Jasmine Palace Resort And Spa — Hotel in Red Sea

We stayed at Jasmine Palace Resort and Spa in September 2025, and while we tried to keep an open mind given the mixed reviews, our experience has been overwhelmingly disappointing. Please, if you are English, do not chance it like we did.|The Problems|From the start, things went wrong. Our booked room was not available due to overbooking, and after hours of travelling we were left waiting a long time before being accommodated. Throughout our stay, key card failures happened multiple times a day, forcing repeated trips back and forth to reception, which was a long walk from the rooms. We witnessed at least four other guests face the exact same issue. On more than one occasion, we were locked out, sitting on the floor outside our room feeling humiliated and stressed. To make matters worse, reception staff repeatedly blamed us for “misusing” the cards, despite them being kept away from electronics.|Safety was another major issue. Our room door blew off more than once. Tiles fell, with one cutting my younger brother’s leg. We even found a knife on the grounds, which was deeply concerning for a family travelling with children and vulnerable guests including dementia and autism. The resort is clearly in visible disrepair, from loose fixtures to broken fittings, and it feels poorly maintained overall.|Facilities and service were also lacking. Drinks from the lobby bar had a strong chemical taste, and waits at bars were long, even for water. Entertainment was repetitive and poorly organised. The fire show could only seat around 80 people, leaving many guests including us standing without a view. The disco was exactly the same every night, with the exact same songs on repeat. Overall, the entertainment was nothing like what you would expect from a 5 star resort.|Staff attitudes were inconsistent. Some were kind, while others were dismissive or outright uncomfortable, such as a chef who approached my family in Arabic but turned away as soon as he realised they were English. A lifeguard repeatedly scowled at us and even ordered us out of the sea while leaving other guests undisturbed.|Managers did meet with us, including the hotel manager and food and beverage manager, but although they listened, it was clear they had little control over lower staff. We were offered upgrades only days before departure, far too late to make any difference. Guests with dementia and autism cannot simply be shifted around mid stay. Similarly, they will try to make out that you are receiving extra à la carte reservations, but in reality all guests already get six, so do not be fooled.|The Positives|It would be unfair not to mention the good. The food overall was genuinely good, and the à la carte restaurants were excellent, particularly the Indian, which was by far the best. Service there was outstanding and the staff showed real care. The other à la cartes were also very good, apart from the Italian, which was a huge let down. Service there was drastically lacking. Other tables were brought dips for starters but ours were forgotten. After starters we were left with no cutlery and had to ask for replacements. At one point we had to leave the restaurant to fetch our own drinks from the bar. Dessert was eventually served, but with poor service as we had to ask for dessert spoons. No soup spoons were provided. Empty glasses were simply left to pile up on the table without being cleared.|This was a stark contrast to the other à la carte experiences, which were faultless and a highlight of the stay.|Guest Relations were polite and helpful. The maintenance worker who repeatedly came to our room was friendly, apologetic, and tried his best. Sam in the main dining area was a real credit to the hotel, as was our room cleaner. Solima from the entertainment team also deserves special mention, as she went above and beyond to make guests happy.|Not all of the entertainment was poor. The Shiny Chaplin show was actually very good, and we enjoyed how he switched up his routine weekly. It is just a shame it only lasted around 30 minutes, because it could have been the highlight if it went on longer.|The Bigger Picture – Pricing vs Standards|One thing that really struck us is the difference between what foreign guests like us pay, and what Egyptian guests pay. Our 11 night stay cost around 163,200 EGP, roughly £2,400. To put this into perspective, the average monthly salary in Egypt is around 7,000 to 10,000 EGP, meaning our stay cost the equivalent of more than a year’s wages for many Egyptians.|During our stay, the hotel was full of its own nationals, Egyptian holidaymakers, who clearly pay much less under local rates, often half or even a third of what international guests pay. For them, the value may feel acceptable. But for English or European guests, paying premium rates for what is at best 2 to 3 star service, the experience feels like a rip off. This explains why reviews are so mixed. Egyptians often feel satisfied, while foreigners feel misled and let down.|Final Word|The General Manager told us that English guests were “top priority, then German, then other nationalities.” That may sound comforting, but why not treat everyone equally? It highlights exactly the problem here, unequal treatment, words without action, and a lack of genuine accountability.|He also admitted this was the most guests the hotel has ever had, and that they had to request fewer local guests from head office in the future. While this explains the overcrowding, it is not an acceptable excuse. Overselling at the cost of guest satisfaction is a failure of planning and management, and no guest paying premium international prices should have to suffer for it.|After so many meetings and emails, I have given up on trying to get a resolution, because nothing ever changes. At this point, we just wanted to get out of here.|We have travelled widely, and this has been the worst holiday of our lives. Please take the negative reviews seriously. If you are English or European and paying international prices, you will almost...

