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Egypt Smaller Resorts (A-Z)
Abu Soma - Egypt
Intercontinental Hotel - Abu Soma
Operator and Date: Mosaic travel - Aug 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Chris - Dorset (53,52)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Having just returned from a fabulous week at the Intercontinental Abu Soma we felt that we should add a comment or two to encourage others to visit this hotel.
Facilities :- Restaurants - good variety of food and always well presented.
Pool and beach are all kept amazingly clean and provide all that you may need for a wonderful holiday.
Horse and Camel Riding
Diving - The on site diving centre offers good value diving and, as a PADI OW diver, I had a couple of relaxed easy dives.
Staff :- The hotel staff, from the gardeners to the management, are friendly and courteous without appearing to be putting on an act for the benefit of the customers. The cleaners keep your rooms clean and even turn down your bed, the waiters almost have a sixth sense in anticipating your needs and the management appear to run a smooth, seemless operation.
Additional trips: - We took a couple of trips with Marhaba Tours (local agents of Mosaic Holidays) and can only say that the organisation and content of the trips (Overnight trip to Luxor and snorkel trip to Sharm el Narga) was faultless and the tour guides knowledgeable and friendly.
Conclusion: - Can I go back please!! We are planning another trip for Christmas and almost certain to use the tour company and the hotel again.
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Intercontinental Hotel - Abu Soma
Operator and Date: Mark Warner - Dec 2005
Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Rick A - So'ton - 24 people ages 60 to 4
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We have been on a number of Thompson, Air Tours, Cosmos type holidays, Mark Waner always being a little expensive but we decided as a family to all go away for Xmas and as there were 6 kids who wanted a kids club and 20 adults some of whom wanted water sports, all of whom wanted a tan, this seemed the best bet.
Downsides - compared to the standard holiday prices, it is expensive, not just to get there but while you are there. The prices are English not Egyptian, £2.5 for a beer, £20 per person for a boat trip. The resort is windy (as you would want if you are sailing) so sitting on the beach outside a wind break, you feel cold. The local staff are still learning (the hotel only opened Easter 2005) so English isn't a strong point for some of them yet. The hotel is probably five miles from the next building so there is nothing to do ouside the complex.
Upsides - wow, what a holiday. The kids club was in a different league to the usual. Within 30 min of arrving the 6 year olds were all togged up in helmets and floats and out with a 1:4 ratio on sailing boats while the older ones were taught windsurfing. The childcare was summed up for me the day that my four year old didn't want to go. Her group leader walked part me mid morning and said, just in case she wants to turn up later, I've bought a helmet and float for her. I've never been to another kids club where they've thought about bringing kit for a specific child who wasn't there. The adults went out in the canoes to go snorkeling and the week continued in the same vein. The Mark Warner staff were always happy to help with questions, kit, training etc and even when faced with the plain incompetence shown by most of my party when faced with a windsurf stayed happy and enthusiastic.
The hotel is an Intercontinental 5* it has an international name to protect, it was new, very nice, big rooms, food was good, wide choice of food at the mealtime buffet (although there were local options, there were no themed evenings which might have been nice). No one in the party was ill at the hotel, a couple of people went to Luxor for a couple of days and came back with stomach 'issues'.
The hotel has 700 rooms. Roughly 50 were occupied by the hotel and the Mark Warner block (a seperate 100 room block next to the main hotel block) was only about 2/3'rds full, so the hotel was basically empty which meant that the hot tub/sauna etc were always available, waiters etc were always attentive and rooms were spotless every day. We hired a boat to take us snorkelling which was excellent, easily as good as the scuba diving. The cost of the boat was high but there is little competition in the hotel so haggling is difficult. We also took a half day desert tour, quad biking in the desert at sunset is spectacular, camel riding, not quite so. The hotel has 1km of private beach, the largest swimming pool in Egypt (unheated, it also has a smaller - but still probably 25m * 20m - outdoor, enclosed heated pool - I make the point because they advertise it as indoor. So everyone's needs were met.
Everyone in the party came back saying what a great holiday. The combination of the Mark Warner child care and watersports, the hotel living up to expectation and going away with 23 other people at Xmas meant that there is a possibility that every future holiday will have something lacking.
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Aswan - Egypt
Keylany Hotel - Aswan
Operator and Date: Libra - Jan 2007
Opinion submitted in February 2007 by : Terry & Beryl Yorkshire (74,72)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
A budget hotel in a hidden street, in town centre, two blocks from the Nile Corniche. No traffic noise. Friendly desk, speak English. Rooms clean, soft beds, a/c, ensuite, a bit spartan. Backpackers will appreciate a twin room, breakfast on the roof included, two people for £9 (not each !)
We came on s side trip from Luxor and as it was further south we had not brought all our clothes but it was cold night and morning.
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Cairo - Egypt
Cataract Pyramids Resort - nr Cairo
Operator and Date: Individually organised - Sept 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : D Glasgow (51)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I stayed in this hotel 15-26 September 2004 which I booked on the internet at a very reasonable rate and which gave the resort a 5 star rating, which in my opinion it did not deserve. This hotel is relatively new and could be 5 star if looked after properly.
The grounds and swimming pool are lovely and facilities offered were good but the cleanliness of the hotel is far below that expected of a hotel of this rating.
The general lack of willingness by the staff at breakfast is apparent. You are not given a choice of table this was allocated by pointing to one and trying to catch the waitress attention to get a coffee was almost impossible. Or by the lack of towels available at the pool when guests arrive to the overall cleanliness of this area which was mopped by the pool attandants as guests relaxed by the pool.
The location was a little far from the busy city but taxis are plentiful and a shuttle bus service is offered by the hotel unfortunatley I cannot comment on this as I did not use it. Guests wishing to travel by taxi should refrain from using the taxis that are offered by the hotel staff as they were charging 40Le in comparison to 20Le if you stopped a passing cab.
Another thing to mention is that there is a minimum charge of 25Le to pay should you wish to pay cash for food and beverages.
Having visited Egypt on several occasions and stayed in many hotels I can honestly say that this is the one that I was least impressed with. I did not find the staff helpful or in some cases courteous which is most unusual for this country.
Fortunatley my experience here will not put me off travelling to Egypt a country I love very much.
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Concord El Salam Resort - Cairo
Operator and Date: key2 holidays - sept 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : colin/jane - durham (40,36)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
firstly key 2holidays were brilliant, very helpful staff, great prices and services. we were met at the airport by a rep immediately who showed us to our minibus. The guide who travelled with us to our hotel was very helpful with excellent english. The hotel itself is fab!!!!!! check-in was quick, cases and yourselves escorted to your rooms on buggies by lovely courteous employees.
rooms are extremely comfortable, spotlessley clean with sheets and towels changed every day. Towels made into flowers and swans was also a nice touch.
The staff at this hotel are all great especially room service and pool bar lads.Room service is good value too, we had tea enough for 4 people which only cost £2.
Food is superb with too much choice (just meant you had to try a little bit of eveything ............pile on the pounds !!!!!!) There is something for everyone, even the pickiest of people.
All inclusive drinks were good too but the white wine was a bit evil, however, the red by far made up for it.
The pool is massive, with the bar in the pool its just paradise, the views from the hotel of the sea, mountains and floodlit pool is heaven. If you go anywhere in sharm go to the concorde!
Try the Quad biking in the desert and the diving trip they are both fantastic fun and value,but book with the lad who comes round the hotel pool he's much cheaper than the reps.
Naama Bay is also worth a trip, its absolutely buzzing and only costs £4 to go in a taxi (there is a hotel shuttle bus but times are limited)The jolli ville italian restaraunt is a must, excellent food, wonderful staff and very good value (£60 3 courses and drinks for 5 people)
This is by far the best holiday we have ever had and are already looking at offers for next year, neither of us wanted to come home one week is definitely NOT long enough.
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Intercontinental Pyramids Park - Cairo
Operator and Date: (Hayes & Jarvis Direct) Hayes and Jarvis - March 2005
Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Jean and Malcolm Sykes (57)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Cairo is a must for anyone visiting Egypt. It bustles with life and vitality and is a fascinating city.
The hotel was clean, bright and spacious. An excellent quiet retreat after spending busy days sightseeing in Cairo or at the Pyramids.
It is easy to overeat at Breakfast as there is a very extensive variety of delicious food - cold meat, cheese, hot food, fruits, cereals and every type of bread and croissant imaginable.(unforunately we didn't stay enough days to try everything)
We also enjoyed good evening meals at the Italian restaurant in the hotel and at the dining room 'Hot Buffet'- both were very enjoyable.
Our room was fairly basic but clean.
There is a huge swimming room. The water was clean but cold - excellent if you like a long swim to burn off the calories! There were always lots of towels available.
I can not speak highly enough of Hayes and Jarvis. Their staff were most helpful and we felt treated as VIPs.
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Intercontinental Pyramids Park - Cairo
Operator and Date: Cairo - November 2004
Opinion submitted in Dec 2004 by : Hazel Kite - Hertfordshire (35,33)
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
MY boyfriend and I went to the Intercontinental fully expecting a fantastic break in Egypt - How wrong we were.
