Your rating of this hotel:
9.0
from 10
Hotel ratings by criteria:
Rooms:
9.0
Service:
9.0
Cleanliness:
9.0
Food:
9.0
Amenities:
9.0
Our first "Hurghada" experience took place from February 14 to February 21.2018, so we share our impressions not only about the hotel, but also about excursions, shopping, local transport according to the most recent memories. Our opinion is purely subjective, and it is your personal right to disagree in assessing a hotel or resort. So, stock up on popcorn for reading so many letters and let's go.
This was our second visit to Egypt and our nth trip abroad. The flight from Kyiv was at night (which is very convenient, because it actually took 7.5 days), departed at 3 in the morning, reached the hotel at 8 in the morning, there were a lot of tourists traveling to this hotel. Mirage Bay Resort is located 15 minutes from the airport and 30 minutes from Hurghada, which, in our opinion, is very convenient. The paperwork for our group took 1-1.5 and we were settled at 10 o'clock, because there were no bracelets yet, we were late for breakfast, but they were allowed to take any drinks at the reception bar. The rooms were not new but not old either.
In our room there were problems with the locks of the front door and the balcony - they did not open and close well, so we immediately asked to change our room. In response, we were offered either another room of our category, or pay $ 3 per day and take de luxe. After reviewing the de luxe room - it is one and a half times larger, everything is newer, and going to pay for it, at the reception they found out that we were newlyweds and did not charge us a cent (of course, we thanked the staff anyway, but it was our personal decision) .
After moving, we went to inspect the territory of the hotel and after - for lunch. The territory of the hotel is not big, it is just huge. A lot of flowers, greenery, living creatures, indoor gardens between 2-storey buildings. The hotel has changed not only the name, but also the owner, so now it is being actively restored and repaired, but this is happening absolutely imperceptibly and quietly.
The food at the hotel is varied, when I read reviews about hungry tourists, it becomes funny to me, because our compatriots are still picking up wagons of food that they are not able to eat, and then they tell how they had nothing to eat. By the way, as for the guests: 60 percent are Ukrainians, 20 percent are Belarusians, from 2 to 5 people are single Russians, the rest are Germans, Egyptians, Arabs. So, about the most important issue of many tourists - food. A lot of vegetables, fruits, every day they made one thing on the fire - shawarma, very tasty meat in a calzone-type dough, pizza, kebabs. For lunch and dinner, they gave 2 different soups, a total of 4 soups a day to choose from. Every day, be sure to chicken, something meat, seafood - fish, squid, crabs. Of course, a variety of side dishes. For breakfast - very tasty dairy products. Desserts are a whole other story.
On the third day, I remembered that I don’t actually eat sweets, but quickly drowned out my conscience with another portion of chocolate cake))). Every day the number of desserts increased exponentially, so even with our active rest, we still brought extra kilos))). And speaking a little more seriously, I liked the large selection of products for proper nutrition, if you can resist french fries and waffles on the beach, of course.
Alcohol is standard. I liked the red table wine and light beer, perfect for me. Anything stronger, of course, is better to buy in duty free, it’s not for me to teach you.
Now let's talk about the beach. It is huge, like the rest of the hotel, in the shape of a horseshoe and with an island in the center, where we swam a couple of times. The central part is designed for children, the entrance to the sea is very long and shallow, the side ones are for adults, the depth starts immediately after a couple of meters.
There are no corals in this part, but if there are slippers for swimming, then it is still better to swim in them, because sometimes sharp stones come across. At the end of the beach there is a long pantone that leads to the reefs where you can watch the fish, and if you don’t find them enough, you can always take an excursion to one of the islands for $ 10-15. Also on the beach you can take a catamaran or sup.
The first couple of days of animation was not visible - I think. This is connected with the weather, it was not sunny at all. And when the weather improved, water aerobics, yoga, dancing began.
