Grand Makadi Palace Hotel

my mum and i were looking for a nice tropical holiday somewhere in the carrabian but looked at the price tab and immediatly closed the program but i thought of egypt. we looked and looked until finally found the grand makadi hotel.
it had a special package which was
-flights included there and back
-coach travel money included
-all inclusive restaurants
-bar drinks free
-free snorkel hire and flipper hire
all for £1000 and yes it is a big lump of money but we took into consideration that if we hadn't taken this package deal it would have cost nearly £2000
i recommend this hotel because unlike sharm el shake it is clean and hygenic and all though the bugs are a pest they are kept under control by smokers which dont kill them but nock them out and push them away from the hotel.
the staff are very friendly and are allways in a good mood.

3 readers found this review helpful

My partner and I went to Egypt last year and had a weeks stay at the Makadi Palace. Egypts 5 star is by no means the same as Dubai's and other countries 5 star standards but as long as you understand that then you will appreciate that this is a beautiful hotel. It certainly took presidence over many other hotels in the area by far.
We choose Egypt for the sun and snorkling but we still enjoy fine food and accomodation and taking a few things into consideration we got all of those things from this hotel. We paid £888 for two people All Inclusive including flights. We certainly got value for money. The pools are lovely the beach area is nicely laid out with loungers and places to take cover from the heat.
The Dome was the main buffet area however we preferred by far the food from one of the many restaurantes around the hotel and it's sister hotel (The Grand Makadi) next door. You are entitled to eat in any of it's restaurants and use the facilities freely but they cannot come into the Palace and use ours.
The fish are amazing off the beach. We paid to go on a boat trip and we actually saw more fish in front of our hotel.
The only down side to the holiday was the fact we became extremely poorly. Half way through the holiday we had 3 days of stomach cramps and diarrhea. We eventually went to the pharmacy and he gave us some tablets which helped immediately although we were still a little delicate and stayed close to our room. My partners father has been a GP for over 40 years and on our return told us we had travelers infectious diarrhea which we contracted from the change of bacteria in the environment. It is extremeley common when travelling to a country such as Egypt. We believe that now our bodies have been exposed to the bacteria we should be fine on our next visit (or so we hope). Just make sure you get treated immediately to save your holiday from consisting of trips to the toilet. No need to call for a doctor and pay the expense just take a short trip to the Pharmacy and but iy over the counter. I hope this helps to make the most out of such a beatiful hotel.

11 readers found this review helpful

My daughter and I went on a last minute holiday to the Makadi Palace Hotel in Egypt between 15th and 22nd September with Red Sea Holidays. At the welcome meeting we were informed of the fact that tourists become ill in Egypt and it was emphasised that this is due to excess alchohol, over indugence in food, change of climate and change of water, in other words it's your own fault. The hotel itself looks magnificent and staff were warm and friendly towards us. We had a Junior Suite, which was three rooms and a large terrace but fell short of the 5* status by tired decor, stained furnishings and a refurb of the shower area was needed. My first complaint was that the water wouldn't go away in the shower and I reported it to Reception only to be told that the plug needed to be pulled up slowly. I removed the plug (or drain cover) completely, but had to replace it due to the smell coming up the drain and from then on had to try and shuffle it about with one foot. The outside sun terraces and loungers appeared clean and well tended and the pools very inviting. We did notice, however, that at the far end of the pool around the Dome Restaurant there was a thick greenish line at water level. We ate only at the Dome Restaurant and observed food hygiene standards were lacking. For example newly cooked pasta and sauce was placed on top of the previous batch and also the same utensils were used for the raw and cooked meat at the live cooking stations. We took care with what we ate and drank very little alchohol, only bottled water and no ice, however this did not protect us from contracting a very unpleasant stomach bug which confined us to bed for the remaining three days of our seven day holiday. We felt it come on slowly all day on Saturday and by the evening were running back to our room where it continued relentlessly all night with diarrhoea and stomach cramps, along with a raging headache. Next day we were virtually unconscious for 12 hours and were getting very worried. We rang for the Doctor on Monday, but were advised to go to him rather than him to us, which we did and he gave us a broad spectrum antibiotic, anti spasmodic and anti nausea drugs. He told us it was travellers diarrhoea, wasn't contageous and was due to change in environment. Next day reception phoned the room to ask if we were still ill, we said we were and would need room service. She asked if we needed the Doctor to attend our room as if we did this the room service would be free, if not we would have to pay. Even though I felt rubbish I could still work out that if the Doctor had come to our room initially, as requested, then room service would have been free from that point. We only ventured out to get bottled water and to eventually return home. As you can understand, our holiday was totally ruined and we still have not fully recovered over a week later. We went straight to the Doctors with samples on return and have been in touch with www.simpsonmillar.co.uk to ask them to act on our behalf and recoup our losses. If anyone else suffered with the same problem and the same time as us, we would be grateful if you would respond on this review page or contact simpsonmillar for advice.

