The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

For the bohemians among us, a trip to the
Red Sea town of Nuweiba is not worthwhile unless you spend it in a basic camp
of reed huts and low-maintenance amenities like the Good Life, Ananda, Edn and
Soft Beach among others. However, high-maintenance travellers may prefer the hotel
chains dotted along the coast, from the massive and impressive Taba Heights
complex to the Jaz, Moevenpick, Radisson and Hilton chains spread throughout
the area.

The Hilton Nuweiba Coral Resort is not as
well-known as its contemporary in Taba, which may be due to its quite distant
location: the hotel is situated worryingly close to the port of Nuweiba, is a good 25-minute drive from any of the main camps and not within walking distance of
anything except boats and derelict hotel buildings.

What it does offer is a standard 3-star
hotel package of swimming pools, beach activities, buffet meals and comfortable
rooms. This is the type of hotel you’d bring a large family to when you’re on a
budget; you don’t necessarily get luxury or quality, but you do get clean and
comfortable beds, massive food portions and activities that will keep the kids
distracted while you work on your tan.

As it tends to offer seasonal cheap package
deals, the hotel mostly caters to large groups of tourists on package tour deals. This
means that you will be constantly spoken to in English, no matter how often you
insist that you can speak Arabic. This also means that some waiters may be a little
too familiar and friendly, which bothered some patrons during this reviewer’s
visit.

A standard double room at the hotel comes
with two single beds, a TV with channels in Arabic, Russian, Italian,
English, French and German, as well as a small bathroom with a
standing shower, and a sea-view balcony. By sea-view, we mean that you’ll see
the sea in the distance, but it is usually obscured by the gardens’ palm trees
unless you’re staying in one of the more expensive sea-front bungalows. Deluxe
and executive rooms are also available. All rooms are non-smoking, so you’ll be
confined to smoking on your balcony. Wi-Fi is available at an hourly fee in
your room, but the signal gets weaker the further your room is from the
reception.

Buffet breakfasts, lunches and dinners are
provided at the sunny Blue Blue restaurant, and the cuisine is of the expected
buffet standard: generic and a little flavourless. There’s a
different cuisine offered at the dinner buffet every day of the week, but if
you prefer something less mass-produced, try Abou Lou Lou’s à-la-carte menu. A bar is situated right on the beach where you can cool down with your
standard soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.

The hotel’s swimming pool is located across
from the restaurants and has a small bridge over it as well as a
shallow kids’ pool on one side. It’s not necessarily big enough to swim healthy
laps in, so you’re better off paddling or lounging on the deck chairs nearby.

The beach is wide enough for you to find a
spot away from the crowd, where every metal umbrella comes with two cushioned chaise
lounges. A water sports kiosk is located at the centre of the beach, offering paddelos and canoes for hire. A long pier into the sea holds a few chairs and tables, where you can enjoy the evening breeze and relax.

This is neither the most pristine
beach nor the cleanest water you will find in Nuweiba, and it’s hard to
ignore the port nearby as massive ships sail in and out all the time. However,
it does provide something for everyone; you can sunbathe, play beach
volleyball, take a group yoga class or take a canoe out to sea.

As this seems to be a destination of choice
for cheap package deals, the hotel may be quite crowded at peak season, meaning
the gardens may be full of screaming kids keeping you up at night. The biggest fault
that we can place with this Hilton Hotel is their staff members’ inability to
respond quickly to queries and complaints. The fact that four separate
complaints had to be made before our request for a change of rooms was
begrudgingly met is not the best indication of attention to customer service.
However, if you want an air-conditioned room with a comfortable bed and a view
of the Red Sea, call the Hilton Coral Sea.

The
Hilton Nuweiba Coral Sea is located almost 40 minutes after the Taba check point and two
hours from the Sharm El Sheikh international airport. Look out for the signs to
the Nuweiba Town and Port, as the hotel is a few blocks down from the port.Call (0020) 693520320 or fax (0020) 693520327.