**Escape to Paradise: Sunrise Montemare's Luxury Awaits in Sharm El Sheikh!**
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because we're diving HEADFIRST into Escape to Paradise: Sunrise Montemare in Sharm El Sheikh! This ain't your grandma's brochure review, folks. We're going REAL, warts and all, because let's be honest, perfect doesn't exist, and that's okay! This is my take, my messy, opinionated, slightly-obsessed take on this slice of Egyptian bliss.
First Impressions & Getting Around… the Messy Bits
Okay, first things first. Accessibility. Honestly, it's a mixed bag. They claim to be wheelchair accessible, and they do have elevators (thank GOD, I HATE stairs, especially after a week of indulging in baklava!). However, I didn't see any specific accessible routes to the beach, and as we all know, Egyptian beaches can be… well, let's just say navigating them in a wheelchair is probably going to be an adventure. So, take that with a grain of salt. They do boast facilities for disabled guests, and I'm going to have to call and grill them about specifically what that includes. Will update!
Airport transfer is available, a definite win! And Car park [free of charge] on-site – excellent. Because honestly, who wants to stress about parking on vacation? Valet parking too if you're feeling fancy (not me, I'm too busy trying to figure out how to sneak more pastries from the buffet…). Taxi service is readily available.
The Cleanliness Commandment (and Safety Shenanigans)
Alright, so here's where Montemare shines. Post-pandemic, they've clearly gone all-in on the hygiene front (which, YES!). Anti-viral cleaning products, Daily disinfection in common areas, Professional-grade sanitizing services… the whole shebang. My OCD-addled brain breathed a sigh of relief. They even have Rooms sanitized between stays, and you can even opt-out of room sanitization if you are feeling extra safe. Love that. Hand sanitizer stations everywhere! They're taking it seriously. Staff trained in safety protocol – check. First aid kit – yep. Doctor/nurse on call – another point for peace of mind. Food safety? Safe dining setup, Sanitized kitchen and tableware items, Individually-wrapped food options. This is good! I'm happy, I'm clean, I'm feeling… well, safe! CCTV in common areas, CCTV outside property, Security [24-hour] – all the usual suspects for making you feel protected. Smoke alarms, Fire extinguisher and Safety/security feature in the rooms. Good show!
The Food Odyssey: Buffet Bliss and More (and my Baklava Addiction)
Okay, let's talk about the most important thing: food. And trust me, I tried everything.
Restaurants: Multiple! Yay!
Breakfast [buffet]: The lifeblood of any good vacation. And Montemare’s? Glorious. Seriously. They had everything. Western breakfast and Asian breakfast options.
Breakfast in room: Yep, you can get that lazy morning start with the room service.
Breakfast takeaway service: For those early excursions, smart thinking.
Coffee/tea in restaurant And it's actually good and I am fussy.
Coffee shop: Ah yes, the fuel for my soul. Or at least enough of an espresso that I can carry on my day.
Poolside bar: Essential. For fruity concoctions and questionable decisions.
Snack bar: Excellent for post-swim munchies.
Room Service [24-hour]: Score! (Perfect for baklava cravings at 3 AM. Just saying…)
Desserts in restaurant: I'm sensing a theme here.
Vegetarian restaurant: catering for everyone.
A la carte in restaurant: If you're feeling fancy and want to go outside the buffet experience.
Alternative meal arrangement: If you have any specific needs, they will make arrangements.
Salad in restaurant: Good for those moments of fleeting health-consciousness. (I usually went straight for the cake…)
Soup in restaurant: Perfect for those chilly desert evenings.
Bottle of water: Absolutely necessary.
Asian cuisine in restaurant: Yes, some variety
International cuisine in restaurant: Makes for a varied experience.
Happy hour: Always welcome!
My Baklava Breakdown: Okay, full disclosure: I may have developed a slight (okay, a HUGE) addiction to their baklava. It was flaky, buttery, perfectly sweet… I swear, I think I gained five pounds just from that little corner of the buffet. I even snuck a few (a LOT) back to my room! It's a problem! But a delicious one.
