Hia All

Just back from the Grand Azure!!! Weather was baking hot, so you will be in for a fantastic tan!!!

Really enjoyed the holiday, although have some mixed feelings about the hotel - mostly positive, but some negative!

We did upgrade room and wristband when we got there, which was worth doing for us.

Anyway, any questions at all, please ask away!!!

Jill

Hi Jill

I go on Thursday and am satying in a suite. What do you mean by mixed reviews? and did you have the well known Egypt tummy?

Ellie

You've caught up with the posts then Jill.

I mentioned that you had upgraded when you got there so you would be the best person to advise on whether it was worth it or not.

We're glad you upgraded since you were put into our block and we got to wave at you every evening, which bethan loved doing.

Hi Ellie

Well by mixed reviews I mean that there were good parts to the hotel but also some very bad things. (i.e service, cleaniness, food and food hygiene etc). We had a bad experience with a waitor trying to steal our camera, before we caught him, so that has left us witha bad taste. But overall we enjoyed the holiday and it has some very good parts, so please dont let my comments deter you!

It is 5 star for Egypt, but nowhere near the standard as another international 5 star hotel - on the surface it is and it looks lovely - the gardens and pools are amazing, but as you get into the holiday you notice things that tell you it isnt true 5 star.

Yes, got the famous Egyption tum and also was VERY ill when I got home for 2 days - most people there had the bad stomach you read about!!!

BUT...weather is fab, people are nice and you'll have a great hol!

Nikki - yes, loved our nightly call from Bethan up to the balcony!!!!

Hi Jill

Sorry to hear you had a bad time. Stealing is one of the things that makes me

Sorry to hear about the tummy upsets too. I have kind of decided that it is going to be part of the holiday and have accepted it. One more question, did you get drugs from the local chemist or did you try to keen on with the UK stuff?

If i see the waiter i will try to trip him up for you

Hia

Well I did take Immodium with me and tried that but it did nothing - went to the chemist and ended up paying £25 for tablets from them. Then the day i got home at the weekend I was really ill - throwing up first, then bad tummy and then passed out twice - saw the doctor who confirmed I had food poisoning - not pleasant. I was suprised too because we didnt eat that much, due to the food being so poor at the hotel!!

We will be writing to the holiday company (by the way the first choice rep is absolutely useless) to complain. On the last day we were leaving at 6pm and she told us to leave our luggage ready at noon outside our room and a porter will pick it up. We questioned this and asked where the luggage will be kept until 6pm and she told us it will be on the back of a van outside the hotel!!! We then said that when we get to airport and they ask the security questions about if anyone has been able to tamper with our cases what do we say..........'good point' she said and then told us she hasnt had a problem in the past. I told her that luggage is normally taken from you and at least locked in a room where people cant get to it and she told us that wasnt the case at the LTI!!!!! We decided to keep our luggage (as we had to be out of our room by noon, so had asked to keep room on until 6pm so we could shower etc, and had to pay an extra £19 for that) and we took our own luggage to the coach at 6pm. I wouldnt have minded leaving it with them if it was going to be locked away but it wasnt very safe to leave it outside the hotel on the back of a lorry where anyone could get to it!!!

Jill

WOW is all I can say -

I have just got back this morning from the hotel. I will try and cover all topics I wanted to know!
First of all anyone moaning about this hotel needs their head checking, this holiday was better than my one to the Maldives last year and that is no joke. Everyone on my transfer coach wanted to get off as well as me and my partner, it is DEFINATELY the best hotel in that area.
One first tip - you DO NOT need a Visa as long as you are not leaving Sharm El Sheik. All you have to do is write 'SINAI ONLY' on your landing card and the passport control stamp your passport as normal. I would suggest doing this as it saves you quite a bit for a whole family.

Now...back to the hotel! The jetty is fine at the beach, someone went on about had bad it was, yes they are working on it but you can get to the end of it easily and see the wonderful fish.
The swimming pools...WOW again, the main one was excellent with the lovely finishing touch of the waterside pool, yes bar stalls in the water! Quite a few times i ordered a cocktail on my lilo and sipped it in the sunshine in the water!!
The restaurant is lovely with a range of food, You wont get a fried breakfast like in Europe but the rest is fine, i would suggest eating at the top tier for lunch, dishes such as Chicken Pie, Steak Pie were available and were very nice! The Egyptian night on a Wednesday is great with a range of food which is all mouth watering. I did get the dreaded 'delhi belly' only once and Imodium worked fine.
No one has mentioned the Road Train going around the hotel taking you if to the beach and back, I used it quite a bit!
The Entertainment was okay, mainly aimed at the Russians and Italians but was still enjoyable, 'Mr Grand Azure '05' is worth watching on a Saturday night... four different nationalities competing!!
All the staff I found were very courteous and friendly.

I would DEFINATELY recommend this hotel to anyone and will certainly be going back.

Any questions and I will try and help

Regards
Glove1

Heading to the Azure on June 30th - first time visit. 2 families 2 kids ea ranging from 4 to 11 - going to Junior Suites, any tips welcome

I wonder if anyone can tell me if you need a visa to go on the local diving boat trips or to Ras Mohamed etc or is all that classed as Sinai

Also has anyone used the dive centre - particularly experienced divers. Interested in your opinions. Also how are the currents around the beach for kids etc snorkelling.

Also is the only beer available still Stella??? 12 years on and the memory is still there

Also, and this seems like such a British question sorry, but can anyone tell me what kind of tea they use at the grand azure. 2 weeks without a decent cup is a nightmare and you often find that Liptons Brisk tea stuff overseas which is just awful. As I said I apologise for the typical brit question but my big mate just needs to know so Lilo Lil (Hi Lil!!!) knows what to pack.

