Hi Helene & stevebell001
I am off to this hotel in March so the temp will be in the high 20's and it will be a longer day in the sun from your time there.

So I am somewhat bemused by your comments regarding this hotel, it does seem that you have not had a particulary good holiday, yet on other forums people have given it a good report during your stays there.

Are the rooms okay and the other restruants not of a good quality or did you just have a bad time all round,I can understand this spoiling your holiday although I am not expecting 5* for £580 AI for two weeks who could.

So the term not 5* more like 3* 0r 4* sometimes does amuse me, a true 5* hotel would cost in the region of £2000 for two weeks, my point being that sometimes expectations are set to high and then dissapontment sets in so spoils the vacation and so on.

Sorry to go on but I am trying to be objective so if you did find some good bits about the hotel can you let us know, too late to back out now as Peter Kay says T'Egypt booked it packed it and well you know the rest, usually go to Nuweiba ah well such is life
Cheers
Pete

Hi Egyptian Pete,

I also usually go to Nuweiba, and must admit I wished I had been there several times. The weather is better in Sharm at Christmas, thats why we had booked there. We had also been to the Grand Azure for the same time last year and had had a brilliant time. Maybe we were just unlucky this time.

The themed restaurants are much better, if you get booked up in reception in the morning. Eat downstairs in the main restaurant, entrance round the back - the food was hot and much better. Just watch out for the taxi service in the hotel and obviously lock everything up. My daughter lost her phone off the dressing table after charging it up.

I was just considering the latest posts on this thread as being "someone had a bad experience on holiday, what a pity", until I came to the telephone missing off the dressing table bit. I do sincerely hope, Helen , that you "raised the roof" in every conceiveable direction after this happened? Too many hotel managers and security staff, not just in Egypt but worldwide, look on things like that as " oh well they are insured" instances, instead of actually trying to identify those responsible. The tour operators reps dont give a ****, and just helping you, by confirming your loss, is usually too much trouble for them. I agree, however, that there are some who go the extra mile and it is always a pleasure to meet them.

Hi Helene
We always put our passports, phones, money etc into the safety deposit boxes but I will make extra sure that we do so nothing goes missing, as carrot says if it did I would play holy hell with the manager as its not on.

Glad to hear you had a good holiday first time around, we will take your advice and use the downstairs restaurant. On the taxi front Solomon taxis in Nuweiba can vouch that I drive a hard bargain, still chuckle to myself sometimes the banter we have had in the taxi office at the Hilton on getting the right price.

Soon be there though as on the 15th Jan I am in Austria and Switzerland for a week then the 4th Feb off to head office in Carthage Missouri USA for two weeks (all work related) so by the time 15th March comes along I'll be ready for a lazy two weeks, any more info greatly received
Happy hols
Pete

Just to reiterate: we had a good holiday, excellent large rooms right in the middle (block 9). I just added comments which I thought would be relevant to people going, or thinking of going. If anyone moaned about the food we told them to eat downstairs while we were there and that does seem to be a recurring theme.
One day we had a burger and chips on the beach and despite having to wait for them to be cooked they were stone cold when they got to the table so we never ate there again although many people did quite happily. The freshly cooked Pizzas and Kebabs at the Tropicana Restaurant, next to the beach were delicious and despite not being a pizza or kebab man, I even went down there after a swim for a bite to eat.
You do need to speak enough English to be recognised as such, it was quite funny watching the difference between the Russian beers (50% head) and the English beers.

Helene, we were under the impression that the large tent being constructed on the beach was for the Xmas day meals etc, which doesn't sound like the case, so any idea what it was used for?

We were lucky again with our cleaner as we had three rooms together and if we stuck our head in to the "wrong" room, he was on to the case straightaway to make sure everything was alright.
Pete, keep your eye open for the frog like Green fish that was on the left hand side of the pier on the line between the raft and the white scaffolding, I am sure I didn't hallucinate!

You will need shoes if you go in the sea at all. Let us know what they do with the far end of the jetty.

Forgot to say that they do not cater main courses for vegetarians well either. Just salads. Bit of a disappointment after the Playa Pesquero in Cuba where my daughter could order from the vegetarian restaurant menu and have it delivered to eat with us at whichever speciality restaurant we liked.

hi how many water slides are there and are there lazy rivers and whirl pools etc?

We realised about the phone too late unfortunately, my daughter had left it on the table top to charge it, but the time I realised we had already left the hotel room. My son had done a full check of the room before we left and it wasnt to be seen. I have since telephoned and spoken to the front desk manager, but of course, you are right, they dont care. My daughters heartbroken, its the not the phone, its the pictures that were on it she cared about, photos she will never get again.
I did text the phone asking for the sim card to dropped off in reception, but of course, that will never happen, it was more to make my daughter have some little hope.