The Relaxation Realm: Spa Days and Sun-Kissed Bliss
This is where Montemare really tries to take you to paradise, right?
Swimming pool: Multiple pools, including…
Swimming pool [outdoor]: Always a winner.
Pool with view: Oh yeah. Absolutely gorgeous looking at the red sea.
Sauna: I'm a sucker for a good sauna.
Steamroom: My skin says thank you.
Spa: You can't go wrong.
Spa/sauna: The ultimate combo.
Massage: Essential for melting away stress.
Body scrub and Body wrap: Treat yourself!
My Personal Oasis: The pool area was my absolute happy place. I spent hours lounging by the Pool with view, reading trashy novels, and occasionally venturing into the shimmering turquoise water. The sun, the quiet… It was pure, unadulterated bliss. And let me tell you, after a few days of spa treatments (namely, the massage), I felt like a completely new human. Seriously, worth every penny.
Your Cozy Nest: The Room Review
The rooms are well-appointed, but let's be real, no room is perfect. Here's the rundown:
- Air conditioning: Crucial. You're in Egypt, people.
- Additional toilet: Nice to have!
- Bathrobes & Slippers: Luxurious touch!
- Bathtub: Perfect for soaking after a long day!
- Blackout curtains: A must for serious sleepers like me.
- Closet: For all your vacation outfits (and your baklava stash).
- Coffee/tea maker: Mandatory for caffeine addicts.
- Complimentary tea: Nice touch!
- Daily housekeeping: Always appreciated.
- Desk: For those times you pretend to work.
- Extra long bed: Score!
- Free bottled water: Hydration is key!
- Hair dryer: Essential.
- In-room safe box: Keep your valuables safe!
- Interconnecting room(s) available: Great for family!
- Internet access – wireless: WiFi is available.
- Ironing facilities: Because you'll need to look presentable eventually.
- Laptop workspace: For the work-at-home crew
- Linens, Mirror: Standard.
- Mini bar: For the late-night cravings.
- Non-smoking: Good for everyone!
- Private bathroom: A necessity.
- Reading light: For your nighttime reading
- Refrigerator: For all your beverages.
- Satellite/cable channels: For downtime.
- Seating area: Perfect for chilling.
- Shower: Sometimes the only way to get clean.
- Slippers, Smoke detector, Socket near the bed, Sofa, Soundproofing, Telephone, Toiletries, Towels, Umbrella, Visual alarm, Wake-up service, Wi-Fi [free], Window that opens: The staples.
The Internet Access Annoyance
Let's be blunt: Internet access – wireless (Wi-Fi) works, but it's not always lightning fast. And yes, there is Free Wi-Fi in all rooms!, but don't expect to be streaming ultra-HD movies. It's decent for checking emails, scrolling social media, and generally staying connected, but if you're a heavy internet user, be prepared for occasional frustration. They also have Internet [LAN] - a cable to plug in.
Other Bits and Bobs
- For The Kids: They have Babysitting service, Family/child friendly, Kids facilities, Kids meal.
- Services and conveniences: Air conditioning in public area, Cash withdrawal, Concierge, Convenience store, Currency exchange, Dry cleaning, Elevator, Facilities for disabled guests, Food delivery, **Gift/
Alright, buckle up, buttercups! Because here's a travel itinerary for Sunrise Montemare Resort – Grand Select Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, that’s less "perfectly planned Instagram post" and more "me trying to navigate a foreign land fueled by instant coffee and sheer willpower." This isn't your glossy travel brochure, folks; this is the real deal. Prepare for the glorious mess.
Sunrise Montemare: My Week of Sun, Sand, and Slightly-Regrettable Decisions (aka The Itinerary From Hell… or Heaven, TBD)
Day 1: Arrival and Pre-Meltdown (AKA "Where Did My Luggage Go?!" )
- Time: 6:00 AM: Departure panic from JFK. My usual airport pre-flight routine: forgetting something important (passport? check), triple-checking everything else (toiletries… check), and the constant gnawing fear that I am going to miss my flight.
