SUNRISE Arabian Beach Resort — Hotel in South Sinai

Bare with on what’s probably a long review! Will try to be as balanced as possible. ||||We travelled as a family of 7, including twin babies who had just turned 1 a few days before we arrived, and a 7 year old. ||||We booked 2 x posh club swim up suites, with the view that we would spend our time at the swim up pool which is what we prefer as a family, ||||In summary - I thought that ‘posh club’ would give me something a step above a 5 star experience. In reality the posh club just about met the standard of other 5* resorts have stayed in throughout Egypt- had we have not been in the posh club I would have left and changed hotels.||||Positives- ||-Perks of the posh club- the a la carte style breakfast/lunch available at the posh club was a welcome change after the carnage of the main buffet! ||-Free Laundry- Ibrahim was an absolute angel and to be honest made my holiday. Coming home with only the traveling clothes to wash as a big family was magical! ||-The grounds are absolutely beautiful, and the staff are constantly working so hard to maintain the aesthetic of the hotel||- We saw numerous management walk arounds, which seemed very focused on the cleanliness of the hotel areas. We witnessed them taking photos of areas not upto standard which must be used to feedback to staff. ||- when I raised concerns to staff, things were addressed/ corrected (Anna posh club manager was lovely)- however I can’t get past the point that these things should have never occurred in a 5 star hotel (it should not be normal to see a mouldy cot mattress and think that is ok to continue to put into a cot and put a sheet on!) ||- Al la carte restaurants (which as a family we don’t usually use or rate were actually very nice - the only one we didn’t go to was the Italian as we were abit pasta’d out after having it most lunchtimes ||- lunchtime canapés at the posh club were great||- the posh club manager allowed me to take my lunch to our room, as my babies were often napping which allowed the rest of my family to carry on and me stay at the room and still get to eat which I’m really thankful for||-staff at posh club ordered us a mc Donald’s delivery which was great for an evening snack ||- little row of shops outside the hotel was great for a change of scenery/ camel ride and souvenirs ||- parasailing from the dive centre was great- yes more expensive than if we would have gone with a tour operator from outside the hotel but for the continence of going from the hotel jetty and not having to get taxis to go to another location we didn’t mind. 4 of us went (2 doubles 150kg weight limit per double) and we paid £25 each in English money||- posh club transfer back to the airport was great and picked us up from right outside the room, the manager even came to say goodbye and gave us all some posh club freebies ||-on site shisha lounge was nice, we paid £10 for each shisha ||- none of us got poorly or upset stomachs, which is always a worry of mine! ||||Negatives-||-Ahead of time, both our agent and myself emailed ahead with specific requests for our room, main ones being no alcohol in the rooms and the bed arrangements for both rooms including the requirements for the babies as were were arriving at around 11pm and wanted to get the children straight to bed. Emails were responded to acknowledging these requests, but on arrival the rooms were not prepared with the correct configurations of beds/cots and we had to ask for the alcohol to be removed from both rooms||- we were not checked in at posh club as advertised ||- we were told on several occasions to catch the resort bus and were not taken by golf buggy ||- I had to strip the sheets from a cot as they got wet, and was horrified to find the mattress was completely covered in mould and dirt - checked the other one and it was the same ||- the main buffet restaurant was absolutely horrendous- chaotic- busy- not enough tables. We ate there for the first 2 days breakfast/ lunch before I couldn’t go back in there. Everytime we went we asked multiple times for drinks which never arrived, small spoons so I could feed the children and ended up chasing waiters around trying to get requested items. The outside bbq/ pasta areas are fine, but you do wait quite a while as there is generally only one chef per area which meant our family ate every meal all at staggered times as people arrived back with their food- one of the days my husband waited 25 minutes to get one dish of pasta by which time we had all finished||- taxi firm In the hotel refused to give us a price upfront for a taxi, made us wait until the taxi arrived and then tried to extort us with a price quadruple what it should have been. We refused the taxi and got one via Indrive and then the Indrive driver was interrogated and asked how much he was charging us when he arrived- very intimidating behaviour by the actual hotel