Egypt is a beautiful and very distinctive country with a unique past and an extraordinary present. Rest for those who are here for the first time, may seem exotic. Those who often come to Egypt are hard to surprise with anything. They would have better service, the food is tastier, but the beach is decent. The Tiran Island Hotel Sharm El Sheikh (4 stars) is ideal for both the inexperienced delights of Egypt tourists, and for "experienced". It captivates with numerous advantages, among which a convenient location, rooms, service and, of course, the sea.
Where is it, how to get there?
The 4-star Tiran Island Hotel Sharm El Sheikh is located in the popular resort town of Sharm El Sheikh. Geographically, this is on the Sinai Peninsula, count on the very tip of the "wedge", crashed into the Mediterranean basin, in the picturesque bay of Ras Nasrani. Sharm el-Sheikh (or Sharm-esh) means "sheikh's bay". This is a wonderful beauty piece of the Red Sea coast, teeming with palm trees of dozens of species and fragrant flowers all year round. The area of ​​the city where the Tiran Island Hotel (Sharm El Sheikh) is located is called Montaza. It is famous for its best coast in this resort and its proximity to the airport, which is only 7 km away. This is important, given the tedious flight, especially in the heat. All planes from Russia arrive at this airport. You need to get from there to the hotel on the transfer agreed upon in each round. He "flies" to the place in just 15 minutes. I must say that not every tourist is happy with the landscape surrounding the Tiran Island Hotel. The reviews of our compatriots repeatedly indicate this. People do not like the views of the desert and the construction site located nearby. But on the other hand is the sea, the Sinai Mountains and the island of Tiran, whose name is the hotel. For beautiful views, you can also take a stroll to Naama Bay. It is only 15 km away.
Territory, infrastructure
Hotel Tiran Island Hotel 4 (Sharm El Sheikh) has a spacious territory (65 thousand squares) to accommodate a very large swimming pool, several buildings, a tennis court, a parking lot, restaurants and cafes, and lay a variety of track design. All this is colorful surrounded by green lawns, flower beds with unusually bright colors, palm trees and other evergreen vegetation. Given the fact that in this area the rains “pamper” only several times a year, one can only be surprised at how under such conditions the employees of Tiran Island Hotel Sharm 4 * manage to keep all this beauty alive. Reviews of tourists certainly note that the territory is not only beautiful, but also clean. Nowhere is a speck or a blade of grass.
The hotel infrastructure is suitable not only for relaxation, but also for various events. Here you can celebrate holidays, anniversaries, any significant events, for which the hotel employees decorate according to the theme and serve a banquet hall. For business events, the Tiran Island Hotel has a large (for 660 people) conference room equipped with modern technology and equipment.
In the lobby of the hotel at the reception you can call a taxi, order excursions, exchange currency, use postal services (for a fee), ask for an iron, an electric kettle. If necessary, a doctor will be called here (for a fee). Internet in the hotel is wireless. Without money, you can use it near the pool, and in the rest of the area with paid cards.
Number of rooms
The Tiran Island Hotel has the main building, where all services are located, a spacious lounge, reception, and two three-story residential. In total, 335 rooms are equipped. Categories are:
- “Standard” (area up to 30 squares). Designed for two main places plus 1-2 additional. There are 129 units of such numbers.
- "Superior". They differ from the "Standards" in the best views from the windows (190 units).
“The Suite.” Two-room numbers up to 60 squares. Designed for 2 persons plus 1-2 extra beds (16 units).
Among the presented categories, the following numbers are distinguished:
- for disabled people (2 units);
- for non-smokers (148 units);
- dual, or family (142 units).
The views from the windows to the sea, mountains, pool, garden, as well as a wasteland and a neighboring building, located near Tiran Island Hotel 4 *. Reviews warn that you have to pay extra for rooms with good landscapes (from the tourists ’parks - $ 10). Apart from the views, there are no other differences in the rooms. All of them are quite spacious and moderately comfortable. The furniture in them is quite benign, whole, plumbing and electrics are in order. The design of the rooms is simple, no frills, but pleasant. The walls behind the beds are beautifully decorated, the color of the blankets matches the color of the curtains. There are small rugs on the floor, lamps on the bedside tables. A variety of furnishings and inexpensive paintings above the beds.
From the equipment in the rooms of the hotel Tiran Island Hotel 4 (Sharm El Sheikh) there are TVs with Russian ("First", "Chanson" and "RTR"), Italian, Polish, English and Arabic channels, a refrigerator or a minibar, a safe ( without payment), air conditioning, balcony, telephone for communication with the reception. When dialing other subscribers you need to pay extra.
The hygiene room has a washbasin, toilet, bathroom with shower, hairdryer. Bath products (toilet paper, shampoo, body gel, soap) are issued on the day of arrival and are regularly replenished.
Cleaning is done regularly, linen and towels are also changed regularly.
