281 Reviews
Traveller Rating
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Excellent91
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Very Good127
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Good46
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Average14
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Poor2
Review Overview
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Cleanliness
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Entertainment
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Food
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Service
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Location
The food was better than any other hotel I have stayed in. Loads off choice and all well cooked. Very good service, always offered drinks very quickly and was never expected to give tips.
Hotel locction was not so good. Its about 30 min drive from naama bay and cost roughly 60 Egypt pounds each way (never pay more than this).
Hotel staff were always so friendly, can not comment any further as can only say they were fantastic.
As with all other reviews the entertainment was useless. We went for the first night and left after 45 mins. The first choice entertainment team just tried to hard and were actually quite annoying.
However the reps were fantastic. Very friendly and approchable.
Beach is very nice, however beware there are no toilets and the nearest ones are about a 10 min walk back to the hotel.
I would probably not go back until it is more establised. Spoke to the guest relations manager and he said that at the moment they are looking for peoples reviews so that they can look into making things better.
But all in all it was a lovely hotel.
Travel operator: FIRST CHOICE
The two large pools were extremely impressive except for the water to be freezing cold.
We stayed all inclusive and the food was acceptable. Quite a varied range however if you are a fussy eater you would be limited to what you could eat. We had a meal at the Italian Restaurant on site and it was a vast improvement on the other hotel restaurants. Drinks were quite expensive but the standard of food made up for this.
The majority of staff were extremely friendly and courteous however, we did find pool bar staff and housekeeping hint at tips whenever possible!
The entertainment was dire!!!! Catered more for families which is great if you have a child. Our party consisted of two couples and most nights we retired to our rooms early and watched films on the TV - not what you go on holiday for! Even Christmas Day we ended up leaving the bar at 11pm - children's entertainment still going on! The Irish Bar could not be more different from an Irish Bar if they tried. The alternative was to sit in the foyer area looking at each other - no music or anything!
Hotel health centre was useful. Hottest steam room and sauna I have ever experienced.
All in all a nice hotel with pleasant surroundings however two downsides (excluding the non-existent entertainment) hotel is too far out from the main centre and there is also a lot of aircraft noise. Most days at least 8-10 planes could be heard.
Travel operator: First Choice
Our stay included Christmas but not the New Year. The quality of food in all the restaurants was very good, always hot and fresh with plenty of variety and many themed nights, chicken, fish and beef based dishes always available along with an excellent salad bar. Soups, pastas, pizzas, numerous desserts/pastries and a kids corner with chips, burgers, nuggets etc. Full breakfasts (but no bacon or sausages), around the pool snacks from the barbecue and hot lunches available at the mermaid bar/restaurant (outdoors) near the beach.
Our room (1219) had a pool/sea view and was on the second floor. It was plenty big enough for the three of us (though the beds are a little hard) and was kept spotlessly clean by our excellent housekeeper. Most problems were immediately sorted out to 100% satisfaction. One cause of concern that regularly arose was the unpredictable water temperature of the shower - once set it would change drastically and without warning, sometimes to almost scalding hot. This meant constant supervision of our child so in the end we all ended up having baths instead.
The location of the hotel is a little remote but a regular bus service to Naama Bay is provided by the Hotel for a small fee(
Travel operator: First Choice
Arrived at the hotel on 29th December just in time for the New Year's Eve Party, and what a party it was. The Hotel had gone to great lengths for this celebration. A marquee had been erected at the side of the hotel and decorated out Bedouin style. The food and entertainment was excellent and would certainly recommend new year here.
All the hotel staff are extremely pleasant and will do anything for you.
The food in the Dine-around and Italian Restaurant was excellent. Plenty of choice in the main dine around restaurant, so we didn't get board. Drinks in the Italian were extra which we found to be on par with English restaurant prices, 2 rounds of drinks and 2 bottles of wine for 8 people worked out at
Travel operator: Eclipse
The bathroom was really nice with hairdryer for the wife so she was happy - just a good size bathroom,double wardrobe and a good tv. You dont need dvd player as there are about 32 channels which include movie channels which was sound for the kids whilst we was getting ready to go out. The room was cleaned every day and towels and linen too by the best cleaner in the world -SHOKRY is his name.
The pools were lovely and big, pool area always clean and tidy, more sunbeds than people so no need to get up early and reserve them, HOUSIN ALI and recreation team do a top class job around the pool, they always made time for the kids even though they where really busy. They made my kids holiday special.
The bars around the pool where very good, there was a quiet pool for relaxation and reading, favoured by the older generation. Palms pool bar plays music and best for kids because they can just walk in the pool and it starts off shallow and slopes in to about 1m deep at most - which is where we were everyday.
The barman here whos name is AHMED ABRAHIM is a top class bloke, he looked after my kids everyday with ice creams and drinks, he even made sure that my diabetic 6 year old had only diet drinks when he went to the bar by himself and my 4 year old thinks the world of him.
We thought the food was top class where ever you ate but you had to queue sometimes but good food worth waiting for, plates are cleaned away as soon as you're done which is excellent when you have kids.
Travel operator: first choice
We stayed in a jacuzzi suite which was lovely, we had a great view of the pool and sea. the food was different each night and was lovely.
The food from room service was also lovely. The location of the hotel was ideal, not near any noisey bars and not too far away to get a taxi (although the hotel have a shuttle bus to take you into namma bay) all the staff were so friendly and helpful.
The entertainment staff tried really hard but it wasn't our cup of tea (more for kids) we would go back to this hotel again.
We stayed for xmas and new years and it was fantastic.
Travel operator: First Choice
The hotel is practically brand new as it only opened in July 2005 and it is kept in a high state of cleanliness both inside and out. There are, however, teething problems you would associate with a new building such as doors not closing properly, etc, but on the whole the hotel is in an excellent state of repair.