So, the overall rating for the hotel is 5+++. Why? Because this is the very rare case when in the ratio "price" - "quality" a huge advantage in the direction of quality. For two, we paid around $400 (February is the "dead season", so the price was appropriate) - it was our most budget vacation. The food is better than we were in a $1200 Turkish hotel. The staff is friendly, the territory of the hotel is beautiful, the nature is beautiful.
FREE WORKING WIFI throughout the hotel - the first time we met this. Yes, there are minor drawbacks (the rooms could be updated), but for this money it is simply ridiculous to demand something better. In addition, I liked the attitude towards children - given the fact that I'm not their fan: shuttle bass to the sea, in the restaurant - a separate room with children's tables for children and cartoons and tables for parents nearby, a shallow beach, children's pools and slides , so for a holiday with kids - the perfect solution. Phew, we're done with the hotel, now let's go through the resort and attractions. I hope you are still reading me
Hurghada
We never return not only to the same hotel, but also to the same resort, except for rare exceptions. Since we have already been to Sharm el-Sheikh, we decided to continue exploring Egypt from the second popular resort - Hurghada.
We were fully aware of the weather conditions in Hurghada in February - a few days the wind blows and it's cool, a few days it's hot. Therefore, when it was sooo cold on the second day, we decided to get out to Hurghada after lunch. In general, in such cases, you should act according to the circumstances, if the weather is hot - better spend time on the beach, it may be cold tomorrow.
From Mirage Bay to Hurghada you can take a taxi (in my opinion, around $ 10 round trip) or use the local minibus, as we did. Every time we traveled by minibus, the fare decreased)))) It started from $1 one way for two ($1 = 17 pounds), and ended with 8 pounds for two. With exchange offices in Egypt, it’s a little tight, so it’s better to use ATMs - it’s more convenient and safer. To stop the minibus, you need to stand near the highway, which is located next to the hotel, and it will stop itself.
Sitting in a minibus to Hurghada, say: Sheraton Street and stretch the money, 10 pounds for two will be enough. I will say right away, once on the street with the proud name of Sheraton, you will be surprised and disappointed. This is a long narrow street, along which there are shops, hookahs, etc. There is simply nothing to see there. The traffic is terrible. If Sharm el-Sheikh is a perfectly slick city and you have never traveled outside of it, then you will be guaranteed a culture shock in Hurghada. If you do not become a victim of a dashing driver, a rabid cat who dreams of devouring you, or cement does not fall on your head - there was an experience, I know what I'm talking about - then you are lucky. We were ready for this, we went to the pyramids, we were in Cairo, so we were not particularly surprised.
But even in such conditions there was something to see: a magnificent mosque at the end of the street, the cleanest Marina embankment, where it is quiet, beautiful and safe.
According to the recommendations from the Internet, we visited the Al Halaka Fish Restaurant, located opposite the fish market, dishes for any budget, we took 300 g of huge grilled shrimp, 300 g of salmon, fresh lemon, fresh orange, tartar and always bring water and cakes - for all they paid 280 pounds.
No matter how wild it may sound, but we liked Hurghada - this is a real east, and not an artificial resort in which there is only a clean face, but no dirty feet.
Recommendations: if you are going to travel on your own, get a vodafone card - the smallest one, $ 5 for $ 5, is enough, because GPS is your best friend and helper, and sometimes getting out without it is simply unrealistic.
El Gouna
On one of the gloomy days, we decided to go on an excursion to El Gouna, proudly called the Egyptian Venice. I will make a reservation right away, there is very little in common with Venice, except for water.
A trip to El Gouna for those who have been to Venice can be a bit of a disappointment, but, nevertheless, it can diversify your vacation in Hurghada quite well.
The cost of a purchased excursion from Hurghada to El Gouna is $ 40, which is very strange, since it takes 1.5 hours to get to it from the hotel.