Nutrition
Two types of food are provided at Tiran Island Hotel 4. Reviews of people who have come here differ on some points, such as the menu. Some are happy with everything, others complain about the quality of food and its monotony. Be that as it may, you can take tours with the power system "All Inclusive" or "Halt Board". In the first case, they provide breakfast, lunch, dinner (all "buffet"), as well as drinks during the day at the bar, snacks, ice cream (at certain hours). In the second case, they will be fed breakfast and dinner, everything else is for an extra charge. You can also order dinners in one of the restaurants (Italian, Indian), taste various varieties of tea and coffee in the cafe, enjoy a hookah. There are also pool bars, in the lobby and on the beach.
Regarding the service at Tiran Island Hotel 4, the reviews are almost the same. Tourists note a large workload of the restaurant halls (for smokers and non-smokers). During the distribution of food there are not enough clean tables, dishes. The variety menu is not particularly impressive, but there is always something to choose from. The most repetitive foods are chicken, vegetables, pasta, soy sausages, fish, squid, extravagant salads, sliced ​​vegetables, several types of fruits, pastries, water, diluted juices.
Breakfast is served early from 7 a.m. and ends at 10 a.m. Lunch is from 12-30 to 15-00. A dinner from 7 to 10 in the evening. If the guests go on a long excursion, a dry ration is issued, but it needs to be ordered only until 7 pm. Otherwise, you will have to pay for the same.
Leisure at the hotel
The huge adult swimming pool, which has a florid shape, is a miracle that the Tiran Island Hotel 4 * is proud of. The photo clearly demonstrates its impressiveness and beauty. The depth at each of its points is approximately the same and allows you to feel comfortable both for excellent swimmers and those who do not know how to swim at all. Around the pool are plurally arranged multiple sun loungers under palm trees or under umbrellas. Beach towels can be taken by any vacationer who needs them, using special cards issued on the day of arrival. The advantages of the pool are not only in size, but also in cleanliness. The water in it does not smell like bleach; employees clean this hydraulic structure daily.
Nearby there is a small and shallow pool for babies.
To diversify your leisure time in Sharm Tiran Island Hotel (4 stars) you can visit the gym for free (always in sports shoes and when you are in the instructor's room), a tennis court with a sand cover (the game is free, and lighting is for the money), a billiard room, a sauna, massage room, Turkish bath. All this is paid. Without money you can play table tennis, futsal, darts, come to a disco (drinks separately), see some entertainment programs. Sometimes the hotel hosts such shows and concerts for which you have to pay.
There is animation in the hotel, but few people like it.
A nice distinguishing feature of Tiran Island Hotel 4 * is that the administration and employees of the restaurant make gifts in the form of a cake and table setting for the guests' birthdays and anniversaries.
Sea and weather
It is believed that the Tiran Island Hotel 4 * is located on the second line. Reviews all note that the distance to the coastline is small, only 5 to 15 minutes walk (depending on who walks at what speed). You need to go to the sea along a very picturesque shady alley. You can also ride on a free hotel bus open to all winds, which runs back and forth several times per hour. The hotel beach is not too big (100 meters), but well-maintained. Sun beds and umbrellas are paid, there is a lot of entertainment, a bar with an extraordinary bartender. For kids there is a small “paddling pool” with a bottom clean from corals and a water depth of up to 1 meter. Animation on the beach is weak, but also available. Entry into the water only on a plastic pontoon. The fact is that there are many corals off the coast, it is impossible to go along them. The pontoon is long, without a shadow, very "densely populated", but on the other hand, you immediately get to the depths. No matter how wonderful Egypt is, the 4-star Tiran Island Hotel will remain in the memory of every tourist thanks to the unique reef on its beach. This reef was created by living corals of the most fantastic species and colors. Between them scurry hundreds of fish and fish of indescribable beauty. Where else can you see Napoleon’s fish, moray eels, butterfly fish, balls, hedgehogs without an aquarium? The animals there are of all colors and shades. Watching her is unusually interesting. Therefore, the most popular entertainment on the beach is diving and snorkeling. It is advisable to have your own mask for diving , since here you have to pay for it. The fabulous coral reef on the beach has its own minus, consisting in a large influx of tourists (people come to take a look at it from other resorts), as well as a yacht pier, working daily in a busy mode. From the presence of these boats, many tourists noted oil stains on the water and unpleasant odors.
The weather in Sharm El Sheikh is hot from May to October. On some days of July and August, the thermometer can jump over the 45 degree mark. On average, it stays in the region + 35-37. From November to April it is not hot, but very warm. The minimum temperature recorded in the winter months was +5 degrees. On average, it does not fall below +13 and does not rise above +20. Water along the coast is also always warm, in the summer months it reaches +28, and in the winter it is about +20 degrees. There is very little rainfall in the resort. The rainiest month is March. Over 31 days, up to 1.5 mm of moisture may fall in total. All summer months the sky is completely cloudless.
Entertainment outside the hotel
Regarding the places of entertainment, the Tiran Island Hotel 4 * is not very well located. Reviews of tourists note that in the evenings there is nothing special to do and in order to spend time, you need to go to Naama Bay. This is not only a bay, but also a district of the city, famous for its night shops, cafes, restaurants, discos and clubs. From the hotel there are daily buses.
