Sunny Days El Palacio Resort & Spa

The grounds are spacious and in a beautiful location, with lovely views and enough sunbeds whenever we wanted to relax. We stayed for 10 days, but I can’t recommend the hotel. We arrived late and were taken straight to a room that felt neglected. It was dusty, the curtains were darkened and torn, and loud chimneys or ventilation equipment beside it ran day and night. We had booked a balcony or terrace, but got only a small window that barely opened, above a dining area that made nights uncomfortable. The next morning, a young man at reception kindly arranged a different room with a much better view, and I’m grateful for that. Still, the rooms themselves were poor. During the windy season, air came through the balcony doors and woke us several times as we got up to close them. The food was a letdown too, either tasteless or too salty, with limited choice and nothing that stood out. Service was the worst part. Of everyone we met, only a few employees were genuinely pleasant: the receptionist who changed our room, the woman making eggs at breakfast who smiled and was polite, a very young waiter who showed us to a table and asked what we wanted to drink, the young man making coffee at the bar on the left near the bay, who chatted warmly and tried to help, and our room cleaner. The young man at the bar near reception was especially disappointing. He needs to learn basic customer service, and slammed drinks on the counter in anger, splashing guests. I’ve never experienced service that poor. Russian language and mentality dominate the hotel, so if that bothers you, I’d think twice about staying here.

Our room was recently renovated and modern, with a beautiful direct view of the sea. The food was varied and consistently high quality, despite the negative comments I’d read. There were live stations grilling meat to order and new dishes added each day. I’d also seen several bad reviews before arriving, but the stay changed my mind. A manager gave us his personal number at check-in in case we needed anything, and was attentive and helpful throughout. The staff were professional and kind, always greeting us with a smile. It turned out to be a relaxing, comfortable stay and a very pleasant surprise.

There’s plenty to do at Sunny Days El Palacio resort, and our family really enjoyed the holiday. The location was great, with a reef on the property and lots of sunbeds. Staff were helpful too. All-inclusive was okay, with enough variety and some freshly prepared options, like omelets in the morning.

Service from Rashid at reception, Ahmed mahmoud in the main buffet, and Eslam Khalaaf in the main buffet area was excellent. The buffet has a big range of food, and there’s also a choice of five A la carte restaurants. The resort is very large and sits right beside the beach, with lots to do, including snorkeling, paragliding, scuba diving, and swimming in the pool or at the private beach. The property does need updating, but I had a very good experience.