Small hotels have their own unique charm, a kind of "homework". There is a special atmosphere that promotes meditation and reflection. There is a category of tourists who adore just such hotels. In this article we will talk about two hotel complexes in Egypt, providing hotel services at the level of four and three stars. We will try to determine the level of their services, attractiveness to customers. In order to make it convenient for us to compare, we deliberately narrowed our choices. Both hotels are quite compact, belong to the same Egyptian Tropicana chain and are located on the coast of the same Red Sea bay.
These hotels are in good standing with tourists. They have common features and differences.
Why do tourists choose Tropicana Tivoli 4 *?
We begin our story with the four-star Tropicana Tivoli Hotel 4 *. He has his regular customers, some of them from year to year at certain times of the year come to a favorite hotel. They are attracted by the infrastructure of the Egyptian Riviera - Sharm El Sheikh, economical accommodation prices, the magnificent Red Sea coast, numerous leisure options. All these features of the quality demanded by guests are provided by the aforementioned hotel. She is small, comfortable, equipped with everything necessary. Here foreigners willingly stop for rest. Most Italians are here. Perhaps they are attracted by the name of the hotel where Tivoli is mentioned - the Italian town of Lazio? In any case, there is a whole Mercato street with pizzerias, cafes and restaurants in the Italian style.
Perhaps that is why the hotel staff practically does not speak Russian: there are still more foreigners from Western Europe . We recommend that you settle in and take the initiative and choose a room on the ground floor that overlooks the garden. It is doubly pleasant - to get the opportunity to enjoy the tranquility and pacification of the evening garden, to admire the skillful landscape design. And your recovery will be more complete and significant if you add a massage course to the balanced spa regime (half an hour - $ 10).
About hotel
This four-star hotel is small and quiet. It is located in the second line on the coast of Ras Om El Sid Bay. Its number of rooms is small, it consists of 70 furnished comfortable rooms for guests, the bulk of which are of the Standart type, designed for a maximum of three people. In Tropicana Tivoli Hotel Hotel 4 * there are several "double" rooms such as Duplex, Suite and Apartment, which can accommodate up to 7 tourists.
The hotel rooms are comfortable, they are equipped with a modern bathroom with a shower and have a balcony, equipped with a table and a couple of chairs for relaxation. Of household appliances, air conditioning, a TV, a telephone are installed in the room. Air conditioners, according to reviews, work stably and around the clock. There are 2-3 Russian channels in the TV settings. If necessary (if you come with a child), you can ask for a bed in your room free of charge.
The hotel restaurant provides guests with half-board meals, consisting of breakfast and dinner. International cuisine is served. At the hotel there is another restaurant, working by order, in which you can try oriental and Egyptian cuisine.
Also on its territory is an exotic Egyptian awning. In it, everyone can smoke a hookah and taste a variety of teas with sweets.
Location
Tropicana Tivoli Hotel 4 * is a five-minute walk from the sea, in the oldest district of Sharm El Sheikh, Hadaba. The peculiarity of the development of the area involves a hotel zone located along the sea edge with a developed infrastructure: beaches, restaurants, bars, shops. It is in it that the hotel complex under consideration is located. Such an arrangement brings many amenities to the Tivoli guests, because for them there are places where you can spend a dull time both day and night.
This area is chosen by many tourists. What is it interesting about? Translated from Arabic, “Hadaba” means "highness." However, this area of ​​Egypt can be recommended to tourists for a family holiday in the winter, since it is most protected from cool winds. In addition, Ras Um El Sid Bay is considered the warmest on the coast.
The distance from the Tropicana Tivoli Hotel to the heart of Sharm El Sheikh - Naama Bay is only 6 kilometers. Therefore, the hotel is convenient for both couples and youth. On the one hand, it is located in a relatively quiet and family-friendly area. And on the other hand, young people who want to stretch themselves in the heart of the Arabian Riviera (as Naama Bay is called) can easily and easily, thanks to the hotel’s transport and low-cost taxi, have fun at the cool clubs “Little Buddha”, “Planet Hollywood”, “Hard Rock” Cafe".
Older people are not averse to buying exotic seafood at the local Metro.
Hotel beaches
Guests of the Tropicana Tivoli Hotel 4 * often in their reviews mention the excessive compactness of the El Phanar hotel beach. They indicate this nuance as the only drawback of the hotel. However, the sea itself is wonderful in the water area of ​​the beach. True, the place should be taken in the morning and philosophically relate to crowding. However, we do not offer you, our readers, to dwell on such an unattractive option as the final one. There is an alternative! Tropicana Tivoli (Sharm el Sheikh) is located in the middle of a wonderful beach infrastructure. Generally speaking, the beaches of Ras Um El Sid Bay are just great. They are sandy and the sea here has a bottom topography that contributes to the comfort of bathers. In addition, in winter, the Red Sea here is the warmest compared to the rest of the coast of Egypt.
Within walking distance from the hotel, you can find alternative beaches to the hotel. Of the free ones, Ras Kati. However, we recommend that you still visit the popular paid beaches "Terrazina" and "Terrazina-2".
