I had heard so much about the Movenpick Hotel in El Gouna and had high expectations. Such was my disappointment that I'm convinced many of the reviews on here have been submitted by hotel management themselves.

Here then is the REAL assessment. On entering the grand dome of the reception area I was left wondering why they have conspired to ruin what would be a truly superb area by having such a truly awful plastic type artificial window in the roof of the dome ? It's as if it's been stuck on with cellotape ! Then directly underneath it this large area is screaming out for a water fountain especially when temperatures are regulary 50 Centigrade.

Initial impressions are a let down BUT it gets worse. This is a huge hotel complex and I just cannot understand how the meticulous Swiss owners completely and 100% screwed up on the size of the swimming pools. The "main" one is just laughable. When we were there in July it was literally almost standing room only ! With kids leaping in and out and water volley ball there is practically no room to swim. In all my years of travelling this planet I've never encountered anything like it. Yes, just a few yards away there is a lagoon with sea water and the sea itself is just a few yards beyond that but many of us don't like swimming in the sea.

Last year I stayed in the Desert Rose Hotel Compex in Hurghada and it was far superior to Movenpick in El Gouna. Don't believe me go and take a look. It has 3 HUGE swimming pools giving you the space to enjoy yourself. It also has a huge lagoon opening out onto the sea with a superb bar in the middle looking out to the Red Sea.

The retail shops in the Movenpick (El Gouna)charge you well over the odds (on returning to the UK my sunglasses bought there fell to pieces) because of the huge rates demanded by the hotel itself.

The Marina itself in El Gouna was almost deserted on the 4 evenings we visited it and the restaurants charge London prices. Why is that so when labour costs are peanuts, building costs are peanuts and land is infinitely cheaper than the UK ? A fair solution would be for the restaurants to take the mid point from UK prices-Egyptian prices to set a pricing point and you know what ? instead of being mainly empty those restaurants would be thriving !

Also considered buying a villa in El Gouna but the prices are ridiculously high eg £196,000 for the White Villas overlooking a lagoon when Egypt is a Muslim country that could erupt into revolution at any moment. Then what ? I'll tell you, you would lose every last penny you've invested.With that being a very real possibility the prices shoud reflect this uncertainty and real degree of risk.

As for "Discover Egypt" I will never use them or Monarch Airlines again after a huge bust up at Luxor Airport for the return flight. I was informed our luggage was 10kilos over and I'd have to pay £80.00. I told them I'd spent all my money and they could invoice me for payment. They told me I had to pay there on the spot or we weren't getting on the plane ! In the ensuing fracas with Monarch Airline check in employees my fiance was manhandled and a punch up almsot broke out. Don't forget I'm a seasoned traveller and I've never, in all my years experienced such abysmal treatment before.I still have unresolved issues with the MD of Monarch Airlines concerning this incident and all I can say is his reaction to date has been that of a dodgy second hand car dealer.

I've been to Egypt 4 times previously and always had a good time but this latest episode just may have broken my love of the country. Certainly Monarch Airlines & Discover Egypt after years of loyalty from myself have now lost my custom. They are not to be trusted.

Can’t wait to go back. Excellent service, excellent staff, excellent food. Would recommend to all ages and couples or families.

What can I say? I have been to the Movenpick in El Gouna 3 times and am heading back for a 4th time in a couple of months and I cant wait. The hotel, facilities, staff, food and grounds are excellent. It now feels like a second home.

An amazing hotel with excellent facilities and lovely staff. The hotel is clean and tidy and the food is wonderful. The el Sayeden restaurant serves the best food I have ever eaten.

I took a group of five people from the Ukraine where I am currently working to the Movenpick Resort in El Gouna.

We had two rooms- 2 guys from the US and three women from the Ukraine.

Our package included breakfast dinner at Movenpick. The food was great, big variety of foods, great chefs, great service.

Movenpick is a terrific 5 star resort and has everything you want. Several restaurants, five swimming pools, a sea water swimming and recreation just off the beach and swimming and snorkling in the red sea.

In the evenings they have live entertainment under the stars in an open plaza area and the enterners were great.

The hotel has shops with reasonable prices to shop in, I am handicapped and walk with a cane and the hotel often took me to our room in there golf cart. The service was first class in everyway.

I recommend The Hut Seafood Restaurant on the beach in El Gouna for a great seafood dinner. The day we arrived we went into town to buy a few things and have lunch and we had crap, shrimp, seabass, salads, ice cream which is to die for, beer and soft drinks and juice, fantastic meal cooked to prefection. The Hut has a rustic look not fancy we ate on the beach under a thached roof to get out of the sun the food and service was fantastic all for about $26.00 US Dollars each.

The girls went into Hagardaha (not sure I spelled the name right)to shop and got some great gifts to bring back home.

We took the Interfit SAfari Bedowin Tour one day and it was fantastic. We rode camels, 4 wheel Quads, had lunch and dinner, saw interesting exhibits at two different bedowin camps. Essam Saleh who owns the Mega Safari is a great guy who has relatives in the Bedowin camps and I spent quite a bit of time visiting with him. I think the tour only cost us about $55.00 US Dollars per person which I think was a great value for what we received. They had smooking Hookah for those who smoke using a glass and water assortment, a reptile exhibit, a baking bread exhibit and a great powerful telescope to look up into the sky at planets. Great Tour.