Steve,
The tent that was being erected on the beach was the for the New Year Celebrations, there was a programme that was posted through each door of the menu and entertainment. Bit too cold I would have thought. We had left by then.

LovetheSun
The water slides - there are 5 of them, ones a tunnel, ones a baby slide, two of them are slow easy going rides and the last is a steep and scary ride ride (according to son, who is dictating as Im typing). He says, the steep slide can be harmful because you can miss the whole top half as its so steep and hurt yourself. At the end of every slide, you land into a swimming pool

We're off to the LTI in two weeks (can't wait). Just how warm will it be 18th Feb - 4th March? What will we need to take for evening clothing?

Would love to hear from someone who'se been there - the brochures all vary so much. It could be 18C or 27C..!!

Thanks so much

we went on the 10-24 feb last year and the weather was quite variable, A couple of days I wore a jumper, but I am nesh and some people were still in bikinis. In the evenings we all wore a light jacket. But don't be disheartened it did go over 90 for at least 7 out of the 14 days. It was quite windy, so we found that the beach was better on cooler days as there are loads of wind breaks. Have a great time. Please feel free to ask any other questions.

Thanks very much ... in much need of some heat and restful pool-time!

We're travelling as a party of 7 to celebrate our 40th, 18th & 21st birthdays ... didn't plan that very well did we..!!

Can we swim from the beach or do you have to walk down the now replaced jetty?

Did you find the food OK? We're planning on eating out half the time in the evenings ... don't want to spend our time locked in a faceless hotel complex. Any good places to go?

Thanks!

not too well planned, but at least over and done with !!
You have to walk down the jetty and then out across the coral for quite a way before you get to water deep enough to swim. You really need to wear coral shoes and be very careful or you end up with numerous scrapes and cuts, but it is well worth it.
We went into Sharm to eat and all the cafe bars on the front were all much the same. OK food, good service and very resonable. there were ofcourse the usual Hard Rock, Macdonalds, KFC etc.. if you like that sort of thing.
Have fun

Hi
Can anyone advise re building work as we are due to go to LTI in March and Thomas Cook have advised that building work is taking place and there is the potential of disruption!!!
Thanks

i think building work is going on both sides but it did not bother us once whilst we were there. We could see it all from our doors but our rooms faced away from the work.
If you just want to swim in the sea then on the left of the jetty (looking out) you will see something that looks like a tennis umpires chair. It is ankle deep between the jetty and there, but then goes to 3 or 4 feet and is sandy with a few rocks. You will need shoes wherever you go even there. There are a few fish but you will have to run the gauntlet of the coral to get to the deep water to see the real bounty.

Hi
Thanks for that
This will be the third time we have been here and really looking forward to the rest and warmth!!!!
Were a little concerned coz TC had written to us + offered to change the hotel!!! Though sounds like its probably their "get out of jail free card" just in case we complain!!

Hi Everyone,

I'm a new member as of 5 mins ago...so please go gentle with me.

Myself and my partner are going to the Grande Azure in March for two weeks. We are debating on how best to take our money. We went to the Concorde el Salam last year and took all our spending money in cash which we left in the room safe (I didn't like the idea)

How accessible/reliable are cash machines in the area? We don't want to get there to find we don't have access to our cash.

Also any other advice/info on the hotel would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Can anyone tell me if the hotel provides towels for use around the pool and on the beach?

I seem to remember reading somewhere that they do, but can't find it now!

Thanks

Richard

They provide towel cards when you check in, which you exchange for towels later.
Beware though as on check in we were not given the full allocation of towel cards which we spotted and queried straight away, however one of the other guests did not spot he had not been given any at all until the next day when he noticed everyone else had hotel towels. The last I heard the hotel were refusing to give him cards and were demanding the lost card fees of £10 or £20 each, which he naturally refused to pay. The thompson rep was not a lot of use and there was an impasse. Not sure how it turned out but it definitely put a damper on his holiday.

Yes you do get towel cards but check how many you get straight away when handed them and inform reception straight away if you are short (one per person).

Could I please ask for anybody who has stayed at the LTI recently or more importantly going in the next few weeks/months to give some info in the other thread titled "HOLIDAY VILLAGE SHARM" it is being completed next door to the LTI (on the left as you look at the sea).

It is to be completed for May this year first guests arrive in June.

Any info on how the work appears to be progressing, has the beach been tidied up yet, any sign of a pool, anything really would be helpful (pictures would be excellent from abybody going soon).

Thanks from all the folks over at the Holiday Village thread.

I stayed at the LTI last October any questions feel free to ask and I will help in any way I can.

jj