Grand Waterworld Makadi Hotel — Hotel in Makadi Bay

THIS IS THE SHORT VERSION: For FULL Version go to fahidDOTcoDOTuk under Blogs. I stayed there with my wife and three children for 11 nights, whist our stay we experienced many issues like Food poisoning and bad customer service from management which was very disappointing. We planned a holiday in a peaceful tranquil atmosphere however this was not the case. Please find below a list of our complaints:

Pool: The few heated pools that were being used were still very cold. Our Children and us therefor couldn’t use the pool much due to it being very cold.

Children Club: We felt this club wasn’t suitable for our children and didn’t use it.

Buffet: There were many restaurants and three buffet restaurants, food was sub-standard condition: extremely bland and unappetizing it became repetitive. Breakfast in particular was revolting. The pancakes and waffles taste like cardboard and tasteless,

Room facilities: We had a nice big spacious room but were surprised that in a 5 star hotel there were no tea or coffee facilities. At this hotel we had to pay 15 euros for tea and coffee and kettle. We were then told to wash the tea cups in the bathroom and reuse it if we needed clean cups. We asked for extra 2 cups and was told instead to use glasses for water.

Lost Phone: My wife left her phone in the breakfast room SUN at 5.30am we were the only guest there and 2 waiters. When we got back late from our excursion we contacted reception and they said no one handed in a mobile. Communicating with anyone was difficult they all had a lack of understanding and poor English which was very frustrating. No one questioned the 2 waiters that were there that morning and no one showed concerns. Instead the duty manger came and searched our room. This made us fill we were in the wrong. There was no way the waiters wouldn’t have seen the phone as they were preparing the breakfast room

Breakfast Pack and Taxi: No breakfast pack for early morning excursions. They will not allow the taxi to come in front of the hotel door for pick up and drop off unless it was their own taxi. They made us walk 10min to the front gate, this was hard with 2 young children and a baby especially when they were tiered after a day out and then we had further 10min walk to our hotel room. If this was due to safety, they could have provided some sort of transport to the gates. Your representative at Sunwing Hotel failed to tell us about the free shuttle bus they have daily to the mall. FOOD POISENING and Negligence by Hotel Doctor On the morning of the 23rd of December we all had upset stomach and diarrhoea. My 8 year old son had temperature reach above 40 which we all knew was very dangerous and he kept running to the toilet due to diarrhoea. When he finally came he checked the temperature and tried checking my son’s throat. He said it was tonsillitis and advised us to take him hospital. I mentioned food poisoning and they both Doctors denied it. I mentioned we all had diarrhoea but my son got it worse. Long story short the hospital Doctor said it’s not tonsillitis and from something he has eaten.

Checking Out: They was no sympathy for what we had to go through recently with our child. My son and I came home from hospital an hour before checking out. At checkout desk they wanted the towel card. I had to go and look for the cards or they would charge us 200 Egyptian Pounds for each card. We were very exhausted at this point. They were persistent and with no empathy towards us knowing the distress we went through. We asked the manager could she let us off as we have been through a lot. She refused. In the lobby in front of all the staff and guest we had to open all suitcases and unpack trying to find the cards. We found the card and handed it in.

NOT GOING...

Overall it's a nice place and the staff are so nice and trying to help you but I think the management has rules of service lower than the expected and they pay attention more to the other 2 hotels ( Makadi Spa and Makadi palace) . I know that this is normal as the price is different but also there are standards for 5 star hotels you should follow and give your staff flexibility to do their best . Thanks to everyone helped me to have nice stay . 1-The hotel is in the heart of Makadi Bay with a great view and great entrance of the red sea hotels group 2-The decorations are so nice coming from our arabic history and the rooms are so wide . 3- I liked the aqua of children and adults. 4-Food varieties and options in many restaurants with different origqins ( Italian , Mexican, oriental, German, African) . This is limited to the ale carte restaurants . 5- The staff of the reception ( Mr Amir) , restaurants and animation team are so nice. 6-Pools are nice and clean , the beach is so long and wide and sandy and suitable for children. 7- The beach side walking path is fantastic and it connects 2 or 3 hotels of the red sea hotels group . 8- Bars ( Lobby , sport, African , Pergula show,.....) Staff are nice too . 9- The dinner in the main restaurants is so nice especially the open grilling area ( Kofta , Whole lamb , Doner , Hawawshi , fruit bar ) 10- Fetir ( Oriental kind of bread ) available in 2 kinds sweet and with melted cheese in breakfast was nice . 11- it is a true family hotel. If you have kids and your plan is to make them enjoy, Sunwing worldwide Makadi is a nice choice .

