The Grand Marina

The whole resort was fantastic and kept in great shape, and the room was lovely and always clean. We also enjoyed the food. From reception to the room attendant, everyone was friendly, helpful and accommodating, and they did their best to meet our wishes. The internet was unfortunately very unreliable, but I still highly recommend this hotel. We had a wonderful holiday.

The Grand Marina shares its lobby, pool and dining room with the neighboring Grand Palace, since it’s an extension rather than a standalone hotel. A lot still seems unfinished: passageways are closed, there are no signs, and small details are missing. The building itself is renovated rather than new, and both the bathroom and room are a decent size. Staff are extremely friendly and quick to look for solutions. The à la carte restaurants between the buildings can be booked multiple times, and their food and service are very good. The main restaurant’s food and selection could be better. Wi-Fi only works in the lobby and cocktail bar, which feels outdated. The three German TV channels have poor reception, if any, and it’s not possible to fall asleep or watch TV while you sleep.

The Grand Marina Hotel is still a construction site while I’m staying here. The building shell sat idle for 10 years and is only now nearing completion; even the elevator still says 2009. There’s grinding and construction noise everywhere, and the rooms are so loud you hear doors slamming for half the night. ETI saying everything is finished is outrageous. Safety feels neglected too: no emergency lights or escape route plans, and one exit is boarded up, so in a fire you’d be trapped. There’s no reception or restaurant here, everything goes through the Grand Palace apart from three so-called specialty restaurants, where the food is inedible. The pizza was one piece of dough with ten pieces of cheese. I heard some staff were construction workers because they couldn’t find service staff, and it shows. The food at the Palace is borderline and not good. Breakfast was a joke, stale croissants, jam in disposable cups and tasteless brown brew, with far too few dishes. Plates were set up so awkwardly you had to put your face practically into the food to reach one. Achoo, unacceptable! See photo. The staff tried, but didn’t understand service and were always expecting money, even in the restrooms. As a non-smoker, I was constantly surrounded by smoke, even eating outdoors on the beach. The pool was called heated, but it was freezing cold and not suitable for swimming. The tiles were slippery even when dry. At 5 a.m. the mosque next door was shouting, so everyone was awake. The TV didn’t work, and Wi-Fi was slow and only available in the lobby. A shame for the Red Sea group. The Grand Hotel and Grand Resort across the street are even worse, old and completely dilapidated. Next time I’ll go back to the JAZ group in Makadi Bay, where at least you know what you’re getting.

The harbor is a lovely place for an evening walk, with lots of restaurants and shops along the way.