- Time: 2:00 PM (Cairo Time): Landing. Breathe. Smell the desert air (which, let’s be honest, smells a bit like exhaust and hope). Instant relief – beautiful weather
- Time: 3:00 PM: Where's my suitcase? This is where the 'fun' begins! Turns out it decided to take a detour to Milan. Apparently, my carefully curated holiday wardrobe is currently on a fashion adventure of its own. Cue the mild panic mixed with a healthy dose of "well, crap."
- Time: 4:00 PM: Arrive at Sunrise Montemare. Gorgeous. Seriously, jaw-droppingly gorgeous. The lobby is all marble and shimmering light, the staff are ridiculously friendly (in a way that makes you suspicious that they're secretly robots programmed to be overly-helpful . . . and then I'm like 'no, they're just nice.').
- Time: 5:00 PM: Room Check. Turns out my ocean view is actually more of a "partial ocean view that also includes a building site." Sigh. I attempt to bargain for a better view because I'm going to be spending a ton of money here and I deserve it.
- Time: 6:00 PM: Dinner at the "Italian" restaurant, which smells suspiciously like the breakfast buffet, but hey, is there anything better than a good Italian? I find a decent pasta dish- carb loading has commenced! Important Note: I swear I saw a cockroach scurry across the floor, but I'm attributing it to jet lag paranoia. Hopefully.
- Time: 7:00 PM: First cocktail. Because, vacation. This one, I’m pretty sure, is named “The Desert Mirage.” Accurate. At least, it’s delicious.
- Time: 8:00 PM: Unpacking (what little I DO have) and sulking about my missing suitcase. Praying it arrives tomorrow. Fingers crossed. And maybe sacrificing a small piece of my soul to the travel gods.
Day 2: Pool Day and Cultural Confusion (aka "Did I Just Eat Pigeon?")
- Time: 8:00 AM: Wake up, bleary-eyed and craving caffeine. Breakfast buffet… an assault on the senses, in the best possible way. So many options! The fresh fruit is divine. The scrambled eggs… not so much.
- Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Pool time! Finally, bliss! I spend three hours basking in the sun, people-watching, and trying (and failing) to remember the last time I felt this relaxed. The pool is stunning, turquoise water, and a million Instagram opportunities. I take several pictures and then decide that I actually, really need a break.
- Time: 12:00 PM: Lunch at the… well, I think it's the pool bar? I still don't have any idea what I'm eating, but I'm hungry. I choose some grilled meat from a buffet with a very vague label, and take a bite. It’s… flavorful. Probably. I have a sneaking suspicion it was pigeon (I don't care, it's delicious!).
- Time: 1:00 PM: Naptime. The sun and the mystery meat have taken their toll.
- Time: 3:00 PM: Trying to explore the resort. This place is MASSIVE. I get lost. Several times. I stumble upon the spa and consider indulging in a massage, but the prices are… eye-watering. Maybe later.
- Time: 5:00 PM: Visit to the hotel's shisha lounge. I'm not a smoker, but the smell of the flavored tobacco is somehow intoxicating. I order a mint shisha and spend an hour staring at the sunset, feeling like I’m in a movie. It's actually pretty freaking amazing.
- Time: 7:00 PM: Dinner. Another buffet. I'm starting to recognize the staff! They're still relentlessly nice. I'm tempted to ask them for a detailed explanation of everything I could be eating.
- Time: 9:00 PM: Evening show. The hotel has a "cultural" performance. I end up laughing way more than I would have thought. The energy is infectious, even if the acting is a tad… dramatic.
- Time: 10:00 PM: Bedtime. A bit of reading. I'm actually quite tired of being alone, but I'm tired of being with people as well. I fall asleep, dreaming of my suitcase and a proper cup of tea.