6 readers found this review helpful

Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic. This is the third time we have been to the resort.

2 readers found this review helpful

Traveled as a group of four for one week. Weather was excellent touching 37. The week was really good with no problems getting a sun longer and the pool was nice and clean, the staff could not do enough for you.
The rooms were cleaned daily and the beds were turned down every night. Out of all the meals we had we only had one bad experience and that was poor service in the Caribbean restaurant.
The Italian restaurant was excellent but remember to book the day before to ensure you get a reservation.
Overall be prepared for a nice holiday with friendly staff and loads of German guest and the odd Russian.

1 reader found this review helpful

This was our 2nd visit to the Grand Makadi.We went with friends and we were upgraded to Makadi Palace only dissappointed because we travelled as a group and our friends were not upgraded, but were given passes for a day. However we could still use both hotels. We were amazed at how many staff remembered us from last year. The hotel, staff and food are excellent, couldn't have wished for any more. Choice of places to eat, so you didn't get bored and the food is very good. If I had to be say any thing about the hotel, it was only the entertainment that let the hotel down. It started at 8.30 and was finished by 10. Only one singer was on later than that twice a week, that was Mohammed. He doesn't know all the words to some songs but he had improved since last year.Beach towels are supplied and every evening a young lad knocks the door to change your towels and turns down the bed.Every where is spotless the staff are always cleaning. Yes tips are expected but we tipped at the end of the holiday as it is all put into one pot and shared out.The hotel has it's own beach it is in the middle of the dessert so don't expect a road with plenty of shops. If you want this you can get the coach from the hotel or taxi. This is however about a 15 min ride, if you don't like being hassled then go at night when there are plenty more people about.The town comes alive at night. Would reccommend this hotel most highly if you want a nice relaxing holiday with good food and drink and be waited on.Unfortunately british holiday companies have now left the hotel but have been told that the red sea resort hotels are going to do their own bookings through a company called ETI which are setting up shortly in the UK.