To get to El Gouna on your own, you will need: catch a minibus to Hurghada and at the entrance say “El Dahar (this is the area of the bus station), bass to El Gouna” and all for the same 10 pounds for two you will be dropped off at the bus stop. To find a bus to El Gouna, it is best to ask the locals, we did not find the bus ourselves. Landmark - a sump with minibuses, next to it you will see a narrow alley and go out to the other side of the circle of transport. There is a bus to El Gouna, its distinguishing feature is that it is large, clean and modern. Before departure, the conductor will pick you up and give you a green one-way ticket for 10 pounds per person.
I won’t list the entire excursion program, I’ll just say that we took another $ 10 trip to a banana island, there’s nothing special to see there, a banana plantation and a few unfortunate animals in cages, fed delicious fruit, a beautiful view of the Nile, but this is the best alternative than an extra hour on the bus. Excursion to Luxor - definitely recommend.
shopping
Not much left, I promise! We didn't get smart for a long time and on the last day we took a hotel taxi to Senzo Mall, $5 there and back. I'm more comfortable shopping when I see prices, rather than overpaying exorbitantly.
What to bring? Fruits (fruits on the street are tastier than from a supermarket, but there were no fruit shops near our hotel), so it’s better to buy them in Hurghada, we bought ours in a mall. Sweets - in the Senzo Mall grocery store there is a huge department with pastries, various types of pakhvala, marshmallows, everyone is allowed to try!
Half a kilo of sweets cost us less than 150 g already packaged, which was offered by a trader on a tray in the same grocery store. Traditionally, they brought suntan oils, coconut, jojoba for $ 10 a bottle with a good discount and gifts (bought from a pleasant merchant on the first floor).
To sum up, a trip to Hurghada during the “off season” (February-March) is an excellent solution for those who like to travel - many excursions are sold at discounts, there are no large crowds of tourists (the Chinese are everywhere, 365 days a year, you can’t hide from them ), of the week of your vacation, half will be hot, you will have time to swim and sunbathe, the second half will not be very hot, but ideal for trips. Be sure to bring spring jackets and sweaters with you for the evening, as well as a light scarf - everyone likes to travel with open windows in public transport, you can blow something through.
Well, for women - if you go to the city, you don’t need to wear revealing outfits, this is still the east, jeans and a blouse are the perfect solution. And don't be afraid to travel on your own, you won't be eaten! At least we were lucky
This was our second visit to Egypt and our nth trip abroad. The flight from Kyiv was at night (which is very convenient, because it actually took 7.5 days), departed at 3 in the morning, reached the hotel at 8 in the morning, there were a lot of tourists traveling to this hotel. Mirage Bay Resort is located 15 minutes from the airport and 30 minutes from Hurghada, which, in our opinion, is very convenient. The paperwork for our group took 1-1.5 and we were settled at 10 o'clock, because there were no bracelets yet, we were late for breakfast, but they were allowed to take any drinks at the reception bar. The rooms were not new but not old either.
In our room there were problems with the locks of the front door and the balcony - they did not open and close well, so we immediately asked to change our room. In response, we were offered either another room of our category, or pay $ 3 per day and take de luxe. After reviewing the de luxe room - it is one and a half times larger, everything is newer, and going to pay for it, at the reception they found out that we were newlyweds and did not charge us a cent (of course, we thanked the staff anyway, but it was our personal decision) .
After moving, we went to inspect the territory of the hotel and after - for lunch. The territory of the hotel is not big, it is just huge. A lot of flowers, greenery, living creatures, indoor gardens between 2-storey buildings. The hotel has changed not only the name, but also the owner, so now it is being actively restored and repaired, but this is happening absolutely imperceptibly and quietly.
The food at the hotel is varied, when I read reviews about hungry tourists, it becomes funny to me, because our compatriots are still picking up wagons of food that they are not able to eat, and then they tell how they had nothing to eat. By the way, as for the guests: 60 percent are Ukrainians, 20 percent are Belarusians, from 2 to 5 people are single Russians, the rest are Germans, Egyptians, Arabs. So, about the most important issue of many tourists - food. A lot of vegetables, fruits, every day they made one thing on the fire - shawarma, very tasty meat in a calzone-type dough, pizza, kebabs. For lunch and dinner, they gave 2 different soups, a total of 4 soups a day to choose from. Every day, be sure to chicken, something meat, seafood - fish, squid, crabs. Of course, a variety of side dishes. For breakfast - very tasty dairy products. Desserts are a whole other story.
