Viva Sharm Hotel

It was good value, with a good breakfast, kind workers, and a pool that looked clean and nice. The entertainment was enjoyable, especially the belly dancer and animation team. Nearly all the guests were Russian, and they knew how to have fun. When we first entered the two rooms we'd booked, the pillows and beds were dirty, with yellow spots all over. The rooms looked unclean and needed repairs, paintwork, and wardrobe fixes. We raised it with reception, who replaced the bedding, and after that the rooms were cleaned every day.

I booked the Viva Sharm hotel through booking.com. At check-in, the receptionist told me the card payment would only be a guarantee and wouldn't be charged, so I paid the room price in cash without receiving a receipt. But when I checked today, I saw the card transaction had gone through too, meaning I'd been charged twice. That feels dishonest.

The room hadn't been cleaned after the previous guests, and they hadn't even changed the bedsheet. On my first day I called the housekeeper and pointed out every corner that needed cleaning. After that it was manageable enough to sleep. Wi-Fi was only available at reception, and it was very slow. I got a data SIM at the supermarket in the hotel, which gave me coverage everywhere. I've got a lot I could say, but earlier reviews have already covered it. In my view, a 3-star hotel in Egypt is like a 1-star place in Europe, or even less. Still, cleanliness depends on management standards, not the star rating.

A really awful stay. The hotel wasn't clean at all and was full of bedbugs and insects. Staff were completely uncooperative, and their attitude was disgusting.