If you're a seasoned traveller you'll already know...

If you're a seasoned traveller you'll already know that a 5* holiday hotel is not the same as a 5* international hotel, you get what you pay and in this case stunning value.

Suffice to say we enjoyed this hotel tremendously, a UK 3* in my book. We statyed at Chritsmas 2019, these folks really know how to do Christmas!!!

Friendly staff, good food, nice surroundings. Food similar to a cruise ship self-serve buffet.

Breakfast:
Pancakes, omelettes, cereals, fresh fruits, cold meats, pastries, toast & rolls etc.

Lunch & dinner:
salads, 2 types of soups, pasta, rice, varied, potatoes, fish, turkey, Chicken, beef, lamb

Deserts mainly elaborate sponge-based and often very sweet, profiteroles, Iliebollen, lots of fresh fruits.



4G coverage in Egypt is very good as they focus on major holiday resorts (incl. Nile Cruises) and towns. We drove from Hugurdad to Luxor and had 95+% coverage at least. Many modern smartphones are SIM unlocked but check before you leave.



Evening entertainment was very basic, just a few female dancers and then some blokes doing handstands clearly in love with themselves :-)

There was a lone guitarist and sax player later some nights.

On some evenings the hotel held a noisy kids session in the main lounge area up until 9pm so we sat outside.

Nice pool bar, all inclusive recommended, includes cakes after breakfast and afternoon ice cream. Unfortunately there aren't any dedicated smoking areas so we just hid the ash trays where we sat.

Hotel also has its own private beach and beach snack bar which did pizzas, chips etc. Hotel provides 'do not disturb' signs to stop peddles bothering you.

The room wall sockets are regular European 2 pin style, TVs have HDMI and USB sockets so, if you really can't live without TV you could always bring your own video content on a USB stick or HDMI enabled tablet as just the main European channels are avail (BBC world, France 24 etc,). Remember iPlayer and Netflix let you download content before you leave. For serious geeks VPN access works fine in the hotel reception all be a bit sluggish, I heard similar stories for the paid WiFi in rooms the same.

There is a 24 ATM\note changer in reception rates are good with a modest commission. Also a small bank on site.

We found it best to avoid using a debit\credit cards as for trips as in our case priced in UK pounds but then converted and billed to US $ which UK banks would have covert back again, this could put 20% on the overall cost. Mileage may vary of course, bottom line is sterling notes work well here, $ bills or Egyptian small notes easier for tips. Using a public loo often attracts a 5 Egyptian pound payment though I noticed some people ignored the charge.

Big big Caveat, 2 types of room, main hotel rooms and 'villa\apartments' over the road. Main hotel rooms spacious and lovely, several people told us some villas were in a poor state and being refurbished. Best to check with your agent before you leave and insist on a main hotel room if you can depending on how much you've paid. Hotel has its own taxi but local taxis are cheaper, ask for price before you jump in.

The local area felt very safe, lots of Police we're told focusing on tourism.

All in all a nice safe country with lovely people.