We are a fairly middle class family of 4 with a 6 year old boy and 9 year old girl from the UK. We are well travelled and have a good understanding of cultures and realistic expectations. We did 7 days which was spot on.

Jasmine Palace is exactly what we thought it would be. It is not UK 5 star standard. It is though, great value for money and perfect for young families. Some of the reviews we read are from people who clearly don’t have a realistic expectation of how far their money goes.

Room. We went for a family room and were kindly upgraded to a Superior Family Room, right next to the pool and very near the main restaurant. It was great. Space for the kids to be in their own space and some breathing space between the kids and parents to chill out. TV has limited English speaking channels (1 Chinese Global New channel, in English Language). Air conditioning is fantastic. Very clean, really comfy beds and high spec.

Pools. There are loads. Main family pools are either 110cm or 140cm in depth. There are 3-4 pretty cool slides that are open twice a day for a couple of hours. It says that there is a 10 year old or over rule, but thankfully this is not enforced! Water is clean and a great way to get away from the ridiculously hot weather. There is also an Active Pool, toddler pool, wave pool and some others. As the week went on, it was harder to get loungers by the pool as people would wake up early and put towels down etc. I did the same towards the end of the week, but got the last slot at 0730am. I blame the Germans. 🙄

Staff. The cleaner we had was called Bob Marley. He was fantastic. Gave treats to the kids and made a different animal with the towels on their bed every day. The best was a crocodile. He was awesome. Cleaning was fantastic. The reception staff were not wonderful, but were fine. The bar staff and restaurant staff were very good and helpful. There are a few people who try and sell you stuff, but it is nowhere near as bad/aggressive as other parts of North Africa/Middle East.

Beach. The beach always had loungers. There was not much to do, but there was some reef you could swim from the pier, which was quite cool. We saw a turtle and some small fish there.

Excursions. We did a day on a boat snorkeling and spending time on ‘Magic Island’. Was £120 for 4 of us. Compared to US and Australia where I have done similar things, it was under a quarter of the price. Really good day, but you are in baking sun for 7 hours so take loads of water and sun cream! Highlight of the holiday. Reef was awesome and you don’t need to be a good swimmer. They cater for all.

Food. Recommend booking a la carte at the beginning of your stay. They book up quickly, though this can be confusing as there is always loads of space at the restaurants. The main dining hall is busy, but there is a wide range of local and European style options to cater for most tastes. If you are not adventurous with food, you may struggle a little. There was one fairly rough UK family who embarrassingly ordered in a McDonalds. Wow. 🤦

Guests. Mostly European. Good mix of Czech, German, French, Brits, Russians and some Arabic families as well. Didn’t see too many trashy Brits, which was nice. Yes - I am a bit of a snob.

