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Hotel accommodation
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt regulates the accommodation facilities’ activities by means of issuing and prolonging the necessary licenses, and supervises the compliance with the standards of the services offered by hotels. All accommodation facilities undergo certification and are subsequently assigned a service category (1*-5*).
The DMC offers a wide range of hotels in Egypt which belong to various service and price categories. The hotels within one service category can belong to different price segments, and, consequently, their service options and the quality of service will differ proportionately to the price of accommodation.
Before booking a travel product, the tourists are recommended to study the information on the selected hotel at the tour operator’s website and at the hotel website, as well as on independent rating platforms and in specialized sources with travellers’ reviews. This will help the tourists form a comprehensive understanding of the quality and assortment of services in the preferred hotel.
Hotel accommodation
Beach bars, beach bars, open air bars and restaurants operate on a year-round basis.
Water parks operate all year round. During the winter season, there is no water heating in the water parks.
From November 15 to March 15 in the majority of hotels there is at least one heated outdoor pool. In some hotels, this service is offered only if the outside temperature drops below +23°C.
Air conditioning in hotels is available round-the-clock and on a year-round basis.
Hotel accommodation
When booking a travel product, tourists choose not only the hotel but also the room type (among the options available at the selected hotel). The popular accommodation options in a standard room include: SGL – single guest, DBL – two guests, and TRPL – three guests or 2 adult guests + 1 child. If a standard room with SGL or DBL accommodation options is booked, most hotels provide same standard rooms. A room which is designed for three guests (TRPL) can be (depending on the room capacity in a specific hotel) either a standard room with an extra bed which gets placed upon arrival or a larger room with the third bed which is part of the room’s basic configuration. In case of accommodating three guests (TRPL), an extra bed can be a normal bed, a sofa, or a European-style foldable bed.
When accommodating tourists with children up to 13 years old (2ADL+1CHD), the provision of an extra bed for the child is regulated by the hotel’s policy. In Egypt, there are three approaches towards providing an extra bed for children:
In case of booking the accommodation for two adult tourists and two children (2ADL+2CHD), it is necessary to additionally request information on whether extra beds can be provided to children in the selected hotel. Normally, such accommodation is possible in superior or family rooms.
Extra beds for children are defined by the hotel’s policy and can be a normal bed, a sofa, a European-style foldable bed, or a bunk bed.
In many hotels the rooms differ by their view or their location in a specific building on the hotel premises, for example:
Hotel accommodation
Upon the arrival at a hotel, the tourists are required to produce to the reception desk staff their hotel accommodation voucher. The provision of rooms of the booked categories is the responsibility of the hotels’ management. The opportunity of providing a room that meets the tourist’s requirements which are not included in the list of the declared features of the selected room type (such as floor number, distance from the sea/restaurant/elevator or twin beds) depends on the availability of free room capacity at the moment of the guests’ arrival at the hotel. The priority of providing a room which meets the tourists’ specific wishes is conditioned upon their reasonableness. For example, the priority of providing rooms located on lower floors in hotel buildings without elevators or with the minimal distance from the sea/restaurant/elevator is given to guests with limited mobility, elderly guests, and guests with children.
In case the tourists have complaints with regard to the quality of accommodation or hotel services, they are recommended to address the hotel guide.
Depending on a hotel’s policy, the provision of rooms takes place after 2:00 p.m. or after 3:00 p.m. The provision of rooms before the said time is up to the hotel management and depends on the availability of free room capacity. In order to be sure that the room will be provided before 3:00 p.m., the tourists shall book an additional day of staying at the hotel in advance.
The check-out takes place before 12:00 a.m. In case the guests return the keys with a delay, the hotel management may charge a penalty in the amount of the “late check-out” service price.
The opportunity of the room prolongation and the price of such a service can be checked at the hotel reception desk on the eve of the departure. In case free rooms are available at the hotel, and the hotel confirms such a service, the room can be prolonged up to 5:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m., depending on the hotel’s policy. Hotels do not guarantee the prolongation of the exact room where the guests were staying since the room in question can already be allocated for the accommodation of new guests. In such a case the hotel will provide another room. The only way of ensuring the room prolongation is by contacting the tour operator in advance with subsequent booking and paying an additional day of staying.
