Thanks Michelle

We've already got the upgrade, took your advice before we booked

So me and hubby are in a double family room, and our 21 yr old has a family room all to himself - hopefully not too far from each other!

I think from reading your reports 1105 is on the ground floor, we prefer to be on the upper floor (less noise from people coming in late in high heels!) - any idea what room we should request to get the same location but higher up? Was thinking of asking if we could be on the upper floor but near the cactus pool and hoping to get a good room that way........

Can't wait!

Callie

Hi Callie, if i am honest i do not know (feel sure they dont) offer the large rooms on the upper floor, i maybe wrong. The largest double room are located as far as i know in the higher numbers. The cactus pool is the quietest, and i mean quiet. No music and bliss if you want to just chill. Not many sunbeds are on offer here, but the towel lad will save you your spot if you give him £10 (egyptian) which is around a quid. If not, you will possibly need to get up early. They have a swim up bar, with all cocktails and beer, soft drinks and tea and coffee.

For the pool with the action is where i stay. They have English music playing and games like water polo, table tennis, has a big bar, and the biggest and deepest pools. This pool we dubb the italian pool as once upon a time they think they own it but i hasten to add English have taken over a large chunk of it.

I like being in the middle of the complex because the two main restaurants are left and right of where we stay. The dome restaurant is nearer to you and in my opinion is more friendly. From where you want to be near the cactus pool is the furthest away from anywhere, that meaning 10-15 mins walk to reception, but only 6 mins from our pool.

The main restaurant at the Citadel is over powering at times and a lot of tables are reserved. If you want to reserve then a back hander usually works. The citadel is next door to reception and you will pass it when you arrive.

As for noise with neighbours you wont here any, the rooms are huge and white walls are so thick, you cannot here anything. The bedroom is situated on the back of someones shower room and extremely quiet. The only time you hear anything is if someone is coming through your alleyway to take a short cut or they are going to their rooms. hen you sleep it is very quiet. All the noise from the "Italian " pool stops at midnight.

Nip to the Oonas bar on the roof, amazing roof top bar views, say hello to Latoyah, there is also a black guy from Cairo, we nicknamed him Mr cairo, he will know who we are by that name, speaks good English. Mohammad runs the bar and shisha upstairs.

If you do get a room upstairs you will possibly find it a lot warmer as heat goes upwards.

In the large rooms downstairs we hardly had A/C on as rooms cool, plus didnt want to increase the chance of Pharhoes revenge

I know you both may want your privacy, but we had my 20 year old in with us, as they have a bedroom with door to themselves near to the lounge area.

Italians wear the heels, and they mostly come summer time, its wedges for every other person, especially the vodka loving Russians.

The Doctor should you need them is near the Italian pool, about 3 mins walk, and not far from reception. If you can take out the excess waiver from your insurance company, even if you booked with Thomson, they can upgrade it. You will then get all your money back. We paid £9 total for 3 of us to upgrade. The doctor will sell you the correct medicine according to your needs. I even decided to have my ears shringed there and he did it

A great trip to go on with thomson is the camel/quad bike adventure with buffet and belly dancing etc. Hilight of our trip and i will go on it again and again. Best night ever and reasonable. Trip only came out last November when we went.

Feel envious your going, i am off touring california in May and June, but still aching to get back to my baby

Michelle x
sonesta beach resort queen

For the pool with the action is where i stay. They have English music playing and games like water polo, table tennis, has a big bar, and the biggest and deepest pools. This pool we dubb the italian pool as once upon a time they think they own it but i hasten to add English have taken over a large chunk of it

Thats the pool for us then What name does it go by Michelle

Now this oonas bar . Am I correct in thinking it belongs to the dive school and is next door and not part of the SBC or are you meaning the hotel roof .

Lots of great info there michelle . Thanks for all your time you put into helping us

lyn

You know its my baby Lyn

The SBR does have its own roof top although its nothing compared to the Oonas.
That said we havent been up there and prefer to be with Mr Cairo and Mohamed and Latoyah that runs it in his white pinny.
Yes all the best diving is at the Oonas they are English, in fact tried to stay in their hotel, but the flights were dearer, and they offer bed and breakfast. SBR was £20 dearer for A1.

The pool is the BLUE WAVE POOL, the actual bar stays open until midnight. It is in the middle of the two restaurants, either way you walk is approx 5 mins. I always did the aerobics and volleyball.

I always wear a bandana and bought English flag ones from ebay, if you wear them, everyone knows you are British, and talks to you in English. Especially if you play the games etc, that way its not all in italian !!!

I do not mind anyone asking questions, if you could see my mailbox you would laugh

Michelle x
Sonesta beach resort queen

.

Dont worry michelle there will be plenty more coming . Thank you again

I did have a sneak at the oonas Dive website and their prices unfortunately were more than who we normally use .Nearer the time I will email them and see what they can offer us .

Just been looking at the piccies of the rooms on their website .but I cant see anything that resembles a family room . this is what they give as room types
Standard Rooms (Queen or Twin Bed)

Executive Rooms (Queen or Twin Bed)

Palm Suite US

Garden Suite


according to my paperwork we have 2 x family4 rooms booked . The option for the doube double room didnt come up for my dates unfortunately

Lyn

Oh forgot to say Ive not looked at reviews for a while now because they seemed to go through a bad patch . I have to say they are coming through really good now and most are excellent

I agree with Lyn, your advice has been really helpful Michelle!

Right, I'm convinced that we need to get "your" room by the blue wave pool - I like peace and quiet but the boys will be out in the sea a lot so I need something to entertain me in their absence and the antics of the Italians should do the trick!

And I'm glad you can't hear any clip clopping at night, that's my pet hate (probably cos I can't walk in heels so I'm just jealous.....)

