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.
Kamelia Pusheva
**Amazing food, pools and service — with a few things that could be improved**
Overall, we had a really good stay and there were many things we absolutely loved about the hotel.
The **pools, restaurants and food were amazing**. The quality and variety of the food were honestly one of the highlights of the whole stay, and the beach was also beautiful. The level of care from the staff was generally excellent, and the reception team in particular was incredibly friendly, helpful and welcoming.
The hotel also offered **daily room cleaning**, which was great. However, the cleanliness itself was questionable, and some of the furniture and facilities felt quite outdated and could definitely use some renovation.
One of the more annoying parts of the stay was the constant presence of **safari/excursion and other sales staff** approaching guests throughout the day and repeatedly offering excursions, services and extras. After a while, it became quite tiring and made it harder to fully relax.
We also experienced a few bartenders asking directly for tips, which I found uncomfortable and unnecessary. Tipping should feel like a choice and a way to reward good service, rather than something guests feel pressured into.
Aside from these points, we genuinely enjoyed our stay. The **food, pools, restaurants, beach and overall level of care** were fantastic, and the reception staff were especially lovely. With better cleanliness, some updates to the older furniture and less aggressive selling of extras, this hotel could be an even better experience.
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.
mary bishai
Clean rooms, however, to prevent moths from entering the rooms, it is advisable to keep the balcony doors closed.
The beach has excellent snorkeling spots, which is a significant highlight of the resort. However, the service quality could be improved. There have been instances where staff attentiveness was lacking, particularly at the beach bar after dinner, leading to extended wait times for drink orders and the need for self-service. The level of service from SOME NOT All waiters, would be a primary factor in my decision regarding a return visit.
Not having service at the beach is another negative point.
I would like to however give a shout out to Victor "front desk", Mina "beach bar", Meme "Greek Restaurant", Mahmoud "beach bar" and Chief Ahmed for their great service.
