ive been to the csr last new year and we have booked up again this new year this place is somethink special your right on the beach and they have 2 good pools aswell as 2 small pools for the kids from the time you get there the staff look after you they go out of there way no matter what,as for the food im a fussy eater aswell as my kids but there was somethink for everyone

book the csr you want go wrong

Wazza
Thanks for that, I think we will probabaly go for CSR as it does look very nice.
Also wonder if you can tell me if the majority of guests are from the uk? I have looked at reviews of many hotels and lots seem to say that most guests are Russian or Italian.

Not that I mind, just don't want to be the only brits there.

it was mostly brits at the csr but there was some russians and there all right i got on with a few of them anyway

I stayed at the CSR last year and the LTI next week.

I will reply to this thread at the end of the month when I get back.

We stayed at the Coral Sea last year... personally we wouldnt go back,but had a good hol all the same. If the LTi is the hotel a couple along I think we would have preferred that. It depends what you like, the CSR was all brits, and did get a bit rowdy in the afternoon in the swim up bar which we found a bit irratating.... but to be fair, the hotel was new and the bar staff extremely inexpereinced and couldnt cope with joe public coming round and organising their own taste in music, smoking in the pool [I am a smoker, but would never have dreamed of dropping ash in the pool or even smoking in that area]. We did visit the LTI and thought it fabulous and if not a bit envious! We have discovered El Gouna, and found this the perfect resort in Egypt, and going back again next year. I like the fact you could have a wander around the many shops in the evening and NOT be hassled, like in Naama Bay, which is really the only place you can visit [by bus] from the CSR area. However, the snorkelling in Sharm I reckon was better, the water is clearer there, but we did visit some nice areas in El Gouna, which basically has won us over! Enjoy, whatever you choose!

Really quite confused now, looking forward to see how JJASON compares the two hotels.

Just wondering JJASON if you have kids, we have an 8 and 10 year old and have looked at both hotels, does the CSR have slides into pool as LTI does. Thnking of next june.

No the Coral Sea did not have any slides when I went last year, I will visit again later this week to see if any major changes have been made.

The CSR did have a fantastic artificial football pitch, full sise, with loads of games going on, I really enjoyed playing footie at about 11pm when it cooled down enough. I am hoping to be able to walk from the LTI to the CSR to play a couple of times and give the egyptians playing a couple of old football shirts.

The LTI has beach football and volleyball pitches, the CSR had neither last year. The main reasaon for going the LTI for us was that last year I walked round the grounds (with my 5 & 12 year old boys) of the LTI and thought it looked much more classy, more pools with slides and a better organised daytime entertainment progam. My lads saw the pools and slides and were desperate to stay there, so thats where we are going.

My Mrs & I used the LTI jetty and thought the snorkelling was better but much further to walk than the CSR jetty. I preferred the CSR jetty and snorkelling.

Anyway I will post a proper review and comparison when I return on 26th October.

Just wonderin if anybody stayed in the LTI grand azure sept 2006 and could let me no their opinion? Also ive heard alot mentioned regarding different levels of all inclusive i.e. green bands, ultra inclusive, etc, and was wondering if anybody can tell me if they noticed any differences between the two and whether it would be worth upgrading?

hi i stayed at the LTi in may and have to say it a fantastic hotel. superbly clean and very welll lokked after,almost to the extreme but the place is spotless. staff were all pretty good some extrem,ely good,drop a small tip their way and it willgo a long way. Drinks as usual small and occasionally difficult to get served..some staff had a great habit of ignoring you even at an empty bar and making cleaning a glass with their back to you an artform.But again get freindly with one and tip them and you will get very well looked after. When i came home i decided though id had a fantastoc holiday that i wouldnt returm to egypt again as in the town of Sharm we did feel a little uncomfortable,due to the very high kerbs (to deter cars with devices in? ) and the armed guards at either end of the street going through.Just a personal feeling that one and for that reason we only went once into sharm and spent the rest of the time at hotel. Overall one of the best hotels i have stayed in and ive done quite a few, and im now just deciding whether to take a late holiday in 2 weeks and am looking at egypt though this time hurghada.
hope this help great place recomended by me and enjoy if you go.
ELV

Did this hotel not have rooms which led directly 'into' the pool... personally I would choose this one rather that CSR and it had a better jetty for snorkelling.