We checked in at the Hotel & had to complain about the first room.It was shabby,small and had a lingering smell,with no internet access & the upgrade to a suite that had been promised on booking was not fulfilled.The nights manager was extremely apologetic and found us a suite,but unfortunately there was still no internet access and the new room was just an extension of the former with an extra floor.
The swimming pool had not been cleaned for a while and the bottom was held together with tape.The constant stream of flies made sunbathing impossible for too long.
The next morning we took a trip to the pyramids in what proved to be an exhausting day- first being followed around by touts trying to sell their wares(amazingly although I could really have done with a drink not 1 person thought of selling cold cans),have photos with you(which you then have to pay for)and finally being taken to a papyrus shop,then a perfume shop.Do NOT go to the Perfume shop.Unlike the papyrus shop you will be the only customer there.Once you have agreed to a drink you are then taken inside where it is extremely hard to get out without being coerced into buying at least a hundred pounds worth of perfume.I joke you not.After one and a half hours and an argument with the owner I left £100 lighter(haggled down from £200)She had an answer for everything including that if I didn't have enough money they would escort me back to the hotel/bank etc (!)
All in all we just wanted to get out of Cairo as soon as possible.Not an experience I wish to repeat.
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Le Meridian - Cairo
Operator and Date: June 2007
Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Gordon, Hampshire (52,50)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel is fantastic. Upgrade if you can to a Pyramid view. We were on 4th floor - great. Restaurants - great; fairly inexpensive whether you go A La Carte or buffet. Bars - great. Service - nothing is too much trouble. Pools - great; again nothing is too much trouble. Cairo/Giza are very dirty. We did Pyramids/Egyptian Museum under our own steam and had a great time. You do get taken to other places to 'buy things' - unfortunately we couldn't say no!! RECOMMENDED
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Le Meridian Pyramids - Cairo
Operator and Date: cinnamon holidays (farmed out to discover egypt) - 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : keith lowe (42, 50,)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Well what can we say what a fab hotel nothing to much trouble the setting was a dream if you are worried about security then dont as for the rest of egypt guards everywhere (although you do not feel threatened in the slightest)this hotel was our second stop as we had just done a nile cruise for seven days on viking premiere.What a dream would recommend it to any one could not fault any thing at all, after cairo we then went to hurgada for 4 nights at the hilton long beach resort all in all one hell of a holiday did not want to come home.Probably would not go back in august as it was very hot but it was superb
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Le Meridian Pyramids - Cairo
Operator and Date: Kuoni - September 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Ali Hamaad - Birmingham (29)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Le Meridien Pyramids is an excellent hotel ideally located for seeing the pyramids, which is probably the main reason for visiting Cairo. The hotel itself is clean (a must for me personally), with very friendly and polite staff who will go out of their way to help you. The rooms are a good size, clean and confortable (we had a view of the pyramids from our window). The hotel grounds are very well kept with an excellent pool and five decent restaurants. My only quibbles with the hotel were 1) When we checked in we were just given a random room, with twin rather than double beds - this was rapidly rectified). 2) Most rooms except those on the 4th floor are smoking, and if you don't specify, you will be given a smoking room, which can vary from no smell, to smelling of stale cigarettes. If like me you detest smoking, then you can ask to be moved to a different room.
The restaurants themselves are of very good quality, they have a 'Nubian Village' restaurant that do a very good menu as well as entertainment. The breakfasts are also of very good quality.
In Cairo the two things that are a must are the pyramids and the Egyptian museum. Both were organised through Kuoni with a kknowledgable English speaking guide, in fact getting a guide is a must.
If you have a spare day the hotel has a driver service and for £15 GBP you can hire a car plus driver for the day who will show you other sites around the city aswell as decent restaurants.
All in all, a very good hotel with which to explore a fascinating city and I cannot fault Kuoni for their organisation and help.
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Le Meridian Pyramids - Cairo
Operator and Date: Discover Egypt - March 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Jon Allsop - Tamworth (29,61)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I can't think of a bad thing about this hotel. It definitely deserves it's five star status.
As soon as you see the foyer you realised that this hotel is pure class.
We were on the ground floor of the hotel with a view of the excellent pool.
The room was immaculate, spacious with a mini bar and a free TV. There is also a high speed broadband connection if you have your laptop with you.
The pool and pool area are spotless, the pool is warm and has three round pool areas of varying depth's connected together. You can see the Pyramids clearly from the pool. There is even a swim up bar.
There are four restaurants in the hotel, we only ate at one so cannot comment on the others but we presume that they are excellent. We ate in the same one as the breakfast is served in and were not disappointed.
The breakfasts are something else, there is a man cooking your eggs or omelets to your liking. Freshly squeezed orange juice. All buffet style.
At night there is a four piece band playing in the bar, they are excellent, and there is a very relaxed atmosphere.
All of the staff are very helpful and friendly.
Presumably you will be going to the Pyramids which as you would expect are breathtaking. We would recommend if you can to go inside the great pyramid.
The light show is also excellent. If you went to the one at Karnak in Luxor do not be put off by that one.
We went on the tour with our operator to the step pyramid as Sakkara, this is fascinating and the oldest pyramid in Egypt. We were also taken to the Citadel which is very impressive.
The Cairo museum is also a must, mainly because of King Tutankhamen's treasures which are amazing.
You will probably need only three days to do all of the sights in Cairo.
This hotel is how we will mark all others.
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Le Meridian Pyramids - Cairo
Operator and Date: Kuoni, March 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : J Stewart, Livingston, 41,40
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed at Le Meridien Pyramids as part of a 10 day Egypt trip. 3 days at this hotel and then a 7 night Nile Cruise.
The hotel is billed as 5 star, but in UK terms, a 4 star is probably more accurate. That said, it is a fairly new hotel and in very good condition. The pool is first class and there are ample sun beds around the pool. As the hotel name suggests, the hotel is located right next to the Pyramids at Giza. We paid a little bit extra for a Pyramids view room and it was well worth it. We had an excellent view of the 2 main pyramids.
The hotel has 4 restaurants so there is ample choice for meals. Breakfast is multiple continental style buffet and should satisfy most needs.
If doing this as part of a tour, you can save yourself some money by NOT using the tour guides pyramids tour. They charge about £40.00 per person for their coach tour to the pyramids and lunch. We hired a private limousine and driver from the hotel for 120LE (about £12.00 UK)and this got us the car and driver for 3 hours. excellent value. The driver also proved to be pretty knowledgable and gave us good information on the Pyramids. They will all try to do this as they are looking to get a decent tip from you. Like the tour reps, all the Limo drivers have little kickback arrangements with perfume shop owners and papyrus shop owners. They will offer to take you there in the hope you will buy something and they get a little commission. It's normally fine to go, as long as you are confident enough that you won't allow yourself to be talked in to buying something you really don't want. The perfume shops tend to be a little bit more pressure sellers than the papyrus shops.
If you've read other reviews, you've probably read about the hawkers and street vendors, let me explain the reality. Egypt is a poor country, the locals are simply very keen to part every tourist from just a little bit of their cash. It's not even unusual for a policeman to try a bit of discrete begging if he thinks nobody is looking. This whole situation should however be taken in context, overall, the Egyptians are VERY friendly people. They will accept a polite but also very firm no thank you. Once they realise they are getting nothing, they will leave you alone. Some of them can be relentless, keep your hands in your prockets and don't accept any small gift, it's not a gift and they will want paying for it. They will also want paying for them taking your photo, or for you taking a photo of them with their camel. However, this whole experience is just part of the Egyptian way of life, accept it by learning to enjoy the banter and keep a reality check by remembering that a 2LE tip (which will satisy most of them) is only £0.20 in real terms. A 5LE tip is only £0.50 so don't let it get to you.
If you are swithering about going, just go, you will like it. Cairo as a city is big, busy, noisy, smelly and overall a bit of a dump, but what a fascinating place. 3 days in Cairo will be ample, this will allow you to visit the Pyramids, the Cairo Museum and The Citadel which for my money are the 3 main attrations. The Egyptians are all suicide drivers, don't even think about hiring a car, and anyay, the hotel Limos are cheap enough that you don't need to. Weatherwise, we were there the 2nd week in March and the temperature was perfect in the high 70s low 80s. it can be very hot in June to August at mid to high 90s.
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Le Meridian Pyramids - Cairo
Operator and Date: Organised ourselves February 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : Lynne Rhodes - London (51,51,23,17)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We have just come back from a 4 night break in Cairo staying at the Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel. We booked our flights (BA) and hotel direct and would recommend anyone else to do the same. A taxi ride to the hotel cost £15 with a £1 tip and as we only had cabin luggage we were able to get to the hotel in good time. Despite the lack of the 2 pyramid view rooms we had booked for our first night (we were upgraded to a suite for 1 nite and given a free dinner)
I cannot recommend this hotel enough. It is in a fantastic setting with the Pyramids in view from many of the rooms and from the pool. As we have found when on holiday before in Egypt, the service from the staff in the hotel was excellent and friendly. The hotel has a good range of resterants plus 24 room service and the food was very good and reasonably priced. My 17 year old son particularly enjoyed his beer at the bar literally built into the pool.