Weather. We were there in Mid July. It was roasting. Air Con and pools made it totally manageable. If you walk from the room to the end of the pier though, it is an endurance event due to the heat. 🥵

Recommendations for the hotel. more sun loungers and shades on the grass near the pool. Use the areas between the current loungers and the accommodation. Even better - assign loungers to rooms to prevent the early morning rush to get loungers. Bigger/more expensive rooms should get better loungers. More slots for a la carte restaurant. There is always more space when it is apparently fully booked.

Excellent staff: Ahmed in the main restaurant. Bob Marley the cleaner. The Lobby Bar team.

Summary. A great week, enjoyed by kids and parents alike. Highlight was the day on the boat. Great value...

We have just returned from our vacation and would like to share our experience. Our family (2 adults, 2 children) traveled with a group of 27 people in total (11 kids and 16 adults). From the very beginning, we had to upgrade our room to a Deluxe ($40) because the standard room was unpleasant, with a bad smell and very low quality. Since this was not our first time in Hurghada, we have a fair comparison to other hotels.

1. Deluxe Room – Clean but Unsafe

The deluxe room was truly clean and well-maintained. We had a ground-floor unit with a separate bedroom, which was convenient. The beds were very comfortable, the room smelled fresh, and there was a modern TV. However, we encountered a serious safety issue—our son's bedside lamp was electrified. Despite reporting it multiple times over nine days, no one fixed it, which is simply unacceptable.

2. Cleaning Service – Exceptional

The cleaning service was outstanding. Our assigned housekeeper was always smiling, helpful, and made sure we had everything we needed. He even created different towel decorations, which delighted us and the kids.

3. Buffet – Inconsistent Quality & Poor Service

The buffet was average at best. While some days offered delicious food, most of the time, it was unimpressive. One particularly disturbing issue was the older man with curly hair and a mustache at the omelet station. He was rude to women and was seen adjusting his pants with the same gloves he used to handle eggs. Service was also inconsistent—while I received new cutlery when I asked, my wife was completely ignored when dining alone with our children. This level of discrimination is unacceptable.

4. Snack Bars – The Best Part of the Hotel

The snack bars were fantastic! The staff was friendly, always smiling, and the food was excellent. The beach snack bar was the highlight, offering amazing grilled dishes. Ice cream was available from 1 PM to 5 PM, and aside from the buffet dinner, you couldn't find it elsewhere.

5. Shops & Sellers – Unpleasant Experience

The shops inside the hotel had the worst service. The salesmen were constantly complaining, pushy, and in some cases, downright rude and inappropriate. One vendor near the buffet had the audacity to tell my sister, "Show me your tits, and I give you apple." He was fully aware of what he said, which is simply disgusting. We've never experienced anything like this before.

6. Entertainment – Below Average

The animation team and evening shows were mediocre. The only truly enjoyable show was the Light Show. One additional attraction was the opportunity to take pictures with a lion cub, but aside from that, nothing stood out. There was noticeable tension among the animators, especially towards the Nigerian female animator, which created an uncomfortable atmosphere.

7. Thematic Restaurants – Mixed Experience

The Egyptian and Italian restaurants were excellent and worth trying. However, the Chinese restaurant was disappointing. If I had to choose again, I would go to the Egyptian restaurant twice and the Italian once.

8. Pools – Limited Heated Options

Only the middle pool (1.4m deep) and a small kids' pool (0.85m) were heated. The wave pool was freezing, which was disappointing. The slides also had ice-cold water, making them almost unusable. Another serious issue was the lifeguards—they were more interested in their phones than ensuring safety. Children got stuck in the slides, causing others to crash into them, yet the lifeguards did nothing.

9. SPA – A Complete Scam

Avoid the spa at all costs. The prices were outrageous—far higher than in the UK, and the staff were deceptive. My friend booked a beard grooming and pedicure for £100, but during the session, they aggressively pushed a facial treatment. He declined multiple times but was pressured into it. At the end, they charged him £500, which was insane! After negotiating, he paid £350, but this is still daylight robbery. I strongly warn against using their services.

Also drinks was absolutely awful. Me and my friends never back again...