Pickalbatros Water Valley Resort - Neverland Hurghada — Attraction in Red Sea

We have recently returned to the UK from an 8 night stay here at the PIckalbatros Water Valley Resort. There are a lots of positives about this place but also some negatives which I think aren't clearly outlined in the information about the hotel online. ||So the entire resort is called Neverland which is absolutely HUGE as shown in the map I have attached. Within this Neverland resort there are kind of 3 separate hotels; Jungle Aqua Park and Alf Leila Wa Leila (both 4 ) and Water Valley (5). The only difference between them is the hotel rooms which you stay in as the rest of the resort including all the restaurants etc are all open to everyone across all of the hotels. Whilst theoretically this sounds great to have access to all of the hotels and facilities across the entire resort, in practice this isn't great. All of the restaurants are located either in the main reception building, around Midway which is between Jungle Aqua Park and Alf Leila or then in the Alf Leila complex itself. ||Geographically the Water Valley rooms (which are the ones with the blue roofs on the map), although being the most expensive accommodation are the furthest away from all the restaurants and food/drink facilities. We stayed in the 7000s rooms complex. Marked with an X on the map. From our room to any of the restaurants, it took us approximately a 10-15 minute walk when walking with two young children (4 & 5) in the 35-40 degree heat. When you are having to do this multiple times throughout the day for breakfast, lunch and dinner it does get a little bit tiring for the children. |Even the provision of cold drinks and water is difficult. On the days we decided to stay and swim in the pools nearest our rooms, there is no nearby facility to get hold of cold water or drinks. There is a guy who comes around with a cart with drinks on to each swimming pool, but this was not at any scheduled time and often was every 2-3 hours.||On the topic of the restaurants themselves, whilst there are a lot of places to eat the emphasis seems to be on quantity of food rather than quality. We have been to a number of other all-inclusive holidays in the past in Egypt (Sharm el Sheikh), Turkey, Spain etc. The quality of the food here was probably the worst we have had. It was all extremely bland and although the different restaurants were meant to have different types of cuisine, a lot of them just had very similar things at every meal time. The kids were happy with chicken nuggets, chips and pizza etc but for the adults it was quite boring. ||In terms of entertainment, the kids club was probably the worst there has been at any of the hotels we have been to since having kids. The timetable of activities was really poorly communicated due to being different in two different places on their website. In the evenings, the first few nights we went to the entertainment shows at Midway put on by the Kids club team and these were poor but also extremely chaotic (one night a fight broke out between two families and security was called over one family pushing another family's child). After that we decided to go to the evening entertainment put on by the adult animation team at the Wave stage where they still had a mini disco for the kids and then games, karaoke etc afterwards. The kids actually found these shows more fun, the animation team was much friendlier and far more engaging with all the kids compared to the kids club team members. ||A couple of other things that were frustrating during the stay. Firstly there is no specifically designated smoking/non-smoking areas in any of the facilities. Whilst I understand that some people may want to smoke outside by a pool or at the outdoor restaurant seating areas, when you are sat in an indoor restaurant and someone starts smoking on the table next to you and your family it is annoying. |Secondly, the concept of queueing is obviously different in different parts of the world. On a number of occasions over our stay when queuing for food in a restaurant or for ice cream/pizza for the kids there were instances where someone would come and try and push to the front of the queue to get served straight away. What was frustrating was that when this would happen the hotel staff would not say anything and on a number of occasions if the person pushing in spoke to the hotel staff directly in Arabic, they would then be served straight away ahead of sometimes 20-30 people waiting in the queue.||Overall, I would give our stay somewhere between 3-4 out of 5. The best thing about the entire resort is the water park facilities. There are LOTS of slides for people of all ages. Our kids loved the swimming pools and all the slides and from a slides point of view this was easily the most options there has ever been at any hotel. If I was recommending any one else this hotel in the future I would suggest to save some money and stay at the Jungle Aqua Park or Alf Leila accommodation. These rooms may not be as big but you are located much closer to all the facilities and you have access to all the food/drink/entertainment that you would have from the Water Valley...

