Maxim Plaza Hotel - Sharm

[leftback1]

Anybody got any thing good to say about this hotel as it seem to be getting a roasting in the reviews and am going next weekend so am starting to worry a bit

[Mal 54]

We are going to Maxim Plaza Sharm in November, like leftback 1 we would also like to know if anyone has anything good to say about Maxim Plaza. leftback1 must have stayed there and come home by now, what was your report from Maxim leftback1?

[HW Techie]

Hi,
You'll find quite a few reviews of Maxim Plaza here...

http://www.holidaywatchdog.com/456-Shar ... eview.html

Cheers

HW Techie

[leftback1]

7.5 out of 10 was good pool by beach the best
if you like beer (not much else to drink) the bottled beer if cold is good and its stella (or there one)
very warm during the day and food in beach dining area the best and the pasta is cooked in front of you (watch for the ruskys and italians they do not want Ever to queue)
One last tip is if not happy with anything always ask for the managers and no body else and when you get barman that is good give him a good tip at begining and will look after you all holiday (especially round the beach pool bar)

[HW Chris]

Dont feel shy about adding your reviews....

http://www.holidaywatchdog.com/Submit-H ... views.html

Chris :2gunfire:

[Sinbad]

We had a great holiday but would NOT recommend Fleetway Travel or the Maxim Plaza in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Overall, the hotel was a 5-star in name only. We stayed at the Maxim Plaza Gardens Resort which is a five minute walk from the Maxim Plaza White Nights Resort. The latter is more extensive and right on the beach and has the advantage of a smallish fitness centre, a kids club and childrens' playground, but it is a lot more crowded and I prefer the pool layout and more relaxed feel of the Gardens Resort.

But frankly I would avoid both hotels. Re Gardens Resort: the service was incompetent and slipshod (too many examples to cite), the water supply unreliable (an afternoon with no water, a couple of evenings with no hot water etc), the food generally disappointing. The hotel is aimed mostly at Russians (generally ok if a bit victimised by latest fashion trends, but a few were ill-mannered), with a smaller smattering of Poles (very civilised) and Brits (ditto). The hotel bar has a bad layout, no atmosphere, no entertainment and no expertise in making mixed drinks. The rooms are ok if a bit smallish, with standard cheapo furnishings and no proper bath. You do hear the aircraft noise late at night due to the hotel's proximity to the airport - it wasn't unbearable however.

On the plus side, the pool is very nice, there are great water slides and the activity coordinators are enthusiastic (especially a Turkish guy and a Slovakian woman) even if the activities were fairly basic. The tennis court is sandy and has too many pebbles - lots of funny bounces - and the net has seen better days. Overall, it's a picture of neglect. The football pitch is next to a building site and there were people who wanted to play other than my son. The grounds are well-maintained and clean, although the White Nights resort has a more interesting landscaping, if that's your thing.

We were stung by the visa scam to the tune of GBP 12 / USD 17 per person. (Note: the exchange rate given for USD is much more favorable than GBP !!) When you arrive in the terminal, ignore the Fleetway Travel reps directing you to queue for a visa to the left and go straight for your luggage to the right. In fact, you don't need a visa if you don't leave Sharm el-Sheikh. I got very angry when I learned this and called Fleetway Travel. I spoke with "Evelyn" who brushed me off and said it's up to us to get the right visa and that "we have been informed that you musty pay for a visa". She was unmoved when I explained to her that the Fleetway Travel reps had misled us into obtaining an entirely unnecessary visa and that surely Fleetway Travel shouldn't be complicit in ripping off its clients and has even a duty to give us correct information. Evelyn could scarcely contain her indifference and she refused to pass me to her supervisor "Sue" and she couldn't be bothered to look into this when I asked her to contact the Egyptian Embassy herself. Fleetway Travel should be re-christened "Fleeceway Travel". AVOID Fleetway Travel for Sharm el-Sheikh.

All that said, we had a great holiday. The pool had two giant water slides providing for hours of fun for the kids. We didn't mind the lack of entertainment. (If we didn't have kids, we would have been bored out of our skulls at night.) There is outstanding snorkeling off the jetty at the Maxim Plaza White Knights resort on the beach. The snorkeling was beyond description. And the weather was good. We also took a taxi to Na'am Bay (modern, touristy but fun) for LE 40 each way (ie about what the ripoff hotel shuttle costs) and to the Old Market (a little more intimidating but not at all threatening and actually very atmospheric - we found a great juice bar there) for LE 75 each way.

In summary, I would return to Sharm el-Sheikh but not to the Maxim Plaza and not with Fleetway Travel.