В предверии зимы In anticipation of winter

We rested in Coral Beach Tirana from 11.11-18.11. tour operator Intourist. The flight with Transaero Airlines was flawless, everything was on time. Transfer to the hotel - as usual, everyone gathered quickly enough, they were at the hotel in 20 minutes. We arrived at the hotel at 9 am, we were put on bracelets and sent to have breakfast. After breakfast, they immediately gave rooms (we were 4 adults), but we needed 2 rooms nearby, so we took one room right away, the other waited until 2 hours, but it didn’t bother much, because we changed clothes and went to the sea. They settled us in the 7th building (the farthest one), they demanded an additional payment for the rest, but we decided that the view of the sea and its proximity were not so important that we would pay $ 50 for it and later found many advantages of our remote building. It was closest to the reception and the restaurant. Our building had its own (deepest) swimming pool, there were few people, there was a jacuzzi and a sauna nearby. Its own bar, where there were also few people, there was always bottled beer and no one swept snacks with the speed of the wind, like at the lower pool, everything ended there very quickly, because there are always a lot of people (life is in full swing). Free ice cream is also given only at the lower pool from 15-17 pm, although by the end there is little left.
I give the hotel a 4-ku only because it is on the first coast, and of course the rating is lower. The territory is not large, bald, although the descriptions about it say “a large green area”, but in the neighboring Grand Rotana hotel there really is a lot of greenery, it is all in the evening lights, very beautiful, stylish. You can go there for a walk. The rooms are basic, standard, overall not bad. Cleaned every day, not very high quality, but we did not pay attention to it. Linen was changed for us only once during the entire stay, although this is also not so important.
About food: when I read the reviews before the trip, did you notice? that most wrote that the food is scarce. I have been to Egypt and other countries, I can definitely say that indeed, the food is poor, it used to be better. At first glance it seems that a lot of things, in fact, everything is monotonous. Although, you won’t stay hungry, there is always something to choose, though something tasty ends quickly, you had to wait. And so, in general, everything is standard. Fruits were constantly bananas, melons, guava and dates, sometimes grapefruits. I would like to note that for the first time I rested in a hotel where wine is served only in a restaurant at lunch and dinner, and only through a waiter. There is no wine in the bars. Tried both white and red. I didn’t like the white one - it’s sour, and the red one is very tasty, so if you wait until the waiter brings it, I advise you to try it. Waiters are a separate issue. To be honest, we did not notice that they were occupying a table for someone earlier. When we came to eat, the table was always found free. We paid a couple of times a tip, but also did not notice much difference in service. What with tips, what without them, if there are a lot of people, they serve slowly, and if not a lot, then quickly enough, they come up several times and ask if they need more wine. In general, it is clear that they are trying. A couple of times it was that we waited for wine only towards the end of dinner; . The system is not very user friendly.

About the sea. The sea is amazing. We are in Sharm for the first time, we were just delighted with the sea and the reef. More than enough for the first time. We were told by other tourists that they went on an excursion to Rosmukhamed, they were dissatisfied, money wasted in vain, the underwater world near the hotel is much better. The hotel has 2 pontoons (short), as if from 2 sides, as the hotel's coastline is located on a promontory protruding into the sea. We were scared by strong winds, that the pontoon could be closed for swimming, that there was a strong current. We have not come across anything like it. Of course there are waves, but not terrible. The weather was wonderful all day, the breeze was blowing, but warm, the water was very warm. If you stand facing the sea, the pontoon and the beach are larger on the right, the reef is richer. On the beach there is a bar, a volleyball court, a lot of sun loungers. On the left is a small pontoon, there are very few sunbeds, but the sea is calmer, the current is not strong. Near the lower pool, many sunbathed by the pool and went to the sea to swim. There is no entry into the sea from the shore. You can walk along the bank, lie in the waves, but you can’t swim. So there is nothing to do with children there. Although people somehow adapted, they sat with their children on towels on the shore, the children fiddled in the sand, and went to swim on the pontoon. But if the child does not know how to swim or is afraid of the depth, then it is better not to choose this hotel. For children there is a small playground (near the 7th building, near the tennis courts) and a kids club.
Animation in the hotel is normal, as usual. They take you somewhere to discos every day, for a fee of 8-15 dollars. We did not go, but we heard that Dolchevita and Pasha disco were praised.
Our hotel guide at the first meeting did not say anything at all, he said that if you are interested in something, ask. He issued a price list with excursions and left. We are not the first time, so we don’t care, and whoever came to Egypt for the first time, I think they won’t like it very much, some didn’t even know what to ask. The guide came to the hotel every day for 1 hour. He did not even post information about the return flight to us, we had to look for him.
The hotel has a free shuttle bus to Naama. This is also a whole story. You need to sign up for it in advance. On the second floor in the building where the reception is. But it's better to come early, half an hour before the start of the recording, otherwise you risk not getting in. Appointment at 17:00, not a minute earlier the day before the trip. There are 11 seats on the bus, so think about how many people can go on it, and there are many who want to. He goes 2 times during the day and 2 times in the evening. In the evening, 4 hours are given for a walk. We once went for souvenirs and that was enough for us; . After talking with local merchants, having spent a lot of mental strength, they no longer wanted to go there. By the way, it is better to go there for souvenirs. The choice is larger and the prices are lower than in the hotel and shops outside the hotel. But, of course, you have to bargain. For example: we bought a mask with a tube (silicone), the seller gave it for 25 dollars, threw off a maximum of 5, in the end we bought it for only 10, plus the spent mental strength. By the way, the mask is great. In a nearby hotel, prices are generally cosmic. There are not many shops in our hotel, you can buy everything, but the sellers do not bargain, the prices are initially 2 times higher than in Naama. They also all swear a lot (they call them names in Russian words - they have learned), if you bargain, he seems to be inferior, according to him a lot, but you still don’t take it. It's not very nice... Outside the hotel there are few shops, but the prices are also higher than in Naama. so the choice is yours.

In general, we had a good rest, got acquainted with the guys from Tatarstan, Latvia, Moscow. It was very fun. But there is no more desire to return to this hotel, I think that for this money (41 thousand for two per week) you can find something more interesting.
Who already has vouchers to this hotel in their hands, do not despair, you will rest normally
When I read the reviews, I was very upset, most of the reviews are true. But if you don’t particularly bother with this, but think positively, then the rest will be good. A lot depends on us!