ONATTI Beach Resort - Marsa Alam — Hotel in Red Sea

Review of Onatti Beach Resort, Marsa Alam

Having spent over two weeks at Onatti Beach Resort in Marsa Alam, with another week and a half to go, I can confidently say this hotel offers a unique and memorable experience, particularly for those looking for a quieter, more relaxed holiday.

Arrival and Reception: From the moment we arrived, the friendly reception staff made us feel welcome. While the hotel is not a luxurious resort, it offers excellent value for money. The atmosphere here is calm, largely due to the smaller number of guests, which we found very appealing.

Accommodation: The rooms are older and could benefit from some renovation, but they are always kept clean. Whenever we noticed something that needed attention, it was promptly addressed by the housekeeping staff. A special mention to the housekeeping team for maintaining a good level of cleanliness throughout our stay.

Beach and Pool: The beach is stunning with warm, clear waters and an abundance of coral reefs, perfect for snorkeling. During low tide, the pier is a great alternative. The beach service is commendable, with a particularly friendly lifeguard, Riga, who goes out of his way to ensure guests are comfortable. The beach could use more frequent cleaning, but overall, the experience is positive.

Dining: The food quality is good, with sufficient variety to keep us satisfied. The menu repeats, but we never went hungry. The standout feature is the exceptional service from the dining staff. Abo Naga, the head waiter, ensures the restaurant runs smoothly, always ready to assist with a smile. The Italian chef, Marcello, prepares excellent dishes twice a week, a real highlight of our dining experience.

Bar and Service: The bar service is excellent, with bartenders like Khaled and Kirolos always ready to serve with a smile. The personal touch, like remembering our favorite drinks, made our evenings more enjoyable.

Activities and Animation: The animation team is friendly and tries hard to engage guests, although this is not the hotel's strongest point. The variety of activities could be improved, but the team’s efforts are appreciated. Guest relations officer Silvester is always available to help with any issues, offering prompt and effective solutions.

Spa and Wellness: The massages offered by Ramadán and the female masseuse are highly professional and relaxing. We found the massage services to be top-notch, even better than those experienced in Slovakia.

Overall Experience: The general manager, Marcella, along with her team, provides excellent service, ensuring guests feel like royalty. The hotel may not be suited for demanding guests due to its age and the need for some updates, but it excels in hospitality and personalized service. The handling of an incident with a staff member who behaved inappropriately was swift and professional, leading to immediate dismissal, which we greatly appreciated.

Conclusion: For a budget-friendly holiday with outstanding service, a beautiful beach, and a relaxed atmosphere, Onatti Beach Resort is a great choice. Special thanks to Silvester, Marcella, Marcello, Abo Naga, Riga, Khaled, Kirolos, Gogo, Ramadan, and the entire team for making our stay so enjoyable. We highly recommend this resort to those looking to enjoy good food, excellent service, and a tranquil setting in Marsa Alam.

Rating: 5/5 - solely because of the amazing staff.

Thank you, Onatti Beach Resort, for a...

I am writing this review 3 months away of my return from this vacation (been there early April 2024). Having stayed here for 8 nights this resort is a nice choice if you seek for a calm, relaxing stay - away from crowded places.

PROS: very friendly staff (as is it very common in Egypt) guys at reception desk were just awesomely helpful pool bar (simple choice but well appreciated) own resort beach (sort of pristine sand resembling carribean!) cool animation guys if you want great room ask for one beside the hotel owner (you will pay some extra but its worth of that!) so cool I could speak to Mr. manager during breakfast time, he and other hotel stuff were really willing to help and I learnt interesting info about Egypt culture, lifestyle, etc. appreciated they got here a stable & working wi-fi - I could access that even from room balcony that was great (which is not always the case around Egyptian resorts, some other places may have really broken wi-fi) there is top-notch pick albatros resort in the vinicity and yes, as a guest of Onatti you can take a walk even on their beach which can boost the overall experience from this place (looking forward to be the guest of Albatros resort in the future too)

CONS: as a priority, Onatti really needs some update about food, especially meat needs more quality and also wider selection would go a long way here our delegate from TUI travel agency didn't deliver the expected support, which has slightly distorted the great feel of the hotel anyway (if you can avoid TUI travel agency, do it - but yes - the resort and stuff has nothing to do with this) fitness area could use some restoration (but hey if you find a shiny & tidy up fitness in Egypt you consider yourself a lucky one) some exterior/marginal hotel parts could use some renewal also

All in all: if you prefer quiet, calm holidays with really nice beach and warm weather go here - if you want vibrant holidays areas, other pick...

Horrible experience in a very very very bad resort. A warm welcome is not included. We arrived, and instead of a 'hello' the guy behind the desk screamed 'PASSPORTS' at us. Not asking how we were or saying 'Welcome'. The room was all the way in the back of the resort and it was clear that the guy was not in the mood to carry our bags. He screamed something at the guy behind the desk and took our suitecases to the room.

In the room it was very hot: AC broken, so lets at least open the door: nope, broken. Let's fresh up with some water from the tap: nope, water was brown. We were very tired and not in the mood to complain, so we went to sleep.

The next and following days: all inclusive meals are horrible. Not hot, bad cooked, too salty, poor in choice and over cooked, or not even cooked. Everything we touched was broken, chairs, pillows, blankets, doors, EVERYTHING.

The staff is bad mannered, for fixing the AC they asked us 20 euro (a lot of money in egypt!!!). If you dont give a tip in the restaurant, they will ignore you completely. They won't bring any drinks, or take away your plates.

If you want to book a tour, 200 % chance that you are being scammed. For the same tour, we paid 120 euros, while the beighbours paid 60. If they claim it's a 45 minute drive, make sure it's 1,5 hours driving. When you book a massage of 1 hour, its gonna be a 40 minute one.

Anyway, i can complain for hours about this resort, the people and their stuff. THIS IS A ONE STAR HOTEL. DO NOT GO HERE.

Enjoy...