Holiday Reviews > Africa > Egypt > Sharm El Sheikh > Sharm El Sheikh Hotels > Melia Sinai Hotel > Read Reviews
Melia Sinai Hotel ReviewsPage 1 2
| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jul 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
MyTravel |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs Z Morton |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
This is a very nice clean hotel, though more of a 4 than a 5 star. The Hotel sits more or less on the beach and the staff couldn't be more friendly or helpful. The food is quite good though rather samey, lots of salad and pasta every day and then the rest of the food doesn't vary much. The breakfast was a bit of a let down and consists of either omelette or continental items and fruit, though you could have fried eggs on toast if thats your thing! You can't actually swim in the sea here unless you wish to walk down to the pontoon and then jump into the deep water,(because of the coral) all the boats head for this point too, as the divers all dive here, so it can get a bit crowded. We went all inclusive and found that we could only eat in the one restaurant and only drink in 2 in the evening. We were allowed drinks in the beach bar, but not if there was entertainment on, which meant that everyone who attended the beach party simply walked back up the beach to get drinks!! Half way through our holiday we both came down with a stomach bug, as did most other English people we spoke to, so that stopped us eating much for the rest of the stay. We found out on the plane home that this was the same throughout the resort and nearly everyone was or had been ill, so I dont think the Hotel was in any way to blame for this, though they do rinse the glasses out in tap water! I dont think I would go back to Sharm again, my stomach is finally ok after 6 days and a trip to the doctor.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
freedom direct |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs A Davies |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
Having checked your web site before booking our holiday i thought i ought to take the time to write a review.
We found this hotel to be absolutely FANTASTIC!!.I must admit to being a little concerned before we got there having read some of the more recent comments but once we arrived all fears we put to rest.
Arriving at the airport all went swimmingly bags through before us! Taxi waiting outside as arranged.At hotel staff were charming and great with our 8 year old daughter, who had the best holiday ever and cried when we had to leave. This has never happened before.Our room was fantastic! we had paid extra for a seaveiw suite and were not disappointed.We had a quirky room right on the seafront.Ok maybe everything isn;t brand new but to be honest this hotel had a charm and character that a lot of the s****ier hotels lack.I found the food to be of an excellent quality,and varied with bbqs nightly and judging by how much food most people managed to get on their plates they couldn't have found it too bad could they? As for the birds at breakfast i thought they added to the fun, my daughter thought she was a princess who could call the birds.
All the staff were very friendly and helpful.We will definitely be going back.soon i hope.
Oh by the way this has the best snorkelling on the house reef , going elsewhere is just a disappointment.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Ms S V |
| Overall
Rating: |
7/10 |
| Comments: |
This was my 6th Visit to Egypt.
The Melia Sinai is a beautiful hotel set on one of the best snorkeling area's of Sharks Bay. We had beach front room.
The staff are very friendly and the place is spotlessly clean.
The only draw backs are: The food while of good quality lacks variety. You have to sign for all your drinks even on all inclusive and water is only served by the glass, bottled water is not included. The rooms are tired looking and the sheets/ towels were in need of updating.
This is not a 5 star hotel, more like a 3 but still had a enjoyable holiday.
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| Board Basis: |
Half Board |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Feb 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Travel Republic |
| Submitted
By: |
dickinson |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
Stayed here during the half term week with our disabled daughter and it was overall excellent.
We chose this hotel as we wanted to be by the sea and we were not disappointed as our room looked out over it. There is a pontoon out over the coral that you can snorkel from, our daughter loved this!
The hotel complex is very large and the walk from the restaurant to our room was rather long as we had to detour using wheelchair accessible routes. The pool was very nice (also right outside our room) and was never very busy despite being half term week.
Breakfast & dinner were very good but the restaurant was always very busy and you had to get there early if you didn't want to queue. There was a problem with birds in the restaurant at breakfast time pinching the bread (don't eat the iced buns, it may not be icing!) but management said that this problem was being dealt with!!!
Our room was excellent with safety deposit box and fridge, room service was also good.
The evening entertainment was good, again you have to get a seat early or your standing!
All staff were very friendly, room service was good, towels changed daily etc.
The hotel was quite a way from anywhere but nice if you didn't want to be in the hub of things.
I would recommend this hotel if you wanted a quiet sea/pool based holiday.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jan 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
XL |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr J Marsh |
| Overall
Rating: |
7/10 |
| Comments: |
Brilliant hotel, very clean & staff always polite and friendly. Worth paying extra for All Inclusive as the the hotel is some distance from the main resort so you would still have to pay the hotel prices for meals and drinks.
Likes:
- The views
- Snorkelling
- Diving
- People
Dislikes:
- Food (not much choice)
- AI Option finished at 11pm
- Restaurant not very big, not a problem in summer as hot enough to sit outside but in winter not enough tables so there was always a queue for dinner.
