- Egypt Holidays
- Naama Bay
- Oriental Rivoli Hotel and Spa
This luxurious property is ideally situated in a tranquil area of Naama Bay, in Sharm El Sheik, just a few minutes from the bustling city centre. Ideal for holidaymakers wishing to enjoy the added intimacy and personal touch of a boutique hotel, this enchanting property offers all the necessary services and amenities for visitors to experience a truly unforgettable experience. Featuring a unique charm and style, this oriental establishment provides a large choice of tastefully decorated guest rooms perfect for those travellers who like to stay somewhere out of the ordinary. They all are peaceful and romantic, with Arabian windows and featuring stunning views over the mountains, the pool or to the garden area. The hotel provides different swimming pools as well as an award-winning spa area featuring a Turkish hammam and spa treatments.
We have just returned from a two-week all-inclusive stay at the Oriental Rivoli Hotel & Spa. Unfortunately, although there were some positives, overall I feel this hotel is closer to a 3-star (pushing it at that) than a 4-star experience.
Firstly, I was disappointed to find that the all-inclusive finishes at 10pm, which I wasn't aware of when booking. There is also only one bar that serves beer, while the other doesn't. The member of staff working there was very friendly and helpful, but it was obvious he was working constantly and didn't appear to get much of a break.
The pool bar was also frustrating. Almost every time I went for a drink, there was nobody there, leaving us waiting around to be served. At an all-inclusive hotel, I would expect the bars to be staffed and readily available to guests.
The food was probably the biggest disappointment. From breakfast through to dinner, I found the choice quite limited. I'm not a fussy eater at all, but there wasn't much that I enjoyed and I was repeatedly unwell during our stay, which really affected my holiday. The one thing I can genuinely recommend was the freshly cooked pizza, which was really good.
The entertainment was one of the better parts of the hotel. Sam was lovely, friendly and made a real effort with the guests. I actually feel he would have some fantastic ideas for improving the hotel if management listened to him.
There is also so much wasted space around the hotel that could be put to much better use. The Plaza Bar was never open during our stay, despite being an obvious opportunity for another area for guests to socialise. There is also unused space above the Plaza Bar that appeared to be completely unused.
The hotel also advertised a pool table in the booking photos, so we expected this to be available. However, when I asked about it, I was told they didn't actually have one. Looking at the area where the pool table was supposedly shown, there wasn't one there either. This was disappointing, particularly as it was something advertised when booking.
I think a sports bar in the Plaza Bar, with a pool table and other games, could work really well. It would give guests somewhere to socialise in the evenings and make much better use of the space the hotel already has.
I also think the evening entertainment could be situated in a better location, rather than directly alongside the restaurant while guests are trying to eat. A dedicated entertainment area would make much more sense.
The Dry Martini Bar was another negative for us. Although the drinks weren't particularly expensive, I found Dotty to be very pushy about getting guests to purchase drinks. After 10pm, when the all-inclusive finished, I felt this became particularly noticeable, and his attitude seemed to change when we didn't want to buy anything, which made us uncomfortable.
Cleanliness also needs improvement. The general cleanliness around the hotel wasn't what I would expect from a 4-star property. However, I have to give a special mention to Abdul, our cleaner, who was fantastic. He worked incredibly hard and did a brilliant job with our room. He was one of the staff members who genuinely went above and beyond.
Overall, we booked this hotel expecting a 4-star experience, and unfortunately that isn't how it felt to us. There is definitely potential here, and with improvements to the food, cleanliness, bar service, facilities and use of the available space, I think the hotel could provide a much better experience.
There were some genuinely lovely staff members who worked hard and made us feel welcome, and they are what made this holiday enjoyable — rather than the hotel itself.
Would I return? Unfortunately, no.
İts for relax for holiday good animation
Peak experience in egypt, i loved stay here
Very disappointing stay – serious issues with cleanliness, maintenance, safety and service
We booked a three-week stay at the Oriental Rivoli through LoveHolidays, expecting the four-star experience advertised. Unfortunately, our experience fell a long way short of that standard, and we ultimately decided not to complete our third week, instead booking another hotel in Sharm El Sheikh.
