Grand Makadi Palace Hotel

Must agreed with previous comments this hotel complex is great. We traveled as a family 2 adults 1 child aged 9yrs booked last minute but had done homework on internet
wasn’t 100% sure made right choice in choosing Egypt. Traveled various countries middle east etc normally as independent traveler.
Anyway hotel gets 110% from us. Customer service received from all staff is excellent go out of their way to make sure you have a great holiday. As for tips, 50p-£1.00 went a long way at end of holiday spent about £25.00 on tips but this was just about the only money we did spend!
Went for a weeks break can’t fault anything about this hotel, clean secure friendly and very welcoming. Lots of information all ready given in previous reviews but would add we all at some point had tummy trouble, spoke to a lot of people who were also suffering appears to happen to at least 99% of European guests but it didn’t stop us from having a fantastic time and will visit again.

What can we say a truly excellent holiday! We had decided months ago that this was where we wanted to go and we are so glad that we booked it. It really is an amazing hotel. We did nothing for 2 weeks. The Pool boys are so helpful and look after your every need.
They seem to pop up from nowhere when you appear in the morning to sort out your sun beds and umbrella. They seemed to have areas, we tipped them about 2 English pounds a day and the drinks just kept on coming. How lazy is that not even having to get up for a drink! Don’t rush down in the morning there are plenty of beds and plenty of space.
The restaurants are also excellent. You have to book into the Thai, Italian and Carribean at night but you only need to do this the day before. We ate at the Thai 3 times in our 2 weeks there and it seems as though you could do so as many times as you wanted to.
Palace guests can use the Grand facilities but they can’t use ours. We definitely thought that the little bit extra to stay at the Palace was worth every penny.
The pools are huge! (My 10 year old daughter lived in them!!) They are also very clean which must be no easy task considering their size.
Others have slated the entertainment in the Joker Bar but take it for what it is. Not exactly professional entertainers (they would be elsewhere if they were) who do a very good job in our opinion at what they do. The Rocky Horror Picture Show was fab! The service in here was second to none!
We made some good friends and had a fabulous time, so thank you to them if they read this! We are going back next year and we had always said no matter how good somewhere was we would always endeavour to try new places!

We have just returned from a week staying in the Makadi Palace, 2 adults and two teenagers.
The hotel looks stunning, the rooms are spotless and very big. The hotel staff can be a little overbearing, tipping is expected. We knew this before we traveled having read other reviews however some staff expected tipping every day.
Not all of the restaurants were open at the Palace, we were therefore allowed to use the Grand restaurants as well. It would appear that the restaurants are closed because the hotel is very quiet at the moment, one couple we met had visited in May and all of the restaurants at the Palace were open. If you enjoy eating out you may be a little disappointed, the food on the whole is average, it is worth mentioning the Thai Garden, our meals here were always of good quality. If you enjoy eating dry shoe leather then the Lebanese is for you.
Another point to bear in mind is that most people returning had suffered with a stomach upset. The reps put it down to the heat but having traveled further afield to warmer climates its something which we have never had a problem with before yet all four of us were ill. My husband also suffered an acute ear infection which the doctor said was from the pool.
There is very little entertainment which suited me fine but two teenagers found this a little frustrating.
The reef off the beach is fantastic, if you have your own mask and snorkel take them with you, the loan ones have seen better days. Buy your reef shoes at the shop on the beach, approx £5.
This all sounds really negative, we have all had a relaxing holiday with fantastic weather in a wonderful hotel, its a shame that the food doesn’t match the 5 star quality of the rest of the hotel.

