Doubletree by Hilton Mangroovy El Gouna Resort

"Very nice hotel and clean rooms Good location And the staff is very helpful and kind"

"Unfortunately, despite the attractive hotel, clean surroundings and some genuinely friendly staff, our overall experience did not live up to what we would expect from a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel. The biggest issue was the room. We had booked a Superior Room with Plunge Pool but were given something completely different on arrival. We raised this with the hotel reception and continued to do so throughout our stay. Despite repeatedly complaining and being told it would be looked into, we were only finally offered the room we had originally booked on our last full day. By that point, there was very little opportunity to actually enjoy the room we had booked. The pool bar music was another major issue. It was played every day for around 6–7 hours, from approximately 10am until 5pm at max volume. Our room was directly opposite the pool bar, so the music was clearly heard at max volume from our room and also very noticeable around the pool. This made it difficult to relax and enjoy the hotel, particularly when we had expected a relaxing break. The combination of these issues became so frustrating that we actually considered leaving the hotel and going home early. We have never done this before on a holiday, but it gives an indication of how disappointed and frustrated we were with the experience. We were also disappointed with the check-out experience. Our check-out was at 12pm, while our transfer was not until 5pm. We understood that we had to leave our room at 12pm, but our wristbands were cut off immediately and we were told we could no longer use the restaurant or even get a drink from the lobby café. We appreciate that the hotel has its own policies, but cutting off access to the all-inclusive food and drink facilities immediately at 12pm left us with several hours to wait before our transfer. If this is the hotel’s policy, we feel it should be made much clearer to guests at check-in. There were some positives. The hotel itself is attractive and generally well maintained, the surroundings were clean, the location is lovely and some of the staff were genuinely friendly. El Gouna itself is fantastic, with plenty to explore and some excellent restaurants. In fact, exploring El Gouna and eating out were probably the highlights of our trip. Unfortunately, when you combine the room issue, persistent pool bar music, repetitive food, uncomfortable pool sun loungers, inconsistent service and poor communication at check-in with the disappointing experience on our final day, the overall stay simply did not feel like the 5-star experience we expected. We don’t expect perfection from a hotel, but we do expect the room we booked to be provided, issues to be dealt with promptly when raised, and the overall experience to be consistent with the standard being advertised. Based on our experience, unfortunately, we wouldn’t choose to return, as there are much better hotel options in El Gouna."

"Good hotel, friendly staff, decent food but could be better. Waiting for food and drinks takes long sometimes. Also no bartenders at the swimming pool which is normally the usual at an Egyptian all-in hotel. Pool looks aesthetic but its too small and crowded. Private beach is fine but has no real bar where you can sit or no toilet (you have to go to the toilet from the bar next to the beach). Although my time was alright here, I won’t be coming back. Not worthy of “5 star hotel”"