The hotel
Sitting on a 450 metre private beach on Sharks Bay, the Grand Rotana is just a 10 minute transfer from the airport, with none of the downsides of being so close to an international airport.
The 526 rooms and suites all have either garden or sea views looking out over the shimmering waters of the Red Sea.
As the hotel is situated at the end of a road and has the grand entrance archway, it certainly does live up to the name of Grand Rotana.
First impressions
Once you have driven through the grand entrance, you snake your way through the extensive well maintained gardens to arrive in the impressive lobby.
As the property straddles the hill side down to the sea and the lobby is on the top floor, the view on entry is breathtaking.
Around the lobby area there is a bar and a small shopping experience which also houses a tours desk with some amazing local activities to book.
The room
My Sea Front room on the first floor was 42 metres-squared with a large terrace and uninterrupted views of the Red Sea. As you walk into the room, it felt large and airy with the amazing view dominating the room. Its was a modern contemporary design with a super large king bed.
The flat screen TV had a variety of international TV channels, plus good Wi-Fi in the room, meant streaming services and websites could easily be accessed. There were complimentary drinks in the mini bar, plus a fruit platter which was changed frequently.
The bathroom was well equipped with good quality toiletries and a powerful shower, which is key after a day by the pool or on the beach.
The facilities
The hotel has nine restaurants and bars, and if you have the ultra all inclusive option, you have the choice of any – other packages have some restrictions.
The Ramses is the buffet style main restaurant that has a large variety of food for each meal and changes on a daily basis. The menus at the other a la carte restaurants serve Mediterranean and Asian cuisine, plus there’s the The Palms Bar and Grill right next to the beach.
Dukes English British pub is also available, if that is your thing! If you throw in snacks and ice cream giveaways, you can pretty much eat all day.
If you need to work off some of the amazing food, there is one of the biggest pools I have seen in a hotel, plus a very well equipped gym with views out to sea.
There are also tennis courts that you can book and a Dive Centre within the property. Zen the Spa can be found next to the gym and is the perfect place to relax with good value treatments and regular off peak discounts available.
Even though the property does straddle a hillside, there are plenty of ramps, golf buggies and escalators/lifts to help navigate the hotel and accessible rooms.
The verdict
Great family resort with an amazing pool and numerous activities to keep even the most active child entertained.
On the all-inclusive, seven nights package, there was always a great variety of food available, plus having the opportunity to book and use the other dining experiences onsite a couple of times during the stay, meant I was never bored with the options available.
All round, a great value destination at any time of the year.
Book it
Rooms start from around £135 per night including breakfast – half board, all inclusive and ultra all inclusive options are also available.
