"Instead of much-needed relaxation – just stress, disappointment, and endless problem-solving
I definitely do not recommend this hotel. This was our 14th trip to Egypt – and by far the most expensive and worst one. For our own hard-earned money, we expected peace, relaxation, and an adequate level of service. Instead of relaxing, we experienced an incredibly stressful week during which we had to constantly resolve one issue after another with the reception.
Right from the start, we were welcomed by a foul-smelling air conditioner. Instead of offering a room change, they assured us they would clean it and everything would be fine. However, even after cleaning, the smell did not disappear. On the second day, we started looking for the cause ourselves and discovered the bathroom exhaust fan – instead of pulling air out, it was blowing in a horrible stench of mold and stale sewage. Since it was connected to the light switch, you had to choose: either turn on the light and breathe in the stench, or sit in the dark. It was only after another intervention from us that they disconnected the fan.
The stress didn't end there, though. The next day, for a change, the room wasn't cleaned at all, towels weren't replaced, and for two days we weren't supplied with bottled water. Overall, housekeeping was at a very low standard – old hair remained in the corners of the bathroom, the bathtub was dirty, and the shower faucet barely worked. The only bright spot in the room was a reasonably comfortable mattress.
The absolute climax was our departure. We requested a late check-out until 6:00 PM. The receptionist personally agreed to this as compensation for all the trouble we experienced and took a $10 tip. On the day of departure, when turning in the room, they demanded $60 from us, and the reception manager behaved in an incredibly arrogant and unhelpful manner. The completely ruined impression was further compounded by guests lounging for hours in the lobby with their feet on the couches, waiting endlessly for their airport transfer – it looked like a homeless shelter (for example, at the Hilton they provide late check-out to everyone for free, and the lobby doesn't look so humiliating).
If you are looking for peace and quiet, you won't find it here. Blaring, extremely loud music plays constantly on the beach and by the pool, making it impossible to relax or read a book even at the far end of the beach. The garden is admittedly nice and the reef is lively and full of fish, but you cannot enjoy any of it in such noise.
The food was well below average. While the seasoning was passable, all you get from the chicken is bones, where you can barely scrape a small teaspoon of meat off a single piece, leaving you constantly hungry. The chefs should consider whether it's even economical to serve something like this – the bones are marinated and roasted, creating a mountain of dirty dishes that need to be collected and washed, all for zero benefit. The fruit selection was a huge disappointment – not once during the entire week was there any mango, even though it was peak season. Unless you live exclusively on spaghetti, pizza, fries, and fried fish, you will go hungry. On a positive note, I can only praise the efforts of the chefs and waiters. Furthermore, there are no shopping options around the hotel – to buy anything, you have to take a taxi or bus to Mango Market.
The entire week was one big ordeal of stress and disappointment. We paid to come and relax, but we are returning home disgusted and even more exhausted than when we arrived. We will never return here."
