I have replied to your PM, after you have answered my query i can help you.

Michelle x

Thanks Michelle

Hi Graham

I am not sure what TC offer in relation to your room space, i know all low numbers eg, 121, 100, 200 etc are all smaller rooms. Don't panic they are perfectly expectable but i like plenty of room. If there are more than 2 in your party, i would definitely think about an upgrade which should cost you £28 pp per week. They are called the double double family rooms. They have a bathroom, a room with a wardrobe and wooden seat area, and a dressing table. You then walk into the main bedroom area with a double bed, or two singles. Walk down a couple of steps into the lounge with the tv and two wooden sofas, leading off this room is another room fit for another bed with a window. There are two doors, one from the passageway, the other leading into your private garden.

The rooms are dark and they are white colonial buildings, egyptian style. If however you are looking for more up market Marriott style or hilton rooms that are the same all the world, then you maybe disappointed.
These rooms are huge and are approx 5-10 mins from reception near the Italian pool as us Brits describe it. These rooms are in the 1500- 2000 - 3000 block. The room i always have is 1105, 3 mins from the Doctors and 5 mins from reception. There is a casino that takes $ approx £25 to get in, you use that money, but its to stop kids etc get in etc. We have some great restaurants on site and approx 6-7 swimming pools, i recommend the oasis pool, it has great views and is located near the 2000 block, it is also fairly quiet, as mostly the kids are located by the main reception. The beach is 5 mins from reception, and i recommend to call into the oonas dive bar and restaurant. Pizzas are a couple of quid with a drink, although being A1 you may possibly not want to visit there, but i know everyone, and for a cool drink and a shisha pipe over looking the whole of Naama Bay is a must. To locate it, it is up the side of the Oonas bar passed security. Karreem does the pipes, ask for a mix, great stuff

Towels are changed daily, twice sometimes if you wish, any problems they will sort it out.

The beach has free towels, you are given a card at check in, always remember it when you return your towels. They charge you if you lose it. If A1, all drinks you can get from the beach and ice creams etc. Bar-b-q nights as well.

The Ghazala is about 6 hotels away from the Sonesta Beach, with the Jolieville one end and sofitel the other. Sonesta is North, and the Ghazala right near naama bay, approx 6 mins walk, we are the quieter end, approx 25 mins walk. We eat at the Ghazala and listen to the singer, the best entertainment we find is at the Jolieville hotel, great food there.

Well if you havent nodded off by now ill be surprised if i havent covered anything then please ask away.

But remember ask for a double double room!

Michelle x

Enter Sonesta Beach from the link of thomson, and it will show you the large rooms i was talking about.
http://www.thomson.co.uk/videos/videos.html

click africa
click egypt
click red sea
click sharm el sheikh
click sonesta beach resort.

Michelle x

More photos on the SBR........
http://www.thomson.co.uk/destinations/africa/egypt/egypt-red-sea/sharm-el-sheikh/hotels/sonesta-beach-resort.html

Michelle x

The late deals from the thomson web site, just to compare TC price......

http://www.thomson.co.uk/late-deals/destinations/africa/egypt/egypt-red-sea/sharm-el-sheikh/hotels/sonesta-beach-resort.html

Michelle x

Thanks Michelle

So much for urgent info required ! I was to phone Thomas Cook back and confirm the change and that was when I was going to make a request for a specific room type or area or ask for an upgraded room, all I get now is an answering machine with a promise that someone will call me right back, of course despite leaving several messages they haven't
Presumably as we are a couple we will be given a double room anyway ?

We are going with an other couple who are staying at the Kharamana which was very close to the Ghazala Gardens so presumably it is now about 25 minutes away.

I actually like rooms with a bit of character about them so won't have a problem there.

So there is not particular rooms or area that I should request as long as we get a double, is that correct ?

Thanks again
Graham

Hi Graham

The very large rooms i go in are the double double family rooms (there is only 2 of us)..shown on the video link.

The double rooms are big enough, but the A/C is rubbish and waist high, the rooms are stuffy and very hot in summer.

The double rooms are nearer recetion.

I went into the double room once, and although loved the room, it was soooooooo hot due to A/c, so never again.

Any room above the 1000s should be bigger, as i said, mine is the same as the video link, they are the largest, so if you want a largest room, ask for not a family room, but a double double room with the supplement

Hi Graham

They have left it a bit late to notify you of this change. Three days hardly gives you time to sort out any alternatives. I can't beleive they didn't know this earlier.

Make sure they definately give you the Sonesta Beach and not the Sonesta Club or it will be a further 'bit of cheek' on their part, as I think I posted on Altoman's thread one is a 3* the other 4*.

In the summer we are going to Turkey with the now Thomas Cook Group (originally booked with Airtours last May) and I fully expect to be messed about.

