i have just canx my holiday to makadi palace today (part of the same hotel chain)as i had read various stuff to suggest i wouldnt be going there in feb,and would be changed at the last minute. i finally got to speak to tour operator today who insisted my holiday was ok and i would still be going but as i'd had a letter re building work there , i decided to ask for a refund and canx.its all so annoying, i hope everyone gets something sorted that they are happy with.

Hi Andy

Sorry to read this.

It's odd that they have offered you the Sonesta Club, surely at the very least they should have offered you the Sonesta Beach?

If you look at the brochures i'm sure the Club is 4* and Beach 5* which I assume is what the Ghazala Gardens is?

Not only are they messing you about but they don't seem to be offering you 'like for like'. Bit of a poor show all round.

Doe

Hi Andy,
Sorry to hear your problems. Is it worth keeping your existing flight and negotiating a favourable rate with the hotel direct (INVALID URL

If you decide to go with the options offered by Airtours, Doe is correct that they are offering a much lower rated hotel. Libra rate Sonesta Club as LLL (Sonesta Beach LLL+), and Thomsons Sonesta CLub TTT (Sonesta Beach TTTT). Thomas Cook (Airtours is part of the group) offer several 4/5* BB hotels in Naama Bay including the Lido, Jolie Ville and Novotel. They also offer the AI Baron Palms next to the Conrad where you have stayed before.

Good luck with whatever you decide! Caro

I have been going to the Sonesta Beach for years, sometimes twice a year and going back this June to the Sonesta beach Resort.

The Ghazala hotel is in my patch, if its half way between the Hilton, Jolieville and the Marriott, and the Sonesta beach. All have direct access to the beach, mostly private. We have eaten at the Ghazala and they have a guy singing every night and he is well known as he is there every night, every year. I would have thought this hotel was 4/5*

The sonesta beach as many of you know i love, and even got my Mum and friends staying this year, an added bonus, i cannot wait. Our holiday was booked through Portland, which is part of thomson.

The SBR is 4*, some would say 3*, but for the following reasons that it is colonial, so is egytian in looks, not your usual hotel. It has old looking furniture to fit the bill, and its very cool, so half the time you do not need the air-conditioning on.

If you was to swap to this hotel, it is more on par with the Ghazala provided you ask for a double double family room with airtours, other wise you may get the smaller rooms, and i wouldnt recommend them, purely because the a/c is hip level and never gets cool, otherwise rooms are ok and nearer to the beach.

Now.......

The sonesta club, is across the dual carriageway, and you will have to cross it. It is about a 10 mins walk, possibly less to the back end of the sonesta beach, where the casino is situated. You will have to walk through the back of the sonesta beach to the shared beach of the sonesta beach. It will take you umm about 10 mins to get to the beach. Free towels are a bonus, you will need to take your card. Yellow towels you will be given, green towels are for the SBR, and blue towels for the sofital hotel on the hill top.

Rooms are quite adequate, and most people do enjoy the SC as it is a smaller complex, and although the SBR is larger, we do not hold that many rooms, its the beautiful gardens that make it look and feel larger.

It is more children oriented at the SC, not many kids at the SBR.

It is a very popular hotel with all nationalities.

But.....

You will have abit longer to walk down to Sharm centre, but if you dont mind a scroll at night, then no worries. It takes us half an hour ish from the SBR.

You have a disco at the hotel and a really good chemist (pharmacy more or less next door) who wont rip you off.

The reason we always go to the SBR over the SC is because we love the large rooms, nearer to the beach, and we made lots of friends at the Oonas bar (dive club) just off the beach and the little shop next door that sells everything.

If we couldnt get into this hotel, we would try the Jolieville/marriott. The hilton is nice, but i am not a pipe and slippers person, too posh for me, i like to walk around with my bikini top on and shorts, not allowed really there.

The SBR is now a A/1 complex. when we booked it was B & B. Portland upgraded us free of charge.

My suggestion is look at reviews, but if your choosen hotel was 4* then the SC is 3*, so why not ask for a free upgrade to A/1?

I hope i havent gone on too long, but i do know the area, so if you need any more help, i'm your woman

Good luck:)

Michelle.

* SC - Sonesta club*
*SBR - Sonesta Beach Resort*

Ps.......Taxis always available if you do not want to walk, fairly cheap*

I think the Ghazala with Airtours is already on an AI basis!

