Hotel Blend Elphistone Resort

Our six days at Blend Elphinstone in Marsa Alam were a really relaxing family break. I was there with my wife and our 11-year-old daughter, and we all felt well looked after. The staff were always kind and ready to help, and the rooms were bright, spotless, and comfortable. There was plenty of good food to choose from, so everyone found something they liked. We had a great holiday, and would happily come back. I’d recommend it to families or anyone wanting a peaceful stay by a beautiful sea.

The only staff who treated us decently were the waiters, and that seemed to depend on giving tips. Without them, their manner turned aggressive. During our stay, staff also kept watching and following us because we were with European friends, which felt hostile, intrusive, and discriminatory. The next morning, a gardener made unwanted remarks while we walked to the beach, flirting and calling me “sweet like honey.” I felt unsafe and very uncomfortable. At checkout they delayed us again, saying no one was available to inspect the room, then spoke rudely when I explained I had a flight. Earlier, we’d already waited over two hours at reception after arriving at 5:00 pm with a confirmed, fully paid booking through a tour operator. They then claimed I had to pay another 60 euros per night because I’m Egyptian, though this was never disclosed. I’d paid 200 euros and was made to pay 240 euros more. They wouldn’t give us a room until we paid. It felt humiliating, aggressive, discriminatory, and exploitative. The room was old and poorly maintained. The bathroom floor kept leaking and stayed wet, hygiene was unacceptable, and geckos were all over the building, including near the rooms. The hotel showed no professionalism, respect, safety, or basic hospitality. I’ll never return and strongly warn others against staying here. It doesn’t deserve its rating or a recommendation. The shop area was another problem: it was indoors, crowded with smokers, and had no ventilation, which was terrible for children. The shop staff were extremely rude. They first tried to sell us 100 g of tea for $35, then €25. They threw necklace pieces at us, laughed, and shouted “no money, no honey / no money, no sugar.” They also yelled insults in Russian at another woman. Prices were extremely high and not worth it. Buy souvenirs at Hurghada airport instead: an item priced at €20 in the hotel cost €5 there, and the same tea was €3 for 400 g.

The rooms were good, though they could use more light at night, and the cleaning crew were excellent. The resort is large, but we had to figure out on our own where things were and how to get around. A short introduction at reception during check-in would have helped a lot. The attached dive center, Monkey Divers, was a big plus and I can only recommend them. We had a good stay and I’d recommend it, with a few details still needing attention.

The room was spacious, comfortable, and very clean, with lots of attention to detail. Staff were friendly, professional, and ready to help with whatever we needed. I had a lovely stay, and the hotel went beyond what I expected.