Your rating of this hotel:
7.0
from 10
Hotel ratings by criteria:
Rooms:
7.0
Service:
6.0
Cleanliness:
6.0
Food:
6.0
Amenities:
7.0
For a small price - a good choice. Of course, "Emerald", like other hotels "Golden Five City", does not attract a 5-star hotel in the European sense. But at a price less than the cost of rest in some "threes", quite a decent option.
The beach is one of the advantages of the hotel: close, convenient sandy entrance to the water, a gradual increase in depth. Nearby is a dead coral with a few fish, a little further by the sea - there are several living coral islands with fish - not many, but there is something to see. Mostly sandy bottom without a frightening dark abyss - a psychologically comfortable environment for lovers of long-distance swimming. In the morning you can see stingrays, there are no other dangerous creatures here. There are several surgeons on the left, behind the buoys, if they are not actively approached, there is no danger. It is said that in the morning they saw a turtle in the sea, but it looks like a fable. Some tourists complain about the piles of worms lying on the mill, especially in the morning.
But these handfuls - in fact, consist of sand - they are thrown out of their burrows under the skin. These are similar to earthworms that live in the sand on the seabed, where they are very difficult to get. You can see their "handfuls" by diving with a mask. Most swimmers, when entering the water, do not notice those clusters that just fall apart when they step on them. There are a lot of sand dunes on the beaches of Hurghada, their presence indicates a) really sandy, not rocky bottom; b) about the purity of water - pischkiril in dirty water will not live c) they, in fact, eat. So these worms clean the bottom of the silt.
There were enough sunbeds on the beach and they are all intact and comfortable (plastic with stretched mesh). There are fences from the wind. The beach has a toilet and shower. It is difficult to call the beach especially beautiful, but it does not deserve bad reviews. Normal beach.
Animation - on the beach is quite active.
Dancing, aqua aerobics, volleyball. They ride camels, horses and ATVs.
In the evenings, there is no animation, I think.
Pool (s): of the two has a decorative function. Another is quite suitable for recreational swimming. In December, it was almost not heated, so the water is a little cold, but if you move actively - just those. The pool is cleaned daily.
Number (s): all the same, more or less decent and comfortable, after cosmetic repairs, something may not work, but at the [polite] request to start or replace everything. There is an old TV, refrigerator, hair dryer, safe. A closet, a big bed, a table, a table and a few armchairs, lamps - all a little vintage, but not so scary. The furniture on the balcony is a bit older, but suitable for ...in fact, there is nothing to do on the balcony, except for drying swimming clothes.
It was unpleasant to see tourists shouting at the reception manager at six in the morning, demanding immediate (??? ) Settlement, although by all rules he could not accommodate them until 14:00.
As a rule, around 9 o'clock, maybe a little earlier, you will receive a key card from the room, a card for towels and a memo about the hotel. Wear a bracelet after 10 - these are the rules. On departure, the room must be vacated by 12:00, the towel card can be returned to the reception later. Also, the bracelet, if you ask politely - do not cut.
Restaurant: good. It is not necessary to call it a dining room, there is no such furniture in dining rooms. Food is quite edible, and it is enough, no one limits the amount. Breakfast, as everywhere - continental. There is always at least one dish of meat, chicken and fish for lunch and dinner. Sometimes - in the distance, sometimes - not very much. Some soups. Pasta, porridge, stewed and fried vegetables. Sometimes stuffed vegetables are quite good.
Salads are not very good for local chefs, so it is better to just eat fresh vegetables. Fruit - not enough, too many sweets.
I do not know about alcohol - I do not drink while eating, but there were complaints that the beer runs out quickly, or the wax is not strong enough. Cola-fanta-sprite from bottles or instant juices (actually they are not from Yupi powder, but from concentrate) from dispensers - without restrictions. Coffee for breakfast - sorry, but decent, for lunch and dinner - standard espresso from the machine, you can drink.
Beach bar - think it's not there, it's easier. Like the pool bar. The bar in the lobby is normal. Sometimes the beer ran out and the people started arguing. I sometimes drank Cuba Libri in the evenings when I wanted to sit on the Internet. If you greet the bartender in Arabic, he will do it even with ice and lime. In its pure form, local alcohol is not very noteworthy. It is better to take with you, or buy in "Duty Free" (the closest in "Senzo Mall").
Wi-Fi in the lobby is quite powerful, even in the evening.
