We went to sol y mar for a week feb 2012. The hotel was lovely and quiet, very peaceful. The staff in the hotel were fantastic, nothing was too much trouble. The boys in the animation team worked tirelessly every day and night, they were all very amusing to watch especially the dancing. My partner and I will definitely return later this year. This was out first experience in Egypt and we were very impressed with the hospitality provided by everybody at sol y mar.

so as my title says I have been to Sol Y Mar 6 times and am again returning for my birthday in August, I can't wait to go back to see all the lovely friends I have met and stay in such a safe hotel. The hotel itself is quiet and out of the way of everything, just how I like it. It's completely safe for children to go, especially with the staff being as friendly and outlooking for people as they are! I honestly think of some of the staff there like family. The hotel rooms are always clean and the pool also is kept spotless but the amazing pool attendants! The resturant has a bit of everything, so if you want to try some egyptian culture you have the option however if you'd rather play it safe and have egg and chips for dinner that option is there too! The Animation team are the highlight of my holiday, I can't wait to get out there and see them, they are all so lovely and have the most amazing amount of energy. Honestly everyone there at Sol Y Mar will do everything they possibly can to make your holiday your dream holiday!

As the title says I have stayed at the Sol y Mar five times and have not once been disappointed. We recently stayed there in November 2011 and have booked to go again in May. It is the staff at this hotel that make your stay so memorable it will have you coming back time and time again. They honestly cannot do enough for you. Reception staff are very helpful, we requested a few extra things for our room on arrival as we travelled with a baby and they managed to meet all of our needs and expectations to the full.The bar staff and restaurant staff are poliet and very helpful. The cleaners and maintance staff are great aswell. The pool boys, Ashraf and Mahmoud are amazing. Very friendly and always willing to help. The animation team are fantastic, they are lovely people who get everyone involved in the activities. They take their time to get to know the guests and really make you feel welcome and part of the Sol y Mar family. They put on a show one evening, which was excellent. They are always happy and smiling trying to make sure that your stay at the Sol y Mar is nothing but the best. Dodge and his team do a great job and am looking forward to seeing you and everyone else at the Sol y Mar very soon.

After reading previous comments on here, we were very anxious about going to the hotel, as the views were so mixed! We have to say that it was a pleasant surprise, whilst the build quality is not at european standards, it was well maintained, clean and tidy. The biggest asset for the hotel are the staff who could not do enough for you to make sure that you were having a good stay. As it was mid winter the main pools were decidely chilly, however their was a small kids pool that was heated so you could get wet without freezing. The sun loungers are a bit tired and not that comfortable for long periods - some lounge cushions would make it 100% ok. We had good weather - mid 20's all week and 5/7 days of sunshine.
The annimation team would get the gold medal for enthusiasm and willingness to get you involved, however if you wanted time out to do nothing - you were not harrassed. Their shows were fun!
The food was varied and whilst it featured alot of fish and chicken there were beef dishes as well as at least two options for vegetarians each day. The food was well presented and effort was made to ensure that the supply was sustained throughout meal times. our only criticism in the dining room was the speed your used plates etc were wisked away, occasionally you hadn't got the cutlery back to the plate!
It is isolated in its setting so if you want no noise from other hotels or anything really then this is a good place to chill out. The gym is basic but ok for a quick work out and we sampled the massage on offer which was good value really for the time involved.
The rooms are fine, rustic and quite spacious. Now if you like a firm mattress - you are quids in but if you prefer something softer, you've lucked out chum! The rooms are made up daily and the treats with the towels on some days are really thoughtful, so think about the tip you leave for the staff. The air-con is fine if a bit noisy. We had a hassle with dis-appearing hot water in the evenings, but all credit to the staff, it was sorted within 5 - 10 mins of our call. Profuse apologies for the lack of hot water.
There are a couple of rather tired shops on site, but as it is all inclusive you really don't need much. We didn't do any of the day trips as we wanted a total chill out, spending almost a whole day travelling to Petra / Jerusalem for around £200 each is not such good value - well you can be the judge of that!
Taba airport is spartan but clean, and as long as there are no delays then it is fine as information sharing is at a minimum! We had a three hour delay due to fog and the announcements were thin on the ground.
In summary - well worth the money for a good middle of the road hotel. The staff are what make it truly worthwhile as the hotel is now 9+ years old and is a bit tired. We would happily go again, perhaps in a warmer month, but avoiding any school or local holidays when parents of children apparently love the hotel!!