From the outset, we felt that the hotel did not match the four-star description or the photographs used to advertise it. The property is very dated and, during almost two of the three weeks we were booked to stay, extensive building work was taking place. There was constant banging and the use of power tools throughout the day, including a chop saw operating regularly. This was directly around areas used by hotel guests and was anything but relaxing.
What concerned us most was the apparent lack of separation between the construction area and guests. There were long pieces of timber, electrical cables, extension leads, equipment and ladders in areas with significant guest traffic, including children. In our view, much better precautions should have been taken to protect guests while construction was underway.
All-inclusive experience
We found the all-inclusive offering extremely disappointing and, in our experience, it did not resemble the all-inclusive package we believed we had purchased.
Snacks were not included and had to be purchased separately. We also had concerns about the food. On several occasions, food appeared to be reused or incorporated into other dishes the following day. Because of our concerns, we ate at the hotel for only around half of our stay and chose to eat elsewhere for the remainder.
Several members of our party also experienced significant stomach problems during the holiday, including severe cramps, which lasted for almost two weeks. I cannot say with certainty what caused this, but it significantly affected our enjoyment of the holiday.
The drinks situation was also disappointing. During our stay, only one bar appeared to provide beer, which was frequently warm. Drinks were included only during limited hours, approximately 10am to 10pm, and on occasions the bar was closed before the advertised time. After the all-inclusive period, drinks had to be purchased.
Staff
It is important to say that some members of staff were genuinely exceptional.
Ahmed at reception was very helpful. Taha deserves particular recognition for his attitude, assistance and customer service. Isham, our cleaner, was attentive and regularly ensured that our room was serviced and supplied with bottled water. Toti, the Dry Martini Bar Manager, was extremely friendly and welcoming, while Mostifa was consistently polite and pleasant.
These five members of staff stood out to us and demonstrated the level of service we had hoped to receive throughout the hotel. In my opinion, they would make excellent ambassadors for the hotel and could help set the standard for other members of the team.
Unfortunately, our experience with other members of staff was much less positive. On several occasions, members of my family felt that they were spoken to rudely or dismissively.
There was also an incident in the Sultans Restaurant that particularly upset me. I witnessed a member of staff asking guests to move from a table because another guest wanted to sit in a particular position near the air conditioning, despite the first guests already having their food on the table. What concerned me was not simply the request, but the manner in which it was communicated. We felt that guests should be treated with courtesy and respect regardless of who they were or where they came from.
We subsequently spoke with other guests who told us they had experienced similar frustrations regarding service and felt that their concerns were not being addressed adequately.
Rooms, plumbing and maintenance
We initially had a ground-floor room where the shower flooded and there were serious drainage/sewage odours coming from the drains. We reported the issue and were initially told that the room would simply be cleaned and treated with bleach.
The smell was so strong that we eventually had to move rooms. Unfortunately, the problem did not end there, as the bathroom in our replacement room also flooded when the shower was used.
The sewage odour was particularly unpleasant and, in our experience, affected clothing and belongings in the room.
Swimming pools and cleanliness
The condition of the swimming pools was one of our biggest concerns.
The photographs used to advertise the hotel gave us a very different impression from what we experienced. One pool had a waterfall feature that was not operating. We were told this was related to bird droppings in the waterfall reservoir. Rather than seeing the area properly cleaned, we saw the feature simply left switched off.
The main pool near reception was particularly concerning. The water was sufficiently cloudy and dirty that, at times, it was difficult to see the bottom of the pool or our feet. Although the pool was netted regularly, during our stay we did not see what we would consider a thorough vacuuming or scrubbing of the pool.
On one occasion, pool filters were being cleaned while guests, including children, were still using the pool. The cleaning process appeared to disturb additional dirt and debris around the pool, which we found very concerning.