Personally I wouldn't book this hotel if you are expecting it to be a true 5 star it is more of an average 4 star but with the 5 star price !
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jan 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
XL.Com |
| Submitted
By: |
fashionista |
| Overall
Rating: |
6/10 |
| Comments: |
This hotel is lovely but not a 5* or even a particuarly special 4* It is very clean and the staff are all very friendly especially the entertainment team.
My main bugbear with this hotel is the food, the quailty is very good but the quantity very poor, it really is the same day after day and not much choice at all. There is a pasta chef every lunch & evening but again its the same thing there is no variety. It seems to just be grilled fish and chicken (I wouldn't risk personally as looked undercooked everytime I saw it) The fruit is always the same oranges, pears & bananas yet they manage to put a bit of mango, pineapple, etc in the fruit salad yet it isn't available on its own.
We paid extra to go all inclusive which is a must at this hotel as otherwise you will have to eat in the al a carte restraunt or taxi to naama bay, I think we would of spent the extra on drinks alone had we not.
Back to the food again please be aware that they don't cook bacon, sausage, ham etc so its not available at breakfast and if you want chips, cheeseburgers etc you will have to buy these from the al a carte restraunt (even if you are all inclusive!!)
The beach was fabulous and so Im told the snorkelling I didn't make it into the sea as it was a bit to cold for me and really deep, you have to enter from the jetty as the whole sea front is coral so you can't just walk in. There are plenty of loungers on the beach and it was never a problem getting one although this may be different in peak season.
Overall I was satisfied with the hotel but I wouldn't go back again due to the food.
Just a few other things I think are worth mentioning is that the bar stops serving at 11pm for all inclusive so I would advise getting a couple of rounds in just before. Take a look in the perfume shop Mustafa the guy who works there is lovely and just remember the prices are slightly higher than naama bay due to the quality (we found that out for ourselves the hard way)
If you take a walk along the beach from the left you will find the barons resort which has a small shopping centre, be very careful here as we literally got locked in a shop and don't let anyone offer to thread your eyebrows for free as they will do one then leave the other so you still end up paying !
I think that anyone considering this hotel on a 5* basis should look instead at the Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons which we were told are amazing. Also if you have a night flight request the Melias MAS card (available from there website) as this gives you FREE late checkout until 4pm.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Dec 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Sunshine.co.uk |
| Submitted
By: |
Ms J Saunders |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
We too booked this hotel after reading reviews on Watchdog and TripAdviser. We were definitely not disappointed. It is a lovely hotel and the staff are really friendly and helpful. It was also excellent value for money.
Our room was great (except for the one mozzy in the whole resort!), the food was good if a little bland, and neither of us got sick which can be a bit of a worry in Egypt.
The real reason to stay at this hotel though is the snorkelling which is absolutely fantastic. Get into the water at the end of the jetty and it is like swimming in an aquarium and the coral is amazing.
The only negative comments we have is that the food can get a bit boring after a while and the all inclusive bar finishes as 11pm. Other than that I would recommend it wholeheartedly.
We stayed for new year and although there must have been a lot of people staying at the resort it never felt like that, you were always treated as special by the restaurant staff and you could always find a sunbed that didn't feel like you were packed like sardines! Having walked around and seen the other hotels in the area we definitely made the right choice.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Dec 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
XL Leisure |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr G P Spanner |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
I have never posted on message boards but as it was yours that led me to Melia Sinia, I thought I should and thank you for the introduction.
We could not have been luckier in choosing this hotel and choice based entirely on your reports. The staff and management are indeed the friendliest in the world and they do not appear to be making that effort. The hotel is kept spotless, the food was of a very high quality and there was no sickness reported although Swedish tourists were spread over 5 or six hotels and all apart from residents at Melia suffered.
The best beach on that coast by far with every conceivable choice of activities offered every day. Diving and snorkelling highly organised (or not if you wish) and among the very best.
If a trip to Giza is to be taken, go to Said in the Ground Floor Bazaar who will arrange flight, car and guide for the day to see New Cairo, Old Cairo, the Egyptian Museum, Pyramids, Sphinx, visit a perfumery and exhibition on Papyrus making including lunch for £150. The Guide in Cairo, Abdul, is a Masters Graduate with the most comprehensive knowledge of the past 5,000 years. A treasure.
Naama Bay can be missed without disappointment. We did not have time for Old Sharm but should have gone there - next time, as there certainly will be one.
Having stayed at several excellent resorts over many years I cannot recommend highly enough this hotel.