I turned it off several times, in which case it is enough to ask the manager at the reception to reboot the router, and everyone plunges back into their smartphones.
Cleaning in the rooms is normal, even rubbed the floor (it is marble) to shine. Towels were changed for fresh ones, linen was simply changed. Hygienic products include shampoo and solid soap, but it is better to use your own. Swans-crocodiles-hearts-cobras and petals of roses - every day without any hint of a tip (deprived only on departure, because the cleaner really worked well).
The area is common to all Golden City hotels, large, more or less green, most vacationers do not miss a week. There are places for streaming repairs, but they are fenced and do not spoil the overall look (although special beauty, I'll be honest, and do not add).
There are abandoned houses in the far corners, for example, a number of beautiful cottages with private courtyards, once very, very comfortable. Gradually, the new owners (Princess Hotels chain) resumes operation of the complex. We were here in the spring - only "Paradise" and "Emerald" worked. Sapphire and Topaz Club were launched in the fall, and it is noticeable that they are preparing to launch Diamond.
New water park - I think it's cold in winter. In summer it is very cool. Some tour operators include it in the cost of the package, some do not, then the entrance costs $ 5 per day. It's worth it.
The fitness center was in a state of "Harlem swing" in the spring, but I liked it. It doesn't work at the moment - and this is the main disappointment for me personally, because I can't imagine a vacation without training.
There is no surf station on the beach for a long time (although the sites of travel agencies write about it as existing). Because I was interested in a wheelchair - after her ride in Makadi Bay.
There is a paragliding boat, a pair of water skis and an old wakesurf, from, in fact, all the "water sports" in the hotel.
A number of shops on the street can be reached on foot in 10 minutes (hint: in order not to go through the "Paradise", you should leave the hotel on the street directly from the "Emerald" past the mosque). Within 15 minutes walk you can reach the "Cleopatra", a fixed-price store that is popular with tourists (however, it is not very profitable). The Senzo Mall is easy to reach in half an hour’s walk. There is a currency exchange, ATM, KFS, McDonald's, many branded and not very branded stores, including a supermarket with very attractive prices and the ability to pay by card. It takes about 15-20 minutes to reach the Mamsha promenade. You can take a taxi, if you have the inspiration to bargain, it is relatively inexpensive. On the minibus - in general for pennies. Marina and the Old Town are far away, but why do you need them?
Guides ...
Their job is so doggy - to lie to tourists about non-functioning insurance policies and to make expensive excursions. If you do not want (in the next) to spoil your mood - do not go to their meetings. Fairy tales that they have to register you with the tourist police, or if you do not come, you will not receive timely information about the return trip - a delusion.
Vendors on the beach: yes, there are sellers of tours, massages, spas and more. But they don't bother very much, just politely tell them that you are not interested in it, and you will not be touched in the future, well, almost.
Contingent. Mostly Ukrainians (strangely, but somewhere in the occupied part of Donbass), a little less Belarusians. There are almost no Russians. There are a limited number of Baltics, Poles, Czechs, Germans, Hungarians. Exotic this time were three inflammatory brunettes from Argentina. The Chinese were not visible, but with the onset of Chinese New Year in January, this will change quickly.
There are very few locals in the winter, there should be a little more in the summer, but this is the middle class, so there are no horrors with noisy and uneducated Egyptian children and food queues at Golden City. If you are not a xenophobe, then communicating with Egyptian tourists can be quite interesting.
Vata: It's hard to say how typical it is, but in Golden City, Paradise and Emerald, there are many of our compatriots who are somewhat aggressive in their pro-Russian nature. At the level of conversations, of course. The case when two pensioners (from Ukraine) called the manager to complain about the bartender who served them in Russian was significant! One of the directors of "Princess Hotels" was on the territory, to his honor, he, through an interpreter, explaining that the hotels are aimed at tourists from Ukraine, he encourages employees to learn the language. But if the ladies are not comfortable, they will be happy to serve them in English or German.
This exhausted the issue.
All the staff are polite and try to be nice. Interestingly, compared to previous years, the vocabulary of many, at least bartenders and animators, has been significantly replenished with words and expressions in Ukrainian. It was funny to hear several times how the hotel staff asked tourists from Ukraine why they speak Russian. One of the bartenders did not just memorize individual expressions, but will actually learn the language using an application on a smartphone. If you close your eyes and listen to his conversations with tourists, you might think that a diaspora speaks, except to speak a little slowly, picking up words. It is clear that the Russian in the hotel has not been forgotten. English, of course, is a universal key, as it is now almost everywhere in the world.
