Parrotel Lagoon Resort Sharm El Sheikh

Would not return – the hotel seriously let our holiday down ⭐⭐

We stayed at Parrotel Lagoon Resort for two weeks and, unfortunately, I would not return or recommend it based on our experience.

I really wanted to love this hotel. The resort has huge potential, and we still made some lovely memories because we were away together, but the reality of the hotel was very different from what we believed we had booked.

Facilities simply not as advertised.

This was probably my biggest frustration.

The advertised lazy river did not exist. The water taxi around the lagoon did not operate once during our entire two-week stay. The wave pool was never switched on, and two of the large swimming pools were empty.

Around the empty pools were areas of the resort and rooms/buildings that appeared unfinished, while other parts of the hotel desperately needed maintenance and attention.

The water taxi lagoon itself was horrible. The water was a thick, murky, slimy green and appeared stagnant in places, with lots of flies and mosquitoes around it. Take plenty of mosquito repellent!

The main pool could also look cloudy, and on some days there were no pool towels available. Sunbeds could be extremely difficult to get.

The water park looks impressive, particularly if you have younger children, but most of the slides are aimed at children. There were only around nine that were really suitable for adults/older children during our stay, and two of those weren't working.

Cleanliness and housekeeping were extremely disappointing.

Housekeeping actually started really well. During the first couple of days our beds were beautifully made and we had lovely towel decorations, but the standard quickly deteriorated. By the second week the beds were barely being made. Our bathroom was not cleaned once during the entire two weeks we were there.

We repeatedly had to ask for basic things such as toilet paper, bottled water, and clean towels. Our bedding had stains and ink marks on it, and the pillows were basically bags of lumpy stuffing and incredibly uncomfortable.

Bathrobes and slippers were also advertised with our room but were never provided. Obviously a missing bathrobe isn't going to ruin a holiday, but details like this contribute to the standard you believe you're booking – and the reality simply didn't match.

Housekeeping would sometimes knock very early expecting us to leave the room so they could clean. If we said we weren't ready, they could be quite insistent rather than simply returning later.

The most uncomfortable moment came on our final morning. Our cleaner had already asked what time we were leaving. When we were walking down the corridor with our luggage, he came after us repeatedly asking me for £10.

I had already tipped him earlier in the holiday when the service had been good, so being chased down the corridor asking for another tip was uncomfortable and wasn't how I wanted our stay to end.

Communal areas weren't much better

Public toilets were regularly dirty and frequently had no toilet paper, with many toilets blocked. There was rubbish around parts of the resort and numerous areas looked tired and poorly maintained.

The Executive Lounge was particularly disappointing. On several occasions it was filthy – dirty tables, used cups and plates left around, rubbish on the floor and stained or damaged furniture.

There was absolutely nothing “executive” about it.

Staff

I do want to be fair about the staff because some of them worked incredibly hard.

They're working very long hours in extreme heat and there were individuals who were friendly, helpful and genuinely trying their best. Unfortunately, many staff also appeared exhausted and demotivated, which perhaps says something about the environment they're working in.

Entertainment and atmosphere

Entertainment was poor and repetitive and the resort often lacked atmosphere. For somewhere that looks like such a large, lively resort in the advertising, we expected considerably more.

Both my daughter and I were also ill for several days during each week of our stay. I cannot say what caused our illness and I'm not suggesting that the hotel was responsible, but it unfortunately affected quite a significant part of our two-week holiday.

Overall

The frustrating thing is that this place could be fantastic.

It's a huge resort with enormous potential, but it needs proper investment in the facilities it already has, much higher standards of cleanliness and maintenance, and much more consistency.

Most importantly, the advertising needs to accurately reflect what guests will actually find when they arrive.

I don't expect perfection when I travel. Things occasionally break, facilities can temporarily close and hotels have good and bad days. But when you're there for two weeks and advertised facilities never operate, others don't exist, two large pools remain empty and the same cleanliness and maintenance issues continue throughout your stay, that's very different.

We did laugh, we made memories and we enjoyed being away together.

But that was because of us, not because of this hotel.

Would we return? No.

Would I recommend it based on our experience? Sadly, no.

Lovely memories – wrong hotel.

These pair were the best and very helpful pool members I have ever dealt with. Friendly, helpful and provided a great service. Lovely people.

Just back from a fabulous week at the Parrotel Lagoon Resort. 2 adults and 2 children, ages 13 and 10.

I have never been to a place where the staff were as friendly and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble no matter what the issue.

Biggest smiles and welcome were from Muhamed at the Island Bar and Sameh at the small pool, which we used as our base all week as our room was close by.

Every day the 4 of us were treated like royalty. Muhamedd didn't stop all day and felt like our personal bar man. Sameh made us feel like we owned the hotel and was always.looking out for us. Thanks both!!

We lost our daughters phone at one point and the whole place seemed to drop everything and go to Defcon 5. Special thanks to Mohamed Oraby at reception and the driver of the Water Park buggy who made us feel it was only a matter of time before we found it. Which we did. Even our cleaner was top drawer! AbdEIRahman scoured the hotel to find us after we had left our room on the last day to return a personal necklace we had lost.

Premium restaurant also had amazing, personally attentive staff, who welcomed and treated us like VIP's.

Would highly recommend the Yolanda Divers based at the hotel. Had an amazing snorkeling/dive trip with them on a spacious yaught and they got my 10 year old scuba diving on a 1 to 1 basis. Amazing memories.

On the whole great value for money and would return. Would say it was more 4 star than 5 and only negative was main pool and evening entertainment. But maybe that was a British gripe.