Relaxed rooms in a laid-back resort featuring casual restaurants & bars, plus outdoor pools.
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Wow. There are some really amazing things about this hotel and then some seriously awful ones. I wouldn't recommend it, even with great snorkeling, large rooms and a very nice spa experience (if you do go, Rasha the massage therapist gets 5 stars!). We traveled with two other families who had made the reservation so I hadn't researched it or looked at reviews. I went in with a fairly positive attitude, as I had been sending message by What's App to the day manager. He had even accommodated me when another adult decided to join our trip at the last minute. He said she might have to share our suite the first night but then he could put her in a private room, and I assured him that was no problem. When we arrived, check in was a total mess. It took forever and it was like they didn't even have our reservations. We also had a pay the complete bill upfront which isn't my normal experience in Egypt or the USA (I'm American, living in Egypt for five years). When they gave her her bill, they charged her for three nights in a single room, so we assumed she wouldn't be sharing. However when they gave out keys, they indicated that she would need to share. We had already told them it was totally fine for us but then protested that it wasn't right for her to pay the amount for a private single room if she was sharing a family suite. Of course we'd pay for her meals and any incidentals but can you imagine, a hotel charging you full-price without any hesitation and then informing you you were sharing a family room with your friends?!? We refused and they kept turning the issue around on me, saying I had agreed for her to share! We reiterated that sharing was no problem whatsoever, but then we wouldn't pay for a room we weren't given. Eventually they managed to find her a private room when we wouldn't just pay for a non-existent room! The food was decent, the pastry and bread chef was particularly gifted and the grilled meats were nice. Lunch wasn't great but it was sufficient. The rooms were large and clean. The bathrooms had a lovely large jacuzzi tub but the jets didn't work and there weren't stoppers so the tub couldn't be filled. The cleaning staff was generous with water bottles and we received 2 large (1.5 L) water bottles per room each day which was enough for us. At one point during our first day, I tried to get towels for my family and the staff at the towel station said I needed towel cards which had not been given or mentioned at check in AT ALL. I walked from the beach back to reception and asked for towel cards. Again there was no explanation and he gave me six cards. During the days we were there, we would hand in our towels and often the staff member wouldn't have towel cards but assured us to find him in the morning and he would remember how many towels we got. It seemed to me to be a rather loose situation so the last afternoon, I left my towels at the pool station without asking for towel cards...that was a big mistake! During the check out process, the assistant manager told me I would owe 20 Euros per laminated towel card. I told him I wouldn't pay any such fee. I speak Arabic and I live in Egypt and I assure any foreigners traveling to the Red Sea, this is not normal Egyptian hospitality! I explained that I had misunderstood the situation and he got more and more agitated. At one point, I invited him out to my car to look through my suitcases--I wasn't stealing towels. I had made assumptions based on how the towel cards had been treated up until that point by hotel staff (as an after-thought) and shouldn't have but I wasn't going to pay. At a certain point, the friends we were with intervened and the assistant manager boldly lied and said he wasn't talking about charging me money. Again, I speak Arabic and could understand his complaints about me to my Egyptian friend we had traveled with. That friend smoothed it over but I left with a very bad taste in my mouth. There were other issues too where we felt "scammed" including the diving trip we paid for but I think it's just important to know what...
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Top vacation in paradise!
Quick review: 7 star Service staff and animation team - SO NICE PEOPLE Top Hotel Garden with nice pools Big room with big terrace and amazing view Tasty Food TOP beach & beautiful underwater world - perfect for snorkelling. Beduin Tent on the beach is worth a visit. AmunSpa - great massages
This is a beautiful place! It's in the middle of nowhere between Hurghada and Marsa Alam surrounded by ocean and dessert.
For us this is exactly what we needed & wanted. *
From the moment we entered the Hotel we were greeted in an extremely friendly way. We arrived after 11PM and there was still (hot) food prepared for us and we got a tasty welcoming cocktail. We got a huge room with big balcony (although only booked the smaller bungalow).