Pools on site
At the Tropicana Tivoli Hotel 4 * hotel there are two pools. For adults and for children. The depth of the adult pool is 1.95 m. The children's pool - “paddling pool” - is for the smallest. Its area is 80 m 2 and a depth of 0.6 m, it is heated. Directly next to the children's pool, in the field of view, there is also a playground.
Here, while swimming, you can have a bite to eat - taking hot dogs, sandwiches, pastries in the bar. At the same time, drinks are paid.
The pool area is equipped with a sufficient number of sun beds with umbrellas and is well protected from the wind. There are tables on the terrace. The buffet is working.
Hotel staff
Hotel guests are not here do not feel discomfort. The Egyptians working in Hadaba’s infrastructure are polite and help with advice on request. Exceptionally friendly hotel staff Tropicana Tivoli 4 *. Reviews point to one detail - it’s hard to build communication with hotel employees. Unfortunately, they are not Russian-speaking. Therefore, we recommend that you bring along the simplest Russian-Arabic phrasebook. Immediately everything falls into place.
Room cleaning is daily, thorough. If you leave a few Egyptian pounds to the janitors every other day, you will find aesthetic compositions of towels: swans, fish, bunnies.
Note: resort infrastructure in the hotel area
El Mercato Street is traditionally a favorite destination for guests to visit Tropicana Tivoli 4 *. Guest reviews are convincing: they like cafes, restaurants and shops located on this Italian-style street. According to vacationers' reviews, we recommend you the Farez fish restaurant with its signature Farez soup. Tasty - unusual, and the price per serving is 38 pounds.
The Metro store, in turn, is optimal for buying fruits and vegetables, since prices are fixed here. In addition, according to vacationers, Metro has very tasty basturma (the price of the latter is 100 pounds per kilogram).
Also, outdoor enthusiasts often visit the water park. You can have fun at the Thousand and One Nights entertainment complex. Walk from the hotel to him for about half an hour. First you need to go about halfway to the beach, then turn left and follow, focusing on the domes of the desired entertainment complex. Every evening, at about 23 00 , a cool show is shown here for vacationers. It is paid - $ 25. However, there is a loophole. Leaked here before 20 00 and sat up for dinner do not expel. Thus, the show is free for them.
Hotel Tropicana Tivoli 4 * is also located within walking distance from the alligator. It’s worth a visit to this exotic crocodile show. A bewitching sight! Egyptian trainers play with these powerful reptiles that are not amenable to training, like with cute pets.
Be sure, especially families with children, should visit the dolphinarium. Ticket price $ 15. Incidentally, it is located at the end of El Mercato street. For some reason, most of the reviews do not even mention him!
Those wishing to receive a dose of adrenaline from driving visit local carts. For lovers of baths there is also expanse. Hammams, massage, saunas, steam rooms ... Upon arrival we recommend (if, of course, health allows) to visit the hammam, and then immediately - massage. Half an hour - $ 10, an hour - 20. Then your body will immediately be tuned to optimal recovery on the principle of "sun, air and water ...". And you yourself will feel it.
For guests of the 4 * Tropicana Tivoli Hotel (Sharm El Sheikh) who wish to visit Naama Bay in the evening, a special free shuttle bus operates. In the daytime and in the morning there is only a flight at 10 00 and the return at 13 00 . Tourists who are late for the return flight will have to return to the hotel by taxi (price - 15 Egyptian pounds).
Excursions
The price of excursions is traditionally overstated by the main tour operators. Any tourist who comes to Egypt is faced with this practice. Tropicana Tivoli in customer reviews is characterized by very moderate excursion rates: Cairo, Israel - $ 60; ATVs, yachts, - $ 15 / hour; diving - 10 $ / hour.
Briefly tell about them.
Good reviews of vacationers at the hotel - about a trip to Jerusalem. It leaves an impression of being on earth associated with Christian shrines: Bethlehem, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Golgotha. It is especially unforgettable to make such a trip on the eve of Holy Easter and see the miracle of the Descent of the Holy Fire.
An unforgettable trip to Cairo is also unforgettable. For those interested in ancient Egyptian culture, a real discovery will be a visit to the Cairo Museum with the largest collection of ancient local relics in the world and a visit to the Giza Valley, where one of the wonders of the ancient world is located - the architectural complex of the pyramids and Sphinx.
For novice tourists who want to get the experience of an immersion excursion into the coral world of the Red Sea, we recommend that you take a few lessons at a diving school in advance. And going on an excursion itself, do not forget to bring towels, a cream that protects the skin from the sun, a swimsuit.
Nutrition
The half board (breakfast and dinner) offered by the Tropicana Tivoli hotel is fully consistent with its four-star status.
Breakfast is easier. As part of the buffet, vacationers are offered salads, desserts, sausages, sausages, feta cheese, rice porridge, cereals, pastries, honey, tea, coffee.
The dinner menu is more saturated: rich fish, chicken, soup, potatoes, pasta, salads, fruits.
About the three-star Tivoli Hotel
Continuing our story about the hotels of the Tropicana chain, we proceed to describe the three-star hotel, which is already on the so-called third line (further 1 km from the edge of the coast). The hotel complex itself consists of one two-story building, which has 114 rooms. A swimming pool and a garden are on site.