We do not like organised tours but felt that with only a short time to explore all the sights, a guide would be a good idea. The hotel were able to supply a driver/guide who took us to the Pyramids etc, into Cairo for the day and to Sakkara.
We also went to the Sound and Light show at the Pyramids which is cheesy but has some good effects.
We would recommend going to Egypt at this time of year as though warm it does not get too hot and we didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn to see the sights.
All in a all a great winter sun break with some amazing places to visit.
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Le Meridian Pyramids - Cairo
Operator and Date: Longwood Holidays - April 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Jeannette Daniels - Milton Keynes (50, 56)
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: No rating
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I have not been on this holiday yet as you can see from the date. I booked with Longwood Holidays who specialise in Egypt and Jordan, however since confirming my booking and paying the non refundable deposit I have discovered that for a small fee I can upgrade my Standard Room booking to a refurbished Royal Club Room.
When making enquiries with Longwood Holidays in order to try to arrange this I have found their attitiude appallingly rude and unhelpful. I have been more than willing to pay the additional charge to upgrade and should point out that the picture in their brochure for a Standard Room in this hotel is, in fact, a Royal Club room according to the Meridien Pyramids website, so I suppose I would be within my rights to insist they book me the room as advertised without ANY additional charge.
It does seem to be altogether too much trouble for them. Never mind, I've decided to arrange the upgrade myself direct with the hotel.
In view of the intense tour operator competition may I say one Kuoni and their excellent attitude to customers knocks spots off Longwood Holidays, so readers, its up to you but if you are in the throes of choosing tour operator for a holiday in Egypt be advised that I for one will be giving this company a wide berth in the future.
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Le Meridian Pyramids - Cairo
Operator and Date: holidays direct - 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : jayne- walsall (40)paul( 38)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The hotel was wonderful,meals where out of this world, but cairo itself is a bit of a dump.
We went on a few trips but got really fed up with all the begging and hard sell.
Don't bother going if you cannot say no!
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Le Meridian Pyramids - Cairo
Operator and Date: kuoni - Feb 2004
Opinion submitted in Feb 2004 by : pauline + rob highland ( 32, 35 )
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The hotel was stunning, definatey 5 star, the staff were very attentive and the food in the tex-mex restraunt was excellent, no problems with tummy bugs so it is worthwhile just eating in your hotel to be safe,
cairo is a complete mad house, the traffic is horrendous and its not safe to cross the roads you need to get a taxi. The pyramids were stunning, but be prepared for a lot of hassle , you get nothing for nothing in egypt, people who appear to be helpful always expect to be paid, one man wanted 50 egyptian pounds for just taking our picture!! Be firm, just say no and walk away it seems to work.
The museum was amazing, but very big and overcrowded easy to get lost if you are not part of a group, you really need a good guide to get the most out of it. We only stayed in cairo 2 days, that was enough, so many people crammed into one place. If it wasnt for the pyramids and museum being there we would hae given cairo a miss. Not for the faint hearted !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Mena House/Cairo-Al Moudira-Luxor/M/s Sunray Cruise/Oberoi Shal Hasheesh- Hurghada
Operator and Date: Kuoni Sept 2005
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : LJM 56,48
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
CAIRO - OBEROI MENA HOUSE, Garden rooms require renovation, however we were in Cairo for the sights not the interior design! Fantastic charm and history attached to the hotel, if you stay here take the opportunity to visit (free of charge-one of the few things in Egypt)Sir Winston Churchill's Suite within the hote,worth the visit if only for the views of the pyramids. Food offered at dinner expensive and average, but breafasts are incredible? the alcohol? be prepared for some shocks, As a Musilim contry they do serve alcohol but try to discorage it with steep prices. TAKE NOTE of guidance given by your tour operator, they have your safety in mind. We found that only 100 people are alowed inside the great pyramid each day but this didnt fit in with the tours on offer a day tour(following prices in sterling) £40 ppp day. Private tours £50 pp for the day,and an extra £10 to enter great pyramid, bonus of this is you can organise trips as you like them with out the obligatory visit to the carpet/paparyus factory! Also remember to dress appropriatly, we saw several 20 year old girls wandering round the Egyptian Museum with VERY SKIMPY T-shrits and even SHORTER!!shorts?? Great on the beach ect but not suitable for a Muslim country. Ask your guide to help you buy bottled water we got through 6 litres per day and he knew wher to get it a lot cheaper than we did. They also dont recomend taking a walk outside your hotel by yourself, My Husband as usual wouldnt listen to me (I've been to Egypt 20 years before and speak a little Arabic) but he soon discovered that he had his own "personal"armed tourist Police Officer walking at his side looking after him. I never felt threated in anyway but people are very "friendly" and are looking for Tip's (Basheesh) even for just pointing you in direction of bathroom!!
On the money thing make sure you know exactly which currency you are dealing in £ egypt or sterling and always check notes as there are 50 pasite notes that look like £50 egyptian. Kuoni are great at organising transfers to airports/hotels any questions ask the guy's who are transfering you. Mena House breakfasts are fantastic also you can have table facing the great pyramid.
LUXOR- AL MOUDIRA the only hotel on the west bank we loved this hotel very quiet very peacful in fact we seemed to have the whole hotel to ourselfs _everyone else was out sightseeing! I thought after 4 days in Cairo a quiet day soaking up the sun would be in order. This has for my money got to be the best hotel I have ever stayed at the rooms are out of this world (visit their web site). All you can hear is water fountains and bird song. swimming pool incredible, food fantastic, Alochol prices cheaper than Cairo. Cant give enough praise to this hotel.
NEXT M/S SUNRAY 7night cruise Luxor to Aswan, fantastic Cruise ship food great alcohol prices even cheaper, met really nicest people with absolute wicked sense of humor's. The trips included were everything that you've come to see. Some times we did'nt have as much time on an excursion as we'd have liked, we can always visit another year. Worth paying extra £65 to go by road to Abu Simble set off 3.15 am with packed breakfast and pillow, get on coach sleep wake and wake up there. Sorry we missed the chance to visit The OLD CATARACT HOTEL but other guest di visit and were charged £55 egyptian pounds enterance which is offset against a drink! We did however manage to take afternoon tea at THE OLD WINTER PALACE very nice indeed!! and after had a gin and tonic only the one as it cost £9.50 sterling!!
Next part of our tailor made holiday was a Road triplasting 4 hours by armed police convoy to HURGADA - OBEROI SHAL HASHEEN member of "leading hotels of the world" back to mega expensive alcohol and food everything has +24% local/service taxes added on , a 1.5 litre bottle of drinking water costs nearly £2.00 sterling. Another couple we met on cruise staying at same hotel paid £50 sterling for Indian meal without drinks! Rep adviced all his clients to pay £35 egyption pounds(£3.50 sterling) to take cab into town and buy any food for snacks, ect and alcohol/water to take back to place in fridge in suite! also to haggle not in supermarket or duty free shop but all others (way of life in Egypt usually pay about 25% of what is asked, be firm , hold money in one hand and goods in other and alternate hands to shop keeper say money- goods- money ? they usually take money!!also WASH HANDS AFTER HANDLING MONEY TO AVOID UPSET TUMS!) We also founf great Italian resturant called Maffia where for 2 course meal ,water and several beers and bottle of wine cost approx £15 per couple and cab back for £25 egyptian (£2.5)
At hotel as you can imagine ther was very little atmosphere round the pool no one seemed to be buying water/alcohol. We did see a young couple argue over lunch bill as they hadnt read small print about 24% extra added per item to bill. Suites were lovely but the place felt sterile and lacked atmosphere. Wished we had returned to Al Moudira or The Old Winter Palace for our last 4 days. Dont mind paying going rate but hate being ripped off.
Sorry for rambling on hope this has been of help? and remember there is no such thing as a free lunch especially in Egypt!!
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Mena House Oberoi Hotel - Cairo
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook Signature - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Scott
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Although it is 5* this hotel is All about show!! It's location just yards from the pyramids in Giza is unrivalled as are the views from the pool and our pyramid view room - recommend if you stay. The poolside is nice enough but nothing special as are the rooms themselves.
However, the place has a lot of points that make the stay uncomfortable.
Firstly the air-con is useless! it was so warm in the rooms we had to open the balcony door for a hint of breeze, so forget about any sleep at night its too hot. Every one we spoke hadn't slept well all stay.
Secondly the corridors to your rooms were so stifling as no air-con in them we used to all but run to get out!!
Thirdly we got constantly interuppted by the hotel staff once we were in our room so that they could angle for a tip! All our friends found the same. Staff would knock to tell you the room was made - which we had noticed having been in it an hour! or to ask us if the balcony door needed opening! Any thing and I mean every thing you could think to get in the room for a tip! Our frind got his given back as it was not enough!!
