"⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Concorde El Salam – More Than a Hotel, It Felt Like Coming Home
Where do I even begin?
My experience with the Concorde El Salam in Sharm El Sheikh actually started before I had even arrived in Egypt, and that is where I have to begin with Amr on Reception.
Without going into every stressful detail, I had a problem before travelling which genuinely threatened the whole holiday. I was getting nowhere and becoming increasingly worried that the trip simply wasn’t going to happen. Amr stepped in, helped me when he absolutely didn’t have to, kept communicating with me and somehow managed to sort things out.
Quite simply, without Amr’s help, I would not have had this holiday.
And that tells you a lot about this hotel before you even walk through the door.
When we eventually arrived, the welcome was warm, friendly and genuine. Not the rehearsed “hotel smile” that disappears the minute you turn your back — the staff throughout the Concorde seemed genuinely pleased to help, chat, laugh and make sure you were enjoying yourself.
The hotel itself
The hotel and grounds are beautiful.
The gardens are immaculate and obviously cared for constantly. Everywhere you look there are flowers, palm trees, beautifully kept pathways and wonderful views. The whole resort is spacious and peaceful without ever feeling empty.
The pools are gorgeous — clean, huge, beautifully maintained and surrounded by plenty of loungers and umbrellas. One of my favourite things was simply looking across the pool towards that ridiculous blue sky and the Red Sea beyond it.
And at night? Completely different atmosphere again.
The lighting around the resort, gardens and pools is stunning. Walking around in the evening is genuinely lovely.
The views over the Red Sea and the mountains are something else entirely. Some mornings and evenings I could quite happily have sat there doing absolutely nothing except looking at them.
Rooms and cleanliness
Our room was lovely, comfortable and kept spotlessly clean.
In fact, cleanliness throughout the entire hotel deserves mentioning. Rooms, reception, pool areas, restaurants, toilets, pathways — everywhere was constantly being cleaned and maintained.
And you notice the staff working incredibly hard in that heat, yet they still manage to smile and say hello.
Food
I also have to praise the food.
There was plenty of choice and I always managed to find something I enjoyed. But I need to make a special mention of the chef at the pool bar and his wonderful “special” burgers.
Those burgers became a little holiday event in themselves. 😂
I’m not entirely certain what made them “special”, but whatever he was doing, he needs to keep doing it.
Absolutely gorgeous.
The staff are what make this hotel
This is the biggest thing I will take away from the Concorde.
You can have the prettiest hotel in the world, but if the staff don’t care, you won’t remember it fondly.
Here, the staff made the holiday.
Mohammed, the towel lad, deserves a huge mention. What an absolutely lovely young man. Always smiling, always friendly, always helpful and working away constantly around the pool.
Then there was my trip to the spa/hairdresser.
I asked the lovely lad who did my hair what his name was and, after much laughing and questionable Arabic tuition from everyone around me, I was jokingly informed that apparently his name was “qird” — monkey. 😂
I am reasonably confident that was NOT actually his name.
That little episode probably sums up half my holiday.
I arrived in Egypt armed with a few Arabic words and an enormous amount of misplaced confidence.
To every member of staff who patiently listened while I murdered the Arabic language, corrected me, laughed with me and still somehow worked out what I was trying to say — shukran.
I promise I will be better next year.
Probably.
😂
Esraa ❤️
And then there is Esraa.
What an absolute star.
She did my fingernails and toenails and was not only brilliant at her job but such a lovely, warm person. We talked, laughed and got on so well that I genuinely hope we stay in touch.
There are certain people you meet on holiday who stop feeling like “hotel staff” and simply become somebody you’re really glad you met.
Esraa was one of those people.
Reception
Reception staff were consistently helpful throughout the holiday, whether it was questions, printing things, sorting arrangements or dealing with my seemingly endless little dramas.
And again, I have to return to Amr.
Hotels should be extremely proud when they employ people who are prepared to go beyond what is technically required of them to help a guest.
He did exactly that for me.
I arrived already grateful to him, and after meeting him I understood why — he is simply a genuinely kind, professional man who clearly cares about the people staying at the hotel.
The spa
The spa was another lovely part of the experience.
Friendly staff, lots of laughs, relaxing treatments and yet another place where you’re made to feel welcome rather than simply processed as another customer.
And yes… apparently occasionally renamed after an animal in Arabic. 😂
Would I return?
Without hesitation.
In fact, I already feel slightly ridiculous saying “next year” as though I’ve somehow appointed myself an annual resident.
But that is genuinely how I feel.
There are bigger hotels.
There are newer hotels.
There are probably hotels with more bells, whistles and marble than anyone knows what to do with.
But what the Concorde El Salam has is something you cannot manufacture:
people who make you feel welcome.
I came home remembering the beautiful pools, the Red Sea, the sunsets, the gardens, the food and the sunshine.
But mostly, I came home remembering the people.
So to Amr, Mohammed, Esraa, my mystery hairdresser formerly known as “qird”, the pool-bar chef and his special burgers, the reception team, cleaners, gardeners, restaurant staff, bar staff, towel team, spa staff and every person who stopped to laugh, chat or patiently help this Scottish woman attempt Arabic…
Shukran jazeelan. ❤️
Thank you for making the holiday what it was.
I will be back.
And next time I fully intend to arrive speaking considerably more Arabic.
Which should terrify all of you.
😂🇪🇬❤️🏴
Concorde El Salam Sharm El Sheikh — a very easy five stars from me."