Hotel accommodation
The guest accommodation rates that are indicated in the agreement signed with the tour operator apply only to the citizens of the country in which this tour operator carries out its business activities. The price of accommodation of foreign citizens shall be requested by the tour operator at the DMC on an individual basis. In case the tour operator’s staff, the DMC’s staff or the hotel management reveal unreliable information on the tourist’s citizenship which was provided during the booking process, the price of accommodation for such tourist will be recalculated on the basis of the rate that apply for his or her country of citizenship, and the difference will be billed for payment in the booking documents or at the hotel reception desk, depending on the time when such an inconsistency was revealed. If the tourist refuses to pay the price difference, the accommodation will be denied, and the entire price of this tourist’s accommodation which was paid as part of the travel product will be withheld by the hotel management.
In case a room is booked for a citizen of the tour operator’s country of operation and a citizen of any other country who is going to travel to Egypt not from the tour operator’s country of operation, the price of accommodation shall be calculated on the basis of different rates.
The Egyptian laws prohibit accommodating in one room a foreign tourist and an Egyptian citizen of another sex unless they are officially married. At check-in, such couples will be required to produce their marriage certificate. In case the tourists are not officially married, they shall book two separate single rooms (SGL). However, if the hotel administration discovers that the two tourists actually live in the same room, the Egyptian citizen can be subject to early eviction.
As a rule, Egyptian hotels allow accommodating two male foreign citizens in one room, unless they are citizens of the countries that are members of the Arab League (Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, UAE, National Palestinian Autonomous Territories, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Somalia, Tunisia, Yemen). The possibility of accommodating in one room two male tourists who are citizens of Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and some other countries shall be checked upon request.
In Egyptian hotels, other rates apply for the accommodation and service provision for guests from the countries that are members of the Arab League. Notwithstanding the country from which a citizen of an Arab League state has arrived, the price of his or her accommodation in a hotel shall be calculated at the tariff that applies to his or her country of citizenship.
According to the Egyptian laws, the hotels are prohibited from serving alcoholic beverages within the All Inclusive and Ultra All Inclusive meal concepts to guests who are citizens of the Arab League countries. For such guests the Soft All Inclusive meal option applies. During the holy month of Ramadan, in all Egyptian hotels it is prohibited to serve and sell alcoholic products to citizens of countries that are members of the Arab League.
When booking a tour for a traveller with impaired mobility, it is important to select a hotel that has specially equipped rooms and the necessary infrastructure (ramps, electric lifts, specially adapted bathrooms, wider doorways, etc.). Many hotels feature no rooms for guests with impaired mobility or have only few of such rooms. In the majority of hotels, it is not allowed to book the accommodation of a tourist with impaired mobility without an accompanying person. When booking a tour, it is necessary to inform the DMC on the tourist’s need of being provided with a room with non-standard features, for discussing the opportunity of comfortably accommodating the tourist with the hotel management.
Hotel accommodation
When booking a tour, tourists can choose between the meal options that are offered by the selected hotel:
BB (Bed&Breakfast) – breakfast only;
НВ (Half Board) – breakfast and dinner;
FB (Full Board) – breakfast, lunch, and dinner;
AI (All Inclusive);
UAI (Ultra All Inclusive) – non-alcoholic beverages and snacks are available 24/7, unless otherwise provided for by the hotel’s concept).
In many Egyptian hotels, All Inclusive and Ultra All Inclusive meal options imply serving local alcoholic beverages only. Imported drinks are served for an extra charge. In hotels of a higher price and service category, such as Rixos and some Sunrise hotels, imported alcoholic beverages are served with no extra charge.
The rules of the provision of tourists with clean drinking water are determined by the hotel concept. In Egyptian hotels, there are 4 main approaches to providing drinking water:
Running water is not intended for drinking. For drinking and teeth-brushing purposes, bottled water should be used.
The working hours of restaurants and bars, their menu, and the assortment of foods and beverages are determined at the discretion of the hotel management. Hotels can modify the range of available services and the terms of their provision before the start of a new season or even during the current season if such changes do not affect essential conditions of the tourists’ stay.
