The country of the Pharaohs attracts tourists from Russia and other former CIS countries with a comfortable and relatively inexpensive vacation. The Red Sea meets them with its unique underwater world. Here, in the coral kingdom, diving flourishes. Egypt's unique excursions allow you to see the preserved buildings of the past era, the remains of ancient cities, unique temples.
Egyptian hotel business is world famous. Comfort, delicious food, wonderful ecology, special techniques strengthen the health of vacationers.
Briefly about the hotel and its location
Transfer to this hotel from the airport takes up to 20 minutes.
By the way, for hotel guests it is free. Arrived as if immediately plunge into a specific eastern world. Externally, the hotel looks interesting - the two-story building is made in the traditional Arabic style, and the surrounding area is carefully planned. In addition, the infrastructure of Sharm el-Sheikh adjacent to the hotel was also designed according to a national project - in the style of âOne Thousand and One Nights.â
Karma Hotel 3 * in the resort business is firmly occupying the niche of a solid economy-class hotel in the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. It is about its capabilities that we will talk about in this article. It has been welcoming guests since 1999.
By its number of rooms, Karma Hotel 3 * is an average hotel. It has 80 standard rooms and 4 superior (suites). The housing standard offered to guests has an area of ââ33 m2.
The good location of the hotel also attracts tourists - in the second line (which is very good for the "three-star"). The hotel's own beach is safe and ideal for families with children. The nearby Red Sea is also favorable for recreation. In addition, the coast here seems to have been created for a pleasant pastime. Ras Um Sid Bay is famous for its comfortable beaches.
What time of year to buy a tour to the Karma hotel?
What time of year is the most convenient for buying a tour to a hotel? From June to September, so say the reviews of vacationers at the Karma Hotel (Egypt). Hotels during these months are most populated by customers. Tourists, of course, are guided in the choice of the holiday season by the optimal weather conditions for Sharm El Sheikh. During this period it is warm during the day, but not hot (about 33
0 C), at night it is warm (about 26
0 C). This temperature regime promotes active recreation (the water temperature in the Red Sea is also about 26
0 ).
Fewer tourists, respectively, tours are cheaper in the winter months.
However, according to reviews, it is most profitable to buy a tour to the Karma Hotel 3 hotel in Sharm El Sheikh in the season, monitoring the sites of tour operators and choosing "last minute packages" for them (a couple of days before departure). Thus, you can save on the price of the tour about 25%.
Nearest trading infrastructure
The hotel is ideally integrated into the shopping infrastructure of Sharm El Sheikh. Nearby chain stores, private shops and numerous neat retail shops contribute to meeting the demand of vacationers.
A 5-minute walk is the inexpensive Metro grocery store, where most vacationers additionally buy fruit and some food in addition to the all inclusive diet (note that this is for gourmets, the restaurantâs restaurant ration is quite decent.) In Metro "A kilogram of strawberries costs 8 Egyptian pounds, tomatoes - 3.5 pounds, a half-liter bottle of water - 2 pounds.
Also nearby is the Old Market (Old Town) with many shops. A good leather bag here can be purchased 2.5 times cheaper than in domestic stores.
Near the Karma Hotel 3 * (Egypt, Sharm El Sheikh) is located El Merkato Street (in Italian - "market") with the eponymous shopping center and numerous souvenir and food shops.
A hotel that provides the best value for money
So why do connoisseurs of Sharm el-Sheikh opt for Karma Hotel 3 *? Obviously, the main reason is properly organized management and emphasized quality service. Therefore, in the reviews, the guests âaddâ to the hotel another half-star. Polite and high-quality service, high-quality and varied food and, finally, a two-level, unusual for an economy class pool in its territory.
If we talk about the cost of a tour for a stay in this hotel based on two adults for 7 nights, its total price will include: standard room price - 29181 rubles, AI food price (all inclusive: breakfast, lunch, dinner, all kinds of snacks, etc. .d.) - $ 502, fuel surcharge (held by the tour operator and paid to the airline) - $ 40.
Additional costs include additional paid services: Wi-Fi, safe, press delivery,
The hotel has a 24-hour reception desk, has its own laundry, dry cleaning, ironing service and a hairdresser.
Those who like to rent cars get obvious convenience: the parking lot near the hotel is free of charge, and a reservation is not needed for parking.
Tour to the three-star hotel âKarmaâ is chosen by those tourists who, not wanting to overpay for their life, want to get the most out of corals and the unique underwater world of the Red Sea. They are attracted by the opportunity to relax on the comfortable Marhaba Beach and "hang out" in the developed tourist infrastructure of Sharm El Sheikh.
Note: 3 * hotel, what is this expressed?
Reviews of vacationers note the friendliness and promptness of the staff immediately upon arrival. The keys to the room are handed to guests without delay - upon arrival from the airport. Further, the Karma 3 hotel (Egypt, Sharm el-Sheikh), according to the principles of âthree-starâ, entrusts itself with basic services: accommodation, catering, and other moments of rest depend on the agility of the tourists themselves.
What details still point us to the "three-star" Karma Hotel 3 *? Customer reviews, regularly resting in it, indicate - the details are secondary.