I'm sure you will enjoy Sharm when you get there, but you don't need this stress a few days before you go.

Doe

Hi Doe

I can't get back throught to them now to confirm changes and that the hotel is def the Sonesta Beach, yesterday it went on to a supervisors answering machine with a message that the call would be passed on and I would get rung back shortly, despite several messages being left nobody called back. Today the message is that the person is out of the office until Monday, fat lot of good that is, customer service, they don't know the maening of the 2 words.

I'm sure you will enjoy Sharm when you get there, but you don't need this stress a few days before you go

Yesterday was a good day, not, for my last ever bookings with this company, in the morning I received a letter from them & if you get a minute you can read about this ridiculous change near the bottom of this thread

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=36396&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=120

All this is on top of the fact that they managed to take the final payment for my Egypt holiday twice and this resulted in me occuring bank charges. I had to send them bank statements showing the double payment before they would refund the payment and I am still trying to get my bank charges back from them.

I am sure we will enjoy Sharm when we get there, I did forget to mention a couple of our friends are also going with us now and they had booked the hotel next to the Ghazala Gardens so we were close to each other

At least they can't mess up the sunshine out there (I hope)

I hope your Turkey trip goes OK

Graham

Hi Graham

I hope you manage to get through so that at least you know which hotel you are going to. What a monumental up over the money.

Re being close to your friends, from what I remember, all the said hotels (apart from Sonesta Club, which is the other side of the road) are along the beach front at Namma Bay so I dont think it will be difficult for you to meet up even though you are no longer in the hotel next door. That is providing TC dont move you to Nabq or Sharks Bay or Ras um Sid . The last thing you need is to be having to get cabs just to meet up for a drink.

Good Luck, let us know how you get on. Hopefully they have no influnence over the weather.

Doe

Hi Doe

Still can't get through to Thomas Cook, recording says 'operators are busy, please try again' and then phone gets cut off.

Anyway as the operator who I spoke to mentioned Sonesta Beach I emailed them directly with our details to see if they had a room booked for us.
I have had a reply back with confirmation from them plus a room upgrade, so it looks as though that is where we will be going and they at least seam on the ball, well done Sonesta Beach.

I am sure we will have a great time there.

Thanks everybody

Graham

Phew! That's a relief for you. Hope you have a great time at the Sonesta Beach, Michelle (derwentrocker) certainly seems to love it there.

The colonial style wouldn't bother me either the Crowne Plaza was similar architecture and I like heavy dark furniture. It's just a bit of a shock to folk who expect the generic hilton style rooms.

Have a good one, Doe

I have shares in the place yes its my patch. I have via PM trying to sort Graham out, and hopefully i have given him all the info he and his partner require for a super holiday.

Have a great time, and remember the review when you come back

Michelle x

Thanks Michelle and Doe

I am sure Mrs Kiltie and I will have a great time, Michelle has given me loads of great info and having looked at the hotel it looks really nice.

As this is our first visit to Sharm it is just a pity it didn't all go according to plan but hey it will be great anyway.

Will let you know all about it when we return, was going to take pictures but in the keeping of this holiday my camera broke today will try and get one for snorkelling pictures.

Thanks everybody

Graham

Same predicament Graham only with a lot more notice. like you this is my first and last time with this lot. Never had any bother with First Choice.
methinks further troble lies in store for me. we are booked on a Thomsonfly flight on a Thursday. it appears though that Thomson flights are on a Monday though.
I await with bated breath

Altoman,Dont worry as Thomson do fly on a Thursday from Sharm.I was with First Choice but saw a lady I knew in the Thomson queue at Sharm airport and this was on a Thursday last month.

Hi Altoman

I would push for an upgraded hotel if you can, it should certainly be the same rating as the one you were booked in to originally, the answer I got was take it or leave it and you will get no compensation or upgrade of any kind.

I contacted Sonesta Beach directly and they very kindly have given me an upgraded room.

Altoman, I have just been doing a bit more checking for you and have found flights from Glasgow on a Thursday with Thomson -

Sharm el Sheikh THU 0930-2155, TOM4541 AirTours / Direct Holidays

There is also a Thomas Cook flight -

Sharm el Sheikh THU 0900-2145, TCX693K Panorama Holidays

I hope you get it also sorted, we have used Direct Holidays for years and never a problem but they are a disaster since the 'merger' with Thomas Cook so never again.

Graham

Go and make the best of your holiday graham and fight them when you get back.
We are booked on the thomsonfly flight but i find it strange in the Thomson site that they do not fly from glasgow on a thursday.
if they change to a Monday for us then the gemmes a bogey as I will struggle to rearrange hols. from work
Andy D