The resort is very large and clean, but I have some serious comments that should not be ignored. The resort has two waterparks. The first one has around 7 big slides in addition to the smaller ones (two short rides and a splash area).||||The problem is that not all the big slides are open. They usually keep only 4 or 5 slides running, while the rest are closed, both in the morning and afternoon sessions. This is clearly done to save money on staff: instead of assigning one lifeguard per slide, they make one lifeguard responsible for 2 or 3 slides at once. This creates very long lines. You have to carry the float, climb all the way up, and then stand in a long queue just to enjoy a ride that lasts less than a minute. As a result, in the whole morning session, you might only get 3 or 4 turns.||||This is unfair not only to the guests but also to the lifeguards themselves, because they are overworked—doing the job of two or three people but for the same pay. To be fair, the staff are extremely polite, friendly, and always willing to help, but the management system is simply not fair to them or to the visitors.||||Another major issue is the limited opening hours. The waterparks here only open from 10 AM to 12 PM, then they close for two full hours, and reopen from 2 to 6 PM. This is very restrictive. In fact, all over the world, waterparks open much earlier—as early as 7 or 8 AM—and stay open until 7 or 8 PM. They also provide far more lifeguards to ensure safety and to keep all the slides running. Compared to that, the system here feels very limited and disappointing.||||Even though there are elevators, they also become overcrowded because floats are loaded in with the guests. If the management really wants to make things easier for both the workers and the guests, there should be one elevator dedicated to people and another elevator dedicated only to floats. That way, guests are more comfortable and the staff are not overworked carrying equipment.||||The shuttle bus is also a problem. It comes only every 30 minutes to take you from the rooms to the waterparks, not every 5–10 minutes as advertised. Again, this is because there are not enough buses or enough staff.||||There are also not enough lifeguards around the swimming pools to ensure proper safety. On top of that, after finishing a ride, you are forced to carry the float back all the way to the starting point yourself. In every other waterpark in the world, you leave the float in the designated area right next to where you exit the slide. Here, you waste energy and time walking back under the intense heat, which is very exhausting.||||Finally, it is clear that the resort is focusing much more on restaurants, food, and dining options than on the water activities. But the truth is, people come here mainly for the waterparks and the slides—not just to eat. The food may be good, but if the water attractions are limited, overcrowded, and badly managed, then the whole purpose of the...

I had an absolutely delightful stay at this hotel! From the moment we arrived, the staff went above and beyond to ensure our comfort and satisfaction. Every interaction was marked by genuine warmth and a commitment to making our experience exceptional. The rooms were not only spacious and impeccably clean but also elegantly designed to provide a truly luxurious feel. Every detail, from the plush bedding to the modern amenities, contributed to an atmosphere of relaxation and indulgence.

The hotel's amenities were outstanding, catering to every need and desire. The pool area was a serene oasis, perfect for unwinding and enjoying the beautiful surroundings. We particularly enjoyed the gourmet restaurant, where every meal was a culinary delight, showcasing fresh, high-quality ingredients and exquisite presentation. The breakfast buffet was a highlight, offering a wide variety of delicious options to start the day.

One of the standout aspects of our stay was the exceptional children's animation program, led by the amazing Yuliia. Her energy, creativity, and genuine care for the children made our family vacation truly special. Yuliia organized a variety of engaging activities that kept the children entertained and happy throughout our stay. From arts and crafts to fun games and themed events, every day was filled with excitement and joy for the kids.

Yuliia's dedication and enthusiasm were evident in every activity she planned. She made an effort to get to know each child personally, ensuring that everyone felt included and had a fantastic time. Our kids couldn't stop talking about how much they enjoyed the animation programs and how much they loved spending time with Yuliia. Her ability to connect with the children and make them feel special added an extra layer of enjoyment to our vacation.

Beyond the wonderful activities, Yuliia's warmth and kindness left a lasting impression on our entire family. Her passion for her work shone through in everything she did, and it was clear that she genuinely cared about making each child's experience memorable. We are incredibly grateful for the positive impact she had on our stay.

Overall, I highly recommend this hotel to anyone seeking an extraordinary vacation experience, especially families. The combination of outstanding service, excellent facilities, and the exceptional staff, like Yuliia, ensures a memorable and enjoyable stay. Every aspect of our visit exceeded our expectations, and we left with wonderful memories that we will cherish for a long time. We can't wait to return and experience the hospitality and warmth of this remarkable...