The Hilton in Hurghada is a great way to experience five star luxury at 4 star prices
Review of the Hilton in Hurghada, Red Sea, Egypt
Hurghada is a mess. This Red Sea town suffers from unrestricted costal development which has caused ecological damage everywhere you look, especially to the house reef at the Hilton. There is a lot of dead coral just offshore. I suppose this reflects the resorts origins when it was an oil town.
However,
the Hurghada experience isn't all doom and gloom. The staff
are now ecologically clued up and making great strides to protect their future
by protecting the reefs. The red sea, Ras Mohammed marine reserve ( red sea,
egypt's finest) is a case in point, showing just how well people can work
when they realize the point of it all.
Hurghada is actually split into three separate areas:
- El Dahar is the 'main' town which faces north. This is where you go to be disappointed by the shopping and nightlife opportunities.
- El Sakala is the old port and is even less appealing than El Dahar
- To the south you find a strip of hotels, including the Hilton, running down the coast for 15 miles.
Rooms at the Hilton
The Hilton in Hurghada itself is a great place to stay, offering five star style accommodation, food and service. the rooms were very large and spacious, with a small balcony for each. Some overlooked the red sands of the desert, some looked into the resort and the best overlooked the ocean.
Things to do in Hurghada
We love the Hilton and we love the Red Sea. The diving is why people come to Hurghada. And the reason people come for the scuba diving is the sea life.
The list of fish we saw on the reefs around Hurghada is pretty much endless. On our first day's diving alone we encountered Lionfish, Trevalleys, Dogfish, Groupers, Sergeant Majors, Blennies, Angelfish, Anthias, Bigeyes, Blackspotted Grunts, Blue Spotted Stingrays, Pufferfish, Goatfish, Crocodile Fish, Hawkfish, parrotfish and one Moray Eel called Stan.
So if you are after marine life then Hurghada starts to look a lot more interesting.
The dive school at the Hilton Hurghada really is first class.
The boats and service are exceptional. Even the onboard dinner is great.
P. Jones (updated December 2006)