We stayed at the Grand Makadi for a week after a 7 day Nile cruise (which was excellent) This two centre option appears to be quite popular so I would like to make those who are considering this to be aware of your likely schedule as the tour companies appear to gloss over some of the more unpleasant transfer details.
After your cruise you will transfer coach that travel in a large convoy (up to 250 vehicles). The journey takes about four and half hours with a 30 minute stop in the middle. The Grand Makadi and Makadi Palace are the first drop off points. Those going to hotels in Hurgarda have another 30 -60 minutes on the bus. None of this is a problem as you have a full week ahead on the beach. The journey back is another matter. The return convoy starts early in the morning those in Hurgarda have to be up by 3.30am, we were more fortunate being the last pick up, so we got to lie in until 4.30am. You arrive back in Luxor about 11am and spent the day at a hotel, most flights don't seem to leave until 8pm so you’re not getting back to the UK until midnight, assuming everything is on time. This makes the last day very long and tiring. My advice is if you can a company that will fly into Hurgarda then travel to your cruise boat do it this way, it’s a long first day but you have two weeks to recover. The Germans seem to do it this way and we know how efficient they are!
The hotel itself is an impressive building, very clean, well tendered grounds and gardens, a large sandy beach with plenty of sun beds and shade. The snorkelling just 30 or so yards off the beach reveals loads of colourful fish in a warm clear sea. The staff at the hotel are as friendly as I've met anywhere in the world, even more so when you provide tips which strangely results in drinks arriving faster and if you drink spirits in much stronger measures. The rooms (we booked three junior suites) are large with huge beds, decent furniture and a nice balcony. All of this would suggest this is a wonderful hotel but if you scratch the surface you begin to wonder where the five star rating comes from.
The air conditioning in the place is a mess. We had to change two of our rooms as the air conditioning wasn't working. It’s not a case that we were unlucky; we spoke to several guests who had the same problem. The main buffet restaurant is too small for the size of the hotel; its air conditioning wasn't working or not switched on. When I go to and pay for a five star hotel I expect to be able to eat and sleep in comfort. The reason I believe the three speciality restaurants are always full is because of the uncomfortable heat and fairly average food in the main buffet.
I'm not a fussy eater and I do not expect lobster tails and fillet steak but compared to other places I've stayed at the food in the main buffet is 3 star. The food in the Lebanese and Italian is better than the main buffet whereas that in the Caribbean is great (the lamb curry is wonderful) only spoilt by the fact people are allowed to smoke- I know its in the open air but the brochure states all restaurants are non smoking. The evening entertainment is terrible, working men’s club singers at their worst. The best night was when some of the young hotel guests got up started some dancing routines to disco music that was being played.
Egypt is a hot place and it is nice to occasionally get out of the sun. If you want to sit in the lobby bar area to cool off and have a drink you have to pay. The waiters are not allowed to bring drinks in from the 'free' all inclusive bars outside. You are specifically told not to drink the tap water (it’s sometimes an orange or yellow in colour) yet the hotel will charge you if you use water from your mini bar.
I appreciate these reviews are all down to individual taste, opinions and previous experience but for example if our American cousins faced such standards in Mexico or the Caribbean when they go on holiday they would be calling in the US Marine Corp. I think sometimes we Brits are too easily pleased. On our return to Luxor we talked to others who had been on our cruise and went to different hotels. Some in allegedly four star all inclusive hotels spent the week eating in restaurants outside their food was that bad.
We went on a couple of trips, the Sea Trip involving two snorkelling sites and a visit to an island for sunbathing was excellent. The shopping trip involved a visit to the duty free shop at Hurgarda Airport and visits to a perfume, papyrus and jewellery shop and then 15 minutes at a T shirt shop- if you are with Air tours do not book this it is a waste of time. For £48 the hotel provides you with a nine seater taxi for four hours the driver will take to all sorts of shops and markets and tell you when you are being ripped off. If you want to go shopping do it this way.
A warning to those going with teenagers. There is a weekly Voodoo party at a hotel in Hurgarda with free transport from the Grand Makadi. The Italian entertainment staff on seeing my 15 yr old daughter and friend invited them assuring us it was well marshalled with no chance of alcohol being served to minors. Being slightly dubious I looked into this, the rep told us it’s a free for all without any effective supervision.
Do not be fooled by photographs in holiday brochures and posted on the internet, this hotel is not what it seems, It’s my one and only visit.