On the third day, I remembered that I don’t actually eat sweets, but quickly drowned out my conscience with another portion of chocolate cake))). Every day the number of desserts increased exponentially, so even with our active rest, we still brought extra kilos))). And speaking a little more seriously, I liked the large selection of products for proper nutrition, if you can resist french fries and waffles on the beach, of course.
Alcohol is standard. I liked the red table wine and light beer, perfect for me. Anything stronger, of course, is better to buy in duty free, it’s not for me to teach you.
Now let's talk about the beach. It is huge, like the rest of the hotel, in the shape of a horseshoe and with an island in the center, where we swam a couple of times. The central part is designed for children, the entrance to the sea is very long and shallow, the side ones are for adults, the depth starts immediately after a couple of meters.
There are no corals in this part, but if there are slippers for swimming, then it is still better to swim in them, because sometimes sharp stones come across. At the end of the beach there is a long pantone that leads to the reefs where you can watch the fish, and if you don’t find them enough, you can always take an excursion to one of the islands for $ 10-15. Also on the beach you can take a catamaran or sup.
The first couple of days of animation was not visible - I think. This is connected with the weather, it was not sunny at all. And when the weather improved, water aerobics, yoga, dancing began.
So, the overall rating for the hotel is 5+++. Why? Because this is the very rare case when in the ratio "price" - "quality" a huge advantage in the direction of quality. For two, we paid around $400 (February is the "dead season", so the price was appropriate) - it was our most budget vacation. The food is better than we were in a $1200 Turkish hotel. The staff is friendly, the territory of the hotel is beautiful, the nature is beautiful.
FREE WORKING WIFI throughout the hotel - the first time we met this. Yes, there are minor drawbacks (the rooms could be updated), but for this money it is simply ridiculous to demand something better. In addition, I liked the attitude towards children - given the fact that I'm not their fan: shuttle bass to the sea, in the restaurant - a separate room with children's tables for children and cartoons and tables for parents nearby, a shallow beach, children's pools and slides , so for a holiday with kids - the perfect solution. Phew, we're done with the hotel, now let's go through the resort and attractions. I hope you are still reading me
Hurghada
We never return not only to the same hotel, but also to the same resort, except for rare exceptions. Since we have already been to Sharm el-Sheikh, we decided to continue exploring Egypt from the second popular resort - Hurghada.
We were fully aware of the weather conditions in Hurghada in February - a few days the wind blows and it's cool, a few days it's hot. Therefore, when it was sooo cold on the second day, we decided to get out to Hurghada after lunch. In general, in such cases, you should act according to the circumstances, if the weather is hot - better spend time on the beach, it may be cold tomorrow.
From Mirage Bay to Hurghada you can take a taxi (in my opinion, around $ 10 round trip) or use the local minibus, as we did. Every time we traveled by minibus, the fare decreased)))) It started from $1 one way for two ($1 = 17 pounds), and ended with 8 pounds for two. With exchange offices in Egypt, it’s a little tight, so it’s better to use ATMs - it’s more convenient and safer. To stop the minibus, you need to stand near the highway, which is located next to the hotel, and it will stop itself.
Sitting in a minibus to Hurghada, say: Sheraton Street and stretch the money, 10 pounds for two will be enough. I will say right away, once on the street with the proud name of Sheraton, you will be surprised and disappointed. This is a long narrow street, along which there are shops, hookahs, etc. There is simply nothing to see there. The traffic is terrible. If Sharm el-Sheikh is a perfectly slick city and you have never traveled outside of it, then you will be guaranteed a culture shock in Hurghada. If you do not become a victim of a dashing driver, a rabid cat who dreams of devouring you, or cement does not fall on your head - there was an experience, I know what I'm talking about - then you are lucky. We were ready for this, we went to the pyramids, we were in Cairo, so we were not particularly surprised.
