Just got back from one of the best holidays we have had. The hotel reception is impressive, staff friendly. The complex is large, but it doesnt feel like it is, split into several buildings, maxium three floors high, most rooms have pool/sea view. The room was lovely, clean and quiet, beds were comfy, excellent double shower in the bathroom, which was good in size, plenty of wardrobe space. The complex was exceptionally clean. No sooner than you put an empty glass down, the waiters were cleaning it away, always with a smile. The beach is mainly pebble/sand, so diving shoes were great. The snorkelling was fantastic of the jetty, lots fish can be seen just by looking off the jetty. Food- buffet style, we always found something that we liked every day, breakfast, toast, freshly made eggs/omlettes, made in front of you, beach restaurant has fresh pizza each day, hamburgers, hotdogs, and spagetti, evening buffet, BBQ, different meats/theme evenings, fresh salads each day, cakes. We did the Hamata Island Trip, visiting 3 islands, definately a must for anyone, including kids, great snorkelling, we also did the one day trip to Luxor, it was worth going, but beware it is 6 hours each way on an air conditioned coach, Luxor was 50 degrees, the heat was nearly unbearable in the Valley of the Kings, would suggest you don't go in the height of summer, due to the heat. The Thomson rep was great when my husband had a fall and had to see the doctor. The weather was beautiful, we just want to go back for another visit now!!!! looking to book again soon.

just got back from this fab hotel , what a great time we had ,the staff were so helpful the food was fab the rooms are spacious and so clean nothing is to much trouble for any of the staff its so relaxing here if i had to nip pick ,the only thing that was a problem was that we had to walk 3 mins round the bay , to get in the water ,,as the part we were in was ropped of because of the coral ,hey no big deal.the pools are lovely and so are the grounds , cant wait to go back ...

Having read other spectacular reviews about this Hotel, I couldn't wait to share mine.
On arrival at the Iberotel Lamaya we were greeted by the Animation Team, who were bursting with energy and enthusiasm (even at midnight). The Lamaya had kept its restaurant open for us as we were delayed and some of us had families who were hungry due to sleeping on the flight.
I personally thought this was a service which they did not have to oblige to but an excellent welcome after a delay.
The first day we, as a family tend to look round the grounds and get a feel for the place. Our first impressions were breath taking, we walked on to the jetty where you could snorkel as the sea was cordoned off to keep their coral from damage. Although we weren't interested in snorkeling we heard many people say it was an enjoyable experience.
There were four pools, with enough sunbeds for everyone without having to fight for them! The pool bar had a team of very friendly staff with a smile on there face from start to finish. My five year old daughter was a regular customer for her ice cream which she often went for on her own and they were so kind and took time and effort to make everyone feel welcome. It took us a few days to get into the swing of relaxing as in England it doesn't come easy! The Animation Team was great, they had activities going on from 10am - 1pm then 3pm - 5pm. They did things like; darts, aqua aerobics, French boules, water polo and archery.
The Animation Team obviously have a job to and encourage guests to participate but they were never over the top or pushey. The same team carried out their work in the evening entertainment which, although tongue in cheek was very entertaining and we watched every show. There was a mini-disco before the evening entertainment which was excellent. The two girls running the Kids Club were by far, the friendliest and caring of other peoples' children I've seen in a hotel run Kids Club. It was apparent that it wasn't just their job, they loved their work.
Our room was spectacular. Spotless. The most pleasant room we have ever stayed in. More than enough storage for our clothes as we were a family of four and a decent size balcony.
The lobby and every other area of the Lamaya was spotless too, palatial in fact. It certainly did feel like a five star hotel.
Our room was cleaned everyday by our room boy who left us a different towel decoration each day and frequently knocked on our door checking that we were happy with everything (who we tipped generously at the end of our holiday).
The whole entire staff within the Lamaya were so friendly and eager to please, especially in the Restaurant where we had our evening meal. This sometimes was quite funny as we would go and get something from the buffet and when we returned our plate had gone!
Swiftly moving on to the food, which my husband and I both thought was good. I won't say great as we are not extravagant eaters. We mainly stuck to the simple things we were used to, however if an international dish was on which we recognised we often tried it. There was a section for kids too, offering pizza and french fries and hotdog etc.
Roughly five days into our holiday I started to suffer from a funny stomach. I had stomach cramps and diarrhoea. I tried to eliminate what food or liquids I should avoid but having spoke to other guests they had other foods and liquids which baffled me. The cramps only lasted a for two days, however the diarrhoea was on and off. At the start of the second week my husband started with the same symptoms, however our children presented none. Furthermore this left us scratching our heads!
We took the desired medication needed to help our symptoms and did not require any further medical assistance. We spoke to a few other families who suffered with similar symptoms, however not all had cramps and not all had diarrhoea.
We came to the conclusion that the upset stomachs were a combination of everything. It was the heat, not drinking enough water, or drinking cold water or beer whilst in the sun and our bodies struggled to deal with this. It was mixing the foods such as beef, chicken and fish in one meal (their food is a lot richer than ours). So I wouldn't put it down to one particular thing as not everyone suffered with the upset stomachs. We could go on forever but none of the children of the families we met had bad stomachs, and I can honestly say it didn't spoil my holiday. Our stay at the Lamaya was one holiday we can say was a real relaxing one. Being round the pool was like being on a tranquil island, there were no 'jack the lads' and any problems were seen to immediately by the staff.
To conclude my review I would definitely rate Lamaya a five star hotel and would return tomorrow if it was fees able. It has a fantastic team of staff who are male but extremely welcoming and not a bit intrusive with women or young girls. I hope this review provides a clear analysis and encourages you to go ahead and book.