staff! ||- served drinks at the posh club in glasses that were chipped and broken (they did apologise, but it’s just not the standard I’m used to for a 5* resort)||- staff on their phones ALOT ||- we were asked several times to leave specific individuals reviews .. which having read other reviews now makes sense that it seems certain Individuals get a flurry of reviews mentioning them (we were even told to take a photo with someone for the review)||- I generally found people were just not helpful- and didn’t go out of their way to make any of us feel seen for example a staff member cleaning right next to a door that had no interest in helping me open and hold the door as I struggled through with a double pram. I actually found other families around the resort more helpful than staff||- on the 3rd day of eating breakfast & lunch at posh club and feeding my babies in their pram I asked for high chairs. To be honest - the fact the staff had watched me struggle to feed the babies for 3 days without one of them having the notion to offer me a high chair or use their initiative to go and get 2 high chairs as there were children using their facility for a week baffles me. When the high chairs arrived, one was broken and unsafe. When raised, yes, they changed it straight away- however it should never have been in circulation and shouldn’t have been brought out expecting me to put my baby into it ||-no baby changing facilities in posh club (totally understand the funny looks from people as I was changing my baby on the sofa ! I’m pretty sure the vibe posh club is going for is adults only, however if not advertised as adults only it really needs to be set up for the families accessing and using the facilities) ||- we were not offered drinks at our swim up pool until half way through the holiday when we raised this with the manager after which every now and then someone arrived with drinks and canapés ||- one of the cots was broken (hinge had no screws in it so the sides of the cot were not joined and could be prised apart) it was fixed on the evening once reported, however another example of what has become ‘normal’ to set up in a room for a family. I’ll add in a photo of the cots, as I tried to find this out before coming as I like to know what equipment I’m arriving to||knowing you are putting out dangerous equipment||- general standard of English was quite poor, we often had random items of food arriving that we hadn’t ordered and items we had ordered missing||- I think the whole ‘private butler’ is abit of a gimic. In reality, you get somebody’s WhatsApp number who you can contact. Ours took quite a while to ever reply, despite being on his phone everytime we saw him out and about. I did raise this to the manager, as I did atleast expect him to physically come over and say hello each day and ask us if we needed anything.. we were never offered any additional things like unpacking/packing services / booking of restaurants - restaurants were booked by the posh club manager when we asked the day after arriving. It’s a shame as I think it’s a really good concept - or maybe we just were unlucky! ||- lots of steps, everywhere! Other than the outside loop around the perimeter of the hotel (which is mega steep!) there actually wasn’t anywhere I could walk with the pram as every area of the resort has steps||-one of the restaurants (waterfall) is right in the centre of the resort. Posh club dropped us off via buggy and then said it’s down the stairs (was about 3 flights of stairs and completely inaccessible - no idea what somebody in a wheelchair would do as the guy who dropped us just said no and looked at me blankly when I asked how I could get there without the stairs) ||- the swim up room at posh club is split level, with two steps down from the main bed to the sofa area which leads out to the pool. Aesthetically cute, but 2 steps onto a marble/tiled floor with 2 crawling babies was a nightmare! We actually ended up moving the sofa to block the stairs as it was the only way we could relax, and this really annoyed the cleaner who moved it back each day. Maybe he hadn’t got children, but he just couldn’t understand why we were moving it even when we let him watch one of the babies go straight for the steps and wobble! ||- coffee is out of a machine, was glad to get a costa fix on arrival home this morning!||- we all got absolutely bitten alive by mosquitoes- we’ve never suffered this badly before- maybe it’s just the time of year? We saw in previous hotels the guys going around with the mist which kills them which we didn’t see here, so not sure if that’s contributed to the amount there ||||All in all, it really was a disappointing stay. I’m not really sure how it’s maintaining such good ratings on here or especially how people staying not in posh club are happy with the resort as a 5*. Last year we stayed at Steigenberger Alcazar, and honestly it was far superior to...