In the lower season, the assortment of foods and beverages at hotels can be less varied, which is reflected in the price of accommodation that is included in the travel product.
Hotel accommodation
Hotels assume no responsibility for tour operators’ flight programs, including the schedule, delays, put-offs, etc. This rule applies both to the day of arrival and day of departure. Hotels perform no hourly recalculation of the price of accommodation in case of late check-in or early check-out. The stay in a hotel room and the meals according to the selected meal program are available for tourists starting from 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. of the first paid day. On the day of departure all the services become unavailable at 12:00 a.m. (midday), unless otherwise provided for by the hotel’s concept.
In case the check-in takes place after the working hours of the hotel’s main restaurant, individual meals are not provided. In the presence of numerous late check-ins (but not in the night time), hotels can prolong the working hours of their main restaurants for such guests or offer small snacks at the lobby bar or in the rooms. This is the hotels’ right, not their obligation. Such a service is offered for group check-ins only, i.e. when large groups of guests arrive. The unavailability of such service cannot be deemed as grounds for filing a complaint. Hotels with AI or UAI meal options serve night meals in their snack bars.
In the majority of the Egyptian hotels, breakfast is served starting from 7:00 a.m. Therefore, depending on the selected hotel’s policy, tourists who go on an excursion or leave for the airport after 7:00 a.m. are sure to have breakfast at the hotel. If an airport transfer or an excursion implies an early leave (before 7:00 a.m.), tourists shall contact the hotel reception in advance and request the provision of lunch boxes on that day. Depending on the hotel’s price category, UAI meal option may imply round-the-clock meals. Requests for the provision of lunch boxes can be either accepted or rejected at the discretion of the hotel management and depend on whether the hotel’s concept includes such a service. The unavailability of the “lunch box” service cannot be deemed as grounds for filing a complaint.
Hotel accommodation
A particular feature of the All Inclusive and Ultra All Inclusive meal options in Egyptian hotels is the availability of local alcoholic beverages only (unless otherwise is provided for by a hotel’s policy). Rixos hotels and some Sunrise hotels are the exception.
In Egypt, alcoholic beverages are commercialized through specialized shops only which have a liquor license and are quite numerous in tourist areas. The assortment of alcoholic beverages depends on the shop’s scale.
During the holy month of Ramadan, liquors in hotels and in restaurants and bars outside the hotels which have a corresponding license are served to foreigners with no restrictions. However, the sale of alcoholic beverages in specialized shops is totally prohibited not only during the month of Ramadan but also on Fridays throughout the year (on these days, the shops that sell alcoholic products are open only in tourist areas and sell goods only to foreigners).
Egyptian laws strictly prohibit consuming alcoholic beverages outside the hotels and catering places. It is not allowed to drink purchased beverages in the streets and in public areas other than catering places that have a liquor license. Purchased alcoholic beverages can be consumed on the hotels’ premises, in hotel rooms or in restaurants that have a liquor license. Not all the restaurants in Egyptian resort areas have such a license, so you should check this with a restaurant’s management.
Hotel accommodation
Upon arrival at the hotel, the tourists shall consult the list of free and extra services. Additional services shall be paid on the eve of leaving the hotel, before the transfer arrival.
In case of losing a towel, a towel card or a room key or damaging the hotel’s property, the hotel management may require paying a penalty in the amount to be determined according to the hotel’s pricelist.
If the room’s basic configuration includes a mini bar, its contents are offered for an extra charge, unless otherwise provided for by the hotel’s policy.
In the majority of Egyptian hotels, Wi-Fi is available for free in the lobby and in other public areas. The signal quality can decrease if numerous users are present simultaneously in the same area. The speed of the Internet connection is not guaranteed and depends on the possibilities of the providers in the place where the hotel is located. In some hotels, tourists are offered a better Wi-Fi connection for an extra charge. High-end hotels invest more resources in providing a stable Internet connection than mid-priced and low-cost accommodation facilities.
When booking accommodation, it should be taken into consideration that the price of accommodation may include compulsory additional services, such as Christmas dinner, New Year dinner, water park visit, Neverland show visit in Pickalbatros hotels, and others.
