Hi taffycat....found this site while looking for info on this hotel....we are going on Monday 15th on the same flight as you, for the same length of time, from the same area(wirral) and with the same tour operator!!!
You may see a mad woman with a 11 year old son at the airport....if so...please say hello!
thanks for starting this thread it's answered all the questions I was going to ask!!!
Mandy

There isn't much to do around the Hotel other than the organised trips. The whole area is very quiet and is aimed at relaxing holidays - if you want night life and loads to do you should head for Sharm or Naama Bay

Check out http://www.dolphinreef.co.il if you want to find out about the dolphins - they are not performing and can easily leave the enclosures into the Gulf of Aquaba if they want to - its really nice there.

thanks for the dolphin reef info - how much (roughly in pounds) did it cost, entry and snorkelling?
relaxing and enjoying the sun sounds perfect!

Briar, the gates are left shut now because the dolphins would go to hotel beaches, guests would then grab the dolphins, who then bit the guests. It's not the dolphins fault, but the people who need educating. That's what dolphin reef are doing now.

They can go free if they wanted to. The fences and gates are so low (only about a foot above sea level) that they could easily jump them.

Am visitin the Holiday Inn next Saturday with my partner and my two teenage children....

I apologise in advance!



Hope to have a truly relaxing holiday, and compare this resort with Sharm where I spent June!

Can anyone give me a good comparison on the snorkelling quality?

Hi everyone,
not been able to get on the computer until now due to intense compettition with the older children in the household
Thanks for answering all my questions,i think i am all set now.Will be really glad to get away,and it sounds just wonderful,i'm sure this wont be our only visit to egypt
seems as though thanks to this site we are going to meet up with some lovely people,
look forward to meeting you all,watch out for the tired middle aged couple with the dynamic four year old.
i think i have only got the one question left..i know i have read it somewhere but cannot find the thread...is there a duty free shop at taba airport when coming home??
oh! and safety deposit boxes in the hotel rooms are secure ar'nt they? i mean no-one else has a key do they?
anyway now i'm just looking for worries monday morning here we come!!!

taffy, yes there is a duty free at Taba, but it's only tiny.

Can't tell you what sort of safe the rooms have. Some use keys, some are electronic which you put your own code in.

Have a great time, see you there when we arrive on 25th. Don't forget to put Sat 27th in your diary.

Thanks Everest,
already done!! and got the marmite too.
see you then

hi mandy wished we had known we could of shared a taxi

We have just returned from the Holiday Inn in Taba and thought it superb value for money, it has a few problems but nothing insurmountable.
The weather last week was hot but there is plenty of shade at the hotel and the kiddies pool is under cover, there were plenty of sunbeds on the beach but get there early and bag a spot! there is cover under the palm umbrellas. Also there is a play area on the beach for little kiddies, but suggest you visit it at cool times of the day. Snorkelling fantastic but way into the sea is a bit like Lladudno, aka large stones and you will need to wear good sandals or fins to get into the water.
Food samy but good, all the kids we saw there eat heartely as there is now a special kiddies table with child friendly food.
Bottles of water freely available. Rooms VERY good condition and clean.
Security is good but understated so you are not really aware of it, but be prepared that on the transfer bus through the desert you will prob have a plain clothed armed security man. But bear in mind that we live near a large shopping mall and saw an openly armed police man there today!
So dont be to alarmed.
All staff very friendly, see Victor in the Hotel Shop and say Jo and Ivan sent you Prices cheaper than the town markets much to our surprise.
One last minute piece of advise - Take hats for everyone, plus high factor sun cream. If you can, get up for a sunrise over the sea it is unforgettable. Have a great time, we did and would not hesitate in revisiting the hotel.

LOL...we certainly could've shared...never mind....maybe see you at the airport!
mandy

Just finished packing........taxi arriving just after 8 in the morning.......just a tad excited now!!!
mandy

Well the wife and I got back last night after 2 weeks and I will post just a little trip report.

The hotel itself is fantastic. The lobby is huge and clean and the rooms are pefectly fine for a 2 week stay.

The running of the hotel is not quite as good.

The first week we were there things were not bad, except for the fact that the poolbar only seems to have about 2 cd's and after hearing them over and over again it gets a bit tiring. I would recommend taking a few over for him to play as they are usually qquite open to playing something different.

Same for the evening sound system. They play the same tunes at the same time every night, so you can almost set your watch by them!

However the second week wasnt as good. The hotel became completely full, but consequently ran out of sunbeds (get there early and leave a towel over as many as you need to guarantee a spot, especially if you want a parasol) and the same in the evening. People had to sit along walls and window ledges as there werent enough chairs.

There was also one occasion when we went in for our evening meal and it was only the fact that a group of people were getting up to leave that there was any tables left.

Also they need more staff. The poor bloke running the evening bar was ran off his feet most nights as queues formed 2 deep waiting to be served until someone had a word with the rep, and the next night they had 3 people serving at busy periods.

There were a few other smaller room-related problems. One night the air condiditoning wouldnt work, the next night the safe stopped working, the next night(!) the socket where the tv and our kettle were plugged in stopped working, but all were solved swiftly after a call to the reception.

One last thing. Sometimes when you are getting drinks, you are asked to sign pink triplicate forms. As we had paid for all-inclusive we naturally eyed these with suspicion, even though the staff assured us they were only for "stock-taking", I couldnt see how this was possible as they only asked us to sign sometimes, but rest assured, at the end of the holiday we were not asked to pay for anything, so sign away with your mind at ease.

We booked an overnight trip to cairo with first choice, which was good but tiring, and a trip to dahaab with the nature tours rep for half the price that first choice offered, so like others have said before me, check their prices rather than just going to the welcome meet and sigining up with your rep straight away.

Hi everyone, we're here!!!
All is great apart from upset tums
Teamed up with taffycat (who would post but can't remember her password!!) and we're having a great time snorkelling and chilling out.
Updates all round when we get back
Love Mandy and taffycat

Hi can any one tell me are beach towels supplied or do we have to bring our own.

Beach towels are provided, both at the pool and on the beach.

Most of the time we would walk past the pool on the way to breakfast and plonk something down, like a hat or a bag, to make it obvious they were in use, and by the time we got back, there were blue and white striped towels all ready for us to lie on.

Im going to the Holiday Inn in Taba on the 10th of september this year..... really looking forward to it.....

Anything else i should know other than whats been covered on here??

All looks pretty good, will be nice and hot but also quiet this time of year.....

Anyways any advice would be very welcome......

thanks

Brear

When do mandy and taffy get back from taba?? Anyone know as im waiting for their review until i book the hotel!!

Cheers