The beach/riff is just mind-blowing, so much beautiful fish to discover. BUT please never step on the corrals! So this beautiful underwater-world stays in tact. Also the umbrellas and sun-beds are in great distance to another, so that it is really relaxing with so much space.
The whole service stuff (gardeners, cleaners, reception, bar & service staff, lifeguards, beach crew, the kitchen crew, manager (+ CM Herma) & and the fantastic animation team) are just all wonderful people, always smiling & being helpful although having so much work to do. A special shout out to the beduin baker (Papa), making every morning & evening fresh Beduin bred + delicious pancakes in the pool bar during the afternoon.
Roomservise exceeded all our expectations. The room was made EVERY day and most of the day they made us smile with a new arty towel figure. ;)
Food was every night extremely delicious, prepared and presented with so much love to detail - mind blowing again - and more than enough to choose from. Drinks were good, once you get used to the Egyptian sprit. ;)
If you want a super delicious cocktail, YOU NEED to visit the beduin tent on the beach. For the small extra money you can drink a delicious cocktails & try a variety of beduin drinks in wonderful spot. HUGE shout out to the two guys being there day & night (Thomas & Mohamed), wonderful human beings, that thought us a lot about Egyptian culture.
Shoutout also to the great animation team (Anieta, Boika, Ali, Jimmy & Galil) always bringing great energy and smiles without being too much. Running activities such as yoga, water-gym, ball games, a colour party on the beach and much more. Jimmy even being the Fakir - blowing your mind if you are there to watch it.
Need more reasons to visit this paradise? AmunSPA - you can get a great hamam, massages, face cleaning or hair cute. The staff here is just as awesome as everyone else. Shoutout here to Hassan, such a good guy!
Lastly we can really recommend the quad tour, that you can book with Mido. His colleague Omar then takes you into the dessert, visiting a beduin place, trying so many different herbs, tees, essences & spices and learning about those.
If you don't visit, you sure miss out on something very special. WE WILL BE BACK!
My partner and I visited Pensee for the first time from 16-06-2023 to 30-06-2023. Since may this year it became part of the Three Corners Hotels and Resorts.
To start with manager Mr. Fouad Gamal; he definitely earned his stripes as manager with years of experience in other hotels and resorts from the Three Corners chain. Under his command now the Pensee hotel is improving day by day. All other staff are honoured to work for him, he is always available for anyone, staff and guests.
The food: to be honest, we were spoiled with the buffet from Equinox also from Three Corners. In Pensee the food is well prepared, it was warmed up enough, not too much choice but we could eat different kind of meals and had plenty of it. There is another chart available with meals to lick your fingers off! Mixed grill with beef, mixed grill with fish and many other options. For only € 15,- you will get a meal which is probably way to many but you really should order at least try one time during your stay. Absolutely perfect.
The rebuild bungalow close to beach that we had was great, no opinion about the rest of all other rooms because we didn't see them. Cleaning of the room must absolutely be done better and will be done better in the future by manager's order.
Whatever room you book, you probably will have a view on the pools or to the See, but bear in mind, the main thing you will see are the beautiful 200 newly planted palm trees. At the moment they are also planting all kinds of new bushes and flowers and obviously it needs some time to grow for more spectacular views in the future.
Staff: There is only one bartender I personally don't like but all others are great and will do anything for you. They work hard, just like the animation team.
Ya, and then there is Herma, the lady from guest relations. She's a great lady who will solve any problem ( which you probably created 8 out of 10 times yourself 😁).
2023 and 2024 will be the time where all kinds of improvings will be made. The kitchen is now being remodeled, the small buffet will be replaced and expanded, some of the pavement outside is already replaced, others will be soon, lunchroom at the Beach will be replaced so lots of things will improve for a pleasant holiday. For this moment absolute value for money. It is a beautiful place and 45 minutes from Marsa Alan airport.
The See is an absolute walhalla for snorkeling and diving and It is advisable to bring some thin water shoes or slippers because it is a gravel beach. We mostly walked without them although it became pretty hot on our feet from time to time.
Will we return? Most definitely. I could write much more but if someone has other questions I will be happy...
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