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 | |  |  | Renaissance Alexandria Egypt: private beach not so private Compare Rates NEW! | Satisfaction:   |  |  | |  |
We stayed at Renaissance Mariott in Alexandria originally for 3 days which we shortened to 2, in mid August at the height of the holiday season for Egyptians. The hotel is fine, the rooms are a bit small, but quite confortable. The service is quite good too except for the reception (see below). Nothing to complain about, except that the hotel is really cold. We were the only customers who were non Arabic and therefore not veiled and fully clothed. The temperature is probably adapted to the main clientele, which seem to be from other Arabic countries and Egyptian. Not to complain about it, in Rome do as Romans do, and I have to admit that we were really idiots not to have thought about it, but we didn't even try the private beach and the swimming pool since all the women were in the water fully clothed and we only had our skimpy bikinis and would have been the equivalent of "soft porn". A bit of a disappointment since the reason we went to Alexandria was to enjoy the nice weather and the beach after hot and dry Luxor and very polluted Cairo. We did hear that the beach resorts in the suburbs of Alexandria are more "Western" and you can actually wear a bathing suit without feeling paranoid.
We did have wonderful seafood but not at the hotel (see restaurant tips).
As for archeological sights there really aren't any of interest compared to all the rest in Egypt, and the Museum was closed so we didn't even get to see that. The only thing we saw was the Catacombs. Not worth going to Alexandria for.
The views on the sea and the city are OK, but I've seen better Mediterranean views in the South of France and Greece and Italy and Spain. The hotel is way too cold and the food is average.
The only real complaint we had with the hotel was the slowness of the reception. We had taken the night train from Luxor to Cairo and driven straight to Alexandria, which the travel agent had said was 2 hours, but was actually closer to 4. So were pretty exhausted on arrival at the hotel. We had to wait another 2 hours for the room, and the receptionist was not even apologetic about the wait. Although to be fair, Egypt is not a place to be in a hurry. Same thing at check-out. They took for ever to check the mini-bar and give us the bill.
Overall, not worth the expense of going to Alexandria and staying in a Marriott. Theme: HotelPrice: US$120-180 » Currency ConverterComparison: more expensive than averageAddress: 544 Ave El Geish At Sidi BishrPhone: 20-3-549-0935Map: Renaissance Alexandria Egypt
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| | | | Renaissance Alexandria Egypt: Renaissance Alex Pics Compare Rates NEW! | Satisfaction: | | | | |
Awesome. Stayed here this past July on a whim during a break from Cairo (spent several months in Egypt) after briefly researching hotels online, finding this hotel happened to have the cheapest rates and seemed near to the beach. An older version of Fodor's described this hotel under its previous management (Ramada I believe) as being a disastrous mess with these bells that sounded like air-raid sirens. Very wrong.
Hotel was totally renovated in 2004, and is GORGEOUS with all the amenities. Hotel staff, like most staff in Egypt, is incredibly helpful and hospitable with excellent English skill. The hotel restaurants are pricey, as usual, as is the shop, so steer clear, but at least there is the convenience factor if you don't want to go out into the city. Also, awesome pool on the rooftop and wonderful, fully-equipped gym along with sauna, steam room, the works. All of which were totally EMPTY when I was there for some reason. Additionally, rooms are spacious, new and there is internet access, for a fee, surprise, surprise. You have to walk across the street to reach the hotel's PRIVATE strip of sand (substantial, with changing areas and bar and small restaurant, with towel boys and lifeguard). This was the winning feature for me on this hotel, as all I really looked to do was relax on the beach. You are sandwiched between other beach clubs, which are packed on either side, the Renaissance's lot is empty basically. Men will gawk at women though on the other side, so I stuck to a tee shirt over my swimsuit and it was a constant verbal battle between the lifeguard and men on the other strip of sand.
The downside? Location. It's out of the way, on Sidi Bishr, and about twenty minutes from the downtown and fifteen to the train station by taxi. You can stroll the Corniche at night which is buzzing like mad and there are numerous restaurants parallel to the beach, but not much compared to other parts of Alex. So, if you are looking for beach and relaxation and don't mind a hike into town, go for the Renaissance. Theme: HotelPrice: US$80-120 » Currency ConverterComparison: less expensive than averageAddress: 544 Ave El Geish At Sidi BishrPhone: 20-3-549-0935Map: Renaissance Alexandria Egypt
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| | | | Renaissance Alexandria Egypt: Excellent Surprise Compare Rates NEW! | Satisfaction: | | | | |
Stayed here this past July on a whim during a break from Cairo (spent several months in Egypt) after briefly researching hotels online, finding this hotel happened to have the cheapest rates and seemed near to the beach. An older version of Fodor's described this hotel under its previous management (Ramada I believe) as being a disastrous mess with these bells that sounded like air-raid sirens. Very wrong.
Hotel was totally renovated in 2004, and is GORGEOUS with all the amenities. Hotel staff, like most staff in Egypt, is incredibly helpful and hospitable with excellent English skill. The hotel restaurants are pricey, as usual, as is the shop, so steer clear, but at least there is the convenience factor if you don't want to go out into the city. Also, awesome pool on the rooftop and wonderful, fully-equipped gym along with sauna, steam room, the works. All of which were totally EMPTY when I was there for some reason. Additionally, rooms are spacious, new and there is internet access, for a fee, surprise, surprise. You have to walk across the street to reach the hotel's PRIVATE strip of sand (substantial, with changing areas and bar and small restaurant, with towel boys and lifeguard). This was the winning feature for me on this hotel, as all I really looked to do was relax on the beach. You are sandwiched between other beach clubs, which are packed on either side, the Renaissance's lot is empty basically. Men will gawk at women though on the other side, so I stuck to a tee shirt over my swimsuit and it was a constant verbal battle between the lifeguard and men on the other strip of sand.
The downside? Location. It's out of the way, on Sidi Bishr, and about twenty minutes from the downtown and fifteen to the train station by taxi. You can stroll the Corniche at night which is buzzing like mad and there are numerous restaurants parallel to the beach, but not much compared to other parts of Alex. So, if you are looking for beach and relaxation and don't mind a hike into town, go for the Renaissance. Theme: HotelPrice: US$80-120 » Currency ConverterComparison: less expensive than averageAddress: 544 Ave El Geish At Sidi BishrPhone: 20-3-549-0935Map: Renaissance Alexandria Egypt
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| | | | Sofitel Cecil: Decayed Charm on the Corniche Compare Rates NEW! | Satisfaction: | | | | |
It is a little run down, a little grubby....sort of like Alexandria, but I would never stay anywhere else. You can walk to th catacombs, the museums, and all the sites. The metro is about 2 streets away, the train station maybe 6 streets, and the Corniche is across the street. The food is good, the service excellent, and the location can not be beat. Top it off, if you are a World War II history buff, the Allied command was stationed there
You are walking distance from everything in Alex. The elevator, although touchy, is a great antique Theme: HotelPrice: US$80-120 » Currency ConverterComparison: about averageAddress: SAAD ZAGHLOUL SQUARE 16,ALEXANDRIA, Alexandria, AlPhone: 20-3-4877173
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