Sierra Resort Hotel

Great Hotel

by UKGrant23 about Sierra Hotel

Very nice 4 start hotel. It was clean, with friendly staff and good food. Our room was spacious and had satellite TV, a fridge and air conditioning. The pool was great and it had the all important pool bar. We felt extremely safe staying here as we had security on all entrances and we would have our bags searched at two points before we could even get into our complex.

lovely holiday fab time

by A TripAdvisor Member

Ive just returned from the sierra resort with my family and have to say what a lovely hotel,very clean pool, most of the staff were great, food was a little boring but ok.
We are all hopefully going back next year but for two weeks this time and cant wait.
If you like a little action go on the quad bikes great fun.
Weather was really lovely,anyone not sure whether to go to egypt or not give it a try you will love it.

Getting to know Africa - Part 1 Books

by tampa_shawn

To say Africa is complicated and varied is an understatement. I think everyone should have some understanding of this continent, its history and its issues.

I’ve read quite a few books about Africa and many were just OK (despite some of them being widely acclaimed). However, there are a few that I thought were amazing. I am listing them in the approximate order of how much I liked them and how relevant they are. Despite my poor reviews on some of these - pretty much everything in this list is award winning and will be in most libraries.

A Long Way Gone Memories of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah – Amazing story told by a boy in Sierra Leon during the war. The story starts when Ishmael is only 12 years old and covers his time as a solider and his eventual escape.

The White Masai by Corinne Hofmann – A true story about a Swiss business women who falls in love with a Masai warrior who is still living the traditional lifestyle in a TINY hut with his mother. This woman actually moves in with her Masai and his mom, marries him and has his child. There is also a sequel titled Reunion in Barsaloi (Hardcover) that has been translated into English. There is a movie too but it hasn’t been released in the US or in English.

Waiting for the Rain by Sheila Gordon – A fictional story of the friendship of a black and white book in apartheid South Africa and how that friendship changes due to apartheid. However, much of the story closely follows the events that happened in the Soweto township in Johannesburg South Africa during the height of the anti apartheid riots (1970’s). The book covers the many of the people and events that helped lead to the end of Apartheid. In fact, the book so closely follows the events found in the Hector Pieterson Museum (13 year old Hector was shot by a policeman in 1976 and thought to be the symbol of this time) that I had to check to make sure it was fictional when I came back to the US of A. Gives a great personal story and explanation of this complicated time.

Excellant!!!!!

by A TripAdvisor Member

We have just returned from 2 weeks at the Sierra hotel and we were sad to leave!!! We did this holiday by accident ( literally!) as I broke my arm skiing back in January. We didnt want the canary islands so decided to give Egypt a try. We couldnt have been more pleasantly surprised. The staff are excellant, friendly and very helpful. One in particular for us is Alexander (Maged). He was so professional in every way and took the time to get to know you. He is an assett to the Sierra Hotel! The room was nice with a pool view and the hotel was spotless.
To tell you that we enjoyed it so much is an understatement so we are going back in September. The food is very good albeit a bit repetitive in the 2nd week. The alcohol is o.k but local stuff, the beer is Sakara and is o.k but you can only get this in the pool bar on draught. In the main bar it is stella (not the english version) in cans and not that good!
The quads were experienced by my husband and a lovely girl called Kirsty!! and for £20.00 it is well worth it through Gino Safari.
We loved Naama bay and went out 3 nights to experience the resort. The mexican bar served good food but the Thai restaurant was not too good! For a bacardi and coke and a beer it was working out to be about £5.00. Stay clear of the Camel Bar who charge £7.00 for the same drinks.
I was a little nervous about going into Naama bay but I neednt have worried . The resort is well secured by police and I felt totally safe.
We also met a lovely mum and daughter called Pam and Kirsty. Pam loved the wine and Kirsty loved the vodka!! Oh by the way Pam we got a flight with Ryan air to Egypt for next year!!!!
We also did a boat trip with the dive centre at the sister hotel the Savoy. This was excellant and a great day out with a great lunch. Owing to me breaking my arm I couldnt dive but I snorkelled and saw as much from the surface. It was like a tropical fish tank!
All in all one of the best holidays we have ever had. Thanks Sierra and keep up the great work you all do!!!!

Total relaxation

by TripAdvisor Member SteveMichelle

We stayed at the Sierra for one week, it was lovely, really relaxing a total chill out for us, the staff were really friendly (they love it if you try to speak a little of their language), the food was nice, rooms comfortable and clean. Pool lovely, we thought a bit too cold at first but soon realised why, you need to dip in to cool down, the sun shines from 7 a.m til 7 p.m not a cloud to be seen. We used walk down to the beach (access via the right hand side of the Savoy hotel or you can walk through Savoy) You can take towel cards to beach there is a towel desk there, you can also get bus from sierra to beach (free) but we quite enjoyed the walk. The fish you can see from the pontoon are amazing, you don,t even have to go in to see them, cold drinks are available for sierra guests at beach bar on right hand side of beach as you look out to sea. As you walk out the back of Sierra Hotel if you turn left there are a couple of supermarkets where you can buy water etc.
This hotel is great for relaxing, the evening entertainment is not up to much really, there is a singer in the lobby bar 6 nights but it does get a bit repetative. Naama Bay is worth a visit and you just need to go to conceirge to book it, best to do the day before. Make sure you take plenty of insect repellant and cream if you get bitten, we got quite a lot of bites which was a bit annoying. All in all we had a great time and really enjoyed it. Michelle and Steve

great place to stay

by TripAdvisor Member waddie66

we have just return from a week at the sierra and loved every minute of it from the moment we arrived the staff where fantastic they could not do enough for you, the food was pretty good tasted nice but a bit repeditive, rooms nice and clean. The airport is quite near but did'nt really bother anyone the only small complaint you could have was evening entertaiment the same singer every night which would have got right on my nerves if i was there for 2 weeks
But over all we were sad to leave a great holiday