Hotel accommodation
The price of accommodation in the following Pickalbatros hotels includes a compulsory additional service – one-time visit to the Neverland show.
Pickalbatros hotels located in Sharm el-Sheikh:
Pickalbatros hotels located in Hurghada:
In order to take advantage of the right to visit the Neverland show, tourists are required to contact the hotel’s reception on the eve of the planned day of visit for being included in the list of visitors. Visiting the show without prior approval of the date by the reception staff is not allowed.
In case of the tourists’ refusal to visit the show, or in case of their untimely registration, due to which the visit has become impossible, the hotel management does not refund the price of the unused service.
The venue of the Neverland show is within walking distance from the Pickalbatros hotels located in Sharm el-Sheikh. Hence, no transfer to the venue of the show is provided.
Tourists who stay at the above-listed Pickalbatros hotels in Hurghada are offered a transfer to the venue of the Neverland show. The rules for providing the transfer shall be checked at the hotel’s reception of your hotel.
Guests of Pickalbatros Water Valley – Neverland 4*, Pickalbatros Jungle Aqua Park – Neverland 4*, and Pickalbatros Alf Leila Wa Leila – Neverland 4* can also visit the Neverland show once during their stay with no extra charge by booking the visit at the hotel’s reception in advance.
Hotel accommodation
During their stay at the hotel, tourists shall comply with the generally accepted rules of conduct, not disturb other guests, not damage other people’s property, and treat the guests and the hotel’s staff respectfully.
In case the hotel management receives repeated complaints about the misbehaviour of a particular guest, and if no remedy is undertaken by such guest, the guest may be denied the serving of alcoholic beverages (if his or her misbehaviour and violation of the generally accepted norms of conduct were the result of excessive alcohol consumption), or an early eviction may be initiated. In such a case the hotel management shall send to the DMC, which represents the tourists’ legitimate interests in the country of their stay, an official notice signed by the General Manager with the detailed description of the circumstances under which it was decided to restrict the serving of alcoholic beverages or deny the accommodation. The notice shall be supported by evidence of the tourist’s violation of the rules of stay at the hotel, including the following: written substantiated complaints of other guests and / or videorecording of the tourist’s unacceptable or aggressive behaviour due to which the public order was broken, and the risk of causing damage to the health of the tourist in question, other tourists, their property, hotel staff, or hotel’s property emerged.
Upon receipt of the official notice from the hotel management with the enclosure of the above-mentioned evidence, the DMC’s staff shall contact the tourist and the hotel management and take all the necessary steps for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, or, if no peaceful settlement is possible, for helping the tourist move to another hotel.
The above-mentioned procedure does not apply in the presence of the tourist’s aggressive actions which entailed calling the police to prevent or detect harm caused to the health of other guests or the hotel staff, to other guests’ property or to the hotel’s property. In such a case no written complaints or videorecording are required; a copy of the police report on the arrival at the hotel will serve a sufficient proof.
Notwithstanding the reason of the tourist’s early eviction, the DMC shall provide assistance in finding and booking an alternative hotel. In case of early eviction due to the tourist’s fault, the hotel management withholds the entire price of accommodation which was paid during the booking process, with no regard to the number of nights that the tourist actually stayed at the hotel. All the expenses related to paying the accommodation at the alternative facility and arranging a transfer to such a facility shall be borne by the tourist. Neither the DMC nor the tour operator shall bear material responsibility for the tourist’s actions or inaction.
Hotel accommodation
The most common insect in Egypt that can cause discomfort to travellers is mosquitoes. In Egypt, mosquitoes are a persisting phenomenon that has no season nature. Hotels solve this problem by daily treatment of the premises and the rooms. The necessary repellents can be brought from home or bought in pharmacies or in hotel shops.
For preventive purposes, all the hotel buildings are regularly treated with special insect repellents. During the seasons of high activity of certain types of insects, additional treatment takes place. The frequency and intensity of additional treatment of hotels’ buildings and premises are determined not only by a pre-planned schedule but also by actual situation at a hotel. Hotels carry out regular disinfestations with the involvement of specialists who treat the open areas with cold smoke and spray chemical solutions which are safe for human beings.