I stayed at the CSR last year and the LTI next week.

I will reply to this thread at the end of the month when I get back.

I think Jason will be home soon, hope you had a great time, looking forward to hearing about it, which hotel do you think is best for an older couple without children?

JJASONUK Anyway I will post a proper review and comparison when I return on 26th October.

Hope you enjoyed your holiday JJASONUK, really looking forward to hearing how the 2 hotels compare.

Yes thanks we had a wonderful time.

I will post a full (long) review in a few days where I will deal with as many points of the hotel as possible.

The CSR is about 1/3 of the size of the LTI.
The ground level of the CSR is all on one level, the LTI is on 3 or 4 with banks of 5-6 steps in between (there was some ramps if you took the correct route).

As for how the two hotels compare I will add more but the main points area as follows:
Visitors:
CSR was virtually fully english where the LTI there was loads of russians, italian, french & germans 1st week only about 20% UK 2nd week was uk kids holidays and about 75% uk visitors hotel was full both weeks.
Overall: depends on what you prefer.

Food:
Both have good food. LTI has more places to eat and better resturants in our opinion. The chinese and Italian really were excellent.
CSR had food available all day long there was the odd 1-2 hour break in the LTI unless you had green band upgrade access to the exectutive lounge which was 24 hour. No chips at evening meals anywhere at the LTI.
Overall: LTI had better food but should have been available all the time.

Bars:
LTI - We tipped the billiard bar staff a fiver between them and they remembered this and made sure our glasses were never empty, when they collected glasses they freoplaced our drinks for us. CSR- staff were fine but no personal touch.

Rooms:
CSR standard room is EXACTLY the same as a LTI superior room (not a junior suite). no difference at all, same bathroom, wardrobes everything.
CSR had more UK TV but LTI had live uk football with uk commentary ART football it was called, 3pm kick offs live etc.. 2 channels.

Pools:
LTI won hands down, more pools, bigger pools, water was not ice cold like the CSR, the heated pool was properly heated and actually warm, slides for the kids were brilliant (open 10-1 & 3-5). loads of beds but you did have to get up early to get one at the two main pools, if not the other pool always had beds available.

Beach & Jetty:
Beach is the same at both hotels but the LTI has a food station and bar positioned on the beach . Jetty at the LTI was MASSIVE, I counted 1000 steps to the end. The wood is all now properly bolted down and the posts are almost in position for a handrail. CSR jetty does not go off into the blue and the LTI one does, this means more and bigger fish. There is also a sheltered reef from both hotels after walking the jetties.
Overall, LTI wins after you have 'done the jetty walk'.

I would stay at either hotel at the drop of a hat.

Preferences:
Me: LTI, better hotel, food, pools, bars, entertainment, daytime activities.
Wife: CSR, all english, not too big.
Kids: both said that the LTI was a better hotel but they did not like being in the minority language wise. I think they would choose the CSR if they had a choice, they did say the 2nd week of the LTI was better than the CSR but the first week was not as good as the CSR.

Overall if you dont mind english being the minority we all agreed that the LTI is a better place. If it was 75% english all the time it would be virtually perfect.

There is more I can add and I will but I have to do some work, feel free to ask any questions and I will answer as best I can.

JJASON, Pleased you had a good time and thanks for all the information, I think we are going to try the Coral Sea, it is just 2 of us for one week in Feb. Not half term!
We are really just looking for a week in the sun away from the english winter and we can get CSR for a lot better price than LTI, so that is a big sway for us, also not having children, pools not a big issue.

Thanks again for the advice.

Hi i stayed at the csr last two weeks in september this year and i would deffinately go back, the reps are excellent with the entertainment they work from 10.30am till about 11.00pm at night they entertain the kids and the adults all day long with only an hour for lunch, they entertain the kids and the adults at night as well, so i think you will enjoy your holiday, we did it was excellent the best holiday we have had.

flozbit