Отель со своим неповторимым стилем A hotel with its own unique style

Hello, dear friends, like-minded people and travelers!
I want to share my impressions about my 18th vacation in Egypt, the 9th in Marsa Alam. Impressions of Marsa Alam, with rare exceptions, remained very good, regardless of the number of stars of the hotel.
We stayed at the end of November with my husband. I wanted to visit the Shams Alam 4 * hotel for many years, precisely because of the reef. This is one of the most southern and remote hotels of Marsa Alam. If you fly to Hurghada, then the transfer to the hotel can take up to 6 hours. In addition, the price of the hotel has always been high. These 2 factors stopped. When a direct flight to Marsa Alam appeared (albeit for a very short time) from Kyiv, we decided that it was fate to get to Shams Alam 4 *.
Transfer:
Flight Kyiv - Marsa Alam 4 hours. Registration was completed in a few minutes. Very comfortably. It's a pity that direct flights have been canceled again.

Tourists from our flight were divided into several buses according to the geographical location of the hotels. We went south in a big comfortable bus. On the way we stopped at several hotels, 1 time I had to return, because. neither the driver nor the guide knew the way, they passed a couple of hotels where tourists had to be dropped off. Transfer to the hotel took about 2 hours. We didn't have time for breakfast.
Check in:
Didn't check in right away, room wasn't ready. Immediately put on bracelets and sent for a walk. We settled in an hour later.
In the hotel all the rooms are the same, all with a sea view. The main difference is the distance from the restaurant and the floor. We asked for a room on the second floor.
Rooms:
The architecture of the rooms is unique - the ceiling is a very high dome made of unfinished brick. It looks beautiful. The front door has a stained glass window that closes from the inside. You can talk with a visitor without opening the door, it's convenient. The room is comfortable, Arabic style. The furniture is heavy, made of wood, and does not seem cheap. There is everything you need. 2 beds, a large wardrobe with a sufficient number of trempels and shelves, a safe, a table, a flat-screen TV (it is possible to watch films from a flash card), mirrors, a bedside table, a table, a mini-bar. The night curtain helps not to wake up with the first rays of the sun. The beds are comfortable, the bed is clean. The bathroom is large and has a hairdryer. The plumbing worked well. Cosmetics (2 caps, hand soap, shower gel, shampoo, body cream) were replenished without prompting and in sufficient quantities.
The balcony has a mosquito net on the door, it is very convenient. 2 wicker chairs. Pleased with the presence of a rope with clothespins. The sea view from the balcony is amazing.
Cleaning was carried out qualitatively, there are no comments. But the room requires general cleaning: you need to wash the curtains and wash the tiles in the bathroom.
Hotel area:

The territory is quite large. The architecture is unusual, the main building and buildings are unique. There is a small pool and an artificial waterfall. The hotel is quite old and just surrounded by greenery. All plants are well maintained and watered. The lawn grass is green and trimmed. The work of the gardeners is excellent. White herons roam the lawns. The area is pleasing to the eye. The hotel is in the desert. The nearest hotel is more than 1 km to the north, and in the south the Wadi Gemal National Reserve begins for many kilometers to the port of Hamata.
There are 2 shops with souvenirs and oils on site, prices are appropriate. There is a small mall across the street from the hotel but it doesn't compete with the shops. The owner is the same.
Nutrition:
The food at the hotel is good, there are many healthy options.
In the main restaurant, the choice is not large, but you will not stay hungry. Breakfasts are standard: scrambled eggs and scrambled eggs are fried, there are vegetables, yoghurts, sausages and sausages, cheeses, pastries, toasts, fruits, jam, honey, etc. Lunches and dinners are more varied, there is meat and fish, various side dishes, 2 types of soups, salads and chopped vegetables, and herbs, a lot of sauces and dressings for salads and other dishes. I liked the spice corner. Prepare pasta according to your taste. Fruit selection is not great. The chef controls the quality every day, and most importantly, eats the same as the guests. The restaurant is large, there are enough places, some of the tables on the street overlooking the sea. Drinks are brought by the waiters, you do not have to wait long.
Snacks: in the bar on the beach almost the whole day in a wood-fired oven they bake thin pizza like Margherita on the stones, delicious. And the smell from the stove is special. In the evening, desserts for tea are laid out near the lobby bar and pancakes are fried. There is ice cream, very edible. You can eat all day, you won't go hungry.
I liked the way things were with water: upon arrival, we had water in the room. Then the waiters brought water in bottles of 0.6 liters per person at lunch and dinner on request. And there was no need to run around with an empty bottle and get yourself a drink.
Bars:

There are 2 bars on the territory: a lobby bar (it is also by the pool) and a bar on the beach. Both have wonderful sea views. In the bars, natural coffee and tea bags of several types. Tonic and soda from cans, bottled beer is not bad, the lobby bar has white and red wine (I liked red more), a standard set of local strong alcohol (normal quality for Egypt).
Service:
In general, the impression of the service was good, but there were some not pleasant nuances. I will describe this topic in detail:
1. Receptionist: professional and friendly staff. All requests were responded to promptly. 2 times asked the engineer to help us deal with the TV. The engineer came within a few minutes.
But the impression of the work of the Receptionist was spoiled during the check-in by a not very pleasant incident. When we arrived at the hotel and were checking in, the worker began to tell us that he would give us a room in which they put only the most important and respected guests, and no one else. To a direct question from my husband about how much money he wants for this, he replied that we would give how much. People, we are the 18th time in Egypt!! ! How many times do you think they tried to cheat us in this way for money?? ? Or only 1 receptionist in all of Egypt turned out to be so smart and cunning? As a result, for 10 dollars. USA (the hand did not rise again) we became the happy owners of the most ordinary room on the second floor and a spoiled first impression of the hotel.
2. Lobby bar: very good service. Excellent bartenders Mohammed (served in the evening) and Mohammed (brewed wonderful coffee in the morning). There were no problems. Served quickly and with a smile. Thank them very much!
3. Beach bar: great. A wonderful positive bartender and a very good cook who cooked pizza in the oven. Thank them very much!
4. Beach: on the beach, a worker laid towels and mattresses, he also moved the sunbeds into the shade. The beach is very quiet and calm. No one imposes excursions or massages. It pleased.

5. Housekeeping: we had 1 cleaner for a few days, then he was replaced by another. On the second day of stay, the cleaner brought flowers to the room. They cleaned very cleanly, towels were changed, toiletries were replenished, creative things were made from towels. Always asked if we needed anything. Thank you! There are no comments. True, sometimes they came to clean up very early, but this is not a problem.
6. Main restaurant: served well, tables were served quickly, drinks were brought quickly.
But there are not pleasant moments: some chefs allowed themselves excessive attention with a violation of etiquette in relation to female tourists. Such behavior towards me angered even my very calm and not jealous husband. Dear service staff of hotels and restaurants, the next time you want to afford too much in relation to tourists, please imagine your wife in their place, and you will immediately understand what is allowed and what is not. By such behavior, you show disrespect for both tourists and their husbands. The service in almost all the hotels of Marsa Alam, where I have been, is distinguished precisely by an intelligent attitude towards women.
Animation:
Was completely absent. No animator, no entertainment. Even quiet music in the evenings in the lobby bar was not. Even traditional oriental evenings with hired dancers of dance with skirts and belly dance once a week. For me, this is a significant drawback. During the day there is the sea, and in the evening there is nothing. The hotel is in the desert. It was very boring in the evenings.
Sea:

That's why you should definitely visit this hotel at least once. The most beautiful coral patch between Shams Alam 4* and the neighboring hotel in the north. We go about 1 km to the neighboring hotel, go down the pontoon and sail towards Shams Alam 4 *. At the pontoon, the abyss of the sea opens up. We have never seen such coral architecture before. In terms of living creatures, the coral did not surprise me with anything, but how beautiful the coral itself is! What living colors and how many varieties of coral!! ! There are several coral islands in Shams Alam 4 * bay, you can’t review everything. Green turtles live in the bay, at the same time they counted 4 pieces, maybe there are more of them, I won’t say. Turtles graze not deep at all 2-3 m, one of the individuals of huge size. They are absolutely not frightened and are not afraid of a person. They say that sometimes the dugong comes, but we were not lucky. In order to consider all the riches of this bay and the surrounding reefs, even a month is not enough. At the end of the holiday, the weather turned bad, it was possible to swim in the bay, but apart from the sand, nothing was visible.
There is a diving center right on the beach. We contacted the staff about the tour. We were offered to sail on a yacht with divers on some reef. We did just that, it was Shaab Sharm reef (worth a look for a change). How convenient it is when there is no transfer to the port, and the yacht leaves directly from the hotel's pontoon. It was a good experience.
General impression of the hotel:
This is one of the most remote hotels in Marsa Alam, who needs a break from the hustle and bustle - you are here. I really liked the fact that in architecture, design and landscape the hotel has its own unique style. I liked the feeling of comfort in the room and on the grounds. Liked the view from the balcony. Liked by many employees for quality service. Slightly spoiled the impression of single unpleasant episodes in the service. Very lacking evening entertainment, very boring.
The sea crosses out all minor flaws. This coral is worth seeing at least once.
Have a good rest, if you have any questions, write, I will answer!