6 readers found this review helpful

When I read reviews, I hope to get a genuine idea as to what is in store.
10/10 means no room for improvement and the best available. As I have NOT been to Egypt before I cannot compare with other Egyptian Hotels.
I have however been on numerous ‘All Inclusive Holidays’ in countries which include Israel, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, USA and several European Mediterranean Countries. I accept that the culture and economic status of a country must be taken into consideration when referring to their Hotels and star ratings but I would struggle to describe it better than a 4 star. (And that would be based on the appearance of the complex outside and quality of food.)
As such I submit the following review hoping that it may help. I must stress that I met several Holiday makers who were on there second visit to the resort and they believed it was fantastic. However, they did not have any other experience of Egypt and or in most cases examples of similar types of Complex’s in other Countries.
There were also several that shared our views and some who even disliked it.
In short my review would be similar to Mr K Palin’s review in October 2007 and found his comments helpful. We make the following additional observations:
If you search Google images you will find a Makadi Palace Map. I will refer to this map in my descriptions.
The floor levels do not match the room numbers (Rooms begin 2 were on the 1st floor and beginning with 3 on the second floor) and as the complex is so large, a grasp of how to get around is of great benefit. The shortest routes are frequently to be found along the corridors of the complex. For example there is a lift which is directly in-front of the Discovery Restaurant and one directly to the front of the Melange Restaurant (D). Access to the Grand Hotel is seamless and can be made on all levels behind the Melange Restaurant. You can of course walk outside the buildings to the Grand but stairs become more of an obstacle and require significant diversions.(100 metres) (We have a disabled wheel chair bound child) On this subject, you can access nearly all the complex without having to carry the wheelchair up stairs. The exception is the Rendez Vous (G) where stairs are mandatory. There is also several excellent ramped paths and bridges which eventually encounter stairs at their conclusion and usually at your objective. Going from the Discovery (D) to the Dome (C) is a good example, as is the bridge directly in-front of the Dome.
I found the food in the main excellent and recommend the Melange, Tai (H) and Sunset (I) for service and quality. Sandwiches and ice cream are good at the Rendez Vous (G) but for some reason at 4pm they appear to attract all the patrons of the complex simultaneously! This leads to chaos and the demise of any possibility of being served or serving yourself. Amazingly a short 2 minute walk to the Jokers (F) patio results in immediate service of coffee and tea and in most cases we were sat alone watching the mêlée at the Rendez Vous (G).
The Dome was very impersonal but the choice of food was good. After the first week, the rudeness of a small minority of staff ensured that we never set foot in the place again.
We only went into the Jokers Bar at night which was reasonable but after the first few days became a bit boring. (It was also a bit Smokey!)
As we had two young children (3 & 4) we did not go in the Piano Bar but it appeared very welcoming and did have some-one playing a grand piano most evenings.
At this point I would stress that the complex is far from child friendly if they are non swimmers. Even with eyes in the backs of our heads one of the Animation Team chased our 3 old year with a bottle of water causing him to fall backwards into the pool. The Egyptian life Guard and I were there in seconds to pull him out and no harm was done. The complex is mainly water and the life guards do not work after 5pm.
The Grand Hotel is also a 5 Star Hotel but does not share the ‘Grandness’ of the Palace Complex architecture. That aside, the pool at this Hotel is slightly heated and bearable whereas the pool at the Palace is freezing. (Head north from the Palace to the next Hotel, about half a mile along the beach, they have a fully heated outdoor pool with excellent children’s slides) We spent a lot of time in the daytime of the second week at the Grand and found it a pleasant complex. You can use all the facilities as if you were a resident. The beachside restaurant was excellent at lunch. We did however drop our guard on the last day and ate food from a beachside burger bar at the Grand. Within 24 hours we all had a stomach bug. The food was prepared and served by staff without any regard to the meticulous hygiene regime observed by all other restaurants we ate in and we have only ourselves to blame for ignoring the fact that no one wore rubber gloves and were preparing food with their bare hands by the beach!
The rooms are not finished to a high standard. (Or at least ours was not) The green sofa was covered in stains and the floor was marked from the day we arrived until the day we left with footprints and liquid stains. The hinges on the small built in wardrobe were broken, the doors warped and the veneer peeling. There was a fly screen draped around the head of the bed from a ring suspended from the ceiling. This had a significant amount of trapped dead insects within its folds. The Mini Bar has tree tins of pop at a pound each. two tins of lager at £2 each, two bottles water at £1 each and two small bars of chocolate at a £1 each. There was also a large bag of crisps (very good) at a £1. Trouble was, we emptied the Bar one day and it took 3 days to refill it!
I was approached at least daily, usually when alone, by staff wishing to change 3 pound coins into notes! This always seemed to be akin to some underhand drugs deal and most unwelcome. If all the staff are as good as some of the previous reviewers have stated, perhaps they should have facilitated there need to exchange their coins to notes?
The staff are shipped in on three week basis from as far away as Cairo as there is insufficient populous to supply the demand for staff to all the Hotels. They informed me they were in receipt of around £15 a week and all tips were handed to the team captain to be redistributed amongst the staff dependant on role. I tipped because I wanted to and at times the response was overwhelming. At other times I may as well have insulted them. (This was very evident in the Dome which had by far the most staff in a restaurant and perhaps the highest case of tip division?)
Would we go again? NO. Seven days would have been a better period to have gone for as we all wanted to come home on the 8th day!
Tips:
Be prepared for mosquito’s bites in restaurants and bar.
Take a kettle.
Take clothes hangers.
Take soap. (5 star?)
Do not get a Visa in Britain (Waste of time and cost us £80 with postage when it would have cost £10 each in Egypt.)
You get clean beach towels every day at about 6.30pm.
Children’s channel on TV is good if you like Tom & Jerry.
Buy your Duty Free at the Hotel or return Airport not on outbound flight. (20% cheaper at the Hurghada Airport)
The all inclusive drinks do not include any of the normal selection. There is no Martini or Malibu type drinks, just Egyptian Whisky, Rum, Vodka & Gin. Martini etc could be puchased at £5 a drink!
Watch the price lists, they are sometimes in Egyptian Pounds but sometime in Euro's.
Hope something I have written helps.

