Siva Sharm Resort & SPA

What I liked: 1. The view from the window is simply charming. 2. The sea is great. That's all. What I didn't like: 1. The food is a 3+; after a couple of days, everything gets boring, with no variety. 2. The sun loungers need repair. 3. There's no real beach; you can only swim from the pier (but I overlooked that myself). 4. People come and reserve sun loungers and cabanas at 6 AM, then leave for their activities, so all the spots are taken, but no one is actually there. The hotel needs to address this issue. In summary: I wouldn't come back here a second time.

We booked this hotel for a couple of days, just for a change of scenery and to explore, as we were staying elsewhere. It totally exceeded our expectations; we were absolutely thrilled, and believe me, we have plenty to compare it to. Our room on the 6th floor, 1627, had an amazing view – I've never seen a view like it in Egypt, not even in 5-star hotels. The water was crystal clear, the coral was vibrant, and there were lots of fish. If you want a prime spot on a sun lounger, you need to get there early, by 7 AM or even earlier. The food was surprisingly good, better than in some 5-star hotels that cost two or three times as much. The only downside was the warm beer, but the gin was decent, and I felt fine in the morning. The entertainment was fun; even the usual games were entertaining, and the host was really good at getting everyone involved. The room furniture felt new, the bed was large, the mattress soft, and the pillows were good – we slept comfortably, and the AC worked well. My wife mentioned there wasn't any hot water, but I didn't notice as I showered in cold water. The food was delicious, with plenty of seating so we didn't experience any queues. There was fish, chicken prepared in various ways, beef, all sorts of chebureki, flatbreads, and donuts, pilaf, tasty fruits, and vegetables. All in all, our next trip will definitely be to this hotel. There are lots of young people, so it's not boring, and the bar stays open until midnight.

Great location. Since there are no hotels to the left, there's nothing restricting long swims, unlike other hotels nearby. Over the past year, the owners have started investing in infrastructure, but there's a lack of coherence and a unified concept. They've added canopies, but the sunbeds seem to be from the time of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The rooms need renovation. The food is average; nothing fancy, but perfectly fine for unpretentious tourists. The main problem is that Wi-Fi is only available at the bar in the main building. This same perennial problem has persisted for five years. For Russian speakers, manager Alina is a great asset; she's customer-oriented and a professional specialist.

I visited this resort from April 1st to 5th. I enjoyed the comfort of the room, which had a large space and a separate enclosed loggia with a sea view, and a king-sized bed, though the furniture was outdated. The entrance to the main building and reception area made a pleasant impression, with beautiful sofas and cushions, and small souvenir shops. However, this aesthetic doesn't extend to the guest room floors: you're met with grubby old doors, insufficient corridor lighting, and unsightly, old floor tiles. On the other hand, the lounge area is comfortable. Though even there, to snag a sun lounger by the sea, you need to put your towel down early, otherwise, you won't get a spot. Now, about the all-inclusive dining. In my opinion, there weren't enough meat dishes, and hardly any pre-made salads. Instead, individual platters were filled with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and other vegetables, making the counter look packed. There was always a long queue with plates at the separate grill station – a very unpleasant sight. But for heaven's sake, do not get a manicure or pedicure at the spa! I've never encountered such unprofessionalism: the workstation was disorganized, there wasn't enough light, they didn't use disposable tools, the nail polish chipped off by itself on the second day, and the cuticle nippers and files were also reusable. It was a nightmare. As they say, 'Don't let your children play in Africa' (meaning, avoid this at all costs). That's my review. And the sea? Well, what about the sea? It was as beautiful as ever. The water temperature at this time of year was 20-22 degrees Celsius, and the air temperature was 24-28 degrees Celsius.

Lovely. Very nice, very pleasant.

The hotel grounds aren't bad, if they spruced it up a bit, it could be a five-star. But there are some issues: the elevators smell, and while they seem to clean the grounds, it's actually dirty everywhere with so much dust and sand piled up in the corners. The biggest downside is the main restaurant – the queues are like something out of besieged Leningrad in '43, waiting for bread rations. I've never seen such a horrible situation in any other Egyptian hotel. This mad rush and battle for melon and grapes completely ruined the entire vacation experience. It's cringe-worthy.

I really liked the sea, even though it's a bit of a walk to get there, but that's pretty typical everywhere. The sea is definitely worth the trip. As for the service, everything was generally fine.