We have just returned from this amazing hotel and I needed to spread the news about how fab it is.
I have been on several all inclusive holidays before but this one tops the lot.
The rooms were spacious with probably the biggest beds I’ve ever seen in my life. The room boy tidies them immaculately every morning and comes and turns your bed down while you're out in the evening. He also gives you fresh beach towels ready for the next morning.
On our 1st morning we moved sun beds several times but only because we couldn't decide which pool to use. Once we decided where we were going to go we had the same sun beds for the entire holiday. There is no shortage of sun beds at all. There were 6 of us and we didn't have to get up early to save the beds.
The pool boys were amazing too. We had 2 called Mohammed and Assan and they brought us cold drinks all day long. They didn't even wait for us to ask for them, they would check our glasses and if they were empty or the drink had gone warm they would replace it. Each pair of sun beds had a lovely big parasol and they would also put this up and down as many times as you wanted. We actually tipped them 5 English pounds per day (between them) because they were little stars. This may sound like a lot but it is very hard to spend money at this hotel.
The hotel shares its grounds with another called the Grand Makadi. It used to be that every one could use all the bars/restaurants etc but as from July this year they divided. Now, as strange as it may seem, we could use the Grand Makadi's facilities but if they wanted to use ours they had to pay 10 pounds per day for the privilege.
The restaurants in this complex were outstanding. Between the 2 hotels there are 3 buffet restaurants which are pretty standard all inclusive restaurants. But there is also a Thai (yummy but spicy), Caribbean (amazing) Lebanese (starters excellent but main courses a bit peculiar), Italian(great pizzas). The rendezvous bar does all your hot dogs and burgers and from 12 til 5 every day they cook you fresh pancakes and make delicious waffle cones for the ice creams.
Some of the restaurants have meals on the menu that are not all inclusive and these are priced in euros but they are only a couple of pounds. There are also a couple or beach bars that do chips and snacks.
All the brochures say that men must wear long trousers in the restaurants but my partner only wore them once and then wore smart shorts as did every one else. No one ever said anything but take a pair just incase the get strict.
As all the other reviews have also said, the evening entertainment is pretty poor. There is a singer and a show in the jokers bar every night but the show doesn't start til nearly 11pm. If you are happy to have a relaxing evening go to the stan getz piano bar. We only discovered it on the last night and it was lovely. A really nice atmosphere and the waiters try to amuse you with various tricks.
The beach was also amazing. There were plenty of sun beds that are well spread out and each pair has a parasol and wind break. Don't be fooled into thinking you can have a relaxing time swimming in the sea because from the shore there is coral reaching out about 30 metres that you have to walk over to get to the sea. (You really, really need reef shoes but buy them out there because they are very cheap in the hotel shop)Once you get in the sea it is breathtaking. We found Nemo amongst hundreds of other fish of all shapes and colours.
I must admit before we went on holiday we had heard horror stories about Egypt and it's lack of security but this hotel was so secure. It even had guards at either end of the beach to make sure that no one enters the hotel that is not staying there. We walked along the beach past several other hotels and it was like being in Torremolinos. They were packed on the beach like sardines with all the sellers touting for business. We were so glad to be staying at the Makadi palace.
We had an 11 year old with us and it was completely safe to let her wander off on her own. We also took 2 teenage boys who were pining for their girlfriends back in the uk but they booked half an hour on the internet at reception for 1 pound 50 per half hour.
We went on 2 excursions, 1 to the water park and 1 on a snorkeling trip. The water park was fun with very small queues but there were a lot of flies and the water was very murky. The snorkeling trip was outstanding. We went to 2 reefs and 1 beautiful island. Everything was provided including lunch and all the equipment you needed (including life jackets for weaker swimmers like me). The whole day was approx 150 pounds for 4 adults and 1 child and worth every penny.
Anyway, all in all we had a fantastic holiday. The only down side was the heat in August. We are sun worshippers and we found it very, very hot but you just drink lots and spend a lot of time in the pool. Take lots of sun cream because you'll pay a tenner a bottle out there(Tesco kids factor 30 spray at 2 pounds a bottle was fab and we have all come back more tanned than ever before).
Go to the Makadi palace, you won't regret it!

I stayed at the grand Makadi hotel in July 2006 and had a wonderful holiday. Due to some nice English people leaving us their yellow palace bands we got to use the facilities at both hotels.
Both the Makadi palace and the grand Makadi are immaculate and the staff were constantly cleaning the place. The service at both hotels is fantastic, the staff are so friendly and for a small tip your glass will never be empty.

