Amphoras Blu

Lovely staff, great beach, but unfortunately wouldn’t return.

Our overall experience at Amphoras Blu was okay, but unfortunately it’s not somewhere we would return to. When we arrived at around 1am (a group of 14 family members with 7 rooms) 2 of us were initially given a complimentary upgrade to a sea-view room. great!

However, because it was so late and completely dark, we didn’t realise what the location was like until the following morning. The room was up a very cobbly, poorly lit path and was on the second floor with no lift. My grandma’s room next door also didn’t have a balcony or terrace, despite this being something we expected. We raised our concerns and asked to be moved to ground-floor rooms, particularly because some members of our family had poor mobility and were struggling with the access to the rooms. Unfortunately, we weren't moved until two days later, meaning we spent the first two nights surrounded by the construction work. The cobbled paths, lack of lighting and stairs were particularly difficult for those with mobility problems, and getting to and from the rooms was a real struggle. There was also a separate issue with another family member's room, where the air conditioning wasn't working. This was reported, but unfortunately nobody came to fix it. Temperatures were reaching over 40°C during our stay, making it extremely difficult for them to sleep at night. They ended up having to spend time sitting in reception simply because that was where there was working air conditioning, just to cool down. In temperatures that high, having no working air conditioning in a bedroom was a serious issue and made their stay extremely uncomfortable. The biggest disappointment was the ongoing renovation work. Love Holidays had not informed us that the hotel was undergoing renovations, and our initial rooms were, quite honestly, right in the middle of what felt like a construction site. The construction wasn't just something we saw — we heard it every single day for the full two weeks. There were constant machines, drills, hammering and general building noise starting from around 8am throughout daylight hours. Large areas were blocked off with construction netting, and there was a considerable amount of dust and noise around the hotel. It made it very difficult to relax around the pool or enjoy the hotel during the daytime. The noise was particularly disappointing when you're on holiday expecting to sit around the pool and relax. Even after we were eventually moved to ground-floor rooms, the construction noise continued throughout the remainder of our two-week stay. The hotel staff did eventually accommodate our request and move us, which we appreciated, but we feel this should have been dealt with much sooner given the mobility difficulties within our group. The food was very basic. We paid around £89 per person for the Ultra All Inclusive upgrade, with the understanding that this included upgraded imported drinks such as Heineken, Stella and Desperados. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case during our stay and there were no drink upgrades other than grants whiskey between 7pm-Midnight. The upgrade did give us access to around 5 or 6 additional restaurants, although these were set menus that had to be booked at least 24 hours in advance. The food at these restaurants was better than the main buffet, but still nothing particularly special. The drinks themselves were generous measures, which was a positive. However, I would strongly advise being cautious with the fruit juice and ice. During our stay, members of our family developed severe diarrhoea and stomach cramps for several days. We obviously can't say for certain what caused this, but it affected our holiday significantly. The advertised midnight–5am snacks were also disappointing. Rather than a proper late-night selection, it appeared to be burgers that had been reheated from earlier in the day. On the positive side, the staff were absolutely brilliant. The bar staff in particular were fantastic and really did make an effort with guests. Nothing seemed too much trouble when we needed assistance. The hotel itself was clean and tidy, and the grounds were well maintained. Our rooms were cleaned every day, with fresh bedding and towels provided regularly. The cleaners were spot on and deserve a special mention. One major downside for us was the complete lack of entertainment. There was essentially nothing going on during our two-week stay. There was some rather depressing background music in the bar area and one saxophonist during the entire fortnight, which unfortunately wasn't particularly enjoyable. If you're looking for a hotel with entertainment and atmosphere in the evenings, this probably isn't the place for you. The location is also quite out of the way. There is no longer a free shuttle to Naama Bay, which meant relying on taxis. We paid around 600 EGP each way for a taxi, although split between us this worked out at roughly £4 per person for the return journey, so it wasn't too expensive when shared. The private beach and jetty were definitely one of the highlights. The jetty was fantastic and gave easy access to the sea, and we really enjoyed this part of the hotel. The pool area was also really nice. Overall, there were definitely positives — particularly the wonderful staff, cleanliness, well-kept grounds and fantastic private jetty — but the two weeks of construction noise, the initial room location and delay in moving us despite mobility difficulties, the unresolved air-conditioning issue in temperatures over 40°C, basic food, lack of entertainment, issues with the Ultra All Inclusive upgrade and our family's illness made the holiday less enjoyable than we'd hoped. Would we return? Unfortunately, no. We had an okay holiday and there were some lovely aspects, but for what we paid, we expected more from an Ultra All Inclusive experience. We also feel Love Holidays should have made us aware of the extensive renovation work before we travelled, as this had a significant impact on our holiday.

Just returned from 10 days at the Amphoras Blu and had another fab holiday. Great food and drink as always, including at the new Greek restaurant by the pool. Huge amount of renovations going on currently but its not too intrusive as they seem to be doing most of it by hand so the noise isn't too much. Big shout out to Sayed the pool lifeguard and Ahmed from the pool bar who both worked exceptionally hard and kept us entertained and hydrated at all times 😊 the snorkelling from the jetty is fantastic with plenty of fish to look at and the pool was never too busy with plenty of sunbeds. We booked a boat trip with the lads on the beach and had a great day out. Just a heads up though as despite the website (including their on site link) saying the rooms all have a balcony or terrace this is not the case. We paid extra for a pool view which we got but no balcony, only a French window with a railing outside so if you like to sit on your balcony you might want to email in advance to ensure you get one.