We also took a bus tour to Cairo and Gaza Pyrmids which was great. I didn't do the walking tour into the museum but our group said it was great, to much walking for me at my age and physicial condition. They also went into a perfume factory and the girls bought perfumes, we stopped at a jewelery shop a big one and I bought one of the women who works for me a nice set of gold earings for $100 US dollars as a bonus for her hard work for our company. Very good guality. The Gaza Pyrmids where great, we rode the camels and had out picture taken on them, lots of fun and a great experience, the camel owners are truly great salesmen and lots of fun, our tour bus stopped at three locations and we had a great view of the three Pyrmids. Our group walked down to see the Spinx but it was too much of a walk for me. They served a great buffet lunch near the Spinkx in a outdoor restaurant. We left at 2AM and got back at 9PM in the evening. The bus stopped on bridge over the Nile river so we could take pictures which was nice of them. The Nile river is big and beautiful and very wide where the bridge crosses in Cairo.

One of our group discouvered gold on trip to Brazil and I bought six rounds 18 hole of golf at the El Gouna Golf Club. The El Gouna is not affiliated with any of the Hotels and it is a very nice first class golf course. I got to know Ali the Golf Pro and his assistant Sammy and they were both just great. The golf cost me $714.00 US Dollars including club rental and cart rental and buying golf balls everything. They have a great driving range and practice range for chipping and putting it is all first class.

We met an American Oil Man who has lived in Cairo for three years and he said El Gouna is the best resort city in all of Egypt and in his opinion Movenpick is the best resort.

The women went on the tour to Luxor and enjoyed it, I didn't go my american friend and I played our last round of golf that day.

Some of our group took the Glass Bottom boat tour one day while I was playing golf and said it was great.

You have internet at the hotel, in your room if you have a notebook computer or they have one computer in the lobby area you can use all for a fee.

My group from the Ukraine thought it was the best vacation place possible, and it was first class and compares highly with Hawaii or other places I have vacationed. In some ways better.

We booked through a Russian Tour company but I brought my personal assistant with me to translate like she always does for me at work in the Ukraine. She really enjoyed the nice vacation all expenses paid for just translating for me.

Our group ages where 20 something, thirty something, fourty something, and me and my US friend who are in our 60's.

I recommend a vacation in Egypt and Movenpick Resort in El Gouna.

This has to be the best hotel I've stayed in. Whilst Nothing can be perfect this came closer than any hotel I've ever been in.

Well, we have literally just returned from the Movenpick, El Gouna. The view over the pools to the sea from the lobby was out of this world. It was fantastic! Could not fault the hotel at all. Huge grounds and gardens and its right on the beach. Lots to do in daytime. Kite surfing, snorkelling, bike hire, health club, library, squash or just lazing about, like we did! Was 26 deg when we there and Feb meant to be worst month. Food fantastic. Never seen so much choice for breakfast. Great restaurants, especially the Sea Food and Thai. Staff really friendly and could not do enough for you with sincerity, not just out for a tip. Spotlessly clean everywhere. No litter at all and the public toilets immaculate all day. We were lucky enough to have a lagoon pool, sea view. Spectacular. The room was huge. Two queen sized beds and the biggest bathroom ever. The beds were changed at least twice in a week and fresh towels everyday. We had red roses left on our beds on Valentines Day! Shuttle bus to down town and Marina good, regular, cheap but slow and uncomfortable but can also use ticket for the shuttle boat too. We opted for the Tok Toks. A great experience! Mad drivers but only cost £1 and very fast. Hotel has 2 resident camels on the beach, which you can ride. Brilliant experience. All the pools fantastic but main pool unheated and freezing. Lagoon pool was gorgeous. Never a problem to get sun loungers and the fantastic pool staff bring mats to you and beach towels are free to use fresh daily. They even sweep the beaches every evening by hand! Spotless.
Only down side was not a lot of entertainment in the evening at the hotel but we were early season and the buffet restaurant caters more for Continentals in the evening but there is still plenty of choice. Movenpick ice cream is to die for! Easy to get to down town or Marina in the evening for a meal by Tok Tok or shuttle bus and they run till late. Recommend Bleu Bleu at the Marina or Kiki's Italian above Casino in Down Town. Two courses for two with wine and coffee about £20! Gets very chilly at night so need cardigan or jacket.
Went on trip out to Mahmaya Island. A brilliant day! Saw dolphins. Island had pure white sandy beach. Coral just off the beach where u could see all the colourful fish. Lovely buffet lunch provided. Lovely day.
We did not do it ourselves but the Luxor 2-day trip is meant to be amazing from what we heard. Have to be up at 4.30 am for 6-hour trip, stay over night and have hot air balloon ride early next day. Will do it next time.
We were not hassled at all by anyone except people hovering outside the toilets at Hurghada airport on our return. They wanted money in exchange for 2 pieces of toilet paper! There were signs to say no tipping. The toilets were filthy but the only dirty ones we saw. There are loads of tacky shops at the airport too where you may be ripped off. All in all, a fantastic holiday. Highly recommend the Movenpick. We will return!

The hotel staff were great as were the security amenities food and service prices are not cheap but you get what you pay for I will definitely return

We have been to this hotel for the last 2 years and are already planning to return next year. Excellent friendly service and a hassle free holiday

Stayed at Movenpick El Gouna-really superb time fabulous sea view room, excellent staff, wonderful food-very good Thai restaurant % not forgetting the SAYADIN restaurant-beat Egyptian coffee I ever had --honest!