How do you qualify for a gold band at the hotel?

We had one in april Mobor . Think they were for repeat guests but not sure they would know that if you normally use a tour op

Is there any particular block/room no. I should ask for ? I might email them a few days before I go, sorry to be lazy, but have you got an email addy that would be good for this.

I would imagine I am in the old side as I haven't paid any supplements. I don't particularly want to be near the building noise, but otherwise am not too fussy. I am assuming that more or less all the rooms on the old side have been refurbished by now ?

Use this one chris . Reservations manager .
Hazem.Hamed@hilton.com

They always ask if you want to upgrade when you get there but it's really only an upgrade if you want one of the newer rooms . Plus's and minus with both but we prefer to be close to the sea rather than the airport runway + the old side is more established with more character and colour. It really depends on what is important to you and what you are used to if you are repeat visitors. To us they feel like 2 seperate hotels.

If you are staying old side chris personally I prefer the blocks running down towards the sea rather than a room in the main hotel block. . We always like block 1 or 2 that are closest to the beach but you need to remember with those it's a sometimes hard in the heat walk back up so maybe a block halfway between main pool and beach close to the small pool would be better if you dont want to trudge too far back up. we had one of those on our first visit even on the ground level a nice sea view . I'd imagine that was where Mobor was situated , maybe he can remember his room number . the first number will indicate the block number .

They are very accomodating there so if you dont like what you are given , Some feel much darker than others depending on what way the room faces do ask to change as soon as the key goes in the lock . I would even say at reception can we check out the room first . I'm that cheeky there now

Thanks Lyn, that's all really helpful. I didn't pay for a sea view so I think it might be cheeky to ask for one of the front blocks. Although come to think of it I have nearly always had a sea view in Sharm and never asked for one - just lucky I guess.

I probably need to walk about in the heat as much as possible TBH as some kind of weight loss campaign. I am sure I would be happy on the old side.

That hill will get your blood pumping chris .

Loved the hill Lyn. I can see the attraction of this hotel, what about all the little plaques dotted around saying Mr and Mrs Blah, Blah, 18 visits to Hilton Sharks Bay they did tickle me?

I think I am like most of the people who go here, think its a great hotel, although am not sure I could do 18 visits !

The staff are out of this world they make the hotel, the sunset bar & the beach terraces made it for us in terms of the daytime. 4 days we were on the paved beach terraces with the beautiful view of the sparkling sea and white boats bobbing up and down. I had to get off my sun-bed at least once an hour to check it out.

The main pool was nice at sharks Bay 1, intimate and I could see why you like it Lyn, especially when you are being a dive widow. Although we went to the one at Sharks Bay 2 for our other two days, I think this must be one of the best pools I have ever seen in all my years of travel. I used there spar (eventually gave in to all the badgering) which was fantastic, I guess because it is so new.

Like many I felt the food let the hotel down, especially the evening buffet, but it really wasn't an issue for us as we only ate there twice & once was the first night when you are jaded after travel, the second time the food was marginally better, with more choice - although I dont have much to compare to as my only other AI was the Holiday Village where the food was better - I wonder if the downturn in tourists has affected the amount of choices they can offer ? We used the shuttle bus, which was most efficient for Namma Bay 4 times and walked to Soho the other night and had a lovely meal there.

I will eventually do a full review, may have to wait till the weekend though.

Wish I was back there now.

Really thrilled you enjoyed it Chris and waiting patiently for your review

I think probably the lower occupancy rates have made a difference to the choice of food . I cant ever remember there being such a small choice as what we found in april but numbers were only just starting to pick back up then . the restuarant manager was so concerned when dave left most of his meal the first night that he said he would get him whatever he fancied brought out .

I have done a review now Lyn, I expect it's waiting for Glynis to approve it. We had a great time & I hope I didn't concentrate too much on the food, but people always seem very interested in this aspect of AI hotels.

I agree that the lack of food choices must be down to the low occupancy, must be heartbreaking & expensive to have to throw food away at the end of the day, so I fully understand why it's better to offer fewer choices.

It wasn't as busy as the HV when I went the other year before the political unrest, however it seemed pretty full, much better than I was expecting, there is nothing sadder than an empty hotel.

I did ask the staff in the Spa at HSB 2 & they said their occupancy rate was 75% & 2 weeks before was 100%, dont know if they talk it up but looking around seemed about right to me.

I liked the area, if i win the lotto I am going back to white knights bay to the Savoy

If I went back I would still go for the old side as we liked being close to the sea and the room was fine, we were hardly ever in it.

Brilliant and comprehensive review Chris and I didnt feel it was overweighted by the food aspect at all.

I know some people are put off with there not actually being a beach there but I love the way the terraces are designed so you are above and looking out at the view . It's funny we havnt spent any time lying there since our first visit when we always got sunbeds right next to railing looking out . Dave would sit on a chair gazing out whilst I stuck with my sunbed but the view was always fabulous. I was very tempted in april but I tend to get a bit stuck in my routine of sunbed in the same place by the pool every day. Must try to be different next year .

.

