Alia Beach Resort

We paid 22.4 USD per person for a horse ride arranged through the hotel, but it fell far short of what was advertised: an hour in the desert and an hour in the sea. Instead, we were taken around what seemed to be a construction site, never got near the water, and the trip lasted under an hour and a half. It felt very misleading. The hotel’s response made things worse. They argued with us over the difference between “in” and “by,” which was absurd, and offered to refund only half the price for the person who fell off the horse. The whole handling of it felt unreasonable. Very disappointing, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

The private beach is a real highlight, right below the building, with loungers, mattresses, and umbrellas. There are corals and fish just 15 meters from shore. The apartments are huge and thoughtfully laid out. Ours was over 120m², with a sitting area by the entrance, two living room sofas, and two bedrooms with four beds in total. The big bay windows let in plenty of light, while their mirrored tint helps keep the rooms cooler. There are integrated mosquito nets too. Mr. Assad and his team were kind and available around the clock. They gave advice and arranged services, and responded within half an hour when we asked for extra cleaning or fresh towels. We could book excursions and activities through the property, and their prices compared well with others we checked. Paying in USD or EUR at the current exchange rate was convenient. The central location also meant no extra excursion fees like those from farther areas such as El Gouna. Getting around town was easy, usually about 70 euro cents by Uber. There are a few things that keep it from feeling fully four star. The building shades the beach from around 3 PM in October, although the next beach is available for a small fee of 100 EGP. Only two of the four elevators worked while we were there. Towels came in different colors and sizes, and there were no beach towels. The pillows had no protective covers and had faint stains, the sheets were a cotton-polyester mix that wasn’t ideal in the heat, and the powerful air conditioning was loud. We found sand on the floor, some dust beneath the beds, and rugs that weren’t quite clean when we arrived. After we told Mr. Assaf, they cleaned the room again within half an hour. The beach bar was pricier than the nearby ones, with fresh lemon juice at 85 EGP versus 50 EGP next door. There’s no formal restaurant on site, but delivery is inexpensive and several restaurants are less than a six-minute drive away. I’d stay again. It isn’t perfect, but it’s honest, safe, and very good value for a family trip.

The beach crew were amazing, and the beach was always perfectly clean. Big thanks to Mo.Samir! ❤️ Room 212 was great too, and I recommend it. The staff were really good and treated us with respect, paying attention to what we wanted and needed.

The people at the hotel were warm and friendly, and the room was super clean, with a great location near some fantastic restaurants. They gave us a good deal on horse riding and made sure the Careem and Uber prices to the airport didn’t change, since drivers sometimes try to scam you. We first booked through booking.com for a really late flight from Cairo before heading to a liveaboard, then stayed again on our way back. The room was fabulous and massive, with a kitchen, fridge, TV, and wonderfully cold AC. That was especially welcome after the fancy liveaboard company fell short on air conditioning. The private beach area was fabulous too, with very friendly people. It can get a little crowded, but at that price I expected it to be popular with families. The 24-hour reception was great when we had another very late flight. They were happy to keep our bags after we left. My only complaint was the hot water heater. They didn’t know about the problem, and I should have told them the first time I stayed.