"We stayed at Concorde El Salam for two weeks and overall had a really lovely holiday, with some standout positives and a few issues that, with better training, were entirely avoidable.
Early in our stay, we experienced a serious food safety concern. One member of our party is dairy intolerant and was served food by a chef who explicitly stated the food was dairy-free, only to then say it wasn’t once it had already been eaten. This could have been far more serious had it been a severe allergy. However, once this was brought to the attention of hotel management, they genuinely went above and beyond to resolve the issue. They acted quickly, took the matter seriously, offered excellent alternatives, and ensured the guest felt safe and reassured. We were very happy with how professionally and efficiently the situation was handled.
Most of the staff were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and helpful. The pool staff in particular work extremely hard and are a credit to the hotel. However, one pool staff member, Ziad, came across as quite rude. His strong opinions towards women, while perhaps normal within his own culture, were not appropriate to openly share with UK guests relaxing by the pool in bikinis, and this made us uncomfortable. This is something that would benefit from better guest-facing training.
Housekeeping was excellent throughout our stay. Our housekeeper, Hassein, was absolutely incredible—always friendly, smiling, and thorough. It is a very demanding job, and he consistently went above and beyond, which we truly appreciated.
The hotel facilities are great, well maintained, and enjoyable. We would strongly recommend upgrading to a sea-front room, as the views are genuinely stunning and well worth it.
Unfortunately, our experience on departure was extremely unsettling. After requesting a golf buggy via guest services, the staff member entered our room uninvited. He went into the wardrobe, removed a laundry bag, and began scooping up items we had intentionally left for our housekeeper—including gifts and a handwritten thank-you note in Arabic—despite me trying to stop him. He also removed items from the bin, including our snorkels and sea shoes, which added to the confusion and distress of the situation. His behaviour was rushed, intrusive, and overwhelming.
We immediately reported this at reception, and the manager agreed this behaviour was not acceptable. We saw the bag placed into an office, yet after reporting the incident, the items somehow reappeared by our suitcase. During this interaction, the staff member asked whether we were friends or sisters, and when we said friends, his laugh made us feel very uncomfortable. While management said they would deal with the situation, it unfortunately occurred at the very end of our stay and left a lasting negative impression.
Overall, we had a lovely holiday and encountered many wonderful staff members who made our stay special. The issues we experienced were avoidable and highlight the need for clearer boundaries and improved training. We would advise future guests to tip housekeepers directly to ensure they personally receive it, rather than leaving items in the room. Additionally, guests with food intolerances should be very clear and vigilant when discussing dietary requirements, and the hotel should continue to strengthen training around allergen awareness. We would also recommend this hotel for vegan and vegetarian guests, as there were suitable options available and staff were generally accommodating. Thank you to the team who dealt with our concerns efficiently—this hotel has so much potential, and with some improvements, it could be excellent."
