We spent a week at this hotel AI, it was clean and the staff were great and very friendly. Our room was huge with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and balconies it was cleaned daily. The pools are lovely and the "towel man" used to reserve our sunbeds for us if we went to the same pool which we did. The food was not of a high standard but we survived on plain rice, pasta and bread ( becareful with the meat on many occasions it was not cooked properly). Drinks were ok beer, wine and self serve pop for the kids, some guests though said their spirits appeared to be watered down. I would say 80% of the guests are italian and it is geared towards them with all the entertainment in italian and they have their own half of the restaurant, this wasn't aproblem for us but we were shocked to hear that some brits had tried to go by the pool next to the beach(if thats what you can call it) and were told it was for italians only no brits allowed! Many people we spoke to had spent quite a bit of money eating out because of the poor quality and variety of food. we however were determined not to spend any extra cash so stayed at the hotel for all meals. We had a cheap deal and we got what we paid for ,we had a good time but i wouldn't go back to the Amphoras.

I usually choose 3* and boked the Amphoras only because it was a cheap deal.

Don't get me wrong....the hotel itself is nice, clean ( even better if you tip) and you can aways find something to eat... if you aren't very fussy.
The problem is the service. The staff treats you depending on your country of origin. They are also extremely rude when they find out that you aren't Italian and even try to move you out of areas designates specifically for italians...Strangely, these "designated areas" aren't even signposted....

All inclusive is not what it says on the tin! Whach out if this is what you are about to book! Check with your agent for details.Make sure you are making an informed choice and know what you are getting especially if you don't have much money to spend! We only went b/b ( as we do alot of diving and spend most of our time out), but there were quite a view disappointed families there. You will be asked to sign a docket for every drink you have- whach out- there are specific times and places when AI operates!!! check with the staff if the drink is included in the AI package or else you will see it on your bill on departure!

Half board and b&b travellers: Water and juice are included only with your breakfast! You will be charged 10 egyptian pounds (i think) for a glass of water over dinner. Bring your own...there is a decent shop 10 min away.

Taxi to Naama Bay is 30 or 20 ( depending on season) but I usually get them for 20-15 , just walk away, they'll come after you.

I have just returned from a week's stay at the Amphoras resort, which is situated a couple of miles south of Naama Bay (about 20 minutes from the airport).

Check in was warm, efficient and friendly and the assistance with our bags was gratefully received following a long flight on a First Choice Airways flight (avoid this airline if you are over 5'5" tall). Initial impressions were good: the reception area was clean, light and airy. One sign of the times was the metal detector and permanent security guard stationed outside the hotel. Vehicles cannot access the road to reception without the removal of metal bollards, which gives further reassurance to guests worried about terrorist incidents that have taken place in Sinai in recent years.

Half of the guests in the hotel are there via an Italian company called Eden Village. The remainder are a mix of British, Russian and other European guests. Not sure why this seems to bother so many people on previous reviews but for us, this was a big positive. All the staff speak English and seem to prefer English guests as (massive generalisation) we appear to be more polite to them.

Our room was again spotlessly clean and surprisingly big, complete with a king size double bed. Rooms are individually air conditioned and also have a fridge and television (British guests should note that the BBC World reception is a bit ropey). The bathroom is also a decent size although just has a shower cubicle. Our room had a good view over one of the numerous little pools dotted around the resort with a nicely shaded balcony.

The resort itself is quite big and appears to be the result of two separate hotels being merged, the newer one being the left of the two. A small parade of shops links the two from reception comprising a few souvenir shops, a shop selling drinks and crisps, a pharmacy and beauty salon. Outside, the resort slopes downwards through well tended gardens, with several smaller pools spread throughout the area. These smaller pools are fairly quiet and good for those looking for a quiet break. Further down just set behind the beach is the large main pool, which comes with a thumping Europop soundtrack and (depending on your point of view) highly motivated or highly annoying entertainment staff whose main purpose in life is to convince guests to join them for a quick game of volleyball or a spot of aerobics. Not to my taste at all, so I avoided this part of the resort but well suited to families with demanding kids.

For those feeling more energetic, there is a gym although the exercise bike was broken and the treadmill wasn't looking all that good either.

The hotel has its own private beach. Don't expect long golden sands though as much of the beach leads down to a sharp shelf, so paddling is out. There is one small area of beach that does meet the sea but the area is naturally very crowded and you'll need to bag your sunbed with a towel early in the morning.

Most guests will be staying on an all inclusive basis. There are a number of restaurants although only one is for all inclusive guests (there is an Italian restaurant that offers a set menu for all inclusive guests but you can only use this once during your stay). Food in the main Amphoras restaurant is typical all inclusive - not especially challenging but you're not going to starve. To be honest, if you go on any all inclusive holiday expecting the height of gourmet cuisine then you really need to re-evaluate your choice of holiday (and your budget). What does however set the food ahead of other all inclusives is the good range of food and regular barbecued meat, cooked outside. Given that half of the guests are Italian, expect pasta and meatballs to feature often although there' usually a choice of fish and a couple of meat dishes. Egyptian night on a Wednesday is probably the highlight.

Drinks on the all inclusive are less impressive. The local beer is good (a local Heineken subsidiary) but the spirits are on the rough side. Plenty of soft drinks are available too (coke, diet coke, fanta and sprite). All inclusive drinks are only available at certain bars although the bar near the restaurant is good for the evening, especially if you want a shisha pipe. Note that all inclusive drinks are only available until 23:00.

Like most of the area, a small tip goes a long way so make sure you tip your cleaner and the bar staff. A couple of Egyptian pounds can get you a few extra nice touches in your room (we had flowers) and bigger measures in the bars.

One final tip for the British, who will most likely make use of the hotels4u.com rep: Ahmed is an absolute waste of space. Do not trust him with anything important. The other reps we met on an excursion are aware of his forgetful nature so be warned.

I wouldn't hesitate to come to the Amphoras again for a relatively cheap Winter sun break. It's by no means a 5* resort but it is a cut above most Mediterranean all inclusive resorts, which makes the slightly longer flight well worth it.

I just thought I would write a review to say how lovely this hotel was and cannot understand how people can give it bad reviews! The rooms are fantastic, there is lots to keep you occupied with all the different swimming pools, the huge beach area and the different bars. The food may be abit samey but aren't all AI places after a while, at least theres always something you like and being a vegetarian that is usually a struggle for me but there was always something there.

People have moaned about all of the Italians but when you're abroad what do you expect, of course there are going to be over nationalities there. Everyone I met was very friendly and even if they didn't know much English they would still try their best to have a conversation with you.

We did go on a trip with the diving centre here and they were very helpful and friendly, the people working here are some of the nicest Egyptians we came across. Unfortunately the same can't be said for alot of the shop workers in Naama Bay in particular(the main tourist area in Sharm El Sheikh). We had many incidences where they tried to intimidate us into their shops by shouting at us down the street as we passed. This behaviour made us want to stay away altogether and many other tourists that we spoke to also said the same thing which is a shame for the future tourism of this place as I think it puts alot of people off. I have been hassled in shops abroad in the past but not "oi"-ed at down the road like here!

But the hotel itself was a wonderful retreat and I couldnt fault anything with it here, I would go back to the hotel but not Naama Bay unfortunately.