XL Airways are as always more than adequate but although XL Leisure having the finest notice board which remained empty the whole time, have a representative who does the best impression of the invisible man possible. It didn't matter as nothing was too much for these Egyptian people to do for all.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Oct 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Sunshine.co.uk |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr S Masterson |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
Excellent choice of hotel for sun, sea, snorkelling, and food. Friendly staff once given nominal tips the service is much faster.
Only disappointment was booked through Sunshine with 2 other couples and paid for different level of room, but all given the same even though separate bookings and cost of holiday varied because we thought we were getting a better room.
Hotel offered to collect from airport but never turned up, however once we called them they sent their car to collect, however a waiting time was about 45 minutes - taxi is cheaper and faster!
Rooms were lovely and very clean with a houseman cleaning EVERY day. Sunloungers readily available all day by the pools, however beach beds taken very early.
Recommend this hotel and will be going back next year.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Sep 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr R Fisher |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
A great place to chill out. First, there is NO beach to swim from because the edge is a magnificent coral reef. HOWEVER, this is simply a jewel in the crown if you can swim. There is a top quality pontoon that leads you to deep water and the edge of the reef. The beauty here is stunning. I was in the water at least three times a day with a good mask and snorkel.
There is a truly excellent dive school on the premises. If you want to scuba, these guys are good. German run with German efficiency.
The staff at the hotel trip over themselves to be happy and look after you, (a couple of miseries, but that's to be expected).
The room was spacious, clean and kept clean. EVERYTHING worked... taps toilet, shower, air con. Excellent.
Temperatures around 40 (104), but not stifling heat, you can breath easily, unlike Greece or Italy when it hits those high temps. Water was clear and warm.
No Bugs, no one has seen a scorpion, the flies are few and a few ants,but not a problem.
Health, let me say, don't use the swimming pools. I never use them because I have found these to be the main factors in tummy problems wherever its hot.
On the whole no real problems found with people getting ill (Yes, it did happen, but this is Arabia remember).
The airport is close, but rarely do you hear a jet (15 mins..so short transfer).
A good tip... If you decide to visit the towns, Sharm el Sheikh or the bay - take a local guy with you...believe me...you don't get hassled by the shop keepers, they see an Arab and keep quiet, if they don't he deals with it. We did this on the second trip, the difference was just bliss and he got the taxi cheaper.
If you need to get about and see places on your holiday; ruins, museums and the like..I'm sure there is a lot to see..check it out.
Luxor is £175 by air...approx if you want to see the Valley of the Kings.
If your into scuba diving..go to Ras Mohamed, its a park..I'm told its fabulous by the divers there.
All in all...brilliant holiday.
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| Board Basis: |
Half Board |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Oct 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Sunshine.co.uk |
| Submitted
By: |
Ms J Merrifield |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
A very pleasant hotel, quiet and un-crowded, perfect for a relaxing week’s holiday. A lovely sandy beach, with great snorkelling.
We paid extra for a "sea view" room but what we got was a glimpse of the sea between the pillar of the balcony next door and the restaurant. The balcony was so small you could only just fit 2 chairs and a tiny table. When we complained the manager laughed and said "Don't you like the view of the restaurant?!" And refused to move us saying if we wanted a sea view we should have booked a Beach Front room.
There is a diving school on-site but be aware that they demand a med cert before you can dive with them - not a requirement for most other dive operators in Sharm. 30 euros for less than 5 minutes with the on-site doctor!
The food was OK but not exciting and if you want a table for 2 make sure you go to dinner really early or really late as most are tables for 4 or more.
As other reviewers have commented the drinks - even water are very expensive. There is a small supermarket along the beach at the Baron which sells water much cheaper.
A nice hotel but not 5 stars.
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| Board Basis: |
Half Board |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Sep 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Lastminute |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss EG Stuart |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
My boyfriend and I just returned from a week at the Melia Sinai and had a great time. It is much smaller than most of the hotels in the area and very isolated - but has a lovely relaxed atmosphere and amazingly attentive staff. The snorkelling just off the beach is fabulous - the downside to this is that you can't wade out into the sea from the beach.
Some points to note - the food was better than we were expecting and we didn't get ill. Because there is only one restaurant though - unlike most of the hotels around here which are much larger, there did tend to be a bit of a 'bunfight' for the best food and the best seats. The desserts were nice but quite dry - ice cream was provided on only one evening, it would have been nice to have it more often. And although there really was an effort to provide a different selection every day, it was all looking very familiar by the end of the week.
Secondly, we were surprised that no drinks were included in the board plan, and these were overpriced, obviously capitalising on the fact that there was no opportunity to buy elsewhere. Certainly a shame to have to spend 120 Egyptian pounds for every bottle of water - very necessary given the heat!
Thirdly - and this is no fault of the hotel, one downside to the holiday was the overlong transfer between the airport and the hotel - having to wait around for others and traipse around various hotels. It is only about 2 miles - suggest you ditch the transfer coach and get a taxi.