But even in such conditions there was something to see: a magnificent mosque at the end of the street, the cleanest Marina embankment, where it is quiet, beautiful and safe.
According to the recommendations from the Internet, we visited the Al Halaka Fish Restaurant, located opposite the fish market, dishes for any budget, we took 300 g of huge grilled shrimp, 300 g of salmon, fresh lemon, fresh orange, tartar and always bring water and cakes - for all they paid 280 pounds.
No matter how wild it may sound, but we liked Hurghada - this is a real east, and not an artificial resort in which there is only a clean face, but no dirty feet.
Recommendations: if you are going to travel on your own, get a vodafone card - the smallest one, $ 5 for $ 5, is enough, because GPS is your best friend and helper, and sometimes getting out without it is simply unrealistic.
El Gouna
On one of the gloomy days, we decided to go on an excursion to El Gouna, proudly called the Egyptian Venice. I will make a reservation right away, there is very little in common with Venice, except for water.
A trip to El Gouna for those who have been to Venice can be a bit of a disappointment, but, nevertheless, it can diversify your vacation in Hurghada quite well.
The cost of a purchased excursion from Hurghada to El Gouna is $ 40, which is very strange, since it takes 1.5 hours to get to it from the hotel.
To get to El Gouna on your own, you will need: catch a minibus to Hurghada and at the entrance say “El Dahar (this is the area of the bus station), bass to El Gouna” and all for the same 10 pounds for two you will be dropped off at the bus stop. To find a bus to El Gouna, it is best to ask the locals, we did not find the bus ourselves. Landmark - a sump with minibuses, next to it you will see a narrow alley and go out to the other side of the circle of transport. There is a bus to El Gouna, its distinguishing feature is that it is large, clean and modern. Before departure, the conductor will pick you up and give you a green one-way ticket for 10 pounds per person.
I won’t list the entire excursion program, I’ll just say that we took another $ 10 trip to a banana island, there’s nothing special to see there, a banana plantation and a few unfortunate animals in cages, fed delicious fruit, a beautiful view of the Nile, but this is the best alternative than an extra hour on the bus. Excursion to Luxor - definitely recommend.
shopping
Not much left, I promise! We didn't get smart for a long time and on the last day we took a hotel taxi to Senzo Mall, $5 there and back. I'm more comfortable shopping when I see prices, rather than overpaying exorbitantly.
What to bring? Fruits (fruits on the street are tastier than from a supermarket, but there were no fruit shops near our hotel), so it’s better to buy them in Hurghada, we bought ours in a mall. Sweets - in the Senzo Mall grocery store there is a huge department with pastries, various types of pakhvala, marshmallows, everyone is allowed to try!
Half a kilo of sweets cost us less than 150 g already packaged, which was offered by a trader on a tray in the same grocery store. Traditionally, they brought suntan oils, coconut, jojoba for $ 10 a bottle with a good discount and gifts (bought from a pleasant merchant on the first floor).
To sum up, a trip to Hurghada during the “off season” (February-March) is an excellent solution for those who like to travel - many excursions are sold at discounts, there are no large crowds of tourists (the Chinese are everywhere, 365 days a year, you can’t hide from them ), of the week of your vacation, half will be hot, you will have time to swim and sunbathe, the second half will not be very hot, but ideal for trips. Be sure to bring spring jackets and sweaters with you for the evening, as well as a light scarf - everyone likes to travel with open windows in public transport, you can blow something through.
Well, for women - if you go to the city, you don’t need to wear revealing outfits, this is still the east, jeans and a blouse are the perfect solution. And don't be afraid to travel on your own, you won't be eaten! At least we were lucky
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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