For those who want to save three or four hundred dollars on vacation, we recommend Tropicana Tivoli 3 *, located near the respected divers bay of Ras Um El Sid. From it to the sea about three kilometers. Free transport from the hotel carries lucky vacationers to the beach of El Fanara in 5 minutes.
On the beach for them are free sun loungers, umbrellas, mattresses, beach towels. The hotel buffet is open. In the water area is a picturesque coral reef.
Briefly tell about the hotel complex. Here you will not be disturbed by hyperactive animators with their screaming megaphones. But in the three-star Tropicana Tivoli (Sharm El Sheikh) you will be provided with the most essential amenities: 24-hour air conditioning, TV with two Russian channels, refrigerator, shower. Hotel staff communicate normally in Russian.
Meals - half board type buffet (breakfast from 7 00 to 10 00 and dinner from 19 00 to 22 00 ). According to hotel guests, its level is quite decent: even “four-star” rather than “three-star”. Drinks are paid.
According to reviews, however, there are flaws in the water supply: you need to drain the water from the tap for a minute before warm appears. But these are obviously the drawbacks of the city network, not the hotel itself. Customers' feedback on staff diligence gives reason to believe in this way: minor breakdowns are fixed here immediately.
The hotel has two swimming pools: an adult (1.95 m deep) and a children's pool. They do not heat up. However, the water temperature in them is acceptable even at the end of March (+20 0 ). Note that at sea at this time - approximately 23 0 C.
Beach and hotel services 3 *
The beach of Tropicana Tivoli 3, like its four-star counterpart, is cramped, but the sea is magnificent. Wonderful Ras Um El Sid Bay! Sandy bottom and smooth approach, without pontoons. Wonderful gorgon corals. Divers admire the local underwater caves, where you can meet the most exotic coral fish.
Beach vacation is also remarkable. By the way, they should warn the beach people: do not get fooled when local "well-wishers" ask you for a "temporarily" hotel card, supposedly with an offer to deliver you a towel. For the loss of a card the hotel charges a penalty of 8 €.
Additional services of the Tropicana Tivoli Hotel 3 * hotel are very essential for the convenience of vacationers. Free - parking for rented cars; safe at the reception, round-the-clock work of the hotel security service, hotel transport flights for vacationers. Among them are flights to the beach, and in the evening - to the Night Magic disco (the latter is near the Tropicana Rosetta hotel).
Paid tourists have the opportunity to use the Internet, laundry, as well as the services of a doctor. You can play billiards at the hotel for a fee, and there is also the opportunity to engage in a diving school.
Tourists (mainly Russian) find the Tropicana Tivoli hotel inexpensive and convenient. Reviews indicate that he also has regular (vacationers from season to season) visitors.
What, in fact, is the difference in the class of this hotel and the one considered earlier, formally expressed by one star?
Differences of Tropicana 4 * and 3 * Hotels
The four-star Tropicana Tivoli can be described as a solid hotel that can be used both for leisure and business purposes. There is a conference room. The rooms have free internet. Bed linen is changed every two days. The bathroom has a shower. There is its own animation: periodically organized competitions in water polo and beach volleyball, classes in aerobics and yoga.
Speaking about the differences between the two hotels, we will name only the external ones that are noticeable to the guest, although in reality there are certainly more of them. In the three-star Tropicana Tivoli, bed linen is changed less often - once every three days. The shower in it is equipped not in the form of a cabin, but behind a curtain. Hotel entertainers will not offer you to play water polo or beach volleyball. In a three-star hotel, your leisure is purely your concern. However, this is quite suitable for young people who (if they came as a company) absolutely know how to entertain themselves. Also, a three-star vacation in Tropicana Tivoli Hotel 3 * is also suitable for older people who are used to saving money.
Conclusion
Tourists planning a vacation, it is striking that a number of Egyptian hotels three-star - five-star class are called the same: Tropicana Tivoli Hotel. Reviews of vacationers in them are not uncommon on the sites of the resort business. All of them belong to the Tropicana hotel chain, located in the resorts of Sharm El Sheikh and Sahl Hasheesh. This is one of the first and most developed hotel chains in the Country of the Pharaohs, the hotel complexes of which are located in the resorts of Sham el-Sheikh and Sahl Hasheesh and are positioned, respectively, in the first, second and third lines ..
For more than 20 years, tourists visiting Egypt, “Tropicana Tivoli” has been known as a brand of comfortable and affordable comfortable hotels. What is the difference? We can trace this on the example of two hotel complexes that we investigated in this article. Of course, you should plan exactly where on the coast of Egypt you will relax. The quality of rest depends on this. In some bays from the water's edge to a depth acceptable for swimming, you have to tediously and for a long time walk along a narrow pontoon, which goes into the sea for 300 meters. But it happens that there is no place for swimming: immediately the depth begins. Is it convenient? Please note that both of the hotels we examined are located in the wonderful bay of Ras Um El Sid with a sandy bottom, comfortable for swimming with the bottom topography, coral and chic underwater world. This is just great for Egypt!