IGNORE ALL THE BAD REVIEWS!!

by TripAdvisor Member Jeanette44

What ever you do - ignore any of the bad comments you have read about this hotel! I went on my own for two weeks, and couldn't have made a better choice. Every part of the hotel is spotlessly clean. The rooms are well decorated, light and airy and the bathroom always well stocked. Each room has a fridge with freezer space, and free safety deposit box. Plenty of storage and wardrobe space and clean towels and bedding every day.
The hotel is set in the most beautiful and colourful gardens. The pool areas are very attractive, plenty of sunloungers (with free towels), although as has been written before, the music can get a tad repetitive. Having said that, with a good book or an iPod, you don't even notice! The hotel is close to the airport, so be in no doubt that there is a degree of noise from it, but I can say in all honesty, it only becomes a problem if you let it. It didn't bother me in the slightest, and I even went on the roof terrace to do a bit of plane spotting!
The food is freshly cooked before your very eyes, and the serving dishes are always being replenished. In addition to the salad bar, there is a wide choice of hot dishes at every meal, fish, meat and chicken, rice, pasta, couscous and different vegetables. I wouldn't expect to get a 'full english' or steak pie in Egypt, but if that's what you're after, you may be disappointed.
The A/Inc bar was tremendous (local spirits & mixers/cocktails/beer) - very generous measures to say the least, and a few pounds tip at the start of the holiday makes sure that you are well served!! The bar service in the dining room was a tad less efficient, but a two minute wait for a glass of wine isn't so bad, is it?
The beach is a five minute stroll away (or use the free bus every 30 mins), through the grounds of Sierra's sister hotel, The Savoy. Lots of eating places and bars in the Savoy if you fancy a bit of a mooch and a change of scenery (not part of the A/Inc).
The staff were all very pleasant and attentive, and nothing is too much trouble for them.
I could go on, but won't for fear of being boring. If you're thinking of booking a holiday at the Sierra, do it - you won't be disappointed!!
If I can give just one piece of advise, I don't know if it was just at the Sierra (I doubt it very much), but a lot of people had a lot of mozzy bites, so, if you're prone to bites, make sure you have plenty of repellant with you.

Excellent value for money!

by A TripAdvisor Member

After reading all the reviews on here I was quite confident that the Sierra was a good choice when booking but was still slightly apprehensive prior to the stay - there was no reason to be!
The hotels was fantastic - spotlessly clean (everywhere was constantly being cleaned from morning until night). The food was good as far as All Inclusive goes - you are able to see it being cooked in front of you. A wide selection of meat, veg, pasta, salad available daily at lunch and dinner with pizzas made to order. At breakfast the omelettes shouldn't be missed!
The swimming pool was lovely to look at but quite cold - a perfect way to cool down from the heat. While round the pool you don't need to move - the waiters will bring drinks to you - giving the holiday a little luxury.
The rooms were clean although I was annoyed with our cleaner who was continuously telling us about hus family in Cairo and young baby (basically begging for us to tip him!) This was fine at the beginning of the holiday but was really irritating by the end of the week and made us want to avoid going up to the room during the day.
The beach at the Savoy was really nice and the AI bands were valid for drinks at the Sierra bar.
We were at the hotel when the bomb's went off in Dahab and the hotel communicated the news to all guests by letter explaining what had happened and putting everyone's mind at rest.
The bus service to Naama bay was excellent (cost of ten egyptian pounds - £1 GBP) and was much less intimidating than getting a taxi to the bay. Many guests were ripped of by taxi drivers - basically agree the price before you leave and 50 Egyptian is more than enough to the bay (£5 GBP) - anymore and you are being ripped off.
The nightlife was bland - the same miserable singer in the Lobby bar each night but you can soon zone her out once the wine begins to work. The vodka tasted more like Tequila to me but the wine and beer were fine.
All in all I really couldn't fault the hotel - it was fantastic value for money and I would definitely consider returning for another relaxing break!

Egypt

by UKGrant23

"Sharm El Sheikh"

We went to Sharm El Sheikh for a week's holiday in the summer sun. With temperatures at 40 degrees and not a cloud in the sky, we had a great time. We stayed in the Sierra Hotel, close to Naama Bay. The Hotel was nice with a great pool and the all important pool bar. We also had access to the Savoy Hotel, who it was run by, and we could you their private beach, which was excellent for snorkelling as various jetties took you out to the coral which contained all kinds of different fish.

"Cairo"

We spent a full day in Cairo to see all the sites. It was an hour's plane trip from Sharm, and we were met by our own personal guide who took us to the Egyptian Museum. Here we saw the tomb of Tutankhamen and his treasures, as well as some real life mummies. We then went for some lunch on a cruise ship on the River Nile. After that we were off to the magical pyramids of Giza. We went inside the 2nd largest which was great, although a tight squeeze and not for the clostrophobic type. The Egyptian Government have increased the charge to get inside the Grand Pyramid in an effort to reduce internal damage. We also saw the Sphinx which is on the same site. We then decided to hire a small sail boat for an hour to cruise around the Nile, before topping the day off with a bit of shopping around the market for some bargain souvenires. Cairo is somewhere everyone should get the opportunity to visit and I'd go back again.

"Snorkelling on the Red Sea"

The snorkelling on the Red Sea was fantastic and there was a large variety of fish. I bought a mask with flippers from a shop in Naama Bay for about £2.50 GBP, and then I was free to snorkel off the many jetties which take you out to the coral.