This is confirmed by regular customers from Western Europe. They know what a real service is! A vacationer who came to enjoy being in a coral paradise; to improve the local healing climate; contemplate the unique traces of ancient civilization; to feel the uniqueness of local markets, folklore, etc., it is unlikely to be in the hotel for days.
Functionality and room cleaning
Therefore, he is interested in the functionality of the Karma Hotel (Sharm el Sheikh) room, the availability of air conditioning, a minibar, a shower room, necessary furniture, the frequency of changing linen and towels in the room. All this is present.
According to reviews, in standard rooms there are a pair of beds, a pair of chairs, a sofa, a table, a rack, a TV stand with the TV itself, a refrigerator (minibar). However, the furniture itself is made (unlike more star hotels) not of natural wood. In addition (as we said above), a certain degree of wear is allowed.
However, linen that needs to be replaced every two days is always fresh in the rooms of Karma Hotel 3. This is a hotel with English-speaking staff. This is desirable to take into account. In short, the hotel staff will much better and faster accept your request made in the language of Shakespeare than in the language of Pushkin. And if you go to the beach every two days and leave 2-3 Egyptian pounds to the cleaning staff, you will find not only better cleaning, but also a specific resort setting: figures of swans, fish, and bunnies laid out on towels on the bed.
The second nuance of the "three-star" is some simplification of the menu. It contains four to five types of side dish daily, two to three types of main course (meat or fish), and five to six types of salads. The food is of high quality; in the reviews of vacationers, cases of poisoning are not mentioned. Delicious enough fish dishes. Of course, in hotels of a class higher this assortment is three to four times more diverse. However, the cost of the guesthouse in Vip-hotels is two to three times higher than in Karma Hotel Sharm el Sheikh.
Practical Travel Tips: Money Exchange
It is most convenient to exchange cash dollars taken with you as a financial resource for Egyptian pounds in the exchanger located on El Mercato street, which goes to the left of the Karma Hotel 3. Reviews about this exchanger are positive: it works stably. The street is always crowded, commercial, decorated in Arabic style with mini-minarets. Exchange rate: 5.7 Egyptian pounds for $ 1. By the way, sellers will accept dollars from you in stores for buying goods, but buying will cost you more. The store dollar rate is less profitable: 5 Egyptian pounds for $ 1.
Nutrition
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are organized according to the standard buffet scheme for the resorts.
Breakfast is quite light at Karma Hotel 3. Tourists' comments describe a rather narrow assortment that includes scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs, various toasts, vegetable dishes, tea (coffee) - honey, pastries, hard cheese and feta cheese.
However, for lunch and dinner, the choice of dishes is much wider: daily - two types of soups, beef, chicken, turkey, liver, vegetable side dishes, potatoes, spaghetti, pasta, rice, a decent assortment of salads.
In the evening, on the terrace of the hotel, the chefs of the hotel, as part of the all inclusive, cook meat and fish for grills for lovers.
The restaurant of the Karma 3 hotel (Egypt, Sharm El Sheikh) also offers its guests a wonderful sweet table for lunch and dinner: fruit, soufflé, cakes, jelly, mousses, juices.
On Wednesdays, the hotel's restaurant serves national cuisine day.
Leisure
Visitors note that the three-star Karma Hotel 3, with virtually no animation (the latter is a characteristic feature of all âthree-starâ), has good conditions for relaxation directly on its territory. An outdoor pool is open year-round. There is a well-kept garden with terraces. Convenient to relax and the terrace of the hotel itself.
There is a tennis court, billiards.
Reviews of tourists about the hotel beach are generally positive. Umbrellas and sunbeds on it are free (all-inclusive system). Towels should be taken here from your hotel room. Of course, this is original, but they will serve you as a kind of pass to the hotel beach.
About rest on a hotel beach
The hotel beach is not quite typical of the Red Sea. It is sandy, with a smooth entry into the water and is completely safe for families with children to relax. There will always be free sunbeds and umbrellas, and besides, free ones.
At the beach of the Karma Hotel (Sharm el-Sheikh) there are additional opportunities for a fun outdoor activity on the water: a banana, a boat with a transparent bottom, and a cheesecake.
Here, on the beach, for a moderate fee you will get a massage. Some ladies agree to slightly change their hairstyle - their hair is braided into African braids. Those who want to order a tattoo they like.
Of the shortcomings of the beach, there is only one - fairly loud music.
However, when immersed in the underwater world, these sounds are no longer audible.
Of course, although the hotel's beach is sandy, however, swimming in the Red Sea, it is still advisable to purchase special shoes.
Information for lovers of "wild beaches"
The presence of shoes for swimming is especially important for hotel guests who prefer âwild beachesâ, and there are many such, about 30%. There, sticking needles of sea urchins are not uncommon between stones, and the coral nature of the bottom also affects, by inadvertence you can cut yourself.
It is also highly advisable to purchase a mask and fins. You can buy them in the Old City for $ 6. Then it will be possible to personally witness and safe coral fish, and moray eels, sea urchins, etc. The main thing is just to watch them from a distance and not try to get acquainted or feed. These are the rules of bathing.