The famous "singing fountains", which were once famous for the complex "Golden Five City", are gradually collapsing.
Currently, the Egyptian chain "Princess Hotels" is reviving the complex. As if (he did not use, but heard from others), as in the old hours, you can now go freely to bars and restaurants of other hotels, although the staff by inertia shows dissatisfaction with the visits of "strangers". Gradually the territory is being put in order, and in some places it is quite pleasing to the eye. But there are also places that evoke longing and thoughts of decadence.
The owners have an interesting, but quite predictable policy. They monitor the prices of competitors and constantly dump on similar class and even the worst hotels. Therefore, it may seem that the hotels in the complex - "cheap". This is not entirely true, just to maintain such a large complex with high fixed costs requires a constant filling of tourists, even at a reduced price.
Without tourists, the complex, unlike more compact hotels, will not last even for a short period. And even more so will not be able to recover. Recovery is slow, it is clear that the owners are in no hurry to invest in a sharp improvement. Perhaps they do not seek to raise the bar of service quality too high. There are plenty of good hotels in Hurghada, and the opening of the huge Magavis, bought by the Rixos chain, is approaching. Similarly, Golden Five hotels are focused on medium quality, and it would be fair to refer them to the budget segment.
So, in summary, I can quite frankly advise you to choose for a holiday "Emerald", like any other hotel in the complex "Golden Five", only at a low price.
If the sea-sun, "summer in the middle of winter" are important for you, as well as a large area for morning runs and evening walks, and more or less decent living / eating conditions and you do not want to overpay - you are here.
If you also want quality entertainment, high quality service and quality alcohol - delete "Golden Five" from your short list. You may want to pay attention to the local "Grand Resort" (in Hurghada, in Sharm, a little worse), "Labranda", "Marlin Inn", "Continental", "Parotel", "Tropitel", "Ecotel", " Gray ", " Dana "or" Hilton ". Not bad, but slightly more expensive than "Golden Five" hotels "Jazz", "Jolie Willie", "Albatross", "Concord", "Movenpick" or "Sheraton". Well, about "Rixos", "Hyatt Regency", "Heidelberger Al Dau", "Savoy" or, God forbid, "Baron" I will not even remind you, otherwise you have not read this report : )
Go and enjoy your vacation. And leave the hesitation to others. Good Egypt to you!
The beach is one of the advantages of the hotel: close, convenient sandy entrance to the water, a gradual increase in depth. Nearby is a dead coral with a few fish, a little further by the sea - there are several living coral islands with fish - not many, but there is something to see. Mostly sandy bottom without a frightening dark abyss - a psychologically comfortable environment for lovers of long-distance swimming. In the morning you can see stingrays, there are no other dangerous creatures here. There are several surgeons on the left, behind the buoys, if they are not actively approached, there is no danger. It is said that in the morning they saw a turtle in the sea, but it looks like a fable. Some tourists complain about the piles of worms lying on the mill, especially in the morning.
But these handfuls - in fact, consist of sand - they are thrown out of their burrows under the skin. These are similar to earthworms that live in the sand on the seabed, where they are very difficult to get. You can see their "handfuls" by diving with a mask. Most swimmers, when entering the water, do not notice those clusters that just fall apart when they step on them. There are a lot of sand dunes on the beaches of Hurghada, their presence indicates a) really sandy, not rocky bottom; b) about the purity of water - pischkiril in dirty water will not live c) they, in fact, eat. So these worms clean the bottom of the silt.
There were enough sunbeds on the beach and they are all intact and comfortable (plastic with stretched mesh). There are fences from the wind. The beach has a toilet and shower. It is difficult to call the beach especially beautiful, but it does not deserve bad reviews. Normal beach.
Animation - on the beach is quite active.
Dancing, aqua aerobics, volleyball. They ride camels, horses and ATVs.
In the evenings, there is no animation, I think.
Pool (s): of the two has a decorative function. Another is quite suitable for recreational swimming. In December, it was almost not heated, so the water is a little cold, but if you move actively - just those. The pool is cleaned daily.
Number (s): all the same, more or less decent and comfortable, after cosmetic repairs, something may not work, but at the [polite] request to start or replace everything. There is an old TV, refrigerator, hair dryer, safe. A closet, a big bed, a table, a table and a few armchairs, lamps - all a little vintage, but not so scary. The furniture on the balcony is a bit older, but suitable for ...in fact, there is nothing to do on the balcony, except for drying swimming clothes.