Relaxing at the hotel, you can buy tours for unique excursions in Egypt (Cairo, Giza, Luxor) and outside (Israel, Jordan, the city of Petra). If this type of vacation is planned, you must buy (open) a visa worth $ 25 at the airport. Without it, you can not only travel to neighboring countries, but also travel to Egypt, only within the hotel and the surrounding area.
“Local” excursions to various areas of the resort metropolis of Sharm el-Sheikh will also seem fascinating. Especially popular (in addition to Naama Bay) are Hadaba, Coral Bay and Nabq Bay, where the national reserve of the same name is located, as well as the color canyon and the Bedouin city of Dahab.
There are diving schools on the beaches and in the hotel itself. Here you can rent the necessary equipment.
Additional Information
Different in class and level of service Egypt can offer its tourists hotels. Tiran Island Hotel is always a maximum of comfort, beauty and excellent service. The staff here, except for the reception staff, are male (this also applies to the cleaners in the rooms). Almost no one speaks Russian, only Arabic and English. The order established in the hotel, regarding individual items is carried out clearly by the staff. This applies to checkout time, which occurs exactly at 12 o’clock in the afternoon, regardless of what time the vacationers have an airplane flight. As in the fairy tale about Cinderella, only the clock will strike the fateful time, the bracelets issued upon arrival are removed from the hands of tourists. Without them, you can only use the pool and sit in the lobby. To extend the right to stay in the room and get food you need to pay extra.
Another feature is check-in, which should be held at 14-00. Sometimes (with a certain reward) this is done earlier, sometimes later. If the tourist is late by 14-00 (for example, due to the fault of Aeroflot), missed and paid lunch, dinner and other things are not compensated.
Drinking water at the hotel is given in the amount of one bottle (1.5 l) only in one hand on the day of arrival. Further, either buy in a store or dial from coolers into glasses.
Children's service at the hotel is standard - the ability to order a crib, a shallow small pool, children's animation in the room. The sites also declare a children's mini-club, but in reality his work remains invisible to vacationers. The same picture is with the children's menu in the restaurant. For a fee, you can arrange milk for the baby.
There are no recreational facilities at this hotel late in the evening or at night. Those who wish to have fun should go to Naama Bay.
Payment at the hotel is accepted both in cash and by credit card.
Hotel Policies
To get a pleasant and cloudless vacation, you need to remember that in Egypt, as in any Arab country, there are a number of rules and regulations that are not always clear to us Europeans, but which we must respect. The same applies to the Tiran Island Hotel Sharm El Sheikh. Reviews often mention various misunderstandings that arose in a restaurant, on the beach, or by the pool. To avoid them, we will try to familiarize ourselves with the rules that exist on the territory of the hotel. They are as follows:
- girls and ladies should not be sunbathing by the pool and on the beach topless;
- in the pool you can swim only in bathing suits;
- at the reception, in the lobby bar and restaurant are not allowed to come in swimsuits;
- for dinner, it is not customary to come to the restaurant in flip flops, T-shirts and shorts;
- It is not allowed to bring food and drinks purchased outside the hotel to the room;
- when drinking drinks brought with you in a restaurant, a fee is charged;
- beach towels are free of charge (on a issued card), 1 per day at strictly allotted hours, additional change of towels is carried out for money, a fine is charged for loss of towel;
- the minibar in the rooms is filled for an additional payment, it is better not to pay in cash, since the cost will still be paid into the check;
- if the property of the hotel is damaged, its full price will be charged
- the day before departure, it is advisable to contact the reception desk to check whether there are any unpaid bills, and also to inform at what time it will be possible to pick up luggage.
Reviews
According to numerous reviews and polls, the Tiran Island Hotel 4 * rating has 4.7 out of 5 possible. This is a very high indicator, indicating the quality of service and services provided. Nevertheless, individual tourists find many disadvantages in the hotel. Almost all of them are connected with the human factor, namely with the nature and exactingness of the tourists themselves, on the one hand, and with the honesty and decency of the hotel staff, on the other. The hotel has a shift schedule, so tourists can come across completely different room cleaners, waiters, cooks. Hence, such conflicting reviews. Judge for yourself. Pros:
- clean, comfortable rooms;
- Benign daily cleaning with mopping and laying out figures from towels;
- great food, always tasty and varied;
- friendly, smiling, friendly staff.
Minuses:
- dirt in the rooms;
- poor-quality cleaning or completely absent;
- terrible food, no variety, plus products not of the first freshness;
- the staff is rude, unfriendly.
The hotel has pluses noted in each review. They are as follows:
- a very beautiful area;
- a huge pool;
- convenient location of the hotel relative to the sea;
- good soundproofing in the rooms;
- a fantastic reef on the beach.
There are also cons marked by almost every vacationer:
- Discrimination in service by the color of the bracelet;
- bad animation;
- unheated pool (this is very true in the winter months);
- cases of theft at the hotel;
- dirty tables and dishes in the restaurant during breakfast and lunch.
From the foregoing, we can conclude: the Tiran Island Hotel can be a great vacation destination for parents with children and tourists of all ages, who love diving and snorkeling, who are not looking for noisy entertainment or do not see the problem that you need for evening and night time drive to another area of ​​the city.