Marom Port Said Resort & Beach

I was attacked by a cat on the beach and ended up in the hospital for rabies shots. That was part of a vacation last month, when I stayed here for almost two weeks. There’s potential, but the people running the hotel need hospitality training. The food I tried was often overcooked, over-seasoned, or leftovers from the day before, and meal prices didn’t match the quality. Our room was okay but felt outdated and extremely dirty when we checked in. I also didn’t know our unit had no elevator. At the pool, the staff took the towel service way too seriously. The hotel just seems to lack hospitality and kindness. There was also a noise problem from a local cafe across the street, playing very loud music into the early morning, and the police didn’t do anything. I stay at a lot of hotels on vacation, but I won’t come back.

The room service staff were the only nice people there. The rest of my stay was very unpleasant: staff were extremely rude and unhelpful, and the terrible internet kept me from completing an important online exam, which caused me a lot of stress and inconvenience. We were four in my family, and I had booked an extra double room in advance in case my mother, father, or sister wanted to stay. The hotel wouldn’t let them use it, citing a policy that had never been clearly explained when I booked. We were also charged 100 Egyptian pounds for every visitor who came to see us, and the staff insisted visitors stay with them at reception or at the beach, which I found unreasonable. One staff member even knocked on our door to check for visitors, then insisted my sister leave the room for reception instead of staying in the extra empty room I had already paid for. I don’t recommend this hotel to anyone who values privacy, respectful treatment, or reliable internet.

The beach was a highlight, with the hotel’s own beach and a Beach Bar for snacks and drinks. Staff there were great and eager to help, and in the evening they served drinks and food too. We had a lovely evening by the beach with music, including a local band on Friday, Simsimiyya band. It was an amazing night of traditional music and dancing. I also had a very good experience with lost property: after checkout, I realized I’d left my laptop bag, laptop, and other stuff in the cupboard. Mr. Tamer Salem, the General Manager, called to say Housekeeping had found it and handed it to reception. He helped arrange for ARAMEX to send it back, and I’m very grateful to him and the Housekeeping Team for their honest, professional handling of it. The hotel is new, and we enjoyed the stay and were able to relax, though the value for money wasn’t what I expected. I hope they improve Food an Beverage services, especially breakfast, and we may return. I stayed during September and have visited Port Said several times, so I compared Marom with Palm Resort, a similar place I’ve stayed at many times. Marom has three swimming pools: an aqua pool with three slides, a lagoon, and a large pool heated in winter. The large pool was closed during our visit, even though the hotel was full. There was also one operating restaurant. Our room was large, clean, and had new furniture, a safe, and a small but very good working fridge. The shower leaked; I asked for it to be fixed, nobody came, and I had to do it myself. Housekeeping came daily, but only changed the towels. The sheets and covers stayed the same for all five nights, though I didn’t ask for a change and think I shouldn’t have had to. Tea and coffee supplies were fully replenished daily. We skipped the crowded, busy aqua pool. The lagoon was quieter and nice for swimming, but its attendants weren’t friendly and never smiled. They sat between the sunbeds talking loudly, so it felt like they were sitting with us and listening to our private conversations. When we asked them to add or move a sunbed, they seemed uninterested. At the aqua pool bar, the bartenders were friendly and helpful, thanks to them. We ate breakfast once at the main restaurant, even though breakfast was included with our room. It was a poor experience: little variety and low quality at the bakery corner and cheese and cold cuts station, a very small egg station that caused crowds, and the chef used one egg per person, something I’d never seen anywhere. If you asked for two, he seemed annoyed. The restaurant staff weren’t friendly and never smiled, and the smell in there wasn’t pleasant. The room service lunch menu was also misleading: after choosing, we found only barbecue items were available, and delivery took over an hour.

As a foreigner, I found this place like an oasis in all the dust and noise. The rooms were clean and quiet, the staff helpful and friendly, and the food was good. I’d suggest an English menu for the food and drinks. I had a very good experience, though it depends on which room you get.