Janet Turner
Lets start with the negatives; We arrived in the early morning 09/07/26, due to a flight delay, having booked our room a year previously, but on arrival they where over booked. The receptionist lied, saying he was giving us a NEW room, in a new building. We had booked West Bay Adults Only however taken to a room in the family resort which was awful, old and dirty, electrics hanging from the walls, sprinkler system dropped out of the ceiling, mold in the shower room, shower screen broken and broken basin, the patio rail had come away from the wall and this was 4th floor! We immediately called reception, who didn't answer the phone, so we walked back over, reported the problems and asked for the room we had paid for in the booked hotel. He laughed and said ' he had told us' then stated if we came back at 1pm he could move us, as our room would then be free if we slept in the unacceptable room for the night. It was now 04:30 so we slept. Next day we where told there was no room free but a room in the West Bay had been allocated to us from Friday(2 days after arrival). We used all the west bay facilities through the day, but unfortunetly meet a lot of other British and German guest who had had the same experience so this is happening a lot. The 2nd receptionist blamed the travel agents, but backed down on that statement when I logged into the chat with Easyjet to challenge them! The 3rd receptionist moved us to West Bay on Friday.
Once we moved into the room we had booked, the holiday became magical. Food quality and variety was excellent, especially the Asian corner where the chef wok cooked meals by order. The Indian food chef made curries that where fresh daily and very good. The waiters where friendly and attentive and we where never short of a drink. The beach is amazing, with reefs close to the shore, even none swimmers are able to stand in the sea and watch the multitude of fish. The only irritation is families with kids, repeatedly coming from the family resort into the adults only area, which is clearly marked, and arguing with the life guards who ask them to leave. The family resort has ample beach and many nice pools, so it's unclear why they invade the more expensive side. There was entertainment every evening and a large alcohol choice, but as none-drinkers we cannot comment on the taste etc. There are speciality restaurants in the ground which are good too. The pools are quite, and the gardens feel like your in a large park, with plenty if grass, trees and flowers, gardeners out daily keeping it perfect. Avoid the hotel shops though, pushy and very over priced. Its easy to get a pharmacy delivery online, delivered at a quarter of the cost. It was extremely hot, and we are home with great tans and relaxed after 2 weeks. We had a fantastic holiday on both are visits here, but our room not being ready has made us less likely to return as it seems to be regular practise now.
Hasan Çetinel
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)
We had a pleasant stay at Fort Arabesque Resort, Spa & Villas.
The highlight of this hotel is undoubtedly the sea. The house reef directly in front of the hotel is fantastic, and snorkeling among the colorful fish was an unforgettable experience. The beach is beautiful, and the crystal-clear water makes it one of the best places in Makadi Bay for swimming and snorkeling.
The service was good, and the staff were friendly, welcoming, and always willing to help.
However, our room was quite dated and would benefit from refurbishment and modernization. Although it was clean, it did not meet the standard we expected from the resort.
Another area that could be improved is the food. While there was enough food available, the breakfast and dinner buffets offered limited variety and became repetitive after a few days. More importantly, many dishes lacked flavor and were not particularly enjoyable. Improving both the variety and taste of the food would greatly enhance the overall guest experience.
Overall, Fort Arabesque is an excellent destination for those who appreciate a beautiful beach, crystal-clear water, and outstanding snorkeling directly from the shore. The sea and reef are truly the stars of this resort.
Emel Can
I stayed at the hotel with my parents at mid of May. It is a nice hotel with amazing well- maintained green and colorfull gardens.
Stuff was always polite and helpfull.
If you do not like cold sea water then it seems May is not the correct season. It was very cold for us.
Big part of the sea enterance is full of rocks and corals which is nice for snorkeling however not fun for swimming. They located safe sandy corridors to reach to the wider sandy areas in the sea.
Life guards are always watching and warning people when they get close to the corals when the sea does not have enough debth.
We could not enjoy the sea that much.
Overall, we had a good stay.
Thanks to all hotel stuff.
Aleksandra Jakovchevska
Fort Arabesque is a beautiful resort with stunning gardens, lots of greenery, and a very relaxing atmosphere. The hotel is exceptionally clean, well maintained, and the food is varied and delicious. These are definitely its strongest points.
However, there are several issues that seriously affect the overall experience.
First, there are not enough signs indicating where the restrooms are located. For such a large resort, better wayfinding would make a big difference.
The biggest disappointment, however, is the sunbed policy.
Charging **€12 per day** for a better sunbed after guests have already paid for an all-inclusive holiday is simply unacceptable. It feels like an unnecessary cash grab rather than a premium service. For a resort of this category, this policy is disappointing and leaves a very bad impression.
What makes it even worse is the obvious difference in treatment between guests. Guests staying at the Beach Resort are directed to the least desirable areas of the beach, while guests staying in the villas have access to the best locations near the sea entrance. The most frustrating part is that around 80% of those villa sunbeds remain empty for most of the day, yet other guests are still not allowed to use them. This creates an unnecessary feeling of inequality among guests who have all paid to stay at the same resort.
Another disappointing policy is that part of the beach and sea is reserved as an adults-only area. Reserving a section of the sea itself and preventing other paying guests from enjoying it feels excessive. The sea should be for everyone.
The minibar in the room is also surprisingly poor for an all-inclusive resort, containing only bottles of water, unlike many other resorts where soft drinks are included.
Overall, Fort Arabesque has everything needed to be an outstanding resort: beautiful surroundings, excellent cleanliness, and good food. Unfortunately, the unfair sunbed policy and the unnecessary segregation of guests overshadow all of its positive qualities. It's a real shame because these policies take away from what could otherwise be an excellent holiday experience.
Abdel Hamid El Rafie
Excellent resort with an outstanding atmosphere. The staff are incredibly friendly and make you feel right at home from the moment you arrive. The food could be improved in terms of quality, but there is a wide variety of options to suit different tastes. Overall, I highly recommend this resort to anyone looking for a relaxing and enjoyable vacation.