Day 3: Snorkeling and Slightly-Scary Sea Adventures (aka "Is That a Shark?!)
- Time: 8:00 AM: Breakfast (same as yesterday, but I'm starting to get used to it, I guess…).
- Time: 9:00 AM: A hotel snorkeling excursion! I'm excited, but also a bit terrified of the ocean. I'm not exactly a strong swimmer. On the boat, they give us a brief and somewhat unconvincing safety briefing.
- Time: 10:00 AM: Snorkeling! The Red Sea is beautiful. The corals are vibrant, the fish are colorful. It’s like being in a giant, underwater aquarium. I keep getting stung by something though.
- Time: 11:00 AM: SHARK! Or, you know, maybe a big, harmless fish. But in the moment, when your face is underwater and all you can see is a looming shape… well, my heart practically leapt out of my chest. Turns out it's just a very large, very chill grouper. Still, I swim back to the boat pretty fast . . .
- Time: 12:00 PM: Back to the resort. Shower, and a long, luxurious rinse. I'm basically made of salt water at this point.
- Time: 1:00 PM: Lunch. Buffet. I'm getting to know the chefs by name! They're still smiling, somehow.
- Time: 2:00 PM: Another nap. I'm blaming the sun. And my near-death experience with the grouper.
- Time: 4:00 PM: More pool time. This time, with a book! (My suitcase is still MIA).
- Time: 6:00 PM: Another Shisha. With a different flavor this time, to keep things interesting.
- Time: 7:00 PM: Dinner at the "Seafood" restaurant. Turns out, it's mostly fried fish, but the view is gorgeous and the service is great.
- Time: 9:00 PM: I try to watch a movie. My brain is fried. I go to sleep instead.
Day 4: Desert Safari and Camel-Riding Chaos (aka "My Thighs Hurt!")
- Time: 8:00 AM: Breakfast, with renewed enthusiasm. I'm getting into the rhythm of the buffet.
- Time: 9:00 AM: Desert Safari! I'm so, so excited and also a little bit nervous. They tell us it's safe, but I still have images of myself rolling down a sand dune in my head.
- Time: 10:00 AM: 4x4 adventure! We zoom at 1000 miles per hour through the desert. The driver is insane. I scream. It's exhilarating and terrifying. The desert is stunning.
- Time: 11:00 AM: Camel riding. I'm surprisingly good at this. Until I try to get off. My legs feel like they're made of jelly. Ow. Ow, ow, ow.
- Time: 12:00 PM: Traditional Bedouin lunch. The food is simple but delicious. The atmosphere is… well, authentic. I feel like I'm in a movie.
- Time: 2:00 PM: Back at the resort, exhausted but exhilarated. The sun is a killer, and my skin is starting to feel it.
- Time: 3:00 PM:
So, Is This Place REALLY "Luxury"? I'm Seeing a Lot of Glossy Brochure Vibes...
Okay, let's level. Luxury? Depends. You've got the shimmering infinity pools, the marble-clad lobbies, and the staff who *try* to anticipate your every whim. (Emphasis on *try*.) I mean, the lobby smells like a perfume commercial exploded, and that's… nice, I guess? But "luxury" isn't just about fancy decor, is it? It's about a feeling. And the feeling I got, honestly, sometimes felt a bit… manufactured. Like a really expensive stage set. Don't get me wrong, it's *nice*. But real luxury, for me, would be fewer aggressively cheerful waiters and more, like, a decent wi-fi signal in the room. Just sayin'.
The Food... Is it Actually Edible? And Should I Prepare for "The Pharaoh's Revenge"?
Alright, the food. *Deep breath.* Okay, so the buffet? Let's just say variety is the spice of life, and they certainly had a lot of "spice." I'm talking every ethnicity of food ever invented. The breakfast pastries? Hit or miss. The eggs? Runny. The fruit? Fantastic! The themed nights? Mixed, mostly. I remember one "Italian" night where the pasta was somehow both overcooked and under-seasoned. And don't even get me started on the… *cough*… "steak." I'd pack some Imodium, just in case. Better safe than sorry... especially after trying that mystery meat.