Both pool areas are stunning and huge, however the palace is better as there is waiter service round the pool and it is less busy. There was never a problem getting sun beds at the palace even in the afternoon, but you have to wake up earlier to get a good spot at the grand pool. Both hotels provide pool towels, which are changed daily, however if your staying at the palace bring a towel from home to put at the bottom of your sun bed as the sun bed cushions get very, very hot and the towels provided will not cover the whole bed.
The Italian and the island restaurants at the grand are very nice, however if you don’t like spicy food don’t visit the island restaurant at night (but at lunch time it serves nice pizzas, wraps and ice creams). The Italian is also open for breakfast and lunch but I only found this out at the end of my holiday so I didn’t get to eat there. The two pool bars at the grand serve normal lunch time meals e.g. Burgers, hot dogs, fries, not a great choice and food was average. The standard of the food in my opinion was better at the palace in the day and at night. The buffet restaurant at the grand was hot and crowded and food was ok - buffet restaurant at palace (dome) had much better service, was well air conditioned and food was better.
I stayed in a standard room in the grand and I can not fault it, it was plenty big enough, plenty of storage, huge bed, big bathroom, TV, good air conditioning. Room was really clean and bottled water and fresh towels everyday. (I did not see inside any rooms at the palace sorry.)
The hotel is approx 30mins from Hurghada, the hotel provides a free bus but this does get booked up quickly, however its only about ten English in a taxi. Hurghada itself is not the nicest place, lots of building going on, and I was glad I was not staying there. The hard rock cafe is good for a nice cheap meal and night out.
Trips much cheaper outside hotel, we did quad biking trip which was good for half the price the hotel was charging.
I had a fab time and would recommend either hotel to anybody, I would definitely return but I think I'd stay at the palace next time. Hope this helps!

Superb hotel which is linked to the Makadi Palace next door. We had a disappointing holiday in Sharm last year and wanted to make up for it so we were very careful in choosing our hotel and destination in Egypt this year - we were not disappointed. Very, very clean and immaculately kept and really nice rooms. We stayed in a Junior Suite (2 adults and 2 kids) and it was more than big enough. Personally I would ask for an upstairs room for a better view. If you like your tea in the morning though get a travel kettle and take some tea bags.
The food was very good, especially in 'Leonardo's' Italian restaurant - great stone-oven baked pizza!! Book early though. Lagoon restaurant is the main buffet style restaurant we used for breakfast which had a good selection. For evening meals though get there early - by 7/7.30pm - as we went a little bit later one evening and it was very poor and busy. There is also a Lebanese restaurant with a belly dancer but we did not go there as there is no kids menu. The 4th and last restaurant is the 'Caribbean' which is the one you see in all the brochures hanging out over the pool. Very exotic menu but very nice - great lamb curry. They also do lovely 'chicken wraps' at lunchtime and lovely desserts. All things considered the food is as good as you could expect and at times very high quality. Take a one or two pairs of trousers as a couple of the restaurants were introducing dress codes for evening meal times.
The pool at the Grand is massive! We found the water temperature just right, certainly not too cold. One very pleasing aspect was that you can stroll down after 9am and still find lots of sun beds available which is a first.
The hotel is right on top of its beach which is beautifully sandy with straw windbreaks and parasols - its stunning. The entrance to the sea is a very rocky though - make sure to take aqua shoes. If you walk just 5-10 minutes along the promenade (turn right with the hotel behind you) you will find an all sandy beach and all sandy entrance into the sea which is perfect for kids. I found that after just a couple of days you get used to the sea entrance in front of the hotel. This brings me on to one of the highlights of the holiday for me personally.
The coral reef right in front of the hotel is simply stunning, amazing, spectacular, beautiful etc. etc I fully intended to do the full PADI dive course on this trip but the first time I went snorkeling I can still remember saying to myself ' why bother with the dive course'! Crystal clear waters and teeming with marine life and coral's. There is a 'wall' of coral that runs the length of the beach, and beyond for miles. One minute the water is only a few feet deep and when you get past or over the coral wall it is a good 50 foot or more. The second day I was out snorkeling I saw an amazing blue spotted sting-ray. I have some great photo's - make sure to take an underwater camera.
My only disappointment was that guests staying at the Grand Makadi could no longer use the restaurants at the Palace. To rub salt in, the guests at the Palace could use our restaurants - very unfair. We were never sure if you could use the other facilities at the Palace but we did and was never told we could not. For evening entertainment forget 'Nabir' the singer (and I use the definition singer very lightly) on the terrace at the Grand and instead head off to the 'Joker' club in the Palace for a good night out.
Finally, one or two handy hints for you all.
1) Tips - we used to tip the pool guy in the morning, the room cleaner everyday. I took a load of U.S single dollar bills for this. I also used to tip our regular waiters when having a drink - trust me, you do this and you will be looked after.
2) Toilet roll - take a roll from your room and if you go anywhere you'll be glad you have it. At a lot of public toilets there is no paper and an attendant will charge you for a few sheets - be prepared!
3) Hurghada airport - Food and drink very expensive (Pringles £4.50). Stock up before you leave for home. Other shopping was very reasonable though and you can haggle.
All in all, very happy with the hotel and the beautiful location. I will go back one day for sure and I cannot give a higher recommendation than that. Anything else you want to know then feel free to email with your questions.
Happy holidays!

