Долгожданный отпуск Long-awaited vacation

Hotel Al Nabila Grand Makadi Bay 5 *.
Rested in this hotel from 3.10 to 17.10. 09. Tour operator Tez Tour. The tour was bought five days before departure. With all the discounts of 14 nights "all inclusive" cost a little more than 2 thousand. dollars for two on departure from Kiev. We visit Egypt regularly, there is something to compare with, so I will try to share with you objective impressions of the hotel.
The airline this time was Dniproavia, not Aerosvit, and no more innovations in the transfer were observed - all, as usual with Thesis, without any complaints before… arrival at the hotel! From the airport we and several other people were taken by minibus for 30-35 minutes, our hotel was the first on the route. We arrived around one o'clock in the afternoon. The guide, as usual, escorted us to the reception, and then just turned around and left. This is the first time in my memory, usually the guide is waiting for the registration to start, and often helps to agree on a good number.

I don't know, maybe in the last trips we were just lucky with the accompanying guides… Seeing such a thing, I quickly put $ 10 in my passport. The receptionist, smiling sweetly, hides my ten in a sock! ! ! ! ! and reports that the room will be in a bungalow on the first line from the sea, but you have to wait "10 minutes". We waited for 2 hours, while a group of Poles, who as it turned out later, waited for their "10 minutes" from 9 am, did not create a real scandal with the call of the general manager and shouting at the whole hall. Envelopes with keys and cards on towels, which had been ready for a long time and were just lying on the table, were handed out to everyone. I still don't understand what the trick was to this day… I can only say that we have been to hotels of different levels, but even in the most cumbersome "treshki" of such settlement we have not had to taste before. As a result, we missed lunch.
Hotel. After receiving the long-awaited key, we were loaded on a small electric car and taken to our room.
We were able to view the area. The hotel consists of the main building, which houses the main restaurant, reception, Aurora bar, lobby, sports club, shopping area and standard rooms on four floors. Everything is beautiful and neat, there are elevators, all rooms with sea views. And also from a complex of one-storey and a couple of two-storey bungalows. There are more rooms. The territory of the hotel is very spacious, but not very well thought out - sometimes to rise from level to level, you had to go over long distances, because the stairs are not everywhere. Bars are scattered around the edges of the huge space, and in the center in a convenient passage is a paid restaurant. In general, those who do not like to walk a lot, there is nothing to do. There are three pools, one of them is for children with a jacuzzi. There is little greenery, the beaches are so bald, but it's a lucrative business, although I did not see any special efforts in landscaping.
Contingent: many Italians, Russians and Poles, there were a couple of crazy Germans, Czechs and Ukrainians.

Number. As promised, we received the number 1923 on the first line from the sea in a one-story bungalow. At first it seemed that it was far away, but then we appreciated the convenience of such accommodation - it was very quiet and close to all the beaches. The room has a standard set: two beds, dressing table, bedside table, table, two chairs, TV (2 Russian channels), mini bar, safe, large closet, bath, washbasin, toilet. There is access to a small terrace, there is a table and two plastic chairs. Spacious and comfortable. Usually cleaned, tips were left twice for $ 5, there were no swans, but there was sand on the floor too. The hot water was in the volume that could be provided by the boiler hanging right behind the bathroom door. No complaints, except that the water went bad in the bathroom, and so everything is OK. No insects or other animals were observed. On the day of arrival it turned out that our safe was closed.
The party with the reception started again, the same "10 minutes" lasted almost a day. I called and went to the reception several times, but the cart was there until our hotel guide intervened. And then the uncle with the cherished key just left the room behind the counter and went with us to the room. One day we had a boiler leak, well, then the master ran in 5 minutes, turned off the water, apologized five hundred times, and in the morning the boiler was replaced. In general, no claims to the number, all claims to the service.
Food. The main meal was breakfast, lunch and dinner in the main restaurant. It was not very convenient, because at lunch it was a long way to go from the beach, and even up the hill on numerous steps. Food set standard for Egypt. There was always something to choose from. For lunch and dinner, they also served pasta, pizza, fried liver, mussels, squid, and a couple of times chicken skewers. There was shawarma. Lots of delicious and varied pastries, excellent baklava of several varieties.
There was little fruit, but watermelon at dinner could correct this shortcoming. I didn't like the soups at all. There is no children's menu. Drinks should be taken independently. The restaurant is spacious, there is a non-smoking area and tables on the street. Inside is not hot, does not blow, no flies. There are only 6 bars: in the main restaurant during lunch and dinner, a lobby around the clock, Aurora in the lower level of the main hall from 10 to 24, a pool bar and two bars on the beaches from 10 to sunset. The Aurora hosts a second breakfast, snacks and ice cream from 15 to 17. The beach bars also have burgers, nuggets, french fries or hot dogs. There are coolers everywhere, and bottled water can be taken in any quantity at any time in the lobby. Drinks are all local, the quality is appropriate. Cocktails are normal, red and white wine is also nothing. There are two a la carte restaurants and a paid fish restaurant.

There was no poisoning or discomfort, so you can put "excellent" for food.
Beach. There are several of them. There is a wonderful sandy beach in the lagoon - a paradise for children and those who can not swim, there is a beautiful quiet beach with access to the open sea, and there is something in between with a sandy entrance near the coral. We went to the beach in the lagoon before noon, because from there it is closer to go for breakfast and lunch, and in the afternoon we went to the farthest beach with umbrellas of palm leaves. Slippers are needed there, because hedgehogs in the pits are well seen. Go along the coral and swim out into the open sea through the cut paths. Fish of indescribable beauty, coral-wall alive. We went on all sorts of excursions to the coral islands, but we have never seen such beauty. There were not always enough sunbeds, but we came to breakfast and did not feel the tension. Towels are different - new, old, but all clean.
On the beach in the lagoon is the main party, so there was often loud music and very delivering providers of surfing-sea walks-pigtails-massages, etc. , etc. Will pass by 25 times a day and all 25 times will say "you want a massage ? ». Although there are adequate guys who, already knowing that you will not go anywhere and will not go, just came to chat. One of them is Amro from a water club near a rock, a positive kind person.
Service. Well, everything is clear from the reception from the stories above, and there are no complaints about the rest of the service. Bartenders and waiters are mostly cheerful, friendly, pleasant guys. We also had a good cleaner, at the meeting he will ask if there are any problems, and in general as a mood. The staff on the beach is also normal, mattresses were worn, sunbeds were found late. Expel the reception staff and everything will be OK)))
Animation. The hotel has two teams of animators - Italian and international.

The latter did better, there were always those who wanted to do yoga or aqua aerobics, which was first conducted by a black man with a plastic cat, and then a huge bull named Nino, so the female part went, if not dance, then at least look))). There were some games with children and evening shows. I'm indifferent to animation, so I can't say anything more.
Where are you. There is a children's club, playground, children's pool. In the evenings we heard that there was a children's disco with a tomato or an orange, in which one of the animators was dressed (he used to run around the restaurant during dinner and hugged and took pictures with everyone). We were without children, so I do not know the details, but there were many vacationers with children, and there were a lot of very young children, about a year old.
The overall impression of the hotel remained very positive, despite some shortcomings.
We always drive in a good mood and tune in to the rest, so we try to treat any situation with a bit of humor and not spoil the long-awaited vacation. The hotel is worth the money. Would you like to go back there again? Probably not, except because of the stunning beaches. If you are expecting a five-star service, then you are clearly not here. And people who understand what to expect for such money will have a great time at this hotel!
I wish everyone the right choice and good rest!
Lena, Ukraine