Despite all these measures, the appearance of insects in hotel rooms remains possible, especially in the rooms that are located on lower floors of hotels with large green spaces along the perimeter. Besides, one of the reasons for insects appearing in hotel rooms is the guests’ neglecting the hotel rule according to which it is prohibited to bring food in the rooms. In particular, in a hot climate fruits that are left in a room or in a waste bin can attract ants, flies, and other insects. Hotels equip their premises and corridors of residential buildings with warning plates on the prohibition to store food in the hotel rooms.
Hotel accommodation
When choosing between the accommodation options, tourists should study the information on the beaches carefully. For example, Hurghada beaches boast a smooth entrance to the sea and absence of corals near the shore. A peculiar feature of the coastline in Nabq which is located in Sharm el-Sheikh is shallow waters. In some bays in Sharm el-Sheikh, there are corals in the sea which hinder the access to the sea for those without special protective footwear. However, even in these areas there are spots with a comfortable entrance to the sea. For tourists’ swimming in deep waters and enjoying snorkelling, many beaches in Sharm el-Sheikh are equipped with pontoons that can go into the sea for quite long distances. On such beaches, tourists swim and snorkel in deep waters.
When swimming, tourists shall exercise reasonable care. If you are not sure in your swimming skills, it is better not to swim near the reef wall or wear life jackets. Bathing after sunset or in a state of alcoholic or drug intoxication is strictly prohibited.
Another peculiar feature of Egypt is year-round presence of winds. Cool winds persist from early December to late February: this natural phenomenon is more typical for the Hurghada region and less so for the Sharm el-Sheikh region. From March to May, the dry Khamsin wind blows in Egypt, at which time the air temperature may reach +40 °C. One of Sharm el-Sheikh’s advantages is the presence of the Sinai Mountains that hold back the flows of wind and sand coming from the desert.
Hotel accommodation
Egyptian coastal waters are home to over 1,000 species of fish, some of which are dangerous (e.g., sharks). Like in all other places on the planet where large animals live, including those which present danger for human beings, tourists are recommended to be guided by common sense and not neglect personal safety advice. First of all, do not go for a swim alone and do not go far from the coast. Secondly, when seeing a large marine animal, do not study its species membership and try to return to the shore as soon as possible. Thirdly, avoid swimming in the sea early in the morning and late in the evening: at these times of the day reef sharks which live in shallow waters are especially active.
Dangerous inhabitants of the Red Sea include: stonefish, lionfish, moray eel, barracuda, stingray, and some others. Tourists are recommended to study images of these fish to be able to identify them in the sea and avoid contacting them. In order to prevent burns, allergic reactions or bites it is recommended not to touch passing fish and not to attempt extracting them from coral reefs. It is an unnecessary risk to touch starfish, sea sponges, and corals since a contact with them can cause a burn or lead to cuts on the skin.
When walking on the seabed, tourists are recommended to watch their step in order to avoid stepping on a sea urchin. Wearing protective footwear when swimming helps reducing the risk of damaging one’s feet when encountering a sea urchin but cannot exclude such a possibility. After a contact with a sea urchin a part of its spines can remain in the human skin and cause inflammation. It is recommended to contact the insurance company if such an event is included in the insurance coverage, to have your wound treated and examined for possible spine fragments.
Jellyfish appear in the coastal area of the Red Sea only from mid-March to early May.
A burn caused by a contact with most of the Red Sea’s inhabitants can be compared to that of nettles. If a person has no particular allergies, he or she will experience mild irritation in the burn area, which can be relieved by abundantly rinsing it with water and applying lime. In case of discomfort, tourists are recommended to call the beach lifeguards who may have a ready vinegar solution to treat the burns, the hotel staff or, in case of severe pain and inflammation, the insurance company for obtaining medical help.
In Egypt, it is strictly prohibited to damage and export corals, seashells, and other components of the Red Sea’s ecosystem. The violation of this prohibition leads to the imposition of a fine up to 1,000 US dollars.
It is strictly prohibited to bathe in the sea after sunset, as well as feed and touch fish and other marine inhabitants.