Drawbacks: Again the problems which i faced were not due to the staff as I noticed but due to the rules of the hotel itself . 1- Although the suites are wide and well decorated, my suite was so old without good maintenance. Many things in the room are broken and not fixed ( shower room drainage was not working well , soap dish was broken and not existing at all , no soap dispenser , main door of the bathroom was not moving well, the ceramic floor was not stable at the entrance of the living room ). 2- Although it's a 5 star hotel , you will not find the simple things of the room which you should find in even a 4 star hotel like tissues, slippers, bathrobe and toiletries. I asked for them , they told me that they are not available. 3- The room should have a kettle, although it was not available and i asked for it since my check in time , they brought it to me after 11 pm and it was broken . 4- I don't know why they have problems with towels!! . Upon my arrival, i waited for an hour till i got clean towels and when i asked the room service, they said that it's still in the cleaning. On my second day , he brought the clean towels after 3 pm for the same reason. Even the beach towels are in the rooms and if you want to exchange them , you should do that next to the pool or the beach and take them back with you to the room . 5- The beach is not for snorkeling lovers , there are few not coloured coral reefs 6- Most of sun beds are booked in...

Disappointing Stay at a Supposed 5-Star Hotel Hotel: Grand Water World, Hurghada, Egypt (Red Sea Resort)

I don’t usually write reviews, but my experience at this hotel compelled me to make an exception. After paying $4,300 for 10 days in an upgraded, all-inclusive, 5-star room, I was expecting a luxurious and hassle-free stay. Unfortunately, it has been anything but that.

Check-In and Front Desk • The front desk staff lacked the warmth and friendliness I’ve come to expect in Egypt. • They charged €10 for an extra key card—something I’ve never encountered in any hotel before.

Hotel Room Issues

The condition of the room was shocking for a 5-star property: • The safe, toilet flush, and shower drain were all non-functional. • The bathroom doors didn’t close properly. • The mattress caused back pain, and there were only four clothing hangers provided. • The AC didn’t work well, and even the door handle was falling off. • As a building engineer, I couldn’t ignore the poor finishing details—it barely qualifies as a 2-star room.

Buffet and Dining Experience • The buffet was 95% unhealthy, making it hard to find decent food for my children. • Soft drinks tasted overly sugary, even worse than regular sodas. • Tables were mostly set for 4 people, even though many families (including mine) had more members. • Coffee machines had long waiting times (5+ minutes) and frequently broke down, and plates were hard to find during later meals. • Waiters expect tips even for basic services like bringing coffee. • Fresh juice costs €2.50 extra, and quality food at à la carte restaurants comes with an additional charge.

Extra Costs Everywhere • New Year’s party: €55 per person. • Haircut: €25; with nails and face mask: €200. • Plastic bag for a phone: €15. • Free cocktails were terrible, tasting cheap and poorly made.

General Property Issues • Persistent salespeople roaming the property, which was overwhelming. • Pools were closed despite the hotel being fully booked. • Guests from one Red Sea resort cannot access amenities at neighboring Red Sea hotels.

Final Thoughts

It’s clear that tipping heavily is the only way to receive 5-star treatment. Without it, this hotel feels like a mediocre 3-star property. For the price I paid, this experience has been unacceptable.

Still waiting for the repair guy to fix my room…

Greetings from...