I went here with my mother, and I have slight mobility issues due to a bad hip, but I figured since it was a small hotel, it would not be too far to walk from A to B. I was right. No lifts here, but I knew that. And it was perfectly fine! Everything was close by. I had mentioned via TUI that i had mobility issues, so the room we got (202) was brilliant. Close to reception and restaurant, and just steps down to the bar and pool. The guys at the pool bar were absolutely amazing. I didn't get their names. We went around the last day and wrote down the names of those that stood out to us, but they left for their time off (i assume) 3 days before we left. We were there between 29th - 11 may. The 2-3 guys that was in the pool bar until around 8-9th May were top notch. Even when we decided to be in the sun up the stairs outside our room, they still came up and asked if we needed drinks! Those who came on the last few days never did that, and the glasses we brought up when we went downstairs to get drinks were never collected as they were the first part of the holiday. They were left until the cleaner came in the morning. It made us realise how much staff matter for a perfect holiday. Just going from amazing service to "normal" service was a small let-down. But maybe we just got really spoiled the first 9 days of our holiday LOL. Moving on to the pool area. The guy that was around all day everyday, Ayman. He was FIRST CLASS. First day by the pool he probably saw us trying to figure out the best place to lay, since I need steps into the pool. He came over, and I explained I wanted to be close to the steps because of my bad hip. He then said, I got a better sun bed for you..wait a minute! Off he went, and came back with a sunbed same style as the white ones, but it was higher. It made it so easy for me to get up and down from the bed. It was such a relief, because that was one of the things I dread when travelling..will i be able to enjoy to the fullest without issues. He then said he would be there every morning, and he was. When we came downstairs after breakfast, he was there with the other sun-bed for me. He put on our towels and fetched a regular chair that i could sit in as well, if needed. He would during the day walk around cleaning/polishing the sunglasses of the guests. That was a service i didnt know i needed until he came along ;) No more greasy sun-lotion spots on my glasses.
Let me move on to Moustafa, or cleaner. I mean..what a man! He would change sheets whenever we wanted, at minimum every other day. He made sure we had water. If he saw us during the day, he would ask if there was something we needed, if we had enough water in the room. The towel creations put a smile on our faces every time. Those little things matter! We made sure to tip the staff that we cherished during and at the end of our stay. So worth it!! And I am sure it is a welcome supplement to their income. We usually tipped between 50-200 EGP, but im sure smaller amounts were just as good. But that was what we felt was right. The staff would do their jobs regardless, though! There were no bad questions or stupid questions. The patience they show throughout is second to none. The reception was also very helpful when we needed them. My Mom had an allergic reaction during our stay, and her face swell up. It was her own fault for eating something she was allergic to, no fault of the hotel what so ever. She is sensitive to gluten and found plenty of food that was suitable. Very happy with the choices. The only thing she "forgot" was that beer also has gluten...so when she had a few glasses one day when it was really hot, she reacted to that. Even that turned into a somewhat positive experience, believe it or not. They have a doctor on site all the time, and he knew what he was doing. He had the experience, plus he had a nurse with him as well. He helped us navigate the insurance company and what they needed from him. It went very smoothly, and she got the treatment she needed right there at the hotel. Other places we have been, a doctor had to be called in OR we had to travel to a doctor. Having the same doctor at the hotel, when we saw him for checkup a few times during the stay, was great. No need to repeat ourselves. He was also very good in English, and that made it so much easier.
Now to the restaurant. Mahmoud was there during our whole stay, and within 2 meals he knew our preferred drinks, where we liked to sit, and if we would normally want refills. He has a natural charm that suits a person working in that kind of environment. I see a future leader in him. He does his job effortlessly and seems unfazed even when it was full of people there. Very calm and collected, and professional to the T.
We are absolutely coming back here. We did our research beforehand and knew what to expect. We know it is an older hotel, but we also saw workers quietly working on repairs and updating rooms. We loved the charm and quietness. If you like a quiet place, and are happy with good food, small hotel and excellent staff, this is the place. If you are a party animal, liking lots of activities and constant entertainment, there might be places more suitable. Kids that can entertain themselves can also have fun here, but it's not made to have activities for kids in general. The animation team did seem to adapt to the clientele. In the middle of our stay, there were more young people, and then they changed it up and arranged activities like beer pong, drink mixing, and dart. For us, more immobile and relaxed people, the aqua gym and casual chats by the pool, were more than enough. There are evening entertainments, but we only went once, as we like to go to bed early, so I can not comment on that. Aqua-gym with Ellis (mr. seven as we called him..if you know you know ;) ), was a hoot. Whether you just watched or joined in, he would induce laughter and joy. A natural entertainer, that guy! I think the reason there are mixed reviews is due to expectations. If you like quiet, small atmosphere and lovely staff who recognise you after day 1, there is no better place. There is shopping just a taxi ride away, and we had one evening in Soho Square. That was enough to satisfy our need for ventures. There are shops on the top floor of the hotel as well, if you need little stuff like sun-lotion, snacks etc. It costs probably more than off-site, but it is convenient. We also had pedicures and facial treatments. The lady doing those was very nice. For us this was the perfect holiday. We came back rested and happy, and we are planning to come back next year.
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