Is this five-star city hotel worth its considerable vacation money? What are the tricks of this hotel? Why there are so many holidaymakers here in the middle of winter, and even though the hotel is in the rather windy Naama Bay. These and other questions are always of interest to visiting tourists.
Location and infrastructure
The Royal Albatros Moderna Hotel is located 17 km from Sharm El Sheikh Airport, 25 km from Naama Bay and 30 km from the old town. It takes an average of 30-40 minutes by bus from the airport to the hotel, subject to check-in at several hotels. Can I go to Naama Bay in winter?
The Naama area is very large. There are a lot of hotels and well-developed infrastructure in this place. Without having to travel to the center, you can buy all the essentials. The Royal Albatros Moderna Hotel is at the end of town, just behind it is a wasteland. But it is still possible to reach civilization on foot. Move to the left of the hotel, about 400 meters to the beginning of the infrastructure. There are also taxis and minibuses that you can take to the city centre without any problems.
The entrance to the hotel is unusual, but quite usual for the Albatros hotel chain. The reception is on the slide, but it’s very basic and not at all pompous on the outside. When you go inside, you see that everything there is very standard for five-star hotels. The lobby is quite free and bright. The furniture in it is also new and bright.
Room stock
The standard check-in time for all hotels is 2pm. But if the room is ready, you may get the keys sooner.
If your room will be on the ground floor, you should expect a terrace with access directly to the pool instead of a balcony. The terrace is large but looks kind of empty, maybe lacking greenery near the exit of the room. On the terrace there is a small plastic table and the same plastic chairs.
The rooms are quite decent in the hotel, the whole tea set is assembled there. What’s missing is a mini-bar in the fridge and slippers and a bathrobe. Although for a hotel with this level it is a significant minus. But fans of modern style will be delighted with such a room.
Hotel area
The total area of the hotel is 200 thousand square meters. The hotel is huge. Immediately upon entering the grounds, the water park catches your eye. It stands apart from the other hotel buildings. And what is it like?
In winter there are not many tourists, so there will always be free places. The water park is well equipped with sun loungers of various kinds. There are regular, standard and small beds under colorful umbrellas. Everything looks fairly clean and well-maintained. There’s also a bar where you can grab tea, coffee, soft drinks and locally produced alcoholic beverages during the water park hours of 10am to 5pm.
But, as for the slides themselves, these are only 5 large ones for adults. The first slide, consisting of four identical structures, became a popular tourist attraction. Then there’s two rather steep slides, because you have to ride off on a mat. And the fourth slide in this pool is a winding black hole. You have to drive off on a single or double lap. And the slide is really very black and scary!
You can tell by the campers at once that the water in the pools of the water park is very warm. Here, all the tourists taking a dip after the slide are smiling.
What is the food here?
You will not go hungry from the hotel, because there are 3 meals a day. The menu offers a variety of meat, vegetable and fish dishes. There is a wide variety of salads, fresh herbs and pickled vegetables. Fruit is abundant. When it comes to desserts, this place is a gourmet’s paradise. All kinds of cakes, pastries, jellies and sweets are sure to be appreciated by those with a sweet tooth.
Beach
The sand on the beach is quite hard and treaded, so to bury yourself in it up to your neck will be very difficult. But the palm trees on the beach create a very cool view and atmosphere. Here the beach is pretty densely packed with sunbeds, thatched umbrellas and wind racks. Good quality wooden deckchairs with soft mattresses and cushions. There are also large sunbeds on the beach the size of a double bed, with white sheets hanging down on the sides. In general, the sunbeds at Albatros hotels are always good. And this hotel was no exception.
This place has everything for a comfortable beach holiday, although there are always a lot of people on the beach. But as there are a lot of sunbeds too and a wide coast line, you will not notice problems with availability of chaise lounges. Usually vacationers occupy sun loungers near the sea, and some pull out the deck chairs on the sand closer to the water.
As for the entry into the water, in this place the hotel is unlucky with the sea. The beach by the water is stony, and to get to the depth, you have to walk in shallow water as much as 350 meters. In this case, the water depth will be ankle-deep and buy normally, in principle, will not work. There are people who go in and lie down in the water, but it’s more like swimming in a puddle than anything else.
For those who want to swim and feel the depth, you can go to the pier. Characteristically, almost all piers of the hotel are equipped with comfortable sun loungers, which makes the holiday even more pleasant. Usually in other hotels, the pier ends right at the exit to the sea, and of course there are no sun loungers or sun beds on them. Here the situation is completely different, as at the very end of the pier there is a large platform of 25×25 meters. And the furniture is placed very well. In addition to the sun loungers in the center of the pier are arranged in a circle of large double beds. This is one case where it is safe to sunbathe on the pier and go swimming in the sea, as it is very close to the entrance.
In principle, the hotel and its location are quite acceptable for a holiday in the winter season. Therefore, if tourists choose Royal Albatros, they won’t miscalculate their rest.
