This is actually my second visit, the first being ...

This is actually my second visit, the first being well over 10 years ago but I didn't realise I'd been before. Half the hotel is currently being renovated which is actually a blessing. The hotel is too big for the dining room and bar areas for a full hotel. As it was we often had nowhere to sit in the bar during the evenings. A full hotel would have been ridiculous. My room was comfortable and always kept spotlessly clean although very dated as it wasn't one of the rooms that had already been renovated. I knew this before I came as I wanted a sea view and had been warned. A sea view makes my holiday so I was fine with this. The beach is nice, but again with a full hotel it would have been impossible to find a spot for the day. As it was we were fine.
The bar staff in Waves (the beach bar were always friendly but didn't offer a waiter service which you would expect from a 5star hotel. The bar staff in the hotel bar were mostly miserable and fairly sloppy, there was only one guy there who seemed happy to be there.
The waiters at breakfast and dinner were a joy. Always happy and always knew what we wanted to drink and couldn't do enough for you. There was always plenty to eat and the food was good if a little unvaried. The Egyptian night food was very good. There were only two Al La Carte restaurants. An Italian (which had a rather poor reputation) and one other which came at extra cost. Most 5star restaurants offer more than this.
Overall we had a good stay but mainly because the hotel was half empty. I think the experience would have been awful had it been full.