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| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Sep 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss C McCarthy |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
I can highly recommend the Melia Sinai on a trip to Sharm el Sheikh. Thanks to this website and the other reviews posted I had a wonderful first trip to Egypt and would definitely return!
We booked our flight and hotel independently, it was cheaper and had no problems.
The taxi from the airport cost us 100 Egyptian Pounds, which wasn't too bad as a taxi from the hotel to airport costs 75, so we weren't ripped off too much!
The Melia Sinai is a very chilled hotel, not far from the airport but the planes do not fly over the hotel. We had a double room that had plenty of space very clean, with a nice bathroom and much needed air con! Your room could be cleaned daily if you wish! The staff are very good and very accommodating. I felt very safe in my whole time at the hotel.
There are three pools and a diving pool at the hotel. There is also a beach out the front of the hotel where I spent a lot of my time :) There are bars and restaurants scattered around so you can easily get something to eat and drink.
The food is good at the hotel with a wide choice and themed evenings but it is cheaper to eat out in the evening. I would advise stocking up on water and a few things you can keep in your mini bar as it is obviously cheaper from the super markets than at the hotel.
After fortunately reading one review, I knew not to access the sea across the reef beds that are in front of the beach, there is a jetty from where people go snorkelling and you can have a swim in the sea, the swimming pools are also not that far from the beach. Although it is great fun watching the people new to the hotel trying to step across the reef base to the sea and then getting shouted at by the lifeguard ;)
I definitely advise doing snorkelling out the front of the hotel, this can also give you the confidence to go on one of the snorkelling trips offered by either your tour operator or one of the operators in town (I recommend Fayed Travel in Naama Bay much cheaper than the tour operators at the hotel).
We did the trek up Mount Sinai with the visit to St Katherine’s Monastery and also the snorkelling trip around Tiran Island. Both were good fun, although the Mount Sinai trip can be a bit tiring as there is a lot of walking I am glad I did it.
There is a shuttle bus that runs from the hotel twice daily (11am and 9pm) to Old Sharm and Naama Bay that you ideally have to book at least a day in advance as it can only seat around 20 people. There is a small charge involved but it is a lot cheaper than a taxi.
Old Sharm is worth a visit but Naama Bay is probably where you will spend more time as it seems a bit more diverse! It is a lot like Leicester Square with the neon lights and tourists but you can find areas to chill and some nice restaurants to have dinner at.
Beware of shop keepers offering you their business cards, this is just a rouse to get you into their shops and once there they will try and sell you everything! If you want a traditional Egyptian meal you should try the restaurant above the Hard Rock Cafe. The Panorama bar is worth a visit, along with the Buddha Bar (although very English).
All in all a brilliant stay!
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| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr P Etheridge |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
If you are looking for a relaxed, chilled holiday then the Melia Sinai is for you. The staff can not do enough for you, they are friendly, polite and helpful. The rooms are spotlessly cleaned daily and I had no idea that towels could be fashioned into the various creatures left on our beds, making us both smile!
The beach is clean with plenty of beds and the diving and snorkeling is amazing! The colours of the fish and the different species to be seen are awesome. It is like swimming in heaven!
Looking forward to our next trip.
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| Board Basis: |
Half Board |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs C Stafford |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
This was our second visit to Sharm, our first having been to the Renaissance Golden View (fantastic), so we were prepared to be disappointed. No such thing, however. We booked flight and hotel separately so our first concern was the transfer but I arranged a pick up with the hotel which was brilliant. Amazingly, within 1 hour of touchdown we were unpacking our bags, and anyone who has been through the chaos that is Sharm airport before will appreciate just how amazing that is!
We continued to be not disappointed the whole week. Our room was lovely with a fab sea view. Waleed, our room attendant did great origami with the towels, and the staff throughout the hotel were most concerned with making our stay memorable.
The restaurant terrace is a lovely place to enjoy your meals with great views, the food is varied on a different theme every night, and the salads and desserts (not to mention the fabulous breads) are worth a special mention. Simple but freshly prepared food is available for lunches and snacks at the Pergola bar. My husband says the pizza calzone is at least as good as any pizza he has had in Italy - high praise indeed. The a la carte restaurant was closed during our stay, but the main restaurant certainly offered enough to keep us happy.
We loved the infinity pool and the snorkeling off the jetty was magical.
This is a lovely hotel, small with only 197 rooms, and quite intimate. You are able to get to know the staff and they really look after you. It will not suit everyone though as it has a quiet atmosphere (apart from the aqua gym session - a good laugh) and not a lot of organised activity, but it has a fabulous house reef for snorkeling and scuba diving, lovely pools and gardens and a well equipped health club. We'd definitely stay here again. Great value.
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