anybody been to the grand azure this year was thinking about booking for next summer,read some mixed reviews thanks for any info

Hi Steveboy - we have just returned from the Grand Azure after spending a fantastic three weeks! - cannot fault it at all. It was our third visit and best ever. In fact could have stayed for another week. The weather was absolutely gorgeous - extremely hot the first week, slightly cooler the second and third week but still average temperature of 37 degrees!!! Food was excellent - we dined in all specialty restaurants, managed to book them for most of our stay and they were brilliant. Had upset stomach for about a day but soon cleared after the medication from the pharmacy but this was not down to the food or cleanliness, it was probably due to the fact that we were in a very hot climate and the excess beer !!! Otherwise we were fine.

The hotel is so clean and the staff cannot do enough for you - they are so hard working. The waterfalls pool is spectacular - enough sunbeds no matter what time of the day you go out.

The beach is also good - but you need to be prepared for quite a long walk along the jetty where at the end you can walk out to the reef to snorkel but this is well worth it - don't forget to take your underwater camera.

We stayed in a superior room by the beach and it was great.

You are well looked after in this hotel. Don't hesitate to PM me if you need further info.

You will enjoy it.

Eirian

Hi Eirian we have booked to stay in a superior room at this hotel with medhotels for christmas. Can you tell me how big these rooms are? we were thinking of upgrading to a suite when we get there for the little extras you get. Are the superior rooms altogether we dont like a ground floor is there any on the upper floors. thanks

Hi there
Was wondering if anyone has stayed at the Grand Azure in Sharm ? If so what is it like ?
The reviews seem good so thats one good thing
We are going in November so hopefully the weather will be good as well
Thanks
Georgia xx

We stayed at lti grand azure for christmas 07 we took grandson ageded 12 we upgraded to one of the suites which cost £200 more but was well worth it. You get ultra all inclusive seperate longe bar and restaurant ,fantastic. Rooms are spacious, and you get mini bar topped up each day and basket of fruit. We could not fault this hotel very big complex lots of pools and water slides.

Hi there

I'm wondering if anyone can help me?

I am going to the LTI Grand Azure in Sharm on 29th May.... I am a bit concerned at the reviews on Trip Advisor are steadily getting worse regarding the hotel. Do I have reason to be apprehensive or is it really not that bad?

Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks
Danie

I went to grand azure for christmas in my eyes there was nothing bad about this hotel, We did upgrade to a suite but spent first night in superior room which was to a very high standard. It is a very big hotel right on the beach with lovely surroundings and pools and water slides . The food was excellent and so were the alicarte restaurants which you book in the mornings in reception. All the staff are very friendly and helpful. You will really enjoy yourselves.

What aspects worry you specifically. I have noted earlier in the thread that the default buffet entrance is upstairs and the food is colder up there, just go downstairs or round the back and use that entrance. There was a review mentioning the hygene of some guests but as with all these things you have to be sensible. I always take the stance that if I wouldn't eat it at home, I won't eat it on holiday. This doesn't mean I won't try new food, just that, for an example, if it was a chicken based dish and the chicken was to my mind on the undercooked side, I would not risk it. It would upset me back in the UK let alone there.
Out of our party of 8, my "sensible" daughter, the vegetarian, was the only one to get an upset tummy, we never really worked out why, so it could even have been the veggie meal on the plane, or change of climate or water.

I only ever take a small amount of food if I am unsure as it is a matter of seconds to pop back for a refill if it nice.
Meanwhile if the food is obviously cold, been exposed to contamination or whatever, again I wouldn't touch it. We ate upstairs on the first night and were very dissapointed, however I had a quick look around before we left and found the downstairs area which was closer to the kitchens.
At the LTI, they cook meat and eggs (downstairs has a larger range) whilst you wait so decide what you want and get that first then get the veg or trimmings, which should get you back to the table with hotter food. In the afternoon, they do a mean pizza down by the beach - not on the beach, but next to it. Again you watch them cook it and can see how it is handled.
We did try the beach snack bar but the burger and chips, supposedly cooked to order, were stone cold so we did not eat it all and did not go back. Up by the pool they did a nice chicken and chips lunch but you had to get there early or there was nothing left.
As for the a la cartes, same as in all AIs, nice to experiment but if you don't like the look of the food don't eat it, there is always the buffet or snack bar afterwards if you are still hungry.

