Just back from the Sonesta Beach which was our first time in Egypt. We had two excellent rooms for my wife and myself and our two daughters aged 17 and 12. The hotel grounds are beautiful with constant attention from gardners and cleaning staff. Our rooms were spotlessly cleaned every day with fresh towels and any bedding requested.
The food at breakfast and lunch is excellent with a wide variety of choice. They will make eggs or omlettes to your specification. The evening meals were a bit repetitive and sometimes they tried to make them over elaborate. If you do not like fish, octopus etc there is always pasta and at least one meat dish.
We found the location to be good its own private beach with a short walk into the town. It is a must to buy a snorkel and mask and experience the amazing marine life. Apart from the usual parrot fish and angel fish we saw lion fish, blue spotted sting rays, puffer fish, baracuda and other rays.
The original concept of the resort is based on the proximity to the reefs and should not be considered as a similar holiday to say Spain. The temperature at night was occasionally 38 degress and in July and August the day temperature can reach the 50s.
Many people were suffering from various illnesses and some people only made it out of their beds for the last couple of days of their holiday. I have no doubt that this is not due to food or drink which is monitored by the hotel staff constantly using for example temperature probes. It is down to the temperatures during the day and night. It is all very well for people to cover themselves in factor 50 but unless you drink 10 litres of water a day then you will be ill.
We would go back particularly to dive some wrecks. As I have already indicated this resort is a must for divers and snorkling. The temperatures are extreme as it is on the edge of a desert and therefore care should be taken with regard to fluid intake.

The hotel room was lovley and clean and so were the surrounding gardens. the food was the same every night in 2 of the restuarants and in the casablanca there wasnt much of a choice. so the food got very boring after a few days.

i was very ill and have still got an upset tummy and acute tummy pains this is 1 week after i have arrived home!!

our room was about 15 minute walk from reception and about half hour walk to the beach, so if you are elderly or have problems with walking i wouldnt recomend this hotel.

apart from being ill i did enjoy my holiday did a few trips which were:

quad biking in the desert which i wasnt looking forward to but in the end i really enjoyed it. we had to get up at 3.30am though so we could see sun rise.

Star gazzing was brilliant we had the chance to take pics of the moon, a star and saturn which came out really well. we had dinner with the beduoins and made bread and danced around the camp fire.

Boat trip (Almeria boat) this was ok but didnt see much while snorkling we saw more at the hotel beach where there were hudreds of colourful fish, we also saw a sting ray, we did get a bit scared and wouldnt go back in but lucky that was on the last day!!! on the boat trip the food and staff were great and very helpful.

i would recomend all 3 of the trips.

There is no entertainment in the hotel at night apart from the animation show which was very poor, children could have put on a better show than them!!

we went to a bar on the beach called spider which was ok they dont sell alcohol it was just where you can smoke the shish pipes which is a must while in sharm!! we also went to Pacha and hard rock cafe for a dance which was good. pacha is good on a friday night where they play rnb and hop hop music.

not too sure if i would go back as i have been sooo ill and wouldnt want to get this again!!

This was our first family holiday to Egypt, and we were abit wary. Some people that we have spoke to hated the place, but we loved it.
The complex is huge, but you are given a map which is very helpful. The rooms are huge, lighting in the dressing room and bathroom very dim and they have very dodgy bulbs, kept going off. We had a family room, lovely bathroom, seperate dressing room, queen size bed (very hard pillows!!!), living area with Sky Tv for the kids, bunk beds for the boys and a lovely terrace. The staff are very friendly, always saying hello. Our cleaner was great, if you tip them well they certainly look after you. We tipped our cleaner 100 egyptian pounds (£10) when we first got there, and every day he brought us fresh fluffy towels and bottles of water.He even dressed up the bed!!!!
We tried to eat at the Citadel but there were never any tables, russians eat very early then save the tables for the show later. Our room was next door to The Dome so we ate there every day. The food is ok, but if all else fails, Mc Donalds is just across the road, and the guards on the door don't mind if you take in food.
If you do get a dodgy tummy, which my husband and eldest son did, then there is a chemist across the road, who speaks very good english, straight away he knows why you have come to see you. He gave us some tablets and a liquid drink to take cost approx £15, but did the trick within 48hours.
The children's club was great. My boys loved it so much they asked every day to go back.
Location wise, excellant. 15 minutes stroll into naama bay which is like another world.
I expected it to be hot when we went but the heat was unbeliveable. 45oc during the day and it was 35o at midnight.
Will hopefully be going back same time next year, as long as it doesn't go up too much in price.

First time in Egypt for my husand and myself and this hotel was a change to the one I had originally booked but it was very nice indeed. Clean rooms, friendly staff for which nothing was too much trouble.
We were there for a week and ate in 3 restaurants, all of which were lovely and no tummy upsets whatsoever.
A little dissapoointed with the lack of entertainment however the complex is big, the beach is close and at the end of the complex lies the promenade to take you into Naama Bay which is a 15 minute stroll.
Directly opposite the hotel is a McDonalds (cheaper than home) and a shop called 24/7 which was so so cheap for souverniers knick knacks etc.
The main road is a bit if a nightmare at times but have patience. Went on a trip to St Katherine's Monastry & Dahab..highly recommended and some fab scenery of the Sinai Desert.
I would recommend this hotel to young and old alike.