This hotel is very remote at the moment although there are building sites all around the resort - which you can hear. The hotel caters for Italians so unless you like to be by yourself don't go if you are English. All the entertainment is for the Italians and the entertainment staff speak little English. They didn't even have any English Karaoke songs. However the room was fantastic which was cleaned every day with some great towel sculputres. We were staying on an all inclusive basis and the food was fine in the restaurant. However, once I saw the black mop that they cleaned the oven with at the beach restaurant I didn't have any more pizza. We were there for 1 week and could not go swimming/snorkelling once as there was a red flag every day. It was also very windy every day. We did apparently go in their "winter" month.

Just returned from what I can say 'yet again a great time away from all the bad things you have to put up with at xmas and new year at home' Firstly I would say on arrival at marsa alam airport I was pleasantly surprised to see only our flight arrival being the
only one, so that meant not to long hanging around at the airport. Arrived at the hotel, a quick check in and our suitcases taken straight to our room looking out directly on to the pool. We then had time to go up to the restaurant,it seemed o.k and we had a nice meal. Straight away I thought the staff were extremely friendly and thats not a bad start to a hotel that is geared up for Italians the waiters seemed to like the fact that we were english. We had done our homework on this hotel and new what to expect and we got exactly what it 'says on the tin'.
There were plenty of sun beds on the beach and around the cold pool, it was a bit windy on the beach but behind the windbreaks it was fine. Snorkeling was fantastic of the jetty when allowed, to see the red flag flying was off putting but it proved that they new when to put it up, when in the last week an Italian man had to be rescued when swimming when warned not too. Our overall impression of the place was good , and would definitely go back there ,yes there were problems with the heat of the food and who wants to eat chips every day ,I think the effort that was taken with the xmas and new year partys were second to none and you could not ask for more friendly staff and holidaymakers apart. Also a big thank you to globaldivers who are on site for taking us out on a memorable trip when we saw a school of around 60 spinner dolphins. Everybody likes to moan about something on holiday even us but really all in all this was a fantastic holiday and would recommend it to anyone

Well what can i say, it's the first time that i have taken the family away for Xmas and i must say I would do it again. I was a bit dubious about staying at the Solitaire after reading the few reviews prior to coming out but there was nothing to worry about. Our accomodation was attractive and clean and the Maid astounded us every day with his 101 ways to strangle a bath towel.
The grounds of the resort were well kept and appealling to the eye,although there was evidence of some expansion taking place we personally did not see it as a problem. We were a bit dissapointed that to swim in the Sea you had to venture of the end of the pier to enter the water, but hey, that short stroll along the pier, every now and then peering over looking at all the bright coloured fish what an appetizer before you get in. Mind you sometimes due to Wind and Tidal conditions it would not be safe to swim in the Sea, although this may have been frustrating at times there are two great Swimming pools to have a dip in, one of which was heated and had a poolside bar which seemed very popular.
The staff were great even though their English may not have been that good but i reckon if you treat them in a polite manner then they would bend over backwards to please you. The Food, well i have to admit there was the odd occasion when the menu did not appeal to me, but thank god there are a large contingent of Italians staying because there was always my favourite Spaghetti or Pasta to fall back on. I understand that some of the British guests voiced their disaproval to the management about the food and from that day forward chips became part of the menu. I think they were very proud. And to add to that our waiters English improved no end " More [--] Chips" he muttered innocently.
The activities and entertaiment was arranged by an Italian animations team and appeared to be geared up for Italians probably because the guests at the resort were predominantly Italian, but we were made very welcome to join in.
During our 14 day stay we were happy to make only three trips out, one of which was a Horse and Camel trek into the dessert to a Bedouin camp, this was arranged with Mohamed Ali ( the camel guy) on the beach next to the Pier, Im glad we did it but it does make your Butt ache.
Our next two trips were arranged with the on site Global Divers. And boy they were great, the first was a snorkeling trip to Abu Dabab just a few miles up the coast where we were fortunate to be able to swim with Turtles and The Dudong ( Sea Cow).
The second was truly memorable a Trip on a boat out to reef off Marsa Alam where we swam with up to 50 Dolphins, Just Brilliant!
All things considered i think that for what we paid for this holiday we got a bargain and would probably come back to the area in a few years.

Just arrived back from holiday from the Hotel sol y mar Solitare,Marsa Alam .Booked holiday through travel agents jan 2007.Payed 2100 4 a family of 3 .Me my wife and 11yrs old daughter.May i say the hotel rooms were clean and tidy ,the grounds of the hotel were well managed.We were informed that there was an animation kids club from 10 till 4 every day .There was but it was an ITALIAN animation kids club who are friendly but who could not speak english,enough for my daughter to want to be in a group of italian children and play .One italian could speak a little bit of english but she did the yoga and water arobics in the pool, and mixed with the adults.So that was a great start to the holiday,so off to the beach were we found you could not paddle in the water because of the coral,we were shouted at by the staff and told you cannot swim unless you go to the end of the pier where there was a red flag flying so that was not happening.Okay will go to the pool the first one was freezing and there was no life guard and the bar was not in use. We found the other one which was heated still no lifeguard ,There was a bar that served warm drinks and served you the smallest portions of ice creams i have ever seen,this place was supposed to be inclusive,you had to sign for your drinks they would re use plastic cups after washing them in a dish washer and there wasn,t enough cups and stuff behind the counter.You had to take cups and plates back after you because the waiter would not move from behind the bar.It took a week for them to put a kettle behind there for hot drinks because the coffee and tea was to cold,the milk was warm. Good job we took our own towels because they would run out of towels around the pool and beach.In the evening we would go for evening meal at 7.30 at the restaurant which was well staffed , but the food could be cold they put on a good spread but unless the food was cooked in front of you,it could of been reheated which is not a wise thing.After tea you had little choice up to the hotel reception bar where you had to ask for chairs all the time because there was not enough or to the beach bar where you had to pay for your drinks after 8 o clock.There was a disco bar but that did not serve drinks till 9.30 pm and that was where the italian animation club would put on an italian speaking show on for the italians and there children.The hotel had 35 english people there while we were there ,after speaking to the egyptian lads who work and run the stalls and shops that was the most ever .The italians most of numbered about 150 to 200 over the period and there were about 10 italian animation reps and staff catering for there every needs .The italians i met were friendly and they seemed well at home there with the food and the activities. Where us english did not but we did try though.I was told there was a gym sauna and jacuzzzi at my disposal and when i tried to use it ,i was informed i could not use it till after 4 .00 in the afternoon by a man who run it ,it wasn,t till i had a meeting with the reception manager about various matters that had come to a head that i questioned the gym times and the manager shouted at the man and told him the hotel own the gym and not him ,this man rented massage rooms next to the gym and wanted the gym empty as not to spoil the massages for the hoteliers who where paying him for the pleasure. There are certain things i have missed out and i will save them for the travel agents who i booked. The EGYPTIAN PEOPLE very friendly they just need educating in the english way of doing things , they have mastered the Italian way so i think this resort needs another five years unless an hotel opens just for the english needs and there families.Or thomas cook pay for an english team of reps to stay there and do what the ITALIANS do