Fayed Armed Forces Hotel

I like coming here for a quick weekend break since it's close to Cairo and, I think, not many people know about it. The town is only a two-minute drive away, with pretty much anything you need at regular prices. The place is small, which makes it feel cozy, and the military personnel managing it usually mean safety and order are assured. The beach is pleasant and the water relaxing, though nothing fancy. There are tables and chairs for meals by the lake, a small playground, and a couple of beach cafés that I haven't tried. I think they only open in summer, and they don't look too shabby. Music usually plays all day except in the off-season. There's also a restaurant, but I've never seen it open. I've stayed in three units, and all were good. My favorite was the ground-floor two-bedroom unit that opened straight onto the sea. I also tried a two-bedroom unit with a kitchen in the "hotel" and a suite. Those two had the same view, though the suite was clearly more luxurious. The rooms have good furniture and almost everything works and seems good quality. Still, on each of my three visits, something in the bathroom wasn't working, though it was okay. I'd recommend the chalets right by the beach even if they're small, because it's lovely to open the door to the water at any time, day or night. If I remember right, a single room was about 250 LE a night, the two-room flat with a kitchen was 500 LE, and the suite was around 1k per night. Compared with other hotels nearby, that's pretty good. I like the chalets that open onto the water best.

The hotel apartments were clean and neat, and the hotel has an elevator. The hotel was recently renovated, and the beach is great compared with other beaches in Fayed. Breakfast isn't available, so we ordered it from outside; it arrived quickly. Dinner is served at the restaurant, but you need to order two hours before serving time. The kids' area is good but could use some renovation. You may want to bring snacks. We had a great time there.

The beach cafés are nice and their staff are friendly, and the place is close to Cairo for a day or two by the sea. It's actually a big lake on the Suez Canal. The beach has seaweed, is more or less rocky, and often smells unpleasant because the water is partly stagnant. The day-use bathrooms are very dirty, smelly, and broken, so try to keep bathroom visits to a minimum. Day-use entry costs 100 LE per person. An umbrella and four beach chairs are mandatory and cost 100 LE, and car parking is 20 LE.

I can't recommend it. The club, the beach, everything was really bad.