Well I have succummed and booked the Hilton Sharks Bay for next year, couldn't decide if to go to the Red Sea or Luxor and then decided to stick to what we know. Let's just hope that the iffy tummys stay away and that it's as good as the crowne plaza, rennaissance and red sea holiday village were. Would have thought we would have got bored with it there by now, but something seems to draw us back still.

How on earth did I miss this Chris. I just saw a post from you on the Shark topic to say you had booked sharks bay so naturally I had investigate further .

Well I'm delighted but at the same time I'm feeling a little bit nervous in case you hate it .
Is it Easter you've booked for ??

LOL I'm sure I wont hate it.

It's not like I am going too somewhere I haven't been before and it's gonna be some kind of huge cultural shock to me.

I will either pm you or ask on here nearer the time regarding room number recommendations.

I didn't pay for any room upgrades, just put in a request for a quiet room, so would imagine I will be put in the old side, although my understanding is that they are upgrading the rooms on the old side anyway.

Having stayed at Nabq Bay, ras um sid and on the Far Garden Reef, I thought I would try a different area and I wouldn't mind a poke about Soho Square, although as we know all areas are accessible to all others by taxi anyway.

I was on the brink of booking Hilton Sharm Dreams in Namma Bay, as I fancied eating in all the different restaurants every night, but it was only a bit more to get the AI, so the easy living of an AI plus my natural tightness won out.

Apart from the recent blip it's one of the few hotels along with the Holiday Village that get's reliable food reports. I've decided that so many people cant be wrong.

WellI think it's a good choice Chris and it will be a bit different location wise

We can talk old or new nearer the time but it's very much a personal thing based on what's important to you whilst there .

I must go and have a look to see how those reviews are going . Pat set my mind at rest when she returned and her's was the last review I read over on TA and havnt looked since .

lyn x

There is such a huge choice of good hotels in Sharm its always difficult to choose.

I would have gone back to the Holiday Village but its always mega expensive and cant see the point as its geared for those with kids, although it has very beautiful grounds and the flat beach, the later of which I know I wont get at Sharks Bay.

Just as well we are content with nice swimming pools and good books with all the shark problems at the moment. I feel a bit sorry for the sharks as I don't like the idea that they are being randomly killed in the hope of finding the one that is going around biting folk, there were reports that a load of dead sheep had been dumped in the red sea and thoughts that it had upset the eco-system, so maybe that's at the bottom of it. Sorry gone of topic.

I am sure that I will be happy with rooms on either the old or the new side, not too bothered as long as they are clean and not too falling apart. I'm not one for checking the grouting. I always think I am staying there for a week not buying the place.

I was looking at one of the maps that pans over the whole of Sharm and if it's to scale the plot of land the HSB is on seems a lot smaller than that of the Rennaisance Golden View and the Crowne Plaza (that was - think its had a name change).

The map still shows the building site on one side like it has for the last goodness knows how many years, i'm glad i'm not one of the investors in that hotel its taking forever.

I had kind of assumed it was a large hotel and site, as I'm sure I read it had 7 pools.

It seems plenty big enough to me Chris but it isnt a wide site if that makes sense . Not a place you can get lost in really but the different areas and pools are spread out well. It slopes down towards the sea on the old side which can be a bit hard going in the heat but I just move at a snails pace anyway.

We only walked around the new side one evening and it does feel like a completly different hotel to me across the road . The pool there is huge & took us about half an hour just to walk round . From what I saw all rooms are laid out around the pool

There is a big main pool on the old side and 2 smaller ones and a completely seperate pool area for the kiddies again behind the main restuarant.

lyn x

Sounds fine to me, I thought on the map it looked quite a narrow site, probably like the Holiday Village was. I think the first two hotels I went too were some of the original ones built there and I guess they got bigger sites.

I'm assuming at least one of the pools is heated, the one at the HV last year was like a bath
I need to read a bit more, I liked the sound of a chill out bar and I think someone said a pizza restaurant had closed or morphed into something else, but I have forgotten what.

I am determined to get out and about more this time, old village, il mercato maybe go to the private beach at el fanar and find the Onnas Bar that Michelle goes to. I say this everytime............................

The main pool on the old side is certainly heated chris but some days/weeks better than others . I'm sure the new side is as well but if i'm correct only a certain section . It looks like one huge pool but I think seperated underneath. someone will confirm I'm sure. If i'm correct I'm sure it's a big section though .

