Bedrooms very comfortable and kept spotlessly clean by the room boys. There are no fancy extras in the bathroom, however there are soap dispensers by the hand-basin and in the shower area, so ladies if you need shower caps, separate bars of soap, shampoos etc., bring your own along. We slept very well as there is absolutely no noise at all, mainly because there is no traffic anywhere!

Staff throughout the hotel are very helpful and friendly. Food well presented and of good quality. We mainly ate freshly cooked dishes at lunch (pasta) and dinner from the outside grill but had no stomach problems even after eating the salads, desserts or fruit (which we peeled) which are all kept in refrigerated displays.

No need to bring beach towels as these are provided by the hotel on production of the ticket you’re given on check- in. Some of the beach towels are looking a bit faded and worn but the guy in charge of handing them out was very happy, when asked, to change them for newer towels. Everything is done with a smile at this hotel.

Don’t bother buying Egyptian currency in UK, just take Sterling or Euros. There is a cash machine in the hotel opposite Sol Y Mar El Madina which converts Sterling/Euros etc to Egyptian currency if you require local money for the shops in the medina, but most prices quoted in Euros anyway, otherwise as it’s All Inclusive can’t think what you would need cash for.

Entertainment team work hard, speak good English and are very friendly without being pushy.

The snorkelling in the bay (just a couple of minutes out of the front of the hotel) is AMAZING.
Either walk into the sea within the roped off area (it’s very shallow for quite a long way out, and therefore safe for children) and you can paddle whilst the fishes swimming around your ankles. Alternatively enter the sea off the pier. It really is a paradise for divers and snorkelers.

There are several trips offered by Tour Operators, but quite frankly Marsa Alam is a long way from anywhere of cultural interest and it is probably best viewed as a resort based holiday, unless you want to go diving further along the coast. We researched the area before booking our holiday so were not disappointed at being so far from the sights - we'll visit them from somewhere more convenient in the fuure.

Weather was consistently hot whilst we were there in November, occasionally quite windy but there are wicker wind shields and parasols on the beach which you can move to block the draught if necessary.

Would have no hesitation in recommending the Sol Y Mar El Madina for a resort based holiday as cleanliness, quality of food and pleasant staff are high on our list of “must haves” for a holiday, and this hotel scored very highly on all these criteria.

Had a week here from 27th November, the staff are exceptional, they try very hard to make sure your stay meets your expectations.
The rooms are good, clean, no issues, the food is really very good. The chef makes a personal apperance and talks to all guests and asks if the food is good, is there anything they could do better. The hotel manager really has a grip on what makes a good hotel and experience. And all the staff have bought into the vision. When we return to Marsa Alam I will use this hotel again.

The Rep. ALAN. My opinion. a complete waste of time, and very unproffesional, not that we had any great dealings with him. welcome meeting was enough for me. they way he presents himself is very poor, he insults your intelligence and straight out lies about his competition. His trips are overpriced, he is only interested in himself and your money. I dont have an issue with sales, but question everything he tells you, be very specific. And dont book anything until you speak to a few other people. Take some advice from the dive school coral diving just on the beach. .

Go on a trip with Tiger Marine, they will pop up and down the beach, they have a centre at the other end of the beech. Great people great trip. Unles you listen to Alan who will tell you they are unsafe and have no toilets on the boats blah blah.

We went here from 27th Nov - 4th Dec and loved every minute. Our expectations were low given we have not been to Egypt before and were a bit concerned over the media reports however we shouldn't have been worried.
Key points:
- hotel probably cleanest we have ever been to
- staff could not do enough to help you they were excellent - every single one!
- temperature in Dec really good 27deg plus - really comfortable
- water is provided in all inclusive
- shower is not great but seriously - you are in middle of desert so u have to take this into account. it's not europe!
- food is excellent and lots of choice
- try the egyptian beans for breakfast
- go snorkelling!! (thanks to our thomson rep being more interested in selling trips we did not realise that there is an excellent snorkelling experience on the beach of the hotel until the 3rd day when we wandered down the pier!)

Thanks to everyone who made our holiday a good one. For Egypt virgins, just try it, and stay at this hotel it's great!

We have just got back from a week in a very sunny Marsa Alam. Never been to Egypt before but we'll definitely be returning!!! we went with three other families, all the husbands dive so they joined the dive school & had an amazing time, the mum's enjoyed the pool, beach & cocktails whilst the kids loved the snorkelling & water park. Something for everyone here.
Staff at the hotel couldn't do enough for you & Hany the Thomson rep was a gem. The food was of a very high standard & varied throughout our week. The choice was endless & the children were catered for too. Not many Brits at this resort so really felt like we were away from it all. We caught a taxi into Port Ghalib one nite which was well worth it, great handbags!!! We also went on a trip to Abu Dabab (organised by the dive school) & saw turtles swimming in an amazing reef. Loved our week, 5 out of 5 on every level.