Having been a loyal and regular Novotel customer and poring over numerous hotels in the Naama Bay area I decided that I would book the Novotel Beach given its location and of course the Novotel reputation.

I couldn't have been more wrong! Sure the location is great, but the service abysmal!

Upon arrival at the airport, the hotel car was no where to be seen and I eventually made my own way to the hotel by taxi. I raised this with the hotel and was essentially lied to and told that my tour operator hadn't arranged it (I did point out that I didn't have a tour operator and that I had made my own arrangements and had the emails / names to prove it!).

When I arrived at the hotel, like other reviewers experienced, I was told that despite having a confirmed booking there were no rooms available and I would have to stay in the Novotel Palm (which is across the 4 lane main road and not beach front - in fact its like a desert!!). I objected to this and pointed out that I had paid a premium to stay beach front and at the better of the two resorts. I was given blank looks and told there wasn't an option! After much pushing, a room was found - albeit the pokiest, smallest and tucked away room and 1 of only 4 that do not have a balcony. Nice service so far!

Further to that there were a number of faulty items in the room which I requested to have repaired. None of which were fixed during the the two weeks I stayed there, despite repeated requests.

During check out, I had to wait 40 mins to get my bill and the transport back to airport wasn't arranged, so again I had to push to have a private car take me out to the airport so I wouldn't miss my flight.

Generally, the staff are pleasant with the marked exception of the Front Desk Manager (I think) who was just awful.

Overall, it was a hideously disappointing stay and to be perfectly frank not worth what I paid. I had considered staying at the Marriott (right next door) which was marginally more expensive - however having checked it out, it was much nicer and the staff more professional. Alternatively, consider one of the smaller independent hotels in the area which are also beachfront and very nice.

In any event avoid this place like the plague!

I spent 8 weeks checking out hotels in Sharm before booking our holiday and eventually settled on the Novotel Beach - we weren't disappointed! A lovely, clean hotel where staff were only too happy to help. Rooms cleaned daily, plenty of sunbeds round the pool, aquarobics and belly dancing for those feeling active enough in the heat! The hotel is literally just a few steps from the beach where there are even more sunbeds! Guests of all nationalities were represented.

A short walk takes you right into the centre of Naama Bay where all the restaurants and shops are. We didn't experience any of the hassle other tourists have mentioned (Luxor is far, far worse) just polite and friendly people who wanted to show you their goods. A friendly "no thanks" was all that was required.

We would highly recommend this hotel and it's location and will certainly be going back later this year.

I have just returned from 2 weeks holiday in Sharm el Sheikh staying at the Novotel.
There are actually 2 Novotel Hotels based in Sharm. which you may not be aware of until you arrive .. My original booking was simply for "NOVOTEL" and I expected a beachside location, spa, entertainment each night, and all the facilities described in the Thomas Cooke brochure by the travel agent ( Ilkistone Co-op travel).
Upon arrival we were dropped of at the "Novotel PALM" which is the same company but is situated down a long drive on the other side of the busiest main road in Sharm el Sheikh. and has no facilities other than poor entertainment once in a while and is no where near the beach without a longer walk than was originaly described.
The Novotel Palm Hotel however is a pleasent location and very clean surroundings but not the location or Hotel we were led to believe we had purchased from the agent. There were many unhappy couples that had also been conned by the Thomas Cook brochure and it became apparent that the NOVOTEL PALM HOTEL is used as an overspil to the very popular NOVATEL BEACH HOTEL. and clients are simply pushed into this hotel when the other is full!

The Thomas Cook resort staff were generally very unhelpful in resolving this issue in re-locating us. and refused us a room in the Hotel location we had originally purchased (Novatel Beach) stating that "the Novatel Beach was full ! "They did however offer to stick us in a hotel in the middle of nowhere close to the airport which was totaly unacceptable.

We also had raw sewage backing up through the shower waste outlet on no less than 3 occasions and a toilet that was filling to the rim when flushed. The staff however after several attempts to clear this issue and eventually succeeded.
Also, we were asked to sign receipts for drinks on several occasions even though we paid cash only to find that I was being charged twice when I came to check out.

So, if any travelers manage to read this before they go to Sharm el Sheikh please make sure that your booking form clearly states NOVOTEL BEACH on your booking voucher if this is the hotel that you originally booked into from the UK. If it only states NOVATEL, you may end up with a problem as we and many others did.
Incidently ...the rate for the Novatell Palm is currently under 20 GBP a night per room so you may well be in pocket by adding a flight and cutting the rip off agents out by going direct. My Holiday for 2 weeks x 2 persons half board in the Novatel Palms March 9th -24 th came to in excess of ,1600GBP inc flights from Manchester. ....Thomas Cook...never again!!!!!