The pizza place is still there but it's now seperate . You used to be able to nip downstairs from the main restaurant as well and grab whatever you wanted and take it back with you . Theres also an egyptian restaurant around the same area that's getting good reviews and an Asian one (I believe on the new side) that you have to pay for . Other than that a main buffet on each side.

I do think you get out and about more than us . We didnt even walk to soho square despite all my questions about what was there . We just get more and more lazy as the week goes by.

LOL at getting out and about, would that be getting out of the room and staggering to a sunbed or a bar then ?

Do you have to book the a la cartes the previous day at a set time, like you do in most hotels?

The three a la cartes in the HV were brilliant as you didnt have to pay for them , was great as it gave you a break from the scrum, opps I mean buffet, I love the idea of free waiter service restaurants with none of the continual scrap of chairs on the floor that you get all the time in buffets.

We did go out at Nabq because it was so easy you just walked across to the other side of Peace Road and there were two malls an Egyptian and European, sadly they were pretty quiet with none of the vibe you get down in Namma bay. Hopefully Soho Square will be as close to the HSB.

I'm not 100% sure how the a la cartes operate yet Chris . They wern't there on our last visit but I'm sure it wont take us long to work it out. I'm fairly sure soho square is about 10 minutes walk .

Hi Lyn

Didnt realise they were new. Did it only have a buffet before ? Oh well it will be nice to have a change of scenery and waiter service for one of the evenings, will also probably go to Namma Bay one night I suppose there will be a shuttle from the hotel with the normal booking on to it arrangements.

Is it like a lot of shuttles where it goes in at a weird thime like 5pm which is too early for dinner ? If so I guess we will get a cab. Never managed to get a meal at the Pomodora as everytime we have gone up there its been chokka as most people book, so need to sort that out, ate at the Daneer once but want that impressed, maybe we were just unlucky am prepared to give it another go. Does oonas bar do food, cant remember ?

Wish I was going at Feb half term now as it seems a long time to wait.


Edit to add that I have just read the last 4 pages of reviews on TA and the most consitent theme seems to be that the quality of the food has gone downhill, someone spent part of there stay at HSB and part at the Concord and said the laters food was much better so I think we need to be prepared to eat out a few evenings. Also someone who had been a few times with their kids said it wans't a good choice for adults on their own.

Hmm. Rather indifferent review of HSB just gone up on here. Saying it's miles away from 4* so am panicing again now, about should I change to something else as the other 3 hotels I have stayed at in Sharm have all been what I would have classed as 4* the Rennaisance was more like a 5 star. Panic Panic I really shouldn't read reviews after I have booked but find myself strangely drawn to them.

doepsmc
we stayed at this hotel in October 2010 having previously visited in 2008. I personally had no real issue with the hotel/complex, the only downside was the food was a little cold during the evening meal times. We tended to go around 8pm. Lots of people who had been there the week before us were complaining of severe sickness however our party of 4 didnt really get ill.

I have stayed at numerous hotels in Sharm and find the HSB very reasonable. Go with an open mind, yes it's not 5 star luxury but you will enjoy it. They are in the process of updating some of the smaller blocks in the old side (didn't cause us any issues when we were there in October).

The al a carte at el rustico is a set menu (you have to book this the day before or on the day if there are spaces), we didn't do the bedouin restaurant but always smelled nice

As I am sure you are aware the hotel is split into two sides, we have stayed in the old side both times and can't fault it, didnt like te atmosphere of the new side although the rooms are better (didnt want to pay the extra cause you only sleep in your rooms) and we felt that the atmosphere in the old side suited us better. You have the pool bar, the sunset bar (down by the beach) and an inside bar area where the entertainment tends to be.

We are going back on the 13th January and I have decided that if the food is cold, then I will complain (i wouldn't normally do this, but i dont want it to spoil my holiday). The staff are great, entertainment team very friendly and not too much.

Shuttle bus runs at set times but they are reasonable, think it starts about 1730 but the last one goes about 2230 hours into Na'ama bay.

You book the shuttle bus at the reception area on the day you want to travel, you aren't restricted to what bus you come back on, you just book the slot and give your room number (small charge for it but cheaper than taxi). Just be warned and take note of where it drops you off as it's outside a small shopping arcade and the shop keeper will try and get you into their shop, just ignore then and walk away from the bus and go into the centre of na'ama bay. Can certainly recommend the mexican (near little budda), the hard rock cafe and the chinese which is above the shopping centre. Very reasonable prices too. Hope this helps

Hi Sutty many thanks for posting. It's lovely to have recent info.