It was unpleasant to see tourists shouting at the reception manager at six in the morning, demanding immediate (??? ) Settlement, although by all rules he could not accommodate them until 14:00.
As a rule, around 9 o'clock, maybe a little earlier, you will receive a key card from the room, a card for towels and a memo about the hotel. Wear a bracelet after 10 - these are the rules. On departure, the room must be vacated by 12:00, the towel card can be returned to the reception later. Also, the bracelet, if you ask politely - do not cut.
Restaurant: good. It is not necessary to call it a dining room, there is no such furniture in dining rooms. Food is quite edible, and it is enough, no one limits the amount. Breakfast, as everywhere - continental. There is always at least one dish of meat, chicken and fish for lunch and dinner. Sometimes - in the distance, sometimes - not very much. Some soups. Pasta, porridge, stewed and fried vegetables. Sometimes stuffed vegetables are quite good.
Salads are not very good for local chefs, so it is better to just eat fresh vegetables. Fruit - not enough, too many sweets.
I do not know about alcohol - I do not drink while eating, but there were complaints that the beer runs out quickly, or the wax is not strong enough. Cola-fanta-sprite from bottles or instant juices (actually they are not from Yupi powder, but from concentrate) from dispensers - without restrictions. Coffee for breakfast - sorry, but decent, for lunch and dinner - standard espresso from the machine, you can drink.
Beach bar - think it's not there, it's easier. Like the pool bar. The bar in the lobby is normal. Sometimes the beer ran out and the people started arguing. I sometimes drank Cuba Libri in the evenings when I wanted to sit on the Internet. If you greet the bartender in Arabic, he will do it even with ice and lime. In its pure form, local alcohol is not very noteworthy. It is better to take with you, or buy in "Duty Free" (the closest in "Senzo Mall").
Wi-Fi in the lobby is quite powerful, even in the evening.
I turned it off several times, in which case it is enough to ask the manager at the reception to reboot the router, and everyone plunges back into their smartphones.
Cleaning in the rooms is normal, even rubbed the floor (it is marble) to shine. Towels were changed for fresh ones, linen was simply changed. Hygienic products include shampoo and solid soap, but it is better to use your own. Swans-crocodiles-hearts-cobras and petals of roses - every day without any hint of a tip (deprived only on departure, because the cleaner really worked well).
The area is common to all Golden City hotels, large, more or less green, most vacationers do not miss a week. There are places for streaming repairs, but they are fenced and do not spoil the overall look (although special beauty, I'll be honest, and do not add).
There are abandoned houses in the far corners, for example, a number of beautiful cottages with private courtyards, once very, very comfortable. Gradually, the new owners (Princess Hotels chain) resumes operation of the complex. We were here in the spring - only "Paradise" and "Emerald" worked. Sapphire and Topaz Club were launched in the fall, and it is noticeable that they are preparing to launch Diamond.
New water park - I think it's cold in winter. In summer it is very cool. Some tour operators include it in the cost of the package, some do not, then the entrance costs $ 5 per day. It's worth it.
The fitness center was in a state of "Harlem swing" in the spring, but I liked it. It doesn't work at the moment - and this is the main disappointment for me personally, because I can't imagine a vacation without training.
There is no surf station on the beach for a long time (although the sites of travel agencies write about it as existing). Because I was interested in a wheelchair - after her ride in Makadi Bay.
There is a paragliding boat, a pair of water skis and an old wakesurf, from, in fact, all the "water sports" in the hotel.
A number of shops on the street can be reached on foot in 10 minutes (hint: in order not to go through the "Paradise", you should leave the hotel on the street directly from the "Emerald" past the mosque). Within 15 minutes walk you can reach the "Cleopatra", a fixed-price store that is popular with tourists (however, it is not very profitable). The Senzo Mall is easy to reach in half an hour’s walk. There is a currency exchange, ATM, KFS, McDonald's, many branded and not very branded stores, including a supermarket with very attractive prices and the ability to pay by card. It takes about 15-20 minutes to reach the Mamsha promenade. You can take a taxi, if you have the inspiration to bargain, it is relatively inexpensive. On the minibus - in general for pennies. Marina and the Old Town are far away, but why do you need them?
Guides ...
