 7 nights family hols (2 girls 15 & 19)and overall had a great time, however: Rooms: Are a bit tired and are basic, but you do not spend much time in them. The beds are hard!!! - 3.5 star rooms because they are large. Breakfast and dinner: Good selection for breakfast but dinner was only average quality and bit repetitive, however they do try and vary the theme each night. To quantify this opinion I would say that we are not buffet people. Our 2 teenagers loved the food. - 3 star food (mum & dads opinion) Lunch: Available from Pergola pool bar and again Very average quality but plenty of it. Staff: V friendly and made it for us, maybe because we had 2 daughters with us!! Drinks - Expensive, however this did not stop us from having a few beers lunch time and a few sundowners. Weekly hotel bill - Budget £100 (UK) / day for 4 adults for lunch & drinks Location: Bit far out for a quick trip anywhere and nowhere to take a stroll to. Beach and snorkling: This makes it. Fab Overall: V clean and well kept public areas, geat pool, service etc I can sum up the atmosphere of the hotel by saying it is very friendly. Will we go again - Yes