Thanks

JKH

Hia JKH

Sorry cant help you with the questions about diving. Cant remember about the tea either, but sure it was Liptons. We took some of our own teabags so we could have a decent cuppa!!! The beer available is Stella - not the Stella we know, but their version of it which is very nice and very drinkable.

Glove - glad you had a good holiday - it sounds a bit different to how ours ended - I think its unfair to say that anyone moaning about it needs their heads testing - I have been to far better 5 star hotels around the world and within Europe, and the reason I am giving people my opinion is so they are aware of everything before they go. I have said that we had a fantastic week, and the hotel is stunning with the pools and reception and gardens, but we just suffered some bad service and were ill - this doesnt equate to me needing my head testing, it is me giving my opinion on my experience there. You will have read that we also suffered the misfortune of a waitor trying to steal our camera (virtually in front of our eyes), another waitor was openly selling drugs across the bar to hotel guests in the lobby bar........we did put in formal complaints about this, but this is why we felt that although we had a great time, the hotel has its flaws and this combined with the poor food made for some mixed reviews from us.

Everyone going, just go with an open mind and you will enjoy it, and as long as you are aware of what to expect you will love it. The first few days we were there it felt like paradise, but as the days went by we noticed things that proved it wasnt really 5 star.

I agree with Glove though on the point of the jetty - lots of people were complaining about this and didnt go up it because of the work being done - there is work being done on it, but absolutely nothing that would stop you walking up it with ease - its a lovely walk and you should do it while you are there.

Jill

Of course there were things the hotel could improve on and I agree with Jill, its not a true 5* hotel, but then for the money paid, you can't grumble. You would only get one night in a true 5* hotel at these prices!

We always go with an open mind, and because we are too busy with the kids don't notice the bad like waiters selling drugs!

We have been to 5 star properties in Greece and Dominican and this does look much better than any of these properties. Food hygeine, was certainly the best we have ever seen in an all inclusive buffet restuarant as it was covered up at all times with proper lids, so flies couldn't get in. Who knows what went on in the kitchen, but our baby ate what we eat and was totally fine. Daughter just ate plain pasta and rice and was ill, so who knows what caused it.
Our 3 star in Kenya had the best entertainment by far!

Unfortunately Jill had a few bad experiences (you needed us still there Jill to get you back on the slides) but like she says go with an open mind and enjoy.

Nicky

Exactly Nikki, you get what you pay for.

Thats why I advise going with an open mind - for the money we paid we thought it too good to be true that everything would be 5* standards, and we were right that they weren't.

I have stayed all over in better 5* hotels - Tobago, America, Spain, Vienna, Nice, etc, but yes, did pay more for those holidays, so got what we paid for!!!

I think the hotel should reclass as a 4* minimum. I have no doubt that in Egypt it probably is 5* based on the standard of the hotels there.

We did have bad experiences that you wouldnt expect in a 2* never mind a 5*, but I guess this could happen anywhere, we were unfortunate - it all depends what peoples standards are really - I certainly dont agree its a 5* hotel, but others would disagree, its all based on their experiences of other places and there own experience in Grand Azure!!!

I think overall everyone we spoke to had the same opinion - people were shocked at how slow the service is and how bad some of the food hgyiene was, but again, you have to remember you are in Egypt and also what you paid for the holiday.

On the whole, with these experiences aside, for the money we paid we had a good holiday.

very true Jill. It all depends on where you have been before on how you rate the Grand Azure.

Drinks service at buffet restaurant was very slow, only got one drink for the whole meal (Dominican (Riu Hotel) gave bottles of wine at dinner and you were allocated a table and so you had the same waiter for two weeks who got to know exactly what you were drinking and didn't expect a tip). It did improve when we went and sat outside as not as busy and so you could ask the waiter for another drink.

Enough moaning from me now. Everyone going soon have a great holiday.

Yes, everyone just make sure you enjoy your hols!

Nicolaw - I've decided to go back to Sharm when Riu open their first hotel there! Haveing serious mind bending headaches deciding on whether this hotel was truly 5 star and how it compared to Carribean Riu - and which I prefer!!!!???

Hi Rhodgreen.

will PM you instead as my answer is off topic.

Everyone has a right to complain yes but some of the reasons for complaining like problems with waiters will be putting people off which yes I totally understand is a big greivance personally like the camera incident, that is not what you expect from the staff.

I truly loved it at the Grand Azure and it is definately worth its 5* rating. The food was fine... hygiene problems??.. didnt see any, all food was hot and nice, and the staff I came into contact with couldnt do enough to help and did NOT expect a tip, yes I did tip the maid but only because he did such a good job everyday. Also, I found the service of drinks to be fine, the only time you had to wait was at the entertainment at night but throughout the day I encountered no problems what so ever.

I have stayed in many hotels including Rui which havent been anywhere as good as here so please do not be put off if you have booked to go here.

Couple more useful info: Vodafone DOES work in Sharm if you take your mobile phone. Also, if you want to call the UK from the hotel itself this will cost you £1.70 per min.

Hi getting really excited reading all the reviews. My kids are fed up with me reading this forum but I've become addicted. Anyway has anyone got any info on the best deals for the trip to Cairo, and if or which one includes the trip on the Nile thanks Diana

Don't get me wrong Glove 1, we loved it too at the Grand azure and would deffinately go back which we don't say about many places. Maybe it was just the two weeks we were there that it was busy and so drink service slow.

Hi Ranna, Have a brilliant trip.

Nicky

Can anyone advise about airport to hotel Taxi's, How much? I've been told 50 egyptian max - some say £10 and is it quicker than the transfer coach, where are they sited when at the Airport, we will hopefully get out quicker because we are not having visa's

Nigel