Our room was cleaned thoroughly every day and the gardens outside are constantly maintained to a high standard. There is even the daily ritual of some obnoxious white coloured smoke being unleashed on the grass around the hotel every sunset in order to deter snakes, etc.
The food in the buffet restaurant was excellent. Each evening there was a different theme such as American, Indian, Chinese, Alexandrian, etc. as well as a whole host of Egyptian cuisine. There is also an Italian restaurant which guests are allowed to visit once in every week in which they stay at the hotel. However, as my brother and I prefer the buffet style of eating we did not use this restaurant. During the day food is also provided at a pool-side barbecue and at an outside restaurant by the beach.
The weather, even in December/January, is wonderful in Sharm el Sheikh. During our stay there were two days when it was cloudy but the rest of the time we enjoyed wall to wall sunshine with temperatures on average reaching 26 degrees centigrade. However, given the fact that this was the winter period the days were short with sunset at around 5 o'clock in the evening.
There are a range of entertainment activities organised during the day such as volley ball, football, lunch time quizzes, etc and there are also entertainment activities organised in the evenings. I personally can't really comment on the evening entertainment facilities at this hotel or indeed in the Sharm el Sheikh resort as our evenings were spent eating in the restaurant and then going back to our room to watch movies on satellite television. We were more concerned about not having late nights so that we could get out by the pool early in the morning in order to get a good days sunbathing in.
While staying at the hotel there are many different types of excursions to go on. These include trips to Luxor and Cairo as well as scuba diving expeditions. Indeed, there is a diving school at the hotel in which you can train and book diving trips in the Red Sea. Again, I cannot comment on these extra-curricular activities as we did not go on any but I must say that you should try some snorkelling in the Red Sea by the Jetty as even in these shallow waist-deep waters there are a multitude of exotic looking fish to view.
I only had two major gripes with the hotel. Firstly, the showers are a potential death trap. They run from cold to scalding hot when you use them so it may be safer to just have a bath. Secondly, the individual who cleaned our room annoyed me at the end of our stay. He had visited our room several times during the last two days of our holiday for one reason or another and it was obvious to us that he was looking for a tip. This theory was confirmed when an hour before we had to vacate our room he knocked on the door for no real reason at all and then after about a minute of virtual silence while he just stood there giving me funny looks he blurted out 'I hope you're going to leave me a present because if you don't the management will think I haven't being doing my job properly'. This annoyed me so much that I left him no tip at all when I vacated the room. Something I've never done before.
Two words of advice. Firstly, ignore those doom merchants who advice you not to eat salads or any other cold foods which have been washed in water. I ate the salads every day as did my brother and neither of us contracted any stomach bugs. I even heard of people who cleaned their teeth using mineral water. Again, ignore this as the tap water in the hotel is quite safe. This is the 21st century we're living in now after all.
Secondly if your not planning to leave the hotel for trips, etc, then there is no need to bring Egyptian currency with you as the hotel is happy to accept pounds sterling for any additional expenditure. In fact they seem to prefer it to their own currency.
In short, this is a lovely hotel and an excellent location to visit during the winter period due to its all year round sunshine. There is also the wonderful New Years Eve Party to enjoy with its dancing horses and true Egyptian hospitality. Highly recommended! I'd love to come back next year.
Travel operator: First Choice
We were very pleased with the room, the staff were great friendly they seemed happy in their work, always willing to help.
Food was plenty and the choice also plenty was always something to like.
The First Choice staff at the hotel were in my opinion were brilliant, they tried really hard to please and help you.
To sum up our holiday was one of the best we have had, and we will return
Travel operator: first choice
Food was really nice, something for everybody, to much choice ,all decissions, beautifull cakes and pastrys.Getting the drinks was no problem very little queuing.
Greeted with a drink when we arrived, got keys in no time, didnt get our towel tickets in envelope, didnt really need them as we didnt go in water much,but best to tell them thinking about it now as we had one problem at end of holiday, you have to make sure you give you key in early or else you will be charged a day!
We took ours at 10 to 12 and he checked computer for mini bar, we had nothing from it as it was empty when we arrived and we didnt order any thing but we did have hassle trying to explain this and we were both quite cross and fed up as we felt awfull, I said I had wrote a glowing report about hotel and this spoilt it,but got over it, but just beware as some one else was queerying it.
They did the most excellent gala dinner for new years eve, it was great.everybody had goodie bags with hats and whistles etc, great evening would cost a fortune at home.
We didnt use the pools as we like the beach, plenty of beds apart form some use them as wind breaks, as it is a bit breezy but mostly it was nice, we did get rain one day, and chilly breeze a couple of evenings, but loads beter than england, and got a tan.
The whole holiday wa great, met some lovely people most seemed friendly, would go back if I went back any where, it will soon have lots going on as building is happening, not to bother you at hotel, Namma Bay is good, just went by sghhuttle bus one evening and taxi by day, to do glass bottom boat trip, not with first choice,as to expensive, nice lot shops if that is what you want, we didnt, Hard Rock cafe was good.
One great holiday in a great hotel, clean is what I like when away and it was, oh to be back there now.
Travel operator: first choice
Very clean pretty resort.
I have never known staff work so hard, always have a smile for you and extremely child friendly - this makes a massive difference when you have a 2 year old in your party!
Impressed by the food, choice & presentation was great.
Only negative; and I can't believe nobody else has put this on the website before, there are no branded drinks! Rose wine is their red & white mixed together!
If you like decent wine, champagne or just branded drinks i.e Bacardi/Jack Daniels etc - I suggest you take your own. The alternative is not nice, although the beer/lager is the exception - this is quite drinkable.
Travel operator: First Choice
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