Fourthly THE FOOD!!! yuk!! For a 5* hotel it was awful- so bland I swear it was out of a jar! It sounds good on papaer but is such a let down when it arrives. The hygiene is terrible also. We saw the waiter put our bread basket back on the trolley to be given out again to the next poor lot to sit down - and I had handled atleast two of the rolls BUT worse we saw a maitre'd shout at a waitress for leaving a cake uncovered so what did he do - pick it up with his bare hands and put it ithe cake trolley - bacteria growth central this hotel was and no air-con in the restaurants either especially The Greenery - do not go in!! it was so hot inside it was cooler to sit out despite being the middle of August. And the breakfast buffet sits thier for hours in that heat. The bread was so hard i couldn't snap it - so again no breakfast for 3 days and the same for our friends.
Finally all 6 of us were ill as soon as we got to the hotel!! Fine for a week cruise on the Nile but within a day all of were upset tum struck and Imodiums all round!!
I would never stay at the Mena House again as it is all show but loved Cairo.
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Mena House Oberoi Hotel - Cairo
Operator and Date: Kuoni - May 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Cheryl Wozny Manchester - (44,49,50,50,50 & 10)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We did a 3 centre holiday, Cairo, Luxor and Sharm. My reviews on Luxor and Sharm can be found under the relevant areas.
This place was magnificent. Our room overlooked the Pyramids. It was originally built as a Palace so the oppulance is trully wonderful.
The staff here were out of this world and they had a bed turning down service at night where the beds were turned down and they left little titbits like fruit or chocolate.
There are some great restaurants here but our favourite was the one near the pool. Ladies got fresh jasmin garlands and the service was second to none. Six of us ate 3 courses with beer (wine is very expensive and not very good) for less than £20 per head. Try it in England and see how much it costs you.
Two of us are going back next year for our wedding anniversary.
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Nile Hilton - Cairo
Operator and Date: CRESTA, SEPT 2004 AND NOV 2004
Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : JULIE KENDALL, BRIDGEND, (41, 55)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel is excellent. We went in September for a few days, but unfortunately had to return after one night due to a family bereavement. The staff could not do enough for us, contacting our Rep immediately and helping in any way they could. We had just ordered a meal when we got the phone call to go back to UK and the restaurant staff
immediately asked what they could do to help and waived any cost of the drinks we were drinking and even sought us out about an hour later to wish us well. The overall service is excellent there - the rooms both Nile View and City View are excellent. We went back eight weeks later as the service was so good and were even remembered by some of the staff.
I would recommend this hotel to anyone wishing to explore Cairo. It is right next to the museum (don't pre-book a trip - it's only a few pounds to get in but go early in the morning or late afternooon to avoid the tour groups) There is an excellent Tourist Centre within the hotel with which we took trips to the Pyramids and the Citadel. Well worth a visit.
The food is excellent and the pool heated in winter.
I can also recommend Egypt Air, again they were excellent and flew us home at no extra cost when needed and fastracked us through the airport. There is also alot more legroom than on some other scheduled and chartered flights.
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Nileview Bed and Breakfast - Cairo, Egypt
Operator and Date: Feb 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Sian Jones - Canterbury ( 28, 35 )
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed for 5 nights at Nileview Bed and Breakfast. Mohammed and Ruth looked after us really well, nothing was too much trouble. The views of the Nile and the Pyramids were awesome! The rooms were very clean and comfortable. We used Mohammed to drive for us, super car, good prices. I would highly recommend trying out Nileview as an alternative to a hotel.
We found them through their website.........check it out at www nileview com
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Sofitel Maadi Towers - Cairo
Operator and Date: Kuoni - March 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Tracy Blackburn - Hull (34, 50)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Booked trip with Kuoni to Pyramids had a fantastic day as the rep was so knowledgeable would advise you to go with a tour operator to get the history then return and just look in wonder on your own. Spent over 3 hours in the Museum, did not go with tour operator as the are time restricted and we wanted to enjoy the splendor at our leisure. The hotel got us a taxi for ours plans for the day to the Citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque these are the same place so dont get conned by a taxi telling you it is two stops as they park up and leave you to it. Will probably need up to 2 hours here as it is a trek up the hill to the entrance booth. Also went to the coptic churches and the Khan Al Kalili bazaar for a bit of bartering and fun.
A memorable holiday beyond compare which we will never forget. It eating at the hotel try the Mexican as it is excellant.
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Hotel Tulip - Cairo
Operator and Date: August 2004
Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Jon Austin-Solihull
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We booked our holiday thgrough teletext where we got a great price for somewhere we thought would be a really beautiful area to visit. The travel agency was Imperial Travel and to be fair to them were not to bed but the tour operator, Diving World or Dive Worlds as they are sometimes known are cowboys.
When we arrived in Marsa Alam airport we were met by the rep for Diving World who was as useful as a chocolate tea pot.
He escorted us to the coach where he then informed us that he had some good and bad news. We all asked for the bad news first which was that we owed him around £15 for the visa. After paying that he then informed us that we had all been up-graded to a 4* hotel (I had booked a 4*) because the hotel we were meant to be in was not catered for the British clientel. On the coach there were people who were meant to be in three different hotels but all ended up in the same one. When we arrived at the hotel after alot of arguing i was pleasently surprised by the Hotel Tulip. It was clean and appeared very grand.
The following morning we meet the rep for the introductions etc and it was merely a case of sell as much as you can stratergy, there was nothing mentioned about the facilities or what there is to do.
The main idea of the holiday for me and my girlfriend was a beach holiday yet the beach was dirty and very uninviting.
Before we flew out i spent alot of money on scuba gear to use on the beach yet couldn't due to there been a band of dead coral that was razor sharp to walk on, however the hotel iwas meant to be in had the facilities to do the snorkelling.
There is a wonderfil beach about 5 mins down the road which we had to get a taxi to as the hotel was catered entirely for Italians who had a shuttle bus to the beach which we could not use. when you get top the beach you then have to pay to go onr there yet other guests didn't. Don't let that put you off as the beach is beautiful and that location was one of the reasons we went her.
Evenings are very quite in the Hotel Tulip as all the entertainment is geared aound the Italian guests so the British guests did what we do best sit at the bar and chat amongst ourselves.
We went on 1 excursion to Luxor to see Valley of the Kings. This was amazing. Without doubt this was the best thing on the holiday. We paid around £75 and was worth ever penny. We had luch in a 5* hotel a trip on the Nile and saw the tombs and other places of interest.
In general it is a nice place but needs 10 years to mature and get established as there is very little there currently but alot of plans in the future.
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Windsor Hotel - Cairo
Operator and Date: Privatly organised grop trip
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Phill - cheshire 26 and others from 30 to 60
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Windsor hotel, like Egypt itself, is a strange but wonderful place. The staff there are good, the bar staff excellent, and the hotel in general cannot be knocked. Unless of course you are given one of the worst rooms known to man. Which is what we had originally and then got moved the next day.
The first room we were in was awful, the toilet that barely flushed was, shall we say, in need of flushing when we arrived and I do mean for the worst reasons. The bed was a joke with a mattress and frame that defied logic by still standing, the dirt (as in general dust) was everywhere and it looked like someone hadn't stayed in there for some time, though of course the present in the toilet reminded us some obviously had! Even the beds position in the room just didnt make sense with it being pressed right against a wall when it didn't have to be, making it very hard for one person to get out of bed with out climbing up the slope of the mattress (although I really should use another word, it wasn't a mattress) and then trying to climb over your partner without waking them (assuming they can sleep on strange rock like surfaces) or destroying the bed at the same time.
However once we were moved to another room it was a completely different story. Although not the Hilton it was fine in every way and fantastic in some. The thing with the Windsor is nearly every room seemed to be completely different. Most are fine, some are like a modern day English bathrooms that you would find in any newly built house and some are quite luxurious. The one to get is apparently the one Michael Palin stayed in when he went round the world in 80 days not because of its high standard but simply cos 'he' stayed there, (if you can try and watch the episode in question as it'll give you a good idea what its like and the kind of thing you have to accept).
One of the main features though has to be the Swiss styled bar. It was probably the best bar we came across in Egypt in terms of style and warmth and that cosmopolitan feel that some places just naturally have, plus some great barmen. I recommend watching a game of football with them, as most Egyptian men are obsessed with it. Also try and catch the Egyptian 'who wants to be a millionaire', after a few beers its quite a show. The restaurant also was good with a bit of a mixed menu and they were happy to help in any way they could if there was nothing on the menu that took your fancy.
Cairo itself is one hell of a place and could scare you death as much as hug you like a long lost friend, but I would recommend everyone goes at least once and not just cos of the pyramids but because it's a sample of life that you wont get anywhere else. We went in January and it was a perfect time as it was pretty much deserted of tourists and warm without being stifling like the summer is. Indeed most Egyptians whilst we were there had coats on whilst we walked round in t-shirts.
