"I recently stayed at Pickalbatros Royal Grand Sharm and, looking at the experience as a whole, I found a noticeable gap between the quality of the resort's public areas and the condition of the guest rooms.
Arrival & First Impression – 8/10
The arrival experience was positive. Security, landscaping, exterior areas, lobby atmosphere and general cleanliness all created a good first impression. The property itself is attractive and the common areas are generally well maintained.
Check-in – 7.5/10
Check-in was handled professionally and the staff were friendly. There was no welcome drink offered, although we were given immediate access to the lobby bar and restaurants while waiting for the room, which was appreciated.
There was very little introduction to the resort or its facilities. Instead, we were provided with a QR code to download the hotel app and find the information ourselves. While I appreciate the convenience of a digital approach, I believe a resort of this level should still provide guests with a brief personal orientation upon arrival.
Room readiness and luggage handling were good.
Room – 4/10
Unfortunately, this was by far the weakest part of the stay.
I booked a Superior Room, but the room felt relatively small and, in terms of size and overall standard, closer to what I would expect from a standard room. The requested pool view was provided.
The main concern, however, was the physical condition and maintenance of the room.
On the first day, I had to contact maintenance because of a plumbing issue, and the entire water tap had to be replaced. On the second day, I had to call maintenance again because the minibar refrigerator was leaking water. It was replaced, but the replacement did not cool particularly well.
The bathroom showed visible rust in several areas, while parts of the walls showed signs of humidity/moisture. More concerning was finding a significant number of ants in the bathroom.
The furniture also appears considerably aged, with some pieces damaged or broken internally. Overall, the room is clearly in need of refurbishment and preventive maintenance rather than repairs being carried out only after guests report individual problems.
For a resort positioned at this level, the condition of the room was disappointing.
Sleep & Comfort – 7/10
The mattress, pillows, bedding, blackout curtains and room temperature were generally comfortable.
However, sound insulation is not particularly good. Evening parties and entertainment take place regularly, and music and bass could clearly be heard from inside the room. Guests who are sensitive to noise should take this into consideration.
There is also grounds maintenance during the day, and the grass-trimming equipment is extremely loud. Depending on the location of the room, it can easily disturb someone trying to rest.
Housekeeping – 8/10
Housekeeping was one of the better aspects of the room experience. Daily cleaning, timing, towels and linen, minibar replenishment and general consistency were good.
Food – Average
The overall food variety was acceptable, although I believe there is room for improvement.
Quality and taste were inconsistent. You could find one dish that was very good and another that was quite poor during the same meal. Food presentation was also fairly basic, with very little decorative or visual presentation compared with what I would normally expect at this resort level.
Desserts were probably the strongest part of the buffet, particularly the Eastern/Oriental desserts.
Pools & Beach – 8/10
The pool and beach areas were generally very good. Cleanliness, water quality, sunbeds, umbrellas, towels and the overall atmosphere were all satisfactory and were among the stronger aspects of the resort.
One unusual observation is the very large number of geckos around the landscaped areas, particularly the gardens surrounding the main pool. Seeing geckos outdoors in Sharm El Sheikh is of course not unusual, but their number here was noticeably high. They seemed to have established entire families around the pool gardens!
Staff & Service – 7/10
Staff were generally friendly and willing to help. At certain times, however, some employees appeared visibly stressed or under pressure, and this occasionally reflected in their interaction with guests. Operational pressure is understandable, but ideally it should not become part of the guest experience.
Guest Relations & Complaint Handling – Excellent
This deserves special recognition.
Every complaint we raised was acknowledged and handled quickly. The team did not try to dismiss the issues and generally took responsibility and attempted to resolve them.
Special thanks and kudos to Mr. Mohamed Nabih, whose handling of the issues was professional and genuinely appreciated. Good complaint resolution does not erase the original problems, but the way a hotel responds to problems says a great deal about its service culture.
Entertainment
Entertainment was available regularly, but there was one noticeable issue: the animation/entertainment team appeared heavily focused on Russian-speaking guests.
If you were not Russian, there seemed to be considerably less proactive engagement from the team. I cannot comment on the reason, but the difference in interaction was noticeable enough to mention. Entertainment teams in an international resort should make an effort to engage guests equally regardless of nationality or language.
Wi-Fi – Very Good
Wi-Fi was fast, stable and had good coverage throughout the areas where we used it. No complaints here.
A Note for Egyptian, Arab & Muslim Guests
This may be useful information for guests for whom bathroom washing facilities are important.
Many of the toilets do not have the traditional handheld shattaf/health faucet commonly found in Egypt and across the Arab world. Instead, the bathrooms use a combination of a toilet bidet and a separate water sprayer. This is not necessarily a negative, but it is worth knowing in advance if you specifically prefer a traditional handheld shattaf.
Value for Money – Below Expectations
This is ultimately where my assessment becomes more critical.
The resort has several positive qualities: attractive grounds, good pool and beach areas, reliable housekeeping, good Wi-Fi and, importantly, a guest relations team that responds properly when something goes wrong.
However, the physical condition of the room significantly affected the overall experience. A Superior Room should not require plumbing repairs on day one, refrigerator replacement on day two, while also having rust, humidity, ants and aging/damaged furniture.
For approximately the same budget, I believe I could have obtained a better-quality room at another resort in Sharm El Sheikh.
Would I Return? – No
The resort has potential and some genuinely good employees, but I would not personally return in its current condition.
The biggest priority, in my opinion, should be a proper renovation of the rooms and bathrooms, improved preventive maintenance and better pest control. Sound insulation is another weakness that should be considered during future refurbishment.
If management brings the accommodation standard up to the same level as the resort's better public areas and maintains the strong approach to guest relations, the overall experience could be significantly improved.
Overall impression: approximately 6.5–7/10.
Good resort infrastructure and some very good service elements, but the room condition prevents me from rating the overall stay higher."