Their job is so doggy - to lie to tourists about non-functioning insurance policies and to make expensive excursions. If you do not want (in the next) to spoil your mood - do not go to their meetings. Fairy tales that they have to register you with the tourist police, or if you do not come, you will not receive timely information about the return trip - a delusion.
Vendors on the beach: yes, there are sellers of tours, massages, spas and more. But they don't bother very much, just politely tell them that you are not interested in it, and you will not be touched in the future, well, almost.
Contingent. Mostly Ukrainians (strangely, but somewhere in the occupied part of Donbass), a little less Belarusians. There are almost no Russians. There are a limited number of Baltics, Poles, Czechs, Germans, Hungarians. Exotic this time were three inflammatory brunettes from Argentina. The Chinese were not visible, but with the onset of Chinese New Year in January, this will change quickly.
There are very few locals in the winter, there should be a little more in the summer, but this is the middle class, so there are no horrors with noisy and uneducated Egyptian children and food queues at Golden City. If you are not a xenophobe, then communicating with Egyptian tourists can be quite interesting.
Vata: It's hard to say how typical it is, but in Golden City, Paradise and Emerald, there are many of our compatriots who are somewhat aggressive in their pro-Russian nature. At the level of conversations, of course. The case when two pensioners (from Ukraine) called the manager to complain about the bartender who served them in Russian was significant! One of the directors of "Princess Hotels" was on the territory, to his honor, he, through an interpreter, explaining that the hotels are aimed at tourists from Ukraine, he encourages employees to learn the language. But if the ladies are not comfortable, they will be happy to serve them in English or German.
This exhausted the issue.
All the staff are polite and try to be nice. Interestingly, compared to previous years, the vocabulary of many, at least bartenders and animators, has been significantly replenished with words and expressions in Ukrainian. It was funny to hear several times how the hotel staff asked tourists from Ukraine why they speak Russian. One of the bartenders did not just memorize individual expressions, but will actually learn the language using an application on a smartphone. If you close your eyes and listen to his conversations with tourists, you might think that a diaspora speaks, except to speak a little slowly, picking up words. It is clear that the Russian in the hotel has not been forgotten. English, of course, is a universal key, as it is now almost everywhere in the world.
The famous "singing fountains", which were once famous for the complex "Golden Five City", are gradually collapsing.
Currently, the Egyptian chain "Princess Hotels" is reviving the complex. As if (he did not use, but heard from others), as in the old hours, you can now go freely to bars and restaurants of other hotels, although the staff by inertia shows dissatisfaction with the visits of "strangers". Gradually the territory is being put in order, and in some places it is quite pleasing to the eye. But there are also places that evoke longing and thoughts of decadence.
The owners have an interesting, but quite predictable policy. They monitor the prices of competitors and constantly dump on similar class and even the worst hotels. Therefore, it may seem that the hotels in the complex - "cheap". This is not entirely true, just to maintain such a large complex with high fixed costs requires a constant filling of tourists, even at a reduced price.
Without tourists, the complex, unlike more compact hotels, will not last even for a short period. And even more so will not be able to recover. Recovery is slow, it is clear that the owners are in no hurry to invest in a sharp improvement. Perhaps they do not seek to raise the bar of service quality too high. There are plenty of good hotels in Hurghada, and the opening of the huge Magavis, bought by the Rixos chain, is approaching. Similarly, Golden Five hotels are focused on medium quality, and it would be fair to refer them to the budget segment.
So, in summary, I can quite frankly advise you to choose for a holiday "Emerald", like any other hotel in the complex "Golden Five", only at a low price.
If the sea-sun, "summer in the middle of winter" are important for you, as well as a large area for morning runs and evening walks, and more or less decent living / eating conditions and you do not want to overpay - you are here.
If you also want quality entertainment, high quality service and quality alcohol - delete "Golden Five" from your short list. You may want to pay attention to the local "Grand Resort" (in Hurghada, in Sharm, a little worse), "Labranda", "Marlin Inn", "Continental", "Parotel", "Tropitel", "Ecotel", " Gray ", " Dana "or" Hilton ". Not bad, but slightly more expensive than "Golden Five" hotels "Jazz", "Jolie Willie", "Albatross", "Concord", "Movenpick" or "Sheraton". Well, about "Rixos", "Hyatt Regency", "Heidelberger Al Dau", "Savoy" or, God forbid, "Baron" I will not even remind you, otherwise you have not read this report : )
Go and enjoy your vacation. And leave the hesitation to others. Good Egypt to you!
Translated automatically from Ukrainian. View original
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