The Beach... It's Photoshopped, Right? Does It Really Look That Good?
Okay, *this* is where they're not lying. The beach? It's gorgeous. The water is a brilliant turquoise, the sand is soft, and the coral reefs are… well, I'll get to those. It *does* look like the photos. But, and there's always a but, you'll be competing for space with a million other sun-worshippers. And the best sunbeds? Vanished by 7 AM. Seriously, people were practically camping out, laying towels down at dawn to reserve their spot. The sea itself is *amazing* but be warned, you're really swimming with the fishes, so be prepared. See the next question.
Snorkeling/Diving: Worth the Hype? Because I'm A Little Scared of the Ocean.
HECK YES. The Red Sea is breathtaking. I'm talking seriously otherworldly. Even *I*, a self-confessed scaredy-cat when it comes to deep water, was blown away. The coral is a riot of color, and the fish… oh, the fish! I saw a clownfish, a parrotfish, and about a million other things I couldn't name. Worth battling the crowds, the slightly dodgy rental equipment, and my own internal panic? Absolutely. Honestly, this was probably the best part of the whole damn trip. I spent *hours* just floating around staring at the underwater world. It was insane. Changed me, man. Maybe. (Still a little scared of the ocean, though. Don't tell anyone.)
The Entertainment... Is It Just Awkward Karaoke and Bad Cover Bands?
Okay, so, about the entertainment… it *can* be a little… rough around the edges. The karaoke? Run for the hills. Run. The cover bands? Variable. One night was actually pretty good, playing classic rock, and the next night… Well, let's just say the singer butchered "Bohemian Rhapsody" and I considered faking a sudden illness. There's a "disco" too, but it's more like a dimly lit room where people awkwardly shuffle for an hour. Honestly, sometimes the best entertainment was watching the other guests. Fascinating people-watching!
The Staff... Are They Actually Helpful, Or Just Annoyingly Over-The-Top?
This is a tricky one. The staff are incredibly *present*. Sometimes, a little too present. They're unfailingly polite, always smiling, and constantly asking if you need anything. Which, honestly, after a day or two, gets a bit… much. I just wanted to eat my breakfast in peace without being asked if I'm enjoying my "magical morning". A few are genuinely lovely and helpful. Others? Felt like they were just going through the motions. It's a mixed bag, really. Tip generously, and you'll probably get better service. But honestly, I like being left alone sometimes.
Anything I Should Definitely Pack?
Okay, MUST-HAVES: Sunscreen. Seriously, the sun is a killer. Aftersun lotion (you *will* need it). A good book (or ten). An adapter (Egypt uses European-style plugs). A phrasebook (English is spoken, but Arabic will get you further, and trying at least is a sign of respect). A reusable water bottle (stay hydrated!). And… Imodium. Because the food. And maybe some earplugs. For the karaoke. And a sense of humor. You'll need a lot of that.
Would You Go Back?
Hmm. Honestly? Part of me wants to. The beach, the snorkeling…those were amazing. But then I think about the food (shudders) and the enforced cheeriness and those crowds... and I'm not so sure. If they could guarantee better food, less aggressively cheerful staff, and a slightly less packed beach, then maybe. But as it stands? Probably not. Maybe. Depends on the price. Okay fine, if I saw a ridiculously cheap offer, yeah, I'd probably go back. But don't tell anyone. The secret is out.
Real Talk: Any Surprises I Should Be Prepared For?
Okay, buckle up for this one. The *most* surprising thing? The sheer volume of Russians. I mean, everywhere. Not a bad thing, of course, just… a LOT of them. And they all seemed to be very, very good at reserving sunbeds at ungodly hours. And the stray cats. There are a *lot* of stray cats. Cute, but persistent. They'Hotels Near Your
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