We stayed at the Posh Club - a mini resort within the Sunrise Arabian Beach resort - for 10 days in October and the whole holiday for my husband and I and our 9 year old daughter was absolutely exceptional. |Posh Club and resort overall:|The whole resort is in an areas of resorts in Sharm el Sheikh very close to the airport (10mins in a taxi) but once you are onsite with all the landscaping and lovely views, it does not feel like you are in a 'resort' area at all. |If you are after a very relaxing, peaceful all inclusive resort break with some snorkelling and amazing service, with a stay at the Posh Club you almost don't need to venture into the rest of the wider resort. You can settle in by the separate private Posh Club pool and order drinks and food to your cabana via WhatsApp. In the evenings, the private bar has a 'members club' vibe and there is a very well stocked fridge cabinet with a great variety of substantial snacks to helpful yourself from anytime. It feels boutique, exclusive and really quite luxurious. The resort overall is large and on a slope so there is a very regular little bus service which never had to wait more than 5mins for to take you everywhere. |Food & Drink:|The Posh Club has a great breakfast menu and its own lunch menu, all great, plus you can request food from any of the other restaurants at Sunrise via the WhatsApp concierge to be delivered to you, so no need to leave your poolside cabana at all! You will find many food options in the larger resort, we particularly enjoyed the Mai Thai and Manohar restaurants but the food in the main buffet, Nora, was also fantastic. The team in Manohar even made a birthday cake and sang with balloons for our daughter which she loved. The offerings for kids in the restaurants are quite limited, nuggets, burgers, pasta etc, but Nora has a Kids Station with a lot more variety, beautifully presented and on server units all at kid height! There is generally really good variety all round so no one needs to go hungry. Chefs will also cater to dietary restrictions, you just need to ask. The selection of alcohol is more extensive at the Posh Club than in the main resort, they have imported beer and spirits but do not expect a huge range, it is not really needed as there is plenty available but this is not a location for complex cocktails or expensive varieties of champagne. |Room:|We stayed in a ground floor Executive Suite with a sea view and it was very spacious even with an additional bed for our daughter (free of charge) and was cleaned spotlessly daily by Elsayed from the housekeeping team, providing elaborate towel 'art' every day to the delight of our daughter! The room had very good A/C for the hot days and was very quiet with no noise from neighbouring rooms (even though there were young kids on both sides we never heard them at all). The housekeeping team also provide an excellent laundry service, it was great to come home with cleaned, ironed clothes to unpack. There was a huge shower with many jets and very comfortable jacuzzi bath tub, which we all enjoyed.|Beach and snorkelling:|We chose this resort as you could snorkel off the beach and it was really fantastic. There is a roped off area with tethered buoys and rings to swim to to get different views plus very attentive life guards. You can also walk directly off the beach into a shallow area where you can see lots of fish but the section of house reef reached off the hotel jetty is like swimming in an aquarium! On one of the days the sea was a bit choppy but it was still possible to snorkel, but choppier days are better for more confident swimmers. The Posh Club is based at the bottom of the resort so has the shortest walk to the beach, it is literally just over some grass opposite the pool. You can book a beach cabana and they include a mini fridge and waiter service. The booking is free if you are with Posh Club and there is a small charge if you are not. There are loads of sun loungers everywhere, surrounded by flowers or next to the kids play area and the beach never felt crowded. Soft lovely sand for younger kids too. |Spa and Beauty:|Josephine in the Sunset Spa was a brilliant masseuse, she was meticulous in providing a great treatment and it was very relaxing. There is also a sauna and steam room which are free to use as well as an indoor pool (n.b. kids are not allowed in the spa). We all had pedicures at the beauty room, my husband and I had a great treatments sorting out feet and toenails but the manicure for my daughter was a bit lacking, one of her nail polishes just melted off in the sea the same day and they didn't trim her nails at all, so this was a bit substandard. The sales tactics by the sales people for the beauty room and spa (which only operate around the main pool not at the Posh Club) are quite persistent, so while the massage was excellent, the hustle to book us wasn't great. |Wide Sharm area:|We took a resort driver out into Sharm to sea the 'old market'...it is not an old market, it is a lot of shops selling the same t-shirts and tourist souvenirs in each one. So, skip it, it is not worth the trip, however the mosque was really lovely to go inside and see. We had been recommended the Farsha Café, another one to skip unless you are happy to queue with a load of twenty-something influencers and stand cheek to cheek with them in a crowded bar. We went literally next door to the Blue Café and had the same lovely sunset view as Farsha but had a sofa area to ourselves, it was really nice. |Staff:|The Posh Club staff could not have been more helpful, pleasant and professional. Notably, the Posh Club manager Hanna Nikalayeva is a most courteous, warm and welcoming presence, she has the Posh Club running like clockwork and nothing is too much trouble. For example we did a day trip to Cairo and Hanna arranged breakfast boxes for us as we had an early start. We felt exceptionally well looked after at all times. Patricia on the main team looked after everyone incredibly well, delivering multiple things to multiple locations all at the same time, she was aways smiling and memorised all our preferences from day one. Eslam looked after the whole Posh Club pool area, diligently cleaning, providing fresh towels and tending to everything while always being unfailingly polite and helpful.|In summary: |We would highly recommend booking the Posh Club at Sunrise Arabian Beach resort, it was the best holiday we have had in a very long time. We relaxed, had fun, some adventure and a proper family break all the time feeling well looked after, safe and cared for. We will absolutely be returning, it is our new...