We've already booked the separate rooms (mainly because there was a possibilty that one of Si's mates would try and add to the booking at a later date but that's not going to happen now) and to be honest it wasn't much dearer - it only cost £28 extra for him to have his own room (and saves us having to suffer the smell of his socks )

No doubt I will think of lots more to ask over the coming weeks - thanks again for your patience!

Callie

Hi Lyn
I feel you have the basic family room, which is the one without the lounge in it. maybe they had sold out of the Double double family rooms with the excess of £2pppn? If you did want to upgrade, let me know and i'll get you the email, although saying this, you have been on their website.

Have you seen the Oonas pictures of the diving and roof top bar?

http://www.oonasdiveclub.com/low-oonas/hotels.htm

Michelle x
sonesta beach resort queen

Hi Michelle. TBH Im not too concerned about having extra space in our rooms as long as they are nice rooms and not old dilapidated ( sorry cant spell that ) ones . we only spend a couple of hours a day in there.

Im still in two minds whether to email them a couple of weeks before we go once they have our booking to see if they are able to upgrade and if so for the same money as thomson . Being as we would need 2 rooms I dont want to spend the extra money unless I feel it necessary. Do you know if some family rooms are better than others Michelle ??

Yes I did see the oonas pictures . looks very nice . I will definately email them nearer the time for some firm diving prices but as their prices stand on their website the last time I looked they were more expensive than sinai dive club whom we normally use . We have 4 divers here so even the difference of a tenner 4 times over 3/4 days makes a big difference. It would be a lot easier to use them or the people at the sonesta as our normal people are at Hilton sharks bay or hilton fayrouz . Im sure we will at least go the for a drinkie or shisha .

lyn

Im am going to Sonesta Club in August and reading the reviews im worried I might not like the food as I dont like rice. Please can someone put my mind to rest and let me know what type of food the buffet serves for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

Also going in peak season in August is it a massive struggle to get a sunbed if you dont get up before 8am.

Cheers any help would be most greatful

Nick

Hi
If it is the same food as the SBR and i should imagine on the same lines as the majority of Egyptian hotels then it would be virtually the same.
When i first came to Egypt years ago it was everything with chips and rice. I never touched the rice for fear of it not being cooked properly. By the end of the to weeks i was sick of chips

Nowadays yes they have rice but are not OTT with it as its a buffet so you have the choice with what's on offer.
At the SBR which SC is the sister hotel across the peace road, has a variety at lunch, dinner etc. They always seem to have potatoes on offer mainly new potatoes. At the SBR they do have chips, but only usually at the kids corner or the casablanca restaurant. I am not sure how many restaurants SC has, but normally rice isnt the only thing.

Buffet at breakfast is an array of omlettes which are cooked in front of you, cereals, pancakes, toast, bread rolls and pasteries, yogurts, fruit, juices, tea and coffee, also cooked tomatoes, grilled sausage, scrabbled egg, boiled eggs. I am assuming it is the same as ours.

Several meat cuts are offered at night with the carvery, veg, spaghetti (always on offer), potatoes etc. Deserts are always an array of cakes. At lunch and dinner free wine on offer via the A1 option.

If you are going in August you are talking 130 plus, i would recommend eat early, if not because the food is already cooked and in tins it dries out very quickly and gets over cooked due to the heat.

I know at the SBR in the summer time yes you will need to reserve sun beds, but that said have a word with the attendant, give him a tip and every day it will be saved for you

Enjoy your holiday
Michelle x
sonesta beach resort queen

Hi Lyn

If you email the Oonas, send them a copy via email of the prices that are cheaper, they may honour them, this has happened in the past They are good as majority are English.
Michelle x
sonesta beach resort queen

Thanks michelle . Will do . .I will leave it until just before we go once I know how many days ec they want to do .

Lyn..Oonas are a very good firm to dive with and they have an excellent reputation.

i don't know how long you are going for but if it only a week, why not go for a 3 day package. That will get 6 dives( although who can resist doing the 3rd dive of the day on the way back to harbour) and pay for any additional ones as they use them?

If you are truly going to be a dive widow then a 5 day package is the norm!!!!

Did you use them Val .??We are only going for one week so their normal routine would be 1 day dive , 1 day off so yes the 3 day package would be what im looking at . The older ones are also keen to do the thistlegorm now they are old enough.

TBH As much as they all enjoy their diving we have to get the right balance between what we can realistically afford , The early mornings if the older two want to come in late and of course the most important thing which is the amount of days that I am happy to sit there on my Larry.

No way will I let them do 5 days

We'll see Lyn

As long as I can keep hubby away from drinking with other divers during the evening I will be fine Michelle. It's only them that lead him astray .

lynwestie wrote:

As long as I can keep hubby away from drinking with other divers during the evening I will be fine Michelle. It's only them that lead him astray .

:rofl

WHY??

Just get in there and join 'em
The Dive club I was in still use the dive club as they are as good as Emperor but cheaper

No chance Gray . I am way too unfit for all that diving lark . I cant even manage to snorkel . As soon as that mask goes on my face I start to hyperventalate.

The Dive club I was in still use the dive club as they are as good as Emperor but cheaper

Do you mean Oonas ??

lynwestie wrote:

No chance Gray . I am way too unfit for all that diving lark . I cant even manage to snorkel . As soon as that mask goes on my face I start to hyperventalate.

The Dive club I was in still use the dive club as they are as good as Emperor but cheaper

Do you mean Oonas ??

OOnas Yes but I meant the bar not blowing bubblies

just waiting getting cheap entry to our leisure centre via the GP so by October should be dive fit again

trying to find somewhere in the DAUGHTERS budget now