Stella Beach Resort & Spa, Makadi Bay Resort

The beach is rocky, with a small area where you can swim about halfway along the bridge over the corals. The aquapark is a nice addition and has elevators. We were three families in ground-floor double rooms. The upper floors have no elevators. The room was comfortable and nicely designed, with very good air conditioning in hot weather, though it felt a little small with kids. I mean stella beach makadi, not stella gardens makadi, which is a different hotel with a completely different standard and very poor quality. Stella beach makadi itself is beautiful, with lovely landscaping and good upkeep. The food was varied and great, especially at dinner, when you could watch the entertainment show from the restaurant terrace. The beach restaurant snacks were nice too. Staff did their jobs without delays, though they could be more welcoming. I didn’t have any problems with them. It was a very nice stay, and I recommend the hotel. Special thanks to Mr Hany, the reception manager.

The main thing that bothered us was how often staff and vendors tried to sell services or push for tips around the resort. We just wanted to relax, and saying no once often wasn’t enough, which interrupted that feeling. There’s a big choice of pools, with a pleasant noise level and a generally calm crowd. The beach is very shallow and not great for swimming, but the long pier was excellent for snorkeling, with plenty of fish. January weather was lovely for relaxing, though not ideal for swimming. We’d return, probably in April next time. The resort was large, beautifully laid out, and well cared for, and the rooms were cozy, clean, and well located. We made the spontaneous choice to travel in January instead of April, and the value for money was excellent. Food was easily the highlight: breakfast, lunch, and dinner had lots of variety and outstanding quality, well above typical all-inclusive standards. The staff and animation team were polite, attentive, and focused on service. Things were cleaned up quickly, and service was generally very good.

The hotel has a relaxed feel on the Red Sea, with a private jetty for snorkeling the house reef. Piano Diving is based on the grounds, and you can take a boat out to dive with them. Our room was spacious, with a large bathroom. There was a good buffet selection, including vegan options, and soya milk. We also had free access to the group-owned waterpark, reached by shuttle bus.

The main restaurant was also very good, and the specialty Chinese, Italian, Indian, and Lebanese restaurants had amazing food. Chinese was our favorite. Ragab, the restaurant manager, was always around checking whether we needed anything and making sure all was well. Bishoy in the main restaurant was super friendly and looked after us throughout the stay. Nothing was too much trouble for him. Stella gardens is a big hotel, but the layout, landscaped gardens, and pools make it feel spacious. One pool is heated in cooler months, and there are a couple of pool bars. The hotel is behind Stella beach resort and spa, where you access the beach. A shuttle runs between them, though the pleasant walk takes about 5-10 minutes. The beach has a snack bar serving food and drinks, plus a very long jetty for snorkeling in deeper water. The staff were amazing, especially Khaled at the pool bar, who went above and beyond. He was polite, attentive, and great to chat with. Nothing was too much trouble. It’d be a pleasure to return and see Khalid, who really gets British sense of humour. There’s also a brand new waterpark in the same complex. We spent ten days here, would highly recommend it, and found our easyjet holidays trip excellent value for money.