We did have a bit of a problem when it came to paying, as there was some confusion as to the price. Sort this out with them at the start though and I would imagine it's a different story. Make sure you point out that you want the final price with all taxes etc added on and that you wont be paying anymore no matter what they say and you should be fine. We didn't and we got stung!
But given the chance I would be back in a flash.
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El Alamein - Egypt
Movenpick - El Alamein
Operator and Date: (Peltours Direct) Peltours - Oct 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Carol 46, Rob 40, Rachel 18
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We have just returned from our holiday to the Movenpick. This was our first visit to Egypt and I think our last! The hotel itself is very nice and the bedrooms are very big. Staff are all very friendly and helpfull. However, for 5* the food was very poor I am not fussy, but found it very difficult to eat anything! We all did end up with VERY bad tummy upsets which lasted a week so we did end up eating just bread rolls when we could actually face eating.
The Swimming Pool is wonderful, but the indoor pool was being repaired so that was emptied after a few days. The entertainment was VERY poor (same singing group every night!)and the day time activties was an effort for the team to arrange.
I think if the food could be sorted and entertainment it would be alot better.
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Movenpick - El Alamein
Operator and Date: (Peltours Direct) Peltours - June/July 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Chamkhis - 26, 33
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Having read the other reports, I would say that they are accurate, although I would be a little more cautious with the compliments.
Good points: staff very nice and helpful, food ok but a bit repetitive, good seafood restaurant, beautiful resort, nice beach, very relaxing holiday.
The hotel staff were generally very nice, but on our trip there were a number of thefts from rooms, and inappropriate entries into rooms. There was also an inordinate number of ill people including myself (diagnosed on my return as gastroenteritis). These things were handled very badly by middle/senior management. A number of us confronted the Hotel Manager at the end of our time there (who seemed genuinely surprised and aghast at the experiences of some of the guests) which we hope will improve future operations.
Despite being the only plane that landed that day into El Alamein, it was pretty chaotic and badly organised (arrival and departure).
There are very few opportunities to buy momentos as there is nothing at the airport and only a couple of fairly expensive shops at the hotel. (Unless you go on one of the tours.) There is a small bunch of shops where you will find local-priced goods (including toiletries) about 5 mins walk from the hotel, but they are unlikely to show you where they are - you need to befriend a nice member of hotel staff!
Peltours representatives, although pleasant, were not very helpful on site, lacking the maturity to engage with the problems that people were facing. This could be because of the new-ness of the resort.
Animation team were very good and tried hard to entertain you and gave low pressure encouragement to engage you with activities - which we would recommend you do!
Trips, as expressed by others, were very expensive and not good value.
All in all, a very nice relaxing holiday, good weather, nice staff, nice hotel and good facilities, definitely not 5*, more like 4*. We hope that the teething problems will be ironed out because it is a great resort with tons of potential.
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Movenpick - El Alamein
Operator and Date: (Peltours Direct) Peltours - June 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : John, Mimi - Birmingham (39, 26)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I'm just back from a week at this hotel.
The hotel building and its layout (rooms (especially)/pool/bar/restaurants etc) are extremely good and of 5* quality.
The beach is huge and looks great from a distance but it is indeed 'hard' compacted sand and attempting to swim in the area immediately in front of the hotel would be putting your life at risk as the wind that constantly whips in from the sea builds strong waves that would have you on the rocks in no time. That said, there are no-swimming signs up so if you ignore them (you won't!) it's your own fault. The beach is much nicer and the sea shallower & calmer about 5 minutes walk to the East.
Commenting on the food is not easy as it's not great but then I've been to Egypt a few times (all 5*) and expecting great food there is just not realistic. It's not awful and is quite edible but just very uninspiring, especially the inclusive half-board dinner etc. There is a specialist seafood restaurant there but we didn't try it or the other restaurant at the hotel. We did try room-service food a couple of times though and again, while it was perfectly edible, it certainly wasn't delicious. Again, though, bear in mind that a lot of these meals were costing as little as £3-4 so .......
Other criticisms would be that no foreign beers or spirits were available yet the local stuff was being sold at Western prices which, in my opinion, let the hotel down. I'm a JD drinker and there was no local equivalent though brandy, whiskey etc were available. I tried a local brandy and it wasn't bad I guess but again, it cost me around £2.50 which must be 100 times the cost to produce it ...
Most of what I've written so far is slightly negative which may not present a fair and balanced view of the hotel.
The fact is that aside from food and drinks and the huge but not high quality beach, the hotel is beautiful and a pleasure to be in.
The bedrooms in particular are very large (I estimate 20-25 feet square plus bathroom and closet space) and marble floored throughout and all have views over the beach and sea from a spacious balcony containing a table and chairs. TV contains BBC World and CNN, a 24 hour English language movie channel and various other European and Arabic channels. The marble bathroom is large and well equipped with a good strong shower that was a pleasure to use. Air conditioning works well. One slight negative - sand on the floor. Not in piles(!) but enough to feel on your feet when walking around the room.
The swimming pool is very large (I estimate 100-120 feet long with varying freeform width) and appeared very clean and again, was a joy to use. Lots of sunbeds are available and was never a problem though I suspect if/when the hotel reaches normal occupancy levels (50-70% full) it may be an issue. I estimate the occupancy level while I was there to be as little as 10-15% and as a new hotel it will probably stay that way for some time.
The immediate area around the hotel is desert, desert and more desert. The British/German/Italian war cemeteries are very close but that's about it. Along the coastline are other developments of either a holiday home or resort nature but no big (Western) hotels that I could see and there's so much land available that nothing is crowded or even close enough that you would know it was there unless you travelled to it.
As far as weather is concerned, well, it's Egypt so that means sun, sun and more sun! Average temperatures while I was there (June 20-27) were around 30-36c which in other parts of the world could be uncomfortable but with the typically low desert humidity and strong wind from the sea, I never felt too hot. Actually, a word of warning about the wind. While it's not exactly 'storm force', it is fairly strong and consistent which can lead you to not realise that you are burning in the sun so do take care with your skin as you're dealing with some of the strongest sun on the planet in this part of the world!
Excursions:
The hotel is about 2 hours from Alexandria and 3.5 hours away from Cairo.
Peltours (actually Travel Plus, a local travel agancy) organise the usual coach tours to both Cairo and Alexandria. Costs for Cairo were £90 each and £60 each for Alexandria. There was an overnight option for Cairo at (I think) around £150 each.
I abhor those kind of organised trips (way, way too expensive - remember how cheap Egypt is! Fixed itinerary with typically 5 minutes at too-few sites and endless hours being pushed into places to buy things) so I asked one of the hotel staff if he could arganise a driver for me and my girlfriend for 2 days to drive us to and around Cairo, stay over the night (at the Conrad) then travel to Alexandria on the way back to the hotel the next day. They sorted this out for 1,800LE (£180 plus hotel at £90 which I'd already booked) which, in my opinion, was still expensive but I went for it as the equivalent trip with Peltours and not being able to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it would cost a minimum of £300! Cairo and Alexandria were both terrific and well worth it, the pyramids truly are amazing and nothing can prepare you for the size of them! (Being able to go inside both pyramids was a real treat - doubt you'd have time to do this on an organised tour - but very, very tough as although the temperature dropped dramatically, the humidity rocketed and you have to almost crawl and climb through a tunnel that is only 4 feet tops in places but it's worth it!
Finally, there's some cracking deals going at the Movenpick Hotel in El Alamein, I got my week there for only £249 (lastminute.com) which was an incredible bargain and despite the minor flaws of this new hotel it is well worth it at that (and more) money.
John
PS: Transfer from El Alamein airport is 15 minutes. Visa is $20 on the coach from the airport to the hotel. When you go back, you'll be in the airport 'lounge' for 2 hours+ and it's very hot and humid. Drinks are available (from one of the guys who works at the hotel!) at a staggering £1.50 per can - Alexandria street price £0.20! Don't say you weren't warned ...
PPS: The hotel guys who sorted out the Cairo/Alexandria driver were Aymen(sp???) and Mohamed but others can probably sort you out too but bear in mind that they do this for you independently of both the hotel itself and the Peltours/Teavel Plus travel agents should that bother you at all???!!!
PPPS: Hotel staff are the typically Egyptian super-friendly and helpful but sometimes not so super-competent.
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Movenpick - El Alamein
Operator and Date: (Peltours Direct) Peltours - June 2005
Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : 41 & 40
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Got a deal on the net with Lastminute. Excellent value.
The hotel has been opened about 10 months and is in its 'run in' period. Therefore bargains are to be had. Most things are opened.
The rooms and facilities are excellent and there are lots of things to recommend. Great for a sun seekers holiday.
Go on the overnight stay to Cario. Good value, great sights, superb accomadation and food. The guide was very helpful as were the Peltours reps.
The negatives -The food is very average and we were fed up of it after 3 days. The resort is in the middle of nowhere and the only completed facility is the hotel. You're stuck then with the hotel's food and drink.