We are travelling with Airtours to Sharm in February and had a choice of Ghazala Gardens or the Reef Oasis Beach Resort. There wasn't really much difference between the two hotels but having scoured Tripadvisor, we decided the food was better rated at the ROBR and booked that. Might be worth checking out the ROBR and seeing if Airtours have availability for that. They are both 4+ rated with Airtours.

Possibly the reason why you have been offered the Sonesta Club is everywhere else is sold out with Airtours, so if that is the case, i would possibly think about telephoning other operators that do the Ghazala, or another of your choice, get the price, ask them to hold it for you, then get a refund from Airtours.

At least that is an option. Airtours proberly do not have as many rooms as other tour operators.

Good luck.

Ps, if as Cassholly says that the Ghazala was A1 i wouldnt except a lower class to Sonesta Club, unless there was no other hotels i liked/or choice.

Michelle x

As an instance going through portland as cheaper than thomson, but same flight and reps etc, just look at the difference in prices, still have availability, and same time.

Based on June this year, x 2 people.

With thomson...........> Sonesta, club, £567
With Portland............> ''''''''''''''''''''''''''' £556

With thomson...........> Sonesta beach, £700
With Portland............> Sonesta beach £556

All prices per person and still available.

Just had a phone call from Thomas Cookup our holiday starting Monday going to ghazala Gardens is not happening, we too have been bumped out to the Sonesta.

According to Thomas Cookup they have just been informed by the Ghazala Gardens is overbooked.

Not happy

Graham

on your behalf! Are they really overbooked or have T.Cook stopped using Red Sea Hotels?

Hope you get something sorted out.

Hi Starry

I think TC have stopped using Red Sea Hotel Group.

They confirmed they are not using them in the Summer Season but TC operator said Ghazala Gardens are overbooked but as far as he knew, they were still using them for this Winter.

He told me there are approximately 30 persons in the same position who will be getting transferred to another hotel.

Cheers
Graham

If you search on Thomas Cook's website for Monday, there are a number of hotels available from Gatwick for either 7 or 14 nights. Highest rating was the Sunrise Island View (4*) but strangely the Sonesta didn't appear on the list! I would push for a different hotel if you don't want to go to the Sonesta as there is clearly availability at other hotels with TC.

Cazz

Cassholly, i couldnt find it either, but that said, it could have been taken off sale due to a lot of passengers being put into the sonesta beach. I got the sonesta club up, but not SBR.

If you want to be out of Sharm, but you get more seclusion and a cab ride into the centre or bus. If you want to be within walking distance from the main drag of Sharm, then SBR is very good and the food is lovely.

I would love to know why thomas cook have stopped using red sea hotels ! We fly with thomas cook in August and are booked into the grand resort in Hurghada which is a red sea hotel, I have emailed thomas cook and they have said that we will still be staying in that hotel which had better be right as we stayed there last year and loved it.

They will possibly email you near the time

For your sake, i hope not!

We have booked 2 weeks in March at the Grand Resort Hurghada, the travel agent hasn't says they haven't heard anything from My Travel (Thomas Cook) a list of their Hotels can be found at

http://www.redseahotels.com/index.php?id=37

If you click on a hotel and follow the booking link it gives you links to what was the My Travel group

Hi Everyone. just got the computer back up and running. afraid i am not having much luck with the compensation at present.
It appears from the t&c's that we are not entitled to any compo. but still working on it. Looks like the Sonesta Club it is then.

Hi Andy,

Won't they even give you the Sonesta Beach, that's what they have offered Graham who is going on Monday.
Seems odd. Perhaps it's sold out for your date.

Doe

Personally i wouldnt go in the Sonesta club, they are giving you a down grade of hotel, and its a little further out.

Nothing wrong i might add with the SC, it is very kids oriented, but its 3*

I wouldnt certainly go in a 4* as in the long run you have paid for it !

If got no choice, go to SC and get some compo for the extra you paid!

Good luck

Michelle x

considered cancelling and booking elsewhere Michelle but I can't get a holiday for the same dates and those close to it are costing a fortune so Sonesta Club it will have to be.
How long do you reckon it will take to walk to Naama bay and what is it like walking back at night?