Ghazala Gardens

The location and friendly staff were the only real positives. We paid for all inclusive, but still had to pay extra to get nicer food, and the two restaurants required reservations while offering limited menus. The advertised beach wasn’t actually there. The hotel is under construction, with one pool open and the other empty. Arrival was a mess. They called to say our room was ready, then sent us to one where a handyman was painting. Reception told us to wait while they sorted it out, and later showed us the same room again, claiming it had been sprayed to cover the paint smell. That wasn’t true. After we complained, they gave us other rooms, but they were awful too. The toilet didn’t work, and the air conditioner leaked badly. When I raised it, they told me to be patient, and the handyman took over an hour to come. The food was bland with no variety. By the second night, most of us were eating at local restaurants.

The food was the same every day, and the internet was only available at reception, where it barely worked half the time. In our deluxe room, the blanket had brown stains, the bathtub was cracked, the water pressure made showering impossible, and the fridge was dirty. I went to reception several times about the tub, but instead of moving us, they filled the crack with cement. Ahmed Al Absawi at reception was very rude and spoke disrespectfully, especially to women. In the lobby restroom, cats relieve themselves right in the sink.

I was really disappointed by how non-Russian and non-Ukrainian guests were treated. The evening entertainment was about 90% Russian-Ukrainian music, and when I asked for a different song, the DJ and the female animator said they’d play it immediately if a Russian asked, even if it interrupted other music. That felt like complete discrimination. The place itself is nice, and the free cocktails are good, but the food was the same every day with one exception. My scores: DJ 0, food 2, place 9, room 7, sea 6, programs 6, and attitude toward guests who aren’t Russian 1. I’m sad about it and don’t recommend staying here.

The pool was filthy throughout our stay. We found cigarette butts floating in it several times, and cleaning and maintenance seemed to be ignored, making the area feel unhygienic and grim. The hotel’s advertised private beach was misleading too. It was at another hotel, a long walk away. My partner and I recently stayed here, and it was one of our worst travel experiences. There were no food options for British tourists: the menu was extremely limited, bland, and unappealing. If you want even basic British-friendly choices, you’ll go hungry. The hotel fell short of basic expectations, with misleading advertising, poor facilities, and little care for guests’ comfort. It was a waste of money and ruined our holiday. I strongly advise avoiding it.