The little plaques are hilarious . Some of us may get our own one in a few years time

Did you get in for a snorkel. ?? It took me 3/4 years to put one of them on and with the help of one of the Egyptian dive lads that held my hand tight until I was ready to let go and drift off I finally made it last year only to be put off again this year by sharks

We loved the beach area and thought it was one of the big plus points.

There are quite a lot of little terraces and a fair few sunbeds, but they haven't crammed them in, also you can place them either so that no one walks infont of you, or if you go to the back no one walks behind you, making it relatively peaceful. Its the first time I have read 3 paperbacks on holiday since I had the children . The elevation is good for the views and the sunset bar so convienent for cool drinks.

Didn't snorkel, but when to the end of the jetty and dangled my feet in the water a few times and they are still attached so hopefully no sharks that close in. Lots of people in enjoying the water. The Russians are back in large numbers which must be great for the hotel as I had heard they had stopped visiting.

I think I could see the roped area from the jetty of the Sunrise Island View (?)and that was even busier, loads of swimming and snorkelling going on there.

Does anyone know if the Hilton Sharks Bay has any single rooms, or has anyone stayed in one. Would it be a case of if you booked three people in to two rooms would the third person get one of the doubles to themselves if they were paying a supplement?

Ive pmed you chris .. I think It will be 2 standard doubles .. just make sure it says 2 rooms because you dont want them to try and put 3 of you in a triple on arrival .

Thanks Lyn. Haven't committed myself to anything, but if I do I will deffo make sure it says 2 rooms. The room we had on the old side wouldn't have taken a single as well at the double (well if it did you wouldn't have been able to walk round the beds ), so I guess it would be two similar rooms to that one.

For a 3rd person in the standard old side room they used to use a rollaway but some rooms may be smaller than others . last time George was on the sofa bed but it was actually much bigger than the rollaway . Looked rather comfy .. would of been quite happy on there myself .

Apologies .. got back last weekend in the midst of HT going awol but pleased to say we had yet another lovely holiday there .

Transported on the buggy to block 1 again on the old side as requested and exact 2 rooms we had last year.

compared to the hilton of several years ago standards have dropped but I think that is more to do with them trying to actually make any money right now . The hilton is a well established hotel with many repeat English guests but I feel they have become complacent and so need to up their game a bit to fend off some of the competition around now . Back in the days when there were only a 3rd of the hotels along the coast compared to the amount now the hilton was up there in terms of good quality A/I and it was packed with lots of families with older teens during easter . There doesnt seem anywhere near as many of those now and I suspect that market is going elsewhere in Sharm. shame because it's still a lovely hotel with lovely staff , friendly guests and a very easy going feel.

The food is not the greatest but I felt it was slightly better than last year and you will certainly never go hungry .
which brings me onto the beer . I dont drink it but my husband does and he couldnt even drink it this year . You expect A/I to be watered down somewhat but It's either badly watered down now or they have changed to an incredibly cheap brand ,it's goes flat within about 2 minutes! They need to sort that pronto . Disappointingly the one place we enjoyed , the sunset bar now uses hideous plastic beakers that always go grubby looking after a few washes . I cant remember if the beer was served in them last year but certainly coffee never was . They now give you the smallest plastic beaker imaginable of coffee and if you ask for a bigger one they say they are not allowed.

some of the reviews elsewhere I feel are very unfair to be honest and I wonder if some of these people are staying somewhere else unless of course they are unfortunate enough to get upset stomach that I wouldnt wish on my worst enermy. . all in all still good value for money although we have never stayed on the new side so dont know how that compares .. . we did try the restaurant there 1 evening and it was lovely to be greeted by Ahmed and some of the old faces with a kiss but it was packed and the service not as good as the old side for that reason . Enjoyed the Q bar there on several evenings. We paid £35 each per night for sea view rooms and all the food and drink we wanted . How can you argue with that. Oh and no Pharoahs revenge from any of us Im pleased to report .

I'll try and get a full review done over the weekend but that's basically the highlights.

Oh and very sad to see Thorston and julia no longer at the dive centre. (business has been bad) We really missed them and it's no longer the same without them. They are still in sharm ..At the Baron for now I think but if anyone has any contact details for them could you please pm me. apparently they went last may not long after our last visit .

lyn x

Welcome back Lyn, glad to hear you had another good holiday in Sharm

Hi Lyn

Pleased to read your post. Have missed all the excitement (if that's the right word) of if HT would be here or not whilst in El Gouna.

So glad you had a great time, I thought about you on our first couple of days at the Movenpick as I think they would have been your last days at the HSB.

So agree with you about the beer Last Autumn when we were there DH asked me exactly what i had got him he said it certainly wasn't beer

In El Gouna (not our hotel though) you could get a huge bottle of sakara gold for 20 LE so two quid well spent according to DH. Reckon you would have needed 100 small plastic cups at the HSB to get the same level of alcohol as one bottle of Gold, although we noticed that a lot of hotels are not selling Sakara & they are helping Heineken to take over their quest for world domination, which is a shame as we like to support local stuff if possible, even if its only one bottle a day lol.

Looking forward to your review !

xxxx