Having read the more recent reviews prior to trvelling, we were highly expectant of a great holiday, and we were not disappointed, the Resort itself is beautiful, the staff really friendly and can't do enough for you, the rooms were large enough and like everywhere else in the hotel kept spotlessly clean. The room boys, just like others have said,do some amazing designs with towels for you in the bedrooms each day. The animation team--consisting of in the main of young guys from Tunisia--are excellent, and not too pushy in trying to get people involved in activities; (But do try and get Emo to stop saying "Wo-a Polo")!!
The 1600 metre measured walkway around the bay is ideal for the daily constitution, and the jetty stretching out a hundred metres over the coral intended for the many divers and snorklers, is also perfect as a viewing platform for all the many Red Sea marine life including Rays, Octopuss, all "Nemo's" friends, and many more, some guests were lucky enough to see Dolphins close in on one early morning visit!

In our opinion the whole hotel complex is 5*, BUT oh, the FOOD lets it down, we have travelled the world and stayed in many 4, 5, and 6* Hotels, and the food here is probably as poor as we have experienced anywhere. Reading other earlier reviews of Lamaya, I just can't understand how people can compliment the food! Breakfast not too bad, its difficult to cock- up eggs in whatever form, and the bread and preserves--and yes, even marmalade!-- were good; lunch at the Morgana Beach Restaurant, although limited in choice, was good and ideal for a mid day snack. But, oh, Dinner in the main restaurant!! If you like some form of stewed beef, stewed chicken,or stewed fish, or are a vegetarian you will probably think it fine. But generally the quality of meats was very disappointing. Every evening something was cooking on the Bar-B-Q, but only one item pr night, usually small lamb sausage, burgers or fish and those that I tried were dry or tasteless. The desserts were all very similar, mostly some form of sponge with different type of decoration. And the cheese!--where most hotels have a selection, in an evening there was usually just one bland offering, or was it cardboard?!! We did have constructive discussions with both Hotel and Thomsons management, and they took our comments on board, so hopefully things may improve in the future. These aren't just comments of a "whingeing" Pom, we spoke to other guests, Brits, Italians and Germans who were also of the same opinion.

If you get the opportunity,do the Luxor trip, but I very strongly reccommend the overnight stay, its far too long and tiring to do in a day. The convoy journey is an experience in itself, and the sights in the Temples and Valley of the Kings awesome. We were lucky, just six of us from the Marsa Alam region on a twenty seater coach, with a tour guide on the coach and an Egyptologist expert guide in Luxor just for the six of us.(And good food in the Iberotel in Luxor)!!

All in all a very enjoyable holiday, Deborah was our Thomsons rep, and looked after us well, the Hotel, the staff, the grounds, the beer, the wine all fantastic, just a pity about the food!