The excursions .... some were good and some simply a terrible rip off including submarine experiance that doesnt submerge and you see only very few if any fish.

Recomended ..... LUXOR and CAIRO by flight as the coach option will take you many hours through the night to get there.

The safari adventure trip[ is nothing more than a total rip off visit to a filthy gypsy Bedowin camp in the middle of nowhere, crammed into a 4x4 jeep, driven by a complete lunatic over the worst terrain I have ever crossed and thrown about like a peble in a tin can folowed by a stop at a snorkling location offering filthy sun beds on a filthy beach which resulted in 2 days in bed with a severely bruised back..

The "Bedowin Night" is held at the same disgusting location ...so be warned!

Sharm El Sheikh is a beautiful resort with generally friendly locals all very keen to get a few pounds from you. OLD SHARM is not as nice and the locals there are very in your face and persistant.
I would happiy go back to Egypt booking direct with a Hotel and making my own way from the airport which is only around 10 mins drive by Car to the resort.

I hope this report helps to stop someone getting conned by either the travel agent or Thomas Cook resort reps. I am available to be contacted if I can provide you with any additional information

We stayed at the Novotel from 3rd-10th March 2008. We had a lovely time generally. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, which is what made our stay, along with the company we spent it with. Our original booking was for the Palm, and we are glad we managed to change it because we were with a small group and we would have been in two completely different buildings. I didn't venture over to the Palm as everything we wanted was on our side, but there is a noisy and very busy road splitting the two down the middle! Be aware of this when you book. I'm sure it would be like a completely different experience.

The room we stayed in was perfectly reasonable, and clean, but it felt quite small in comparison to other hotel rooms we have stayed in. Fortunately we didn't spend a huge amount of time inside so it wasn't a major problem. We had a balcony overlooking the front of the hotel which was an average location by our standards but our other party had a sea view - however, their view was intersected by trees/buildings and wasn't a true "sea view" as you'd expect, (especially not for the extra cost) and to make matters worse they said it was terribly noisy from the road. For some reason, whenever taxis/lorries pass by they insist on hooting their hoon. So every few minutes of the day you would get this. Also the fridge/air con unit makes a noise more than it should, and this takes some getting used to. Our other party didn't sleep well for a couple of nights.

Our biggest bug bear however wasn't noise, it was prices. The Novotel insist on charging a ridiculous amount for food/drink onsite. We priced up a Jack Daniels and Diet coke at the bar and it was £9! That's for a single measure, and is more expensive than the Burj Al Arab! We wondered why it was dead during the evenings. People would venture 15 minutes out into town, and find a meal and drink for less than a tenner. We signed everything to the room and at the end of our stay we went to pay - we forgot the service charge and the tax, of course, which more or less added another 25% the cost. So a little point to remember, what you see is not always what you get. There's a distinct lack of printed pricing around the hotel. You have to ask for everything.

Breakfast/Dinner in the Novotel is a mixed bag. If you pay for lunch then you get a lovely selection of fresh food/drink and excellent waiter service. If you opt for B&B as we did, you get a reasonable selection but the service is dire. I guess it's a trait of the Egyptian's and the hot weather but service is not what it should be for a 4 star + hotel. You almost get the feeling they try and cut costs at breakfast. If you're happy to pay extra (and by extra I mean a good £30 for lunch alone) then you do get a good service.

I have to say, the nightlife is great around Naama Bay, if you like that sort of thing of course. Prices are generally low, and there is plenty of choice. The only gripe is the constant onslaught of street traders trying to grab your attention. You do tire of it quickly. But as long as you are polite and firm, they leave you be.

Reading back over this it sound like we had a dreadful time - we sound like a bunch of Victor Meldrews. Don't let this put you off however, we did have a great holiday. I guess we are just a little more selective than most people on here. But it was more the company and the exceptional weather than the hotel that made it for us. For all the little problems the hotel is exceptionally clean, and well staffed, and has a great central location. The staff speak excellent english in most cases, and are very polite. They do make you feel welcome.

To sum up, The Novotel is a slightly nicer than average 4 star hotel, with 5 star prices. Recommeded if you have deep pockets.