Great hotel with great potential (Movenpick Resort Hotel (Taba, Egypt))

Member Name: cherryJ

Product:	Movenpick Resort Hotel (Taba, Egypt)
Date:	18/04/09 (164 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Relaxing, very clean

Disadvantages: Hassle from massage staff, Chopsticks not included!

Location

The Movenpick Hotel is located in Taba, in South Sinai. It's about 45 minutes away from Taba airport and is right by the sea. Looking out across the sea, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are all visible. Taba is actually located in Asia rather than Africa and is literally on the border with Israel. It is certainly an interesting location to visit! The hotel is actually located in the middle of a military controlled area. 5 minutes walk to the right and you reach the Israeli border. 5 minutes walk to the left and you reach a police checkpoint. Aside from the Movenpick and Hilton hotels, and a small local community, bus station and a few "grocery" shops, there is nothing in Taba. If you like the kind of holiday where you take a walk out to the local town, or want to visit different bars, restaurants or clubs, then this isn't the place to come. Unless you take advantage of the organised trips run by the tour companies, then there isn't really any reason to venture out of the hotel.
Although the scenery and surrounding area are beautiful, the isolation and the constant military/police presence somewhat dampened the atmosphere of the area for us.

The hotel itself

The hotel itself in my opinion cannot be faulted. The surroundings and grounds are beautifully landscaped and very well kept. Unlike the neighbouring high-rise Hilton, the Movenpick seems to blend in with, rather than impose upon the scenery. The extensive grounds are great for taking a walk, especially as there isn't really anywhere to walk to outside of the hotel. There is a very open, airy feel when you are walking around outside and it is very tranquil and calm. Inside, the hotel is kept very, very clean - they seem to be constantly sweeping the floors and clearing the tables!
On entering, there is the reception area and a seating area with chairs and couches overlooking the pool and sea outdoors. The Pharoah's Bar and a few shops are also here.
Down below is the hotel's main restaurant - The Movenpick Restaurant and up on the 1st floor there is a mezzanine area with more seating and a "games room" containing pool, internet and a library.

Rooms
We upgraded to a superior room and could not fault it at all. The room was very spacious and comfortable. We had a double bed and a single bed and a sea-view balcony. This was probably one of the best rooms we have ever stayed in, it is well worth making sure you get a sea-view as the views are stunning and there are some great sunsets in the evening. The rooms were kept impeccably clean, even my clothes were folded for me!
There was a TV with a wide selection of channels, covering a wide range of languages and several American channels showing comedies and series such as Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives etc (but don't waste time watching TV on holiday!)

Beach

The hotel has its own beach. There is plenty of space, we didn't have any trouble getting a sun lounger, although we were there in low season. There are plenty of sun loungers and umbrellas available, and beach towels can be picked up from the stands around the hotel (there are several stands down on the beach)
The beach is sandy and clean. The sea is amazing, it's so clear. It's quite rocky near the shore but once you get past there, it's just sand. The best thing is down by the end of the beach, at the Hilton end, there is a coral reef. You can just swim up to it right from the beach, and there are so many fish it's unbelievable! It is literally like being in an aquarium except the fish aren't in tanks. Brilliant. I only had goggles with me but most people had snorkels. It is possible to hire a snorkel but it's 8 euros per day. The shops at the Hilton sell them, but you are probably better off buying a snorkel in the UK and taking it.


Weather

We went from the 4 - 17 March. We had previously been to Tunisia at the end of Feb and the weather was pretty chilly. So we were hoping that it was going to be a bit warmer here. We weren't disappointed! The weather was perfect. Lovely and warm but not too blistering hot. It was hot enough to sunbathe and just wear swimwear during the day. Lightweight clothing was fine for the evenings, maybe just a light top or cardi on some evenings. I'd say the average temperature was around 25C but some days it reached over 30C.

Food
There are 4 restaurants at the hotel.
Movenpick - the main restaurant
Shahrazad - Egyptian
Seashells - Seafood
Chopsticks - Chinese

Unfortunately Seashells was closed due to low occupancy.
We were told that Chopsticks was part of the all inclusive deal. I had read on forums that it wasn't, but you only had to pay a small supplement. However, on arrival we found out that it wasn't all-inclusive and there was no discount. Meals were an average of £10 per dish. This was very disappointing and we didn't eat here, as found it too expensive, when we had already paid for all-inclusive.