Bar prices quite expensive for Egypt.
Bar staff are new and mostly inexperienced. The staff at the pool bar are completely clueless and rude with it.
Don't use the hotel bank - rip off. Take US dollars with you.
All in all good value if you shop around for a bargain. Hotel isn't up to the usual 5* standards (even for Egypt) but at the price you can't complain.
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Movenpick - El Alamein
Operator and Date: (Peltours Direct) Peltours - April / May 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Anthony 31 Kirsty 27
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
April/May 2005. The Movenpicks hotel was good quality for the price; it has a heated indoor swimming pool, which links through, to an outdoor pool. There is also large unheated pool and a couple of kids pools.
There are 3 restaurants open at the time of writing. The buffet one is where you eat for half board, the food is okay but can be a bit tepid, repetitive and not very inspiring, but at the price its understandable. The food is better in the other restaurants but of course you have to pay extra.
The staff are excellent but if busy can get a little overwhelmed. The level of service is what you would expect in a four to five star hotel, very welcoming and friendly. But overall this is defiantly not the 5 star hotel advertised.
The resort is in the middle of nowhere (desert), so if you want to do something outside the hotel or need a shop or two you have booked the wrong place! There is no supermarket to buy drinks or snacks so everything is through the hotel waiters, coke is about £1.50 after tax, beer £2.50. The sea and beach are good and quite clean, snorking around the rocks the visibility is very clear and unpolluted with lots of fish, however the black on the rocks is tar, so watch your feet!
Trips out from the hotel are run by Travel plus, we did Cairo (3.5 hrs on coach one way) and Alexandra (2.5 hrs on coach one way) and enjoyed both, they are well worth visiting, the Pyramids are extremely impressive as is the Egyptian museum. However the food at Alexandra was poor and gave most people stomach upsets. The Cairo trip did not make the best use of the time with only 45 mins at the Pyramids but 1 hr in a very tacky gift shop that Travel Plus obviously got commission from, we were chased around the shop by high pressure sales people. The Alexandra trip was better orgnised. There is no alternative to travel plus!
Finally the level of security is very high in Egypt, armed police escorts are very common as are metal detectors on hotels and at key tourist spots. It didn't really alarm us, as the probability of running into trouble is very very low.
I would only recommend this trip to people who want to see Cairo (Pyramids) and Alexandra cheaply or people who want to lay in the sun 24/7. For independently minded people look elsewhere.
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El Gouna - Egypt
Movenpick - El Gouna
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - Feb 2007
Opinion submitted in February 2007 by : S.Wood - Warrington (54,52)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Well, we have literally just returned from the Movenpick,El Gouna.The view over the pools to the sea from the lobby was out of this world. It was fantastic!
Could not fault the hotel at all.Huge grounds and gardens and its right on the beach.Lots to do in day time.Kite surfing,snorkelling,bike hire,health club,library,squash or just lazing about like we did ! Was 26 deg when we there and Feb meant to be worst month. Food fantastic.Never seen so much choice for breakfast.Great restaurants,especially the Sea Food and Thai. Staff really friendly and could not do enough for you with sincerity,not just out for a tip. Spotlessly clean everywhere.No litter at all and the public toilets immaculate all day. We were lucky enough to have a lagoon pool, sea view. Spectacular. The room was huge.Two queen sized beds and the biggest bathroom ever.The beds were changed at least twice in a week and fresh towels everyday.We had red roses left on our beds on valentines day! Shuttle bus to Down town and Marina good,regular,cheap but slow and uncomfortable but can also use ticket for the shuttle boat too.We opted for the Tok Toks. A great experience! Mad drivers but only cost £1 and very fast. Hotel has 2 resident camels on the beach which you can ride.Brilliant experience. All the pools fantastic but main pool un heated and freezing. Lagoon pool was gorgeous.Never a problem to get sun loungers and the fantastic pool staff bring mats to you and beach towels are free to use fresh daily. They even sweep the beaches every evening by hand! Spotless.
Only down side was not a lot of entertainment in the evening at the hotel but we were early season and the buffet restaurant caters more for Continentals in the evening but there is still plenty of choice.Movenpick ice cream is to die for! Easy to get to Down town or Marina in the evening for a meal by Tok Tok or shuttle bus and they run till late. Recommend Bleu Bleu at the Marina or Kiki's Italian above Casino in Down Town. Two courses for two with wine and coffee about £20! Gets very chilly at night so need cardigan or jacket.
Went on trip out to Mahmaya island. A brilliant day! Saw dolphins. Island had pure white sandy beach.Coral just off the beach where u could see all the colourful fish.Lovely buffet lunch provided. Lovely day.
We did not do it ourselves but the Luxor 2 day trip is meant to be amazing from what we heard. Have to be up at 4.30 am for 6 hour trip,stay over night and have hot air balloon ride early next day.Will do it next time.
We were not hassled at all by anyone except people hovering outside the toilets at Hurghada airport on our return.They wanted money in exchange for 2 pieces of toilet paper! There were signs to say no tipping. The toilets were filthy but the only dirty ones we saw. There are loads of tacky shops at the airport too where you may be ripped off.
All in all,a fantastic holiday. Highly recommend the Movenpick. We will return!
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Movenpick - El Gouna
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - December 2006
Opinion submitted in December 2006 by : Marc & Teresa - Berkshire (34,34)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
It is first time we have returned to same hotel and resort as we like to explore new places but after last years visit we were so impressed we thought why not.... and we were not disappointed, it is continually evolving but the Movenpick keeps its high standards of service.
All staff in the hotel and people in El Gouna are very polite and always happy.
The restaurants that stood out to us were the Oriental Grill (Downtown), La Scala (Marina) and the newly opened Greek Tavena (Downtown). Admittedly the "Greek" food wasn't quite what you would get in a traditional Greek Taverna in Greece but were were there in their first week and it was a good try!.
Breakfast as usual very very good, lot's and lots of choice.
Supermarket (Downtown) is the best place to get your provisions, Movenpick Icecream 60p (£2.00 in hotel), water 15p (£1.00 in hotel). Don't forget your weekly bus ticket gone up now to £1.50 but what a bargain.
Had an absolutely great time again, so may have to risk a third visit!!!!!
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Movenpick - El Gouna
Operator and Date: May 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Zoe Pennington- Lancashire 30,31
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Had an excellent holiday, just what we needed. Hotel fantastic, pool areas beach just as described. We ate at the Marina, plenty of restaurants to choose from and the prices extremely reasonable. Didnt bother with any excursions as resort too far away from Luxor and the like,would stay in Luxor if you want to do the pyramids.
The airport is weird in that when you get off the plane you are lined up in the terminal where you pay for your tourist visa, you then fill in a form then you go through passport control. it all seems confusing if you;ve never been there before. When you leave, you are herded into the airport, but all bags are scanned before you enter the terminal building, then you queue again at the check in desk. Seems like madness but its good to know they are security conscious.
Overall, highly recommended, especially when my boyfriend proposed!!!!!
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Movenpick - El Gouna
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - December 2005
Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : Marc & Teresa (33,33)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
My husband and I have just come back from an absolutely wonderful stay at the Movenpick. There is nothing I can fault. The staff are very friendly and polite, they cannot do enough for you. A special mention to Musaf the lifeguard and beach towel holder. The breakfast was amazing a real must and kept us going till the evening, well along with the divine Movenpick Icecream.
We found that downtown had more of an atmosphere than the Marina, everywhere was fairly quiet, the best place to eat was the Ferrari Bar, which although it doesn't look much from the outside was excellent with some authentic Egytian dishes my husband especially liked the "Fatta". The shuttle buses are great 10LE or £1.00 each for the week, maybe not so good if you have any back problems!!!!
All in all a great holiday and we will be going back next year.
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Movenpick Spa and Resort - El Gouna
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - November 2005
Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : Vic & Karen - 40s
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Our review is just a footnote to all the other reviews here about El Gouna. It is our 3rd visit so when the chance came up on the good old internet to spend 12 days here for a ridiculously cheap amount we both jumped at the chance and left Gatwick on Excel Airways (never heard of them!) at the end of October and prepared ourselves for the flight to Hurghada airport (never been there either as we usually go to Luxor and travel across on the police convoy) (review on Sofitel Karnak on Luxor page)
We dont think there is anything to dislike about El Gouna it's unoffensive and yes, agreed, quite Disneyesque and souless compared to Luxor but if it's a chilled out break and you dont mind the lack of entertainment and are quite happy to travel around on the buses to the Marina and Downtown and try every restaurant and eatery and 'escape' from a tiring period at work/home, then it is a good place to go. But we only have ourselves to think about, having no children to accommodate.
The Movenpick is lovely - the best hotel in El Gouna - it does look a little tired in places but it must suffer heavy foot traffic - the hotel was fully booked when we arrived and remained that way all thro our stay but as it's so big and spaced out it never felt like that. The main pool area is very popular but we always ask to stay in cluster 7 which overlooks the pool, lagoons and Steinberger, and did walk over to the new El'Limone cluster 8 and that was quite busy but then petered out to one or two souls after a week. Ramadan ended during our visit and there was a lot of coming and goings in the prvate villas with parties and guests (I was told they celebrate it like we do Christmas).