1 reader found this review helpful

We arrived at the Grand Makadi after a wonderful 7 day cruise on the Nile. We ventured onto every trip offered during the cruise and therefore arrived at the Hotel looking for a really quiet and restive 7 days.
I found the arrival well organised and the reception staff very courteous! With the use of good English (despite what I had read previously).
The hotel is beautiful and the location cannot be faulted, although the entry to the sea would be much more fulfilling and safer if a jetty was added as per some other hotels in the area. I found the staff in all areas very helpful without any of the huge hassle encountered during the cruise demanding cash for doing very little.
The biggest failing at the hotel was the food which I would consider barely 3 star, and the annoying aspect of the Palace guests being able to eat at the Grand and yet Grand guests cannot eat at the Palace!
Overall I would say the Hotel rated a 4 star and considering the price paid is excellent value for money.

Travelled with husband a daughter of 7 years.
When arriving there was a power cut, which we were assured was usual (it did not happen again whilst we was there), once the lighting was back on we were pleasantly pleased.
We were shown to our room which was fantastic and the bathroom was large. Although we had to request a bed for our daughter, this was not a problem as was erected and bedding supplied prior to our returning from reception.
The pool area was vast and very well keep, the gardens are wonderfully too.
Tipping is essential to the waiters of an evening to ensure that drinks are free flowing. There are now 3 restaurants which have to be booked for nightly meal, but we had no problem booking the 1st week although we are no longer allowed to use the facilities of the palace but they can use ours and by the second week booking was a little bit harder and had to be made a couple of days in advance.
Within the room there is a mini bar, if you wish to use this please keep a note of all items consumed and check with the reception what has been booked on a daily basis, otherwise you could find your are being charged for items you have not had, and believe me you will have no chance of proving this at the end of your holiday.
There is a selection for children throughout the day time, although the restaurant that have to be booked unless your child will eat spicy and or non English food its a bit of a struggle, although they will try and acuminate with chicken and rice.
We really enjoyed ourselves there and would definitely return Rory who is the rep was fantastic and was great help when trying to find sun beds and getting things organised with reception.
We did a few trips whilst there Luxor - well worth the money but take plenty of water and toilet roll. Cairo fantastic although need more than one day when visiting also take plenty of water and toilet roll. The 1001 nights this was the highlight of our holiday the trip through the dessert was fantastic if you like fast cars and bumps and the entertainment and food was very good too.
Overall we would recommend this holiday to all ages.

My husband and I have just returned from the Makadi Palace Hotel. We went for total relaxation and that is exactly what we got. The hotel was immaculate, the room was lovely, the food was excellent and the surroundings were lovely. The Makadi Palace in my opinion is definitely a 5* hotel, my husband and I have been to Sandals Grand in St Lucia, and I have to say that I thought the Makadi Palace was better is so many ways - food, rooms, the pool area, the staff.
The hotel is massive, I would recommend getting a tour, so that you can locate where everything is. The only area is doesn't measure up is the beach - it has got some sand, but it is full of sharp coral, so you need beach shoes. The sister hotel - The Grand Makadi is better prepared with loungers for people who want to be on the beach, but I would imagine that will come to the Makadi Palace as it is a developing hotel. It is fantastic to snorkel off the beach - we took a boat trip to dive and snorkel, and where did they take us?
You've guessed, just in front of our hotel! The swimming pools are plentiful, as are the loungers. The Makadi Palace has currently got a Thai restaurant and two buffet style restaurants in the evening which are lovely. We tried the Italian and Lebanese restaurants in the sister hotel and we liked them very much.
We were lucky to be able to do that because from the end of June 2006 guests will not be able to use the facilities in each others hotel without incurring an extra charge. I would return to this hotel without hesitation.