Pickalbatros White Beach Resort - Hurghada — Hotel in Red Sea

3.5⭐️

This hotel was quite honestly disappointing. I had previously visited another Albatros hotel (Albatros Palace) and many people told us that White Beach was superior. Personally I do not agree.

Firstly, the hotel is not bad in general. The staff at the reception was very helpful in my case as we had a serious issue that they helped us resolve and the guest relations were useful through out the holiday.

The rooms are ok - we stayed in a Junior Suite that had more than enough space, however I agree with some of the other comments here - the furniture is a bit old and should probably be replaced as some of the couches were very dirty and stained. Another issue we had with the room was that the cleaning was done at weird hours and many times we came from the beach and we didn't have fresh towels. The floor was also almost always dirty.

The restaurants are another disappointing aspect. I have been to all inclusive and ultra all inclusive hotels for more than 10 years now and I can say that I have never seen such a small variety of food. The breakfast was the same - sauseges, eggs either fried, omlet or boiled, cereal, beans or chips and Egyptian falafel (this one was very good though and you should deffinitely try it). The lunch and dinner were better, however each meal you could only choose between 3/4 types of food. There are 3 restaurants, yes, but they mostly serve the same food. Because of this, I saw many adults that were eating from the kid's buffee every day🤣 There was also very little seafood which is weird considering this is a hotel on the beach of the Red Sea. Taste wise the food was good, though, with the exception of dessert that was always horrible - the cakes lacked any taste, syrup...it was like eating cardboard. Same as everywhere in Egypt you will also have digestive problems...Idk if it is from the food, the water in the pool, the ice cubes...a member of my group came back with something nasty...high fever, vomiting, diarrhea and still has symptoms almost 2 weeks later. We also tested the A la Carte restaurant which is totally worth it. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was amazing...everything in the superlative.

The staff is friendly, sometimes too friendly. In general they are nice, however sometimes it becomes annoying when you cannot eat in peace or relax at a bar because they keep coming to chat with you. Also, while trying to chat with everyone they end up taking a long time to get your drinks to the table - one time I had finished eating (2 courses) and my drink still hadn't arrived.

The beach is quite small, but we managed to find some seats each time. The water is nice and not very deep - one of the tallest people in the group was able to still touch the bottom at the farthest point we were allowed to swim. Keep in mind that this being Egypt the water sometimes raises or falls based on tide cycles. The pools were also nice - again, quite few sun beds but you could always find a couple free ones - usually the pools weren't as busy as the sea so you could swim in peace. A problem in both of this places was that many of the already few sunbeds were occupied all day by towels. The staff should really do something about this.

The entertainment is not really...it just isn't that good. There were some staff members that tried their best but it just wasn't it. The evening shows especially were just random dance numbers that were also not very good.

We tried many of the activities/facilities that cost extra money and they were worth it (the spa, the beauty salon, photos).

A thing that needs to be said is that this would better be advertised as a family hotel...because there are hundreds of kids mostly very young ones that cry and misbehave. Right nextdoor there is nother Albatros hotel (Blu spa) that is adult only, but they have the same beach so I can't imagine them being happy paying more to not have crying kids next to them...only to have crying kids next to them.

Overall, not a bad resort, but it just isn't...

From start to finish our weeks stay was brilliant, from the staff to the weather to the facilities.. I’d like to start off by saying the staff are so so welcoming and would do anything for you.. we had ice cold drinks topped up everyday in the mini fridge, a spotless room, a tiny tip given for towel animals and they didn’t disappoint! it was a lovely surprise getting to our room to see what they had made us that day, always put a smile on our faces! the waiter who works every day in the Asian restaurant was our favourite, he made us drinks and had them waiting at a table every day, it seemed like nobody else spoke to him apart from us and he certainly made us feel welcome! The animation team are something else, they’re all so lovely and include you in all activities of you want to join in, we personally only joined in a couple but we’re always asked for everything else, this was nice as sometimes we were unsure what was happening that day if we forgot to check the planner! Would like to mention Mohammad and Mano in this review as they are just fantastic.. the pink party was such a fun experience from foam in the pool, pink flamingos and Mohammad putting us on his shoulders to have a dance, just brilliant fun! The chefs were all so friendly, and explained what it was they were making! Everyone had great English so was no problem with the language barrier.

The weather is the best in Hurghada, it’s beaming sunshine with a cooler breeze/wind passing through so it’s bearable! Night times were very hot but the cool air-con around the hotel and in our room was brilliant (not in the corridors where the rooms were, they were hot, could do with some air-con in those, and the shower room we used on the last day could be cooler!)

We used the spa a few times during our stay and if anyone is reading this wondering if to get a massage, I’d HIGHLY recommend getting the hammam and massage package! It was fantastic, steam room, sauna, jacuzzi, hammam then a 50 minute massage! The women who did our massages were so lovely, and so good at their jobs!

