A Mixed Bag: Our Experience at the Tropitel Sahl Hasheesh Hotel

We've been traveling to Egypt for years now, and we've got it down to a science. We book our own flights, take taxis for transfers, and switch hotels every 3-4 days to keep things fresh.

We spent 4 days at the Tropitel Sahl Hasheesh hotel in May 2021, and it was a great experience – but only for a short stay. Let's break it down:

The room was a highlight – it was huge, with a massive bathroom and a spacious room. But the view of the water park instead of the sea was a bummer for us, since we love gazing out at the ocean.

The food was top-notch, with plenty of options to suit every taste. Our son even learned to love fish after trying it on the grill at the hotel's dinner – he's never been a big fan, but he fell head over heels for it.

The hotel's grounds are small but well-maintained, with a few winding paths that take you through the grass. And the grass is seriously perfect.

The area itself is lovely, with a nice path, beautiful fountains, and a public pier. We took an electric car and drove along the seafront, which has stunning views and some amazing photo ops.

We're huge fans of Egypt, and for us, it's all about the sea. We love the clean water, the rich underwater world, and the interesting marine life. That's why we choose hotels with good reefs. Tropitel has a reef, but it's not easy to access, even in calm waters. The pier is closed, and you have to swim in the sandy lagoon. It's actually kind of fun, and you can see some interesting creatures – but for us, it was a total letdown. The pontoon is the problem – it's floating at the end, so even in small waves, it's hard to get in the water. If we'd had a normal pontoon, we'd have been swimming every day, even in windy weather. But I'd recommend choosing hotels with bays for windy days.

When it comes to value for money, we book hotels on [link] – only hotels, no transfers or flights. Sometimes there's insurance, sometimes not. Tropitel was the most expensive during our trip, at 6800 rubles per night for three of us, all-inclusive. The cheapest hotel we booked during that trip was 3000 rubles. And, guess what? It had a bay, so we could swim in any weather.

Sure, Tropitel is a great hotel – but it's not the best fit for us. Of course, that's not a problem for everyone. Some people don't dive or swim in the pool – we're not those people, though – we love the sea. And you can still swim in the lagoon, even if it's not the best experience.