One thing that did come as a stupid shock on our behalf was how COLD it was!!! We usually go to Egypt in June and July as we both like quite extreme heat and cope well but altho we knew El Gouna was windy it was the impact on the temperatures only being in the high 20's whereas we only know 40+. Mornings were chilly until about 10am then it was ok to sunbathe - we got and still have a fantastic tan which hasnt peeled off but have put it down to windburn more than anything! The Movenpick pools are cold in the height of summer so they were too cold for me in November - MOH said they were ok but he only went in once or twice altho he was braver and went snorkelling a couple of times out on the jetty at Zeytuna beach and swam to the pontoon at the Movenpick - it was too rough and cold for me big baby that I am.
The evenings were absolutely freezing - if you go take a coat and I mean a coat, not a jumper or jacket - all the locals wear sheepskins and walk around in jumpers and sweatshirts during the sunny days as to them it's cold.
Some highlights:
Sayadin Restaurant at the Movenpick is fantastic
Best restaurant in Downtown El Gouna is The Hedra
Bus tickets for the week - a must
Hurghada - good cheap trip on the bus for something to do for £1 if only to turn around and come back again to appreciate the El Gouna area - but in our humble opinion a bit of a shambles (ok - a dump!) Only good for starting off point to go on a snorkelling trip
Karakeesh Bakery in Downtown El Gouna - fantastic bread, cakes and coffees
Marina area - very 'european' but a must for the ambiance - but the yatchs altho impressive would be small change to Mr Abramovitch............
Security is excellent in and round the resort
Eating out is from cheap and cheerful to cheapish and fabulous
As mentioned before, we know El Gouna well and it has changed over the years but it doesnt detract from being what it's original intention was - a discreet 'exclusive' little enclave away from the expectations of well-known/well trodden Egypt by way of Luxor, Nile cruises and Cairo.
We will continue to go to Egypt at least once a year as we love being there, whether it be Luxor, Cairo, El Gouna - it suits us from the extreme heat, dust and filth to the 5* 'escapes', which we do appreciate and realise we are lucky to be able to have that option.
It's the wonders and 'draw' of the Nile at sunset, watching the children swimming with their water buffalos, to still keeping a gritted smile on your face from being constantly harassed to take a caleche, or scrabbling around in the dust seeing the fabulous tombs, (why oh why do the Italians pour off their coaches in the Valley of the Kings at 45 degrees plus, wearing designer flip flops, Gucci sunglasses, well fitted designer clothes, descend upon everything chattering away like a flock of exciteable starlings then coolly get back on the coach with not a hair out of place ??)
The admiration for the temples will stay with you forever, deciding to be a vegetarian after visiting the local market then eating a great fillet steak, the camel that tried to bite you altho you didnt want it thrust upon you in the first place, to all the poor little donkeys endlessly working in the heat until they drop, the children in the streets of Luxor who have so little it breaks your heart, sitting with the locals on the train to Cairo dead tired to the bone and filthy to boot and not caring, to eating 'shrimp' at the Red Sea the size of small lobsters - Egypt, it's people, and endless treasures can get to your soul - you have to do it. Take care.
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Movenpick - El Gouna
Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra/Excel - Oct/Nov 2005
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : David and Denise Powell - Surrey (59 and 57)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We planned to recover from the excursions of a 7 night Nile Cruise by spending 6 nights at the Movenpick at El Gouna, relaxing in the sun and swimming and snorkelling in the Red Sea. We chose the hotel and resort after reading the reviews. I think we should have read them a bit more carefully!
On arrival at the Movenpick we saw that waiters were giving new arrivals a refreshing hibiscus drink but will assume that it was a coincidence that we were the only two speaking with an English accent and the only two not offered a drink, despite politely asking twice.
The standard of the room put us in a better mood, one of 4 in a small block with a communal lounge and patio leading to its own mooring point on the lagoon.
We very quickly discovered that in October and November, the Red Sea is not conducive to snorkelling - a wet suit was needed and even then the longest time anyone could spend in the water was about 20 - 30 minutes. Something that anyone planning to visit El Gouna at this time of year should bear in mind!
During the day, the ever present wind helps keep you cool but we saw a few who had been fooled into thinking they weren't getting burnt. Once the sun went down, the temperature dropped dramatically and jumpers (sweaters for the non-British) were required.
The size of the Movenpick and the facilities in and around the resort are well documented so I won't repeat them. We enjoyed our stay here but doubt if we will return. It's a bit too spread out and impersonal for us.
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Movenpick - El Gouna
Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra holidays - June 2005
Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Wolverhampton (42,43,14)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
To start off with, the accomodation at the movenpick was absolutely perfect, couldn't ask for more, very clean and tidy. There were many pools and they were all very clean.
I must warn you though that we went on the bedouin camp jeep safari trip, and we were EXTREMELY disapointed. It was my daughters birthday and we had a horrible day, we were told we would be back at the movenpick for 8 pm and we weren't back unitl 10.30 pm, meaning my daughters birthday was spoilt as we were planning to go out on the night arriving back. The whole trip was dragged out and very repetitive, no toilets , nothing.
However, we went by minibus to luxor to the valley of the kings which was excellent, the only bad thing was the journey (5hr 30mins) and the begging arabs. The thing we enjoyed the most was the brilliant snorkelling, i can't explain it. The array of colours under the sea , GOSH! You could snorkel out from the movenpicks private beach which was brilliant as there wasa small reef there. We took our last trip to mahyma paradise island which was outstanding, it was a full day for about £25 each of snorkelling. This is the best place to see the fish if stopping in the el gouna. The staff werw very friendly and helpful at the hotel, always there to help, and spoke very clear english.
The choice of breakfast was good, but got a bit boring at the end of the holiday. I must say that there weren't many places to dine though, just downtown and the marina which was lovely at nighttime, all lit up. We found a reasonably priced bar to drink in called biergarten which we loved with the pool table for my daughter. WARNING: you will get ill! myself and my daughter both had the runs for 2 days and terrible cramps, thew only way to beat this is by taking the local egyptian medicines which you can buy from the local pharmacy for about £2.50 GBP. What we did was take wet wipes with us to clean our hands on after handling the money as it is soooooo dirty and old and smelly. There was a brilliant steakhouse we ate at on the last day, so juicy and succelent lol!
Overall the holiday was fantastic and we would consider visting there again in a few short years when it has developed a bit more as we did everything possible lol !
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Movenpick - El Gouna
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - June 2005
Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Minesh Thakrar (35, 31)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
If you're looking for rest, relaxation and great weather this is the place to go!
El Gouna as a town is perhaps a little like an Egyptian version of Disney World. Everything is very new looking and although the buildings are in the Egyptian style they do perhaps lack a little 'soul'. If however you are there to chill and catch some rays - then who cares!!
The Movenpick Hotel was very good. The lobby was impressive and had all the usual services you would expect of a four/five star hotel. The grounds were very big and well tended. The three swimming pools were also very nice with each having it's own bar area for drinks and snacks. As we were there off peak, there were not many other tourists about. I can however imagine that during the peak season the place would be very busy by the number of sun loungers placed around the pools.
My one comment regarding the pools were that they were far too cold. Even though the temperature reached 35-38 degrees I had to brace myself before stepping in. The resort has a spa/gym. I used the gym which was adequate however the number of exercise machines were few. There is an $8 fee a day to use the spa/sauna etc which I was a little surprised at. There was also a tennis court, cycle hire, dive/snorkelling centre with plenty of water sports including kite surfing.
Our deal was on a B&B basis and I can say that the breakfast provided was very good. There was a good range of food and everything seemed very fresh. We did eat at the Thai restaurant one evening which was very poor. The pool snacks were okay although we tended to have easy options such as sandwiches and chips!
There was evening entertainment at the hotel but we tended to be out and about and missed most of it. We did however catch some traditional dancing and a band which were both interesting.
The two main areas to visit in El Gouna are 'Downtown' and the Marina. Don't let the first one fool you though! 'Downtown' is a small area with a few restaurants and bars. There is not really that much to see/do there and the main reason we actually went there was to get the bus to the Marina. The Marina is fantastic. It is small enough to amble from one end to another without getting too tired and has an array of bars and restaurants to meet and culinary desire! The boats moored along the Marina are magnificent and certainly gives you that "If I won the lottery" feeling!
We ate at the Marina on three occasions. The first was a place called Thomas's which has a variety of foods including pizza's, pasta. As vegetarians we opted for the pizza which was a great choice - they were lovely! The restaurant also serves a decent bottle of wine although for £20 per bottle you do expect something special. The second place we visited was a 'proper' Italian restaurant called "Spagetteria" (I'm not certain of the spelling but you can't miss it). The starters are very good although the main course was a little bland and disappointing. The final restaurant was an Indian called "The Tandoor". The décor was passable and the food was quite good but nothing to write home about! We did eat at the Lebanese/Egyptian Restaurant at the Sheraton one evening which is very nice and I would recommend it.