Onto the food, so of course it’s not English food cause why would it be.. but it’s very far from it in my opinion.. we managed to find something we liked each night, but some night it was just bread and chips, which is fine, I’m not complaining at all, but as an English couple the majority of dishes we wouldn’t even touch.. so if you are a picky eater you could struggle a little bit - it says there are different types of restaurants but really it’s just a long room with walls to separate them with a few different dishes, so don’t expect 1 room to be Italian, 1 Asian and the other a mix because it’s not really like that.. the closest one to just 1 style of food was the Asian restaurant (our fav) but still had a mix of other food in there too.. deserts of course were the best part about the food always stocked up and had lovely fresh fruit.. breakfast pastries and cereal were great but nothing savoury tickled our fancy - lunch on the snack bar near the beach was great! the pizza is fantastic.. and is open until 5 which was good! drinks are fine, nothing super special just like your normal all inclusive drinks.

The hotel itself is great, I would say it’s more for families over couples but this didn’t affect us at all as we don’t mind! Beautiful beach and sea, lovely view from the rooms - if you are English don’t expect any other English people to be there, we were 1/3 English couples in the entire hotel.. other guest were rude and have 0 manners, and do not smile at all.. they were rude to the staff and demanded drinks.

Overall, I would recommend coming to this hotel 100% and to not let the negative reviews put you off! My negative points are overruled buy how brilliant everything else was, and would not let other guest put you off coming, if anything it was peaceful not having to speak to any other guests haha, nothing worse having to make small talk...

Positive Aspects Great Weather: The weather was warm and pleasantly windy during the stay. Clean Sea: The sea was very clean and enjoyable for swimming. Convenient Layout: All facilities within the hotel area are close to each other, so you don’t lose time getting from one place to another. Not Crowded: The resort wasn’t overcrowded, which meant you could always find a place to sit or relax without waiting in queues. Delicious Fruits and Vegetables: Fresh produce, especially fruits and vegetables, were very tasty, juicy, and sweet. Child-Friendly Pools and Activities: Pools were well-suited for children, and there were plenty of entertainment options for them.

Negative Aspects Poor Beverage Quality and Service: No syrups for cocktails, and only local alcoholic drinks available – all of which tasted very poor (wine, beer, whisky, vodka, etc.). As someone knowledgeable about drinks, I can confidently say none of them tasted right. Famous branded drinks were available but overpriced—6 to 7 times the normal price, possibly due to a monopoly. Staff at beverage stations were rude and made guests feel obligated to tip in order to receive decent service. I didn’t drink anything at the hotel during my 10-night stay because of this.

Staff Behavior and Tipping Culture: Staff frequently used overly familiar phrases like “my friend” or “my brother,” and didn’t respect personal space. Friendliness was often dependent on whether you gave a tip. You are constantly approached to buy excursions (snorkeling, safari, diving, camel rides, etc.)—sometimes up to 100 times a day—even after declining. Some staff asked inappropriate or racially insensitive questions. Tipping pressure was constant—starting from the airport and continuing throughout the hotel experience.

Room Issues: We booked and paid for a room for three people but were given one with only two beds. We had to wait a long time for the setup of the additional bed, which negatively affected the start of our vacation. In each room, at least one thing was not functioning properly (e.g., safe, air conditioner, telephone).

Cleanliness Concerns: I witnessed questionable hygiene practices in the restaurant—glasses and plates were rinsed with water only, without proper cleaning.

Reception and Check-In Delays: Despite arriving later than the official check-in time, it still took nearly an hour to complete the registration and receive the room key.

Food Variety: Breakfast was monotonous, with the same items offered every single day.

Unsafe Flooring: The tiles and marble used throughout the hotel, both indoors and outdoors, were extremely slippery—especially when wet. It was difficult and even risky to walk on them.

Renovation During High Season: Renovation work was ongoing in the hotel corridors during our stay. The smell and dust were unpleasant, and it's unclear why this wasn’t done during the off-season. In the mornings, the garden service was active with loud equipment, disturbing the peace.

Unfair Behavior at Children's Face-Art Activity There was a queue for face painting for children, and we had ticket number 20. A family approached without a number, and the animator named Viktoria asked them where they were from. Upon hearing they were from Poland—her own country—she allowed them to take the spot of number 16, bypassing the queue entirely. This was very unfair, especially in front of other waiting children. Such behavior is disappointing and sets a poor example.

Overall Impression While the weather, sea, and child-friendly amenities were enjoyable, the experience at Pickalbatros White Beach was significantly overshadowed by poor service quality, aggressive tipping culture, beverage disappointment, and room/hygiene concerns. The constant upselling and lack of respect for personal space and guest comfort made the stay far less relaxing than expected. Sadly, I would not recommend this hotel unless major...