However, those who want to see the reef underwater world in all its splendor should dive not in the beach area. Such places, with a rich coral world, are well known to the locals.
However, most diving enthusiasts still go to the coral beaches of Naama Bay. The price of a trip there is $ 3. However, this should take into account the dialectic of pricing of Egyptian taxi drivers (which we will discuss later).
Excursions
When buying sightseeing tours, you do not need to buy the first one you get. Among local tour operators, price competition is palpable. For example, an excursion to Jerusalem per one excursion can cost from $ 40 to $ 125 with a completely similar service. Sightseeing tours from Karma Hotel 3 (Egypt) - twice as expensive as that of street vendors. What can you do? This is the policy of venerable travel agencies. Therefore, it is better to resort to the services of small city agencies.
We recommend to buy a tour to Cairo (from $ 40). An excursion called âSuper Safariâ is also attractive. Her program includes a visit to the historical and spiritual relics - the monastery of Hagia Sophia, an exciting excursion to the Color Canyon, an excursion to the city of Dahab, Bedouin-style tea drinking.
Recreation facilities near the hotel
Near the hotel there is an entertainment complex called "A Thousand and One Nights." Every evening, comers come to him to see the proposed shows. Moreover, those who came before 19-00 can do this for free. On the way to this complex is a specialized menagerie for alligators, adapted for visitors (alligator). Performances here also take place daily.
However, in addition to these ancient reptiles, tourists can contemplate more benevolent animals. At the end of El Mercato Street is a dolphinarium. Surprisingly, many tourists vacationing in the hotel under consideration, we simply did not know about it! But communication with dolphins is not only exciting, but also healing. In our opinion, it is definitely worth a visit to the dolphinarium.
You can also have fun near Karma Hotel 3.
Sharm el Sheikh is a city with a true Bedouin character. Many visitors like the stylish Bedouin cafes nearby. It is cozy here, and the owners of the establishments offer visitors a deliciously prepared tea and coffee for a small fee.
Discos, bars ...
Those wishing to plunge into the evening disco fun use the free hotel bus that takes them to the city of Naama Bay. One way tolls cost $ 3. Here at their service is well-known among spa people (Hard Rock Cafe). Connoisseurs will tell you one subtlety: try to get into the cafe until 22-00, then the disco that started after 23-00 will cost you free of charge. Otherwise, you will have to pay $ 25 for entry. If you relax with your companion, then on Wednesday it will be beneficial to visit the Little Buddha Club (Naama Bay). On Wednesdays, admission for girls is free.
Some vacationers from Karma Hotel Sharm 3 go there with a more pragmatic goal: for example, to buy seafood. âMetroâ shopping center is optimally suited for this; city transport is quite smartly delivering customers to it.
Travel tips for shopping
We canât miss this âfadâ in our story for one simple reason: gentlemen, you are going to a country where you learn to bargain from childhood! Speculation here is not just thriving - it is blooming wildly. In a word, here you should very carefully spend your hard-earned money.
When using the services of shops, always request a check. It is best to use the services of supermarkets, as shopkeepers raise the price by 2-3 times.
However, if you decide to buy a souvenir, then you will have to buy it in the Old City, just pay attention not to shops, but to trays. Here you have a whole ritual of oriental trade. After the seller tells you the price, you call him yours, reducing it by four times. Next - patiently and melancholy wait until the afflicted seller runs for advice to the store director (all this is a performance). After that, he will tell you the price that has changed (solely because of respect for you). Here you are voicing the real price. And only after that you should buy. Such is she - eastern trade.
Regarding the Egyptian taxi, thereâs a special conversation about him. Itâs impossible to navigate even the reviews of holidaymakers at Karma Hotel Sharm 3 when deciding on the actual fare. From several sources, for example, you will find that travel to the Old Market costs 25 pounds, but knowledgeable people still pay only 10 pounds for this service .
We recommend for taxi users to always go in a company (itâs cheaper) and never ask the driver for a price, but immediately set it yourself.
Conclusion
Reviews about the hotel Karma (Sharm El Sheikh) tell about a good and inexpensive service.
Initially, the âKarmaâ hotel laid the potential for âfour-starâ, and it underwent several rebranding (changes in name and owners). The reason for being in a three-star rank, revealed by our study, is banal: the furniture was not replaced in time with more expensive furniture made of natural wood.
Yet the rest of the hotel subsystems "work like clockwork" and do not cause any complaints. Buying a tour with accommodation in this hotel is really a profitable investment option for vacationers ... (Remember, the main principle of a profitable investment is to look for undervalued assets? The resort potential of Karma Hotel 3 * is exactly the case.)
Clean, comfortable rooms with air conditioning, refrigerator, shower. Well-kept area with garden and pool where you can relax. The well-functioning work of the hotel restaurant, feeding abundant visitors with delicious and healthy food.
Well-maintained and comfortable hotel beach. Opportunities for outdoor activities. Developed resort infrastructure Karma Hotel (Sharm-Sheikh). All this contributes to the fact that visitors go to Karma Hotel 3 * again.
Inexpensive, preferred in terms of price / quality resort tours to this hotel are also willingly bought by sophisticated western tourists.