There is talk of guests of a different nationality on some of the reviews, while we were there a common site was older chaps with younger woman, but the main interactions are in the queues and in the bars and strangely enough, the locals do not treat them the same as they treated us.
We were being served in one bar when a barman we had spoken to earlier turned up, took our glasses back and refilled them and told the other barman we were English. In another bar, one chap stood up from his stool to look for the loo and within 5 seconds his drink had been moved and a glass put there for me to sit down. I tried to protest that I didn't even want to sit, but was implored to do so to occupy the space!

Hi Steve,

Thanks so much for the info re food and 'guests of a certain nationality'! These were definitely the 2 main things that were worrying me.

Also, the state of the rooms? I have heard they arent up to scratch? I'm not bothered about them being modern etc.... just that the bed doesnt collapse or that the shower doesnt fall on my head etc!! LOL

Thanks
Danie

We were in family rooms, not to be confused with the upgraded ones that are advertised everywhere once you get there. The furnishings were fine at the time.
One thing we always bear in mind is that the staff of these AI's around the world have a hard day and have to deal with some right idiots, so we always smile and try to be pleasant no matter how we are.
Also we try not to get "over-excited" when dealing with them and things are going wrong.
Even when they are having a bad day, they normally come round, if not then, often later when they have calmed down more.

Great, thanks for the info.

I think from what i have read that it might be worth upgrading to the ultra AI. Do you know prices for this by any chance? We are going just the 2 of us for 2 weeks.

Thanks

Hi Steve,

We are booked into a family room on the 22nd May, I just wanted to know how large they are as there will be 5 of us inc. our 3 daughters?

Best wishes

Matt

Hi Danie,
Check out the facilities first before you upgrade. We don't drink "brands" particularly and the breakfast we got together in the buffet couldn't have been much better. There is the "private room" for the Ultra AIs but I think there was only one occasion when we couldn't sit in the reception area and that was because there were so many of us. There is a room to the right of the bar - past the toilets which you can sit in anyway. It was used for entertainment- a music duo, later on. The rest of the time we weren't anywhere near reception.
Or in other words we found we actually gained very little, if anything other than the Kudos.
The buffet was always open when we wanted breakfast and they cooked it there and then (I like omelets) just tell them to leave them longer if they are not cooked enough. The rest of the time we were at the pool, beach, beach restaurant or one of the outside or pool club bars. On the other hand if you get a bad room in a poor location or love sitting quietly drinking branded spirits then it may be worth the extra. I don't believe they care when you upgrade if you want. The upgrade price is shown per night per person, so you don't have to rush in.
Make sure the welcome pack has your towel tickets (1 each) as failure to return them for any reason costs an arm or a leg. One chap there with his son did not receive any and naturally used his own towels. When he saw everyone else had hotel ones he enquired and that was when he found out about the "missing cards". He went straight to reception and pointed out that he had not been issued with any, whereupon they charged him £30+, or tried to. I think he ended up in dispute with the hotel, involving the rep etc for most of the rest of his holiday.
One thing we did find degrading and has never happened anywhere else is the ritualistic wristband recovery. You can't complete the 12 o'clock sign out procedure until they have cut the wristbands off all members of the party. From that point on you are not allowed alcoholic drinks and have a bit of paper to show for anything else. As we were leaving 20 minutes later it didn't make a difference, but it remains the only place that has ever done it to us. I like to keep my wristband and try showing it at the local club, never works there though!

Matt,
The family room we had consisted of a double bedded living area and I am trying to work out if it had an easy chair or if I brought a balcony chair in. Adding a single bed would make it more cramped but there probably was room. The other area had two single beds but there was nowhere for a third unless it was jammed between them. Overall the room(s) had plenty of space but was set up for 4, so not sure what your layout for 5 will be, but it should be fine.

Great, thanks so much for that Steve. It's been very useful!

Thank you Steve for your reply.

Does anyone know if there any toiletries and/ or hairdryers in the bathrooms? and how close a shop may be that sells baby supplies such as nappies and baby foods?

Matt

P.S Anyone going this week we fly on Thursday for 2 weeks....