In terms of sightseeing, we spent a day in Luxor which was superb! We went to the highly impressive Karnak Temple as well as the Hatchsetup (Spelling?) Temple which has been built into the side of a mountain. The Valley of the Kings was perhaps slightly disappointing although it was worth a visit as the tombs we saw were quite impressive (beware the temperature which reached 45 degrees!) We ended the day with a small boat ride on the Nile which was very nice. All in all, the day was well worth it, reasonably priced (about £30 per person) and very interesting. In fact, up until the point I went to Luxor I had no sense as to the real Egypt at all.
We spent one evening in Hurghada town which is a 30 minute drive away. If I were you I wouldn't bother even going there. It commercial tourism gone mad! The tacky souvenir shops and the hard sell tactics left me longing for the tranquillity of El Gouna. If you do decide to visit, make sure you visit the old town (El Dar) as that is a little nicer that the new area (where you'll find McDonalds, KFC etc)
The holiday on the whole was very good and the Movenpick was a great choice. The lakes surrounding the resort add a special something to the place and the service provided by the staff was exceptional.
Have a good trip!
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Movenpick - El Gouna
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomsons - November 2004
Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : Susie Green - (47 & 43)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Having read the other reviews for the Movenpick it was useful to make our own comparisons having visited only last week. Without doubt the Movenpick is the best hotel in El Gouna and the Sheraton doesn't, in our opinion, even come a close second. The beach at the Sheraton is crowded whereas the Movenpick has so much space for everyone even though the hotel had 95% occupancy we found a lagoon and beach practically to ourselves each day. The location of the Movenpick is fabulous, the pools spacious and the staff so friendly and helpful. They bring your sunbed mattress and towel to you and sweep the beaches everyday.
The shuttle bus to downtown and the marina is an absolute give away at 10 Egyptian pounds for the week which is only £1 (sterling). Food at Bleu Bleu, La Scala and La Deauville is excellent and very cheap (Marina). Kikis is a favourite in downtown but the other three have the edge for style and atmosphere.
The hotel was busy but the resort was very quiet, too quiet I should imagine for some. We were told that October is a better option as November is the quiet period before the build up before Christmas. Also worth noting is the fact that it did get quite cold in the evening especially on the windy open air bus down to the marina. Great fun but didn't do much for your hair style!
The Egyptian staff were extremely friendly and Hazal our room attendant was excellent. Clean white fluffy towels and bed linen everyday. The rooms and bathrooms were spacious but nothing grand and had started to look a little tired but nonetheless were absolutely fine.
The grounds are immaculate and very picturesque but are spread out so it can be quite funny trying to find your way back to your room (arranged in clusters).
The only downside to this resort, unfortunately it really does have to be said, that the food is dreadful. The breakfast is plentiful and varied, with some pretty strange items including eg. roast potatoes!! The breakfast buffet is tolerable but the buffet theme suppers and the other restaurants were pretty average for such a high standard of hotel. You really must go on a bed and breakfast basis and then venture out to restaurants which is a far better option.
It seems such a shame that a fantastic resort such as the Movenpick lets itself down on the food but a locals comment was that you will never get good food in any Egyptian hotel unless the chef is European.
All the above said, I would not hesitate to recommend the Movenpick and we will definitely return
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Movenpick - El Gouna
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - September 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : M Halliday - Portsmouth (49,48,44,42)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Movenpick is a very good hotel with some excellent pools on site.
The Movenpick however is not quite as good as the Sheraton Miramar. I have stayed in both hotels recently and both are delightful but the Sheraton just shades it on location, architecture and prices of food and drink. The rooms are of a similar standard, the beach is better at Sheraton, the pools are better at the Movenpick.
Both have local reefs which are excellent for snorkelling.
The little town of El Gouna has quite a few pubs and resturants and we ate out every night in a different place, we never had a bad meal and all of our party remained well throughout our stay.
The weather in El Gouna is exceptional, as it really is sunny every day of the year.
To sum up, both hotels offer an exceptional holiday, enjoy the Red Sea whilst it is still quite a secret.
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Movenpick - El Gouna
Operator and Date: Longwood - June 2004
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : Sue Leadbetter (47,45)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We have visited Egypt many times and this was our third visit to the Movenpick at El Gouna. El Gouna itself has a very good range of facilities and continues to grow. The lagoon boat trip is a nice way of seeing the city and the bus service is also a good deal.
Of course you can eat and drink other places than the Movenpick and it will be cheaper but we tend to go there for a complete rest and find the several restaurants in the hotel are enough.
The service is good at the Movenpick, the rooms are spacious, the beds are really comfortable and the food is of a good standard.
We did find this time that the hotel was much busier than on our previous visits (June 2002, June 2001). Apparently a lot of marketing is being done in Eastern Europe - on the day we flew out of Hurghada there were three flights to Bratislava. The Eastern Europeans we met were really nice people and a good laugh to be on holiday with - it just makes the hotel which used to be very tranquil, quite busy. The are also adding more hotel rooms which I believe will further stretch the facilities.
The other downside is that there used be plenty of English speaking channels on the T.V. but now there are not. T.V. adverts from other countries really give you an insight into the culture but can only entertain you for so long , so not only did we end up watching "Charmed" one evening (as there was literally nothing else on which makes me sound really sad!), we watched the England Euro 2004 match in German and had no idea why the ref had disallowed what looked to be a perfectly good goal. Of course it wasn't a good reason but we had to ring home eventually to find this out or else go crazy wondering.
I would still wholeheartedly recommend El Gouna and the Movenpick - just not as a quiet place to go but if you're not middle aged and tired when you go on holiday then this shouldn't be a problem!
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Movenpick - El Gouna
Operator and Date: Longwoods May 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Pete & Gail (45)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
If you want a peaceful relaxing holiday, head for El Gouna.
This is a purpose built resort, & as such has no history, just excellent Hotels & it is very clean & tidy. The movenpick I feel to be the best hotel there, & we did visit all the others, eyeing up the competition for our next visit - & I would not hesitate to return. The hotel grounds were extensive & well tended, planted with Hibiscus of every colour imaginable. There were 3 pools, 1 in the Gym/Spa area, a small quieter pool & the large pool where all the daytime activities took place. There were plenty of sunbeds (towels & mattress provided) & lots of space between them. Plenty of friendly, attentive waitors to bring those lovely cocktails right to your sun bed & a very nice pool side restaurant serving a variety of food that was excellent. This hotel is directly on the beach with a variety of watersports available + diving club, there a 2 lagoons that provide sheltered salt water swimming.
The accomodation is very good, large bedroom, 2 threequarter beds, minibar, satelite TV, large balcony with table & chairs. The bathroom was huge, large walk in shower (no bath)6ft marble top incorporating sink, all toiletries provided
Very clean. We were B&B & the breakfast had everything you could wish for (except bacon of course) there was even a diet section.
We liked to eat out of an evening as we had spent all day at the hotel & we were only a 10 minute walk from 'Downtown' where there were numerous bars & restaurants, the food was very good & cheap, home made soup £1.50, fantastic Pate £2.00, tasty fillet steaks £4.00 a hearty bowl of pasta £3.00 (we visited Kiki's several times) There are 2 or 3 supermarkets, a good pharmacy, a photographic shop (films, batteries disposable cameras), & places selling the usual Egyptian nic-naks, the rip off designer T shirts & towles were good quality & cheap. The movenpick is a 5 minute taxi ride (Fare £1)from the small Marina, again more restaurants bars & shops with all those lovely big boats to sigh over!
The only down side is it is very quiet here, some evenings there were no more than half a dozen people about which can result in the bars & restaurants lacking atmosphere.
There were very few english here (6 arrived on our coach) & the Egyptians love the opportunity to speak with you. So come on give this place a try.
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Movenpick - El Gouna
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson March 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Jenny Sadler 50
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed at Movenpick El Gouna for a week after the Nile Cruise. We chose it for a rest and it was a really lovely place. Could not fault the hotel, the rooms are large with superb bathrooms. Air con was very efficient. We were B and B and preferred this option as we liked to eat in the town. The food was good in all the restaurants and very cheap. Kiki's was particularly nice.
There are salt water lagoons to swin and and two pools. The sea is very shallow here and the one disappointment was that there was very little coral or marine life. Need to go to bigger resorts for that. El Gouna is a made made resort and has the feel of a disney village, but it is much nicer, it just doesn't feel real. Don't let that put you off, it's a lovely place for a weeks chill out. Could not fault the Movenpick at all. The police convoy to and from the Red Sea is not much fun but you just have to accept that it for your own safety. Luxor airport has to be seen to be believed, not a place to hang around in! First trip to Egypt and we will go again.
The people are really nice and in El Gouna there is no hassle for money which is was a great relief after a week in Luxor and Aswan.