I think I will be in the old side, as I havent paid for any up grades - am going with Cosmos.

I've stayed in the Holiday Village, what was the Crown Plaza, which I think is the Sharm Plaza now and the Rennaisance Golden View Beach. Don't suppose you have stayed in any of those have you and could tell me how the HSB compares ?

To be honest its only me and my husband and my main concern is things like cold food in the restaurant, we can't stand cold 'hot' food if that makes sense. It's only for a week and I got a good deal so if the worst comes to the worst and we dont like the evening meal after the first night we will just go to Namma Bay the other 6 nights.

Is the hotel site split by Peace Road, like a lot of the hotels with the old bit being beach side and the new part being the other side of the road ? I'm not worried about being in the old part at all, just getting sick from the food.

When it's been the four of us we have been OK tummy-wise on the other 3 visits apart from me one afternoon when at the HV and that was a cream cake from the buffet which I probably shouldn't have eaten anyway and illness was over and done with in three or four hours. sorry if that is TMI.

Thanks again

Doe

hi, not stayed in any of those hotels, previously stayed in the concorde (next to hsb), reef oasis beach, oriental resort and HSB. If you've got a good deal then I would stick with it, I will write a further review upon my return on the 20th January. OUt of all the hotels we have stayed in, they are all listed as 4 star and have all had good and bad points about them but we have always enjoyed it, this will be our 8th trip to egypt so it must have something.

Although there are further hotels passed the HSB (Savita - i believe and the one that is directly next door and has been in basic building stage for nearly 3 years now), HSB is at the end of the road that runs parallel to the Peace Road, closer to the coastal part.

Soho Square has a few restaurants and bars but as its fairly new the prices are quite steep, it's far cheaper to go to na'ama bay.

We usually venture into na'ama bay at least once during the week stay. The food choice was quite varied, just that some of it was cold. It may have been that some of the guests decided not to replace the lid on the food containers which could have also caused some of the food to be cold, breakfast and lunch time were always fine so wasnt typical of every meal that you went to the restaurant. Also in October the complex wasn't full, so was that another reason for warm food because it wasn't being replaced as often.

I am going with an open mind, it's not our main holiday and we are going for the weather really so if some things aren't up to sccratch will venture to na'ama bay.

Thanks again Sutty. It would be great for you to review your January stay. As you say the place must have something as this will be our fourth time. You're probably right about the food covers being left off making the food cold, it happens a lot at buffets. We will have breakfast and lunch there at least, the sunset bar sounds nice. Like you we go for a weeks wintersun, I wouldn't go in the summer months it would be too hot for us.

Have a lovely time on the 18th.

Doe
Edit - meant to say it was only about a hundred pounds more than the Hilton Sharm Dreams on BnB which was our other option, so the food and drink is almost free I guess.

I was there in November - 5th visit for us. I was aware of problems in October with sickness and had a LOT of correspondence with the hotel management in advance of our visit re my concerns but we didn't experience any problems and indeed haven't had any kind of tummy upset on any visit to HSB. The food was piping hot when we were there. We love the hotel, and as a repeat guest I would obviously disagree with any statement saying it was nowhere near 4 star.

I find the food fine - and the drink - and I would never go anywhere else in Sharm after a bad experience at another hotel there. I have complete confidence in HSB, but I would never suggest to anyone else that they would enjoy it, as everyone has different views. The hotel does get a huge amount of repeat visitors though, which says something.

Thank you for your post. It is comforting that the hotel gets lots of repeat visitors, I'm sure it will be OK, I think I was just having a wobbly as the latest review on here was a bit negative, but as you say different people like different things so it is hard to make and take recommendations. I've felt that all the other hotels I have stayed at in Sharm have been the standard that was stated in brochures so really I have no reason to doubt that this will be otherwise with the HSB.

Doe

Doe - I have just read the review you referred to, and had a laugh at the bit about staff eating only chips You see animation staff with plates plied high with food at every meal time - salads and rice included!

I do think that being ill really taints your view of a place, no matter what the good points, and I can understand this. I think that comes through on the review. I would take a balanced view of reviews, and accept we are all different. I do hope you enjoy it - Lyn recommended it to me, and I haven't looked back.

I will be back there again in November hopefully.