The third pool, near the restaurant, appeared to be the cleanest of the three, although we noticed cracked tiles and significant dirt and scum around the pool edge.
Most concerningly, I personally found a large piece of broken glass in the swimming pool. In my opinion, this represented a potentially serious injury risk to anyone who stepped on it.
Fire incident
During our stay, there was also an incident involving a fire. A member of staff told us that an air-conditioning unit on top of one of the buildings had caught fire. We were told it had been dealt with quickly.
Thankfully, it appeared to be brought under control, but it was still an unsettling incident and added to our concerns about the general condition and maintenance of the property.
Uncomfortable behaviour towards our daughter
Another issue that made our family particularly uncomfortable was the behaviour of some male members of staff towards our teenage daughter. We felt that she was being stared at in a manner that made her uncomfortable and self-conscious while wearing swimwear around the pool.
Regardless of the circumstances, we expected our daughter to feel comfortable and respected while using the hotel’s facilities.
Animation team and Tripadvisor review incident
The animation team were extremely persistent. We repeatedly said that we did not want to participate in activities, yet the requests continued on a daily basis. For guests wanting to relax, we found this intrusive rather than entertaining.
More seriously, we witnessed an incident involving our daughter and a member of the animation team that concerned us greatly.
Our daughter believed she was simply having a conversation with the animation staff member. She later told us that she had actually been encouraged to write a positive Tripadvisor review while we were nearby at the pool.
She did not have a Tripadvisor account, so she was encouraged to create one. She said she did not know what to write and was hoping the situation would end, but the staff member took her phone and wrote the review on her behalf. A photograph of the completed review was then taken, apparently to show management.
Our daughter told us afterwards that she felt uncomfortable challenging the staff member because they had been friendly towards her.
If this is an isolated incident, it is still unacceptable. If it is a regular practice, it raises serious questions about the reliability of some of the hotel’s positive online reviews.
Location and transport
The hotel’s location was not ideal for us. There is relatively little immediately around the property, so taxis are required for many activities.
We did have good experiences with the reception staff member Ramadan, who arranged taxis for us promptly and professionally. The drivers he arranged were friendly and made us feel reasonably comfortable.
The roads and driving conditions were another matter, and anyone unfamiliar with the area should be prepared for a very different driving environment from what they may be used to at home.
Things we enjoyed outside the hotel
We did find some positives during the holiday.
SOHO Square is worth visiting, with plenty of restaurants, shops and entertainment.
We also spent a day at Marina Sharm Hotel’s beach and found the staff there very good.
For a reliable and familiar food option, there is a McDonald’s next door to the hotel, which we found clean and tidy.
We also visited a restaurant in Old Egypt called Onions and Andreas. It was clean, reasonably priced and the staff were attentive. It did not serve alcohol, but there was a good choice of food.
The White Island boat trip was somewhat underwhelming for us. It essentially involved a boat trip to and from a beach, although our daughter enjoyed the experience and some snorkelling.
Final thoughts
I have tried to give an honest account of our experience rather than simply leave a negative review without explanation.
There were some genuinely excellent members of staff, and I want to make that clear. Unfortunately, the positives were outweighed by the condition of the hotel, ongoing construction, plumbing problems, cleanliness concerns, pool conditions, limited all-inclusive offering, service issues and our concerns regarding guest safety.
We had booked three weeks but ultimately decided that we could not continue with the stay. We moved to the SAVOY, a five-star hotel in Sharm El Sheikh, for our final week, and the difference was considerable.
In its current condition, based on our experience, I would not recommend the Oriental Rivoli to anyone expecting a four-star all-inclusive holiday without significant improvements being made.
I hope this review is useful to anyone considering booking. These are our personal observations and experiences during our stay, and I strongly recommend that prospective guests look carefully at recent reviews and current photographs before making a decision
Very nice staff, great activities. The foam party was amazing. Food was very good but slightly on the salty side