The main restaurant served buffet meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner. We didn't have any complaints and found that the quality and quantity of food was more than satisfactory.
Breakfast was substantial, and included cereals, yoghurts, fresh fruit, pastries, hot food and best of all fresh cooked omelettes.
Lunch and Dinner were pretty similar in terms of what was on offer. There was a good selection of salads and a selection of meals to suit all tastes. There were always a couple of pasta dishes, and variations on fish, chicken, beef and vegetables. The food tended to be quite healthy and things such as pizza, burgers and chips only made very rare appearances.
Once a week there was an Oriental night. The restaurant was decked out with authentic decorations and live Egyptian music was played. This was the only night that typical Egyptian dishes were served - things such as kofta, shoarma and dishes with lentils and chickpeas.

The Shahrazad restaurant was a la carte. They have a set menu which changes every day, and this is part of the all inclusive. There is another menu available but this must be paid for, at around £10 per main meal. We ate in here 3 times, having the set menu. It's a nice change from the main restaurant and is much quieter. The service is very good and food arrives quickly. I would certainly recommend coming here for a change from the main restaurant.


Facilities

There is a Relaxation Centre which includes a gym, massages, steam room, jacuzzis etc. Only the gym is free to use. It is quite small but the equipment is very good quality and seems in quite new condition. We didn't use anything else as found it to be quite overpriced. To use the sauna and jacuzzis was 100 EGP which is around £15. There is a wide selection of massages available, costing around 40 - 50 Euros.

There is an animation team and organised entertainment both daytime and evening. Things such as volleyball, belly dancing and aerobics are available during the day, and there is a different form of entertainment each evening ranging from bingo and karaoke to an authentic Egyptian show.

There is a watersports centre on site, which offers plenty of water-based activities. You can go diving, snorkeling or on a banana boat. They also organise various boat trips including a sunset cruise to Pharoahs Island with a guided snorkel included. This is great value at $25 per person.

Useful info

These are some points that I thought would be useful to people considering a holiday at the Movenpick:

* Chopsticks Chinese restaurant is not included in the All-Inclusive, so don't get too excited!
* There is a Movenpick ice cream stand in the reception/lobby area. Unfortunately it's not all inclusive! It works out about £1 a scoop, there is a menu of various sundaes as well.
* The current exchange rate is about 7 EGP to the £.
* You get 2 x 500ml bottles of water in the room each day. A 1.5l bottle from the room service is 18 EGP. You can buy water and other drinks/snacks from the small shops at the bus station. We got 12 1.5l bottles for 35 EGP.
* The hotel is located in Asia and surrounded by Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia
* Wi Fi is available and there are also 2 computers in the library. However, it is 45 EGP for 30 mins, 80 EGP for 1 hour or 160 EGP for 24 hours. This is about £10 for an hour - quite pricey.
* The Hilton is right next door and can be accessed from the beach of the Movenpick. There are guards at the entrance, but you can just walk through no problem. The Hilton has a much busier, crowded feel than the Movenpick. They have a shopping mall but it is really just the same shop over and over again, selling souvenirs.
* There is a pharmacy at the Hilton, and also a doctor/ clinic located next to the watersports centre in the Movenpick.Apparently Immodium will not work here, you need to get the local tablets if you find yourself suffering!

Overall this was a great place for a holiday. The only things that we were not too impressed with were:
* It can be quite confusing what is actually included in the All-Inclusive deal, and what you have to pay for. For example, after 11pm you must pay for drinks. Only the main restaurant is fully all-inclusive. The gym is included, but the jacuzzis/sauna are not.....
* The location is not the greatest. Unless going on organised trips, there isn't really anywhere to go. Being in a military area, although not really a problem, can sometimes feel a bit strange.
* People from the Spa and watersports centre are on commission. They constantly patrol the hotel trying to sell you a massage, boat trip etc. Even if you are sunbathing or reading, they will come up to you and try to get you to buy something. This can be annoying especially if you are not interested, as it tends to happen on a daily basis.

* We went with First Choice and the flights were terrible. For a 5/6 hour flight, the seating was really poor.It was so cramped and impossible to get comfy in the seats.

Aside from the above though, we had a brilliant holiday and the Movenpick is a lovely hotel.

Summary: Wonderful for a relaxing break