1 reader found this review helpful

Our group of 17 people have just returned from a 2 week holiday to Egypt staying at the Le Meridien hotel, Makadi Bay.My partner and i have had the most enjoyable holiday.The hotel is lovely,the reception area always clean,airy,airy,sunny and the staff on duty at the bar are funny,friendly and entertaining.Our room was exceptional.We had the sunrise outside our patio door and the sunset outside our front door.We were looked after very well and did not have anything to complain about.We read various feedbacks about the resort before we went and some of them were good and some not so good. Two of my friends had been before and asked us to go with them and we had been away with them many times before,so we knew it would be lovely.I do believe that if you smile and are polite you then recieve a smile and politeness in return.The waiters in the restaurants were a joy to see every day and were always only too keen to help in any way they could.Always smartly dressed and very efficient.There was never any tension felt from them.They just geuinely like you! so,go and enjoy and smile!

2 readers found this review helpful

My husband and I have just returned from a fantastic holiday in the all inclusive Makadi palace. we went over to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary we had a cake made (which was beautiful) we booked into one of the restaurant and when we went to be seated they had decorated the table with a lovely bunch of flowers free of charge this restaurant you do have to pay not that expensive thou.
Rooms were large the beds were super king-size and perfectly clean. You have a TV in your room with some English channels for the little ones, was given clean towels every day and also given towels for the beach the complex looks great when lit up on the night. Was warned about building work next door but we never heard any noise. The bellboys and the room attendants could not do enough for you, the food was good lots to choose from not a lot of English people about but we did go at the beginning of the season.
Beach is lovely but it is rocky when you try to get into the sea but then the red sea is protected for the corals so do wear shoes or you will cut your feet. It does get cold on the nights so do take a jacket you do need to tip we found if you tip in English money you end up changing it back into Egyptian money for the waiters do take plenty of small Egyptian notes for tips and for when you go out on other trips as you will need it for the toilets they will not give you any change (please note very hard to get small Egyptian money so if you can get hold of it save it ).
The entertainment was not that good some nights were better than others you can use the grand Makadi next door but we found that it was outside entertainment and it was cold they do have gas heaters near the tables thou. Please don’t let this put you off we were just expecting more with it been a very big complex we went over to the valley of the kings which was a 4 hour trip each way but worth doing the complex is very clean overall a great holiday and will be going back.
Thank you for a great holiday Makadi palace staff x

Wow! Fantastic… yes, this is definitely a beautiful hotel, fantastic grounds.
I, my partner, and two teenagers (16 and 18 years) went to this hotel for two weeks. We were all impressed and were sorry to leave when the time came. We felt we almost had the hotel to our selves (because of the time of year).
The food was good (not fantastic) and the waiters were very attentive. You dare not finish a drink as soon as there was only a little in your glass left, they brought you another. It amazed me that they also remembered what you drank when you went back another day. My daughter got a lot of attention from the waiters (sometimes a little too much!) this did annoy us sometimes and my daughter sometimes felt a little uncomfortable.
Some advice if you come here in December you will definitely require warm clothing for the evening, warm jumpers and maybe a light coat, we did not bring enough.
The pool looks so tempting, do not be fooled! Only the brave dared to go in. I think we witnessed two go in, within the two weeks we were there; one of them was my son. He said that he would go in, on the last day he decided to jump! I never saw anyone jump out of the water so quick! He reminded of a ninja in one of those films.
You won’t regret booking this hotel; I wish I could go back.