I have just returned from a 7 night stay at Sunrise Arabian, and I would agree with other reviewers that it is more of a 4* Hotel than 5*. I will begin by saying that Ehab by the relaxing pool/Waterfall restaurant is an absolute asset to their team. He provided 10/10 service every day, would always be chatting and joking with us with a smile on his face, a true highlight of the holiday. However, one main issue I did not like was the rudeness/dismissive attitude I had from some staff, especially in reception, when trying to ask basic questions.

Food: Indian is by far the best A La Carte restaurant, ate there twice. Other A La Carte restaurants don't have very good food. Didn't try seafood as menu was very expensive for poor looking food, sat in the Greek and asked for a vegetarian main to which they said no so we left, whereas the Mongolian went above and beyond for catering for vegetarians. My partner did get mild food poisoning from the Mongolian restaurant however, we would've otherwise gone back as it was tasty. Buffet for breakfast is alright, warmed croissants and fresh omelettes are all we had as the rest was normal buffet food and wanted to play it safe. They tend to make the same thing for lunch and dinner (besides a couple of themed things for the evenings - such as kebab meats or more fish etc), so it does get very repetitive. Struggled asking for specific things at the pasta bar sometimes due to the language barrier. Beach restaurant for lunch was RUBBISH. First time they forgot to put our order in so were sat for 15 mins before asking where the food was. Under cooked, stodgy pizza. They have a proper pizza oven so I don't know why it's no better? Second time I ordered the veggie sandwich and was given a sandwich with chicken in! Told them and after a 10 minute wait we left. We didn't try breakfast here due to these experiences. Also don't like all the QR codes for menus or information. Understand it's easier for them but why does everything have to be online?

Drinks: Cheap alcohol, rum tastes like paint remover. Inconsistent recipes for some cocktails, some loads of alcohol, some too sweet/sugary. Soft drinks from a bottle so flat. Beer okay. House wine is okay too. Ehab was fab though at making drinks by the relaxing pool.

Pools: Top/bigger pool has lots of kids, lively, loud, music, and water activities. Guys at the pool bar don't seem very interested in serving you. Too loud for us. Relaxing pool (next to our room) is much better but sometimes too quiet as no ambience or low level music. Bar staff are 10/10 here though (Ehab).

Beach: Busy, after 9:30am lucky to get sunbed in shade. Louder with music, kids running around though. Lots of people trying to sell trips, diving, or spa, every 30 mins or so. Some groups of guests very loud and get very close to you when trying to relax, one family were so close their daughter literally sat on my partners sunbed when he got up to get a drink!

Entertainment: Lacking on the entertainment. No music by bars until 8pm so if you want a drink before dinner you have to sit in quiet/only chit chat. Have live music intermittently during breakfast and dinner though. Didn't go to the roman theatre because it seemed more for kids. Taal Avenue was absolutely rubbish, would not recommend. 10 mins on a coach, do not have water anywhere, rubbish 'cocktails', cardboard popcorn, all other treats you have to pay extra for (but it's all laid out to take), can only come back on the coach at 11pm but we were bored by 10pm so got a taxi back.

Room: Upgraded to the superior double with sea view. Nice and spacious. No complaints other than sometimes not cleaned properly, sand/dirt just swept into the corner rather than removed properly so gets redistributed whilst you're in the room. Air con stopped working one afternoon and it took us constantly asking reception 4 or 5 times over about 5 hours to make sure it got fixed before we slept, which it did, eventually.

Overall, we did enjoy our stay besides the points above, but would not choose to come back to this hotel...