Red Sea Holidays Reviews 99

I’ve booked with Red Sea Holidays over 20 times and they are always great. Their hotels are excellent
Grand Hotel in Sharm
Was superb. Was ready to book straight away again but it’s £600 more for a week in August than last week so will wait and see if prices come down.

The booking process was pretty seamless BUT holidaymakers should be made aware that TUI allocate a block of seats to Red Sea Holidays for the aircraft and therefore you cannot book extra legroom - not even by contacting TUI direct! My husband is over 6ft tall and it all became very stressful - TUI were useless - wouldn’t help us at all - in fact one of the cabin crew was down right rude when I asked if we could pay for my husband to be moved - so for this reason I wouldn’t book via Red Sea Holidays again

OK, know several people since 2017 have had various degrees of satisfaction or not with Red Sea Holidays (RSH) -yes I have "ploughed" through them all!

My review is confined to the following

Airlines all out of Gatwick North
2018 Thomas Cook
2022/23/25 all TUI Airways

"Red Sea Hotels Group" Makadi Bay - Grand Makadi 2018- & Makadi Spa 2022/23/25

RSH from Gatwick offer either Easy Jet or TUI Airways. Different prices and flight times. I choose TUI due to the flight times suiting my needs & gaining an extra free 5kg in the hold for my scuba gear (Dive cert card required) Yes the price point is a little greater, but evened out luggage wise in cost

No flight issues per this report

ABOUT booking with RSH:-

I have booked many Egypt stays since 2006- Sharm El Sheikh area, (I will admit that the "Sharm" side of the Red Sea I decided was not what I wanted in my style of holiday just one "stay" 2007

Preferring to visit North & South of Hurghada 2006 to 2010 via three separate "over the phone or on line companies". Before apart from one visit purely with RDS 2018 to date

RSH Web Site:-
I can say that NONE of the previous companies I used had the amount of variation of details of flights and accommodation / Red Sea locations to travel to or stay compared to the Past or current listing on the RDS web site!

I guess I know my way round the site very well, and whilst the comments about "updating photos has some merit" largely the bulk of the photos integral to each hotel do represent what to expect

I think to expect the slick next to no money spared in main frame & web site development that is offered comparing RSH to say "buying on line platforms or world wide hotel groups (no adverting, ok) plus a reminder this adds to overall cost and must be recouped

Compared to web sites of 2004 to 2010 the RSH site's fantastic!

For me the being able to buy online only is no issue as I am increasingly dubious of letting my card details loose via a pure human free system

This worked in my favour ( one write up mentioned prices change around a date) Well when i phone to confirm what was said on the site & book for 2026, the agent checked ad same deal flying the day before saved me IRO £400 over I add the same deal in my stay for 2025

NO problems freely given the TUI reference number to book seats (If you require extra hold baggage , TUI - get this added on booking. dealt with seats same time as doing my TUI API

Red Sea Hotel Group (RSHG Makadi Bay)

IN March 2025 Red Sea Hotels Group (RSHG) closed Makadi Grand for a "top to toe" refurbishment, to get it done in one hit then opened up for peak season!
Makadi SPA brought into action their totally NEW SPA centre
Makadi Water-World completed it's move from the original site only over the fence from the original spot
Generally I felt the RSHG was doing well & rebranding to look modern & current in style and attitude to guests!

Let me tell you that RSHG was concerned after the required reduction in staff during COVID 19, as to getting not only the staff numbers back up, but also as to regaining the previous high standard expected of staff. My observations concluded that comparing 2023 to 2025 was vastly improved

TOP TIP's any issues speak to Front of house (reception staff) or Guest relations Manager for any packaged holiday bookings.
If having booked your own trip Flight & hotel (Red Sea Hotels Group RSHG ) RSHG will have a member of guest relations for Privately booked guests only (not VP's I add)

Not one review mentioned "TIPPPING"; since airlines went "cash free" (On my return flights I used to use cash swapped for notes in coin & was well liked by cabin crew desperate for change!)
Now swapping the £1 or £2 coins for staff who cannot change coin for notes leaves one with a lot of weight to carry home. I like to give a small tip frequently - Change of tactic required. Low value USD$ or Euro can be obtained before you travel for tipping or get reception to break down larger Egyptian notes for you

So returning to the Hotel's - I remember my first visit 2005, 3 star hotel (EL Gouna) and yes it was "interesting", yet clean. But I used the stay to actually physically go into the other nearby hotels per thinking about a return trip one day and did not return to the 3 star place again but did other hotels near by pre checked out

Finally time of the year; from November and certainly end of December to end of February can get very windy and quite cool at day or night due to the wind coming down from the North - oh chilly is night + 12-15c , the wind is the main temperature reducing element, even day time with clear sky's

My recommendation for families is Grand Makadi & for Non families and over 18's just has to be Makadi Spa

100% recommend both & rate
Makadi Spa the best 10/10
RED SEA HOLIDAYS for me 10/10

I am currently in the process of Arbitration (Holiday Small Claims) for a holiday booked with them to Ghazala Gardens. The pools were unusable for the week due to them being lime green and full of algae. Issued a huge complaint whilst there and on my return and they consistantly try to blame everyone else and sadly lie to cover their backs. They do not hold any responsibility for the holidays they take money for. They offered me a pre £250 refund on a £3.5K trip, ignoring the fact we had swim up rooms we couldn't use for a week. The commission on this holiday was over £500! Laughable that you feel you deserve that whilst I am having a holiday from hell.
When I book a holiday I expect the travel operator to look after me as a customer and help resolve any issues. DO NOT BOOK through Red Sea Holidays! Disappointed I didn't check here before booking as the ratings are so poor it's an immediate red flag.

We both recently returned from a lovely / great relaxing holiday by Red sea holidays .We have returned to the resort Makadi bay over 10 times over the years & always have a Wonderful time , the weather , sea , snorkeling & staff always deliver. On this occasion we stayed at the restored/ updated The Grand Makadi Hotel. The hotel is wonderful, clean , tidy & the staff always happy to help / accomodate your needs . We would like to mention a few outstanding Restaurants, beach bars & people who really stood out during our holiday & made it very enjoyable indeed. The Italian restaurant especially the manager Mohamed Nagy& his friendly polite staff from kitchen area to front of house everyone pleasant/ friendly & courteous. Also a big mention to the Beach bar located on the beach , lunch is delicious & Mr Ahemed Mohamed head bar tender is very professional & customer service great 👍 very worth several visits. Last but not least Mr Yasser Nady & Mr Maher Farid who always mingle amongst holiday makers making sure standards are kept up , they both are very friendly/ professional in the duties. Over all this resort is great , friendly & food to die for .... Hopefully see you all again next year & thank you for making our holiday very special...
Mr Jack & Simona ...x

I saw an offer on Facebook so I looked on Red Sea website even though it was difficult to navigate, and I eventually found a reasonable price I was happy to pay for a holiday I wanted to book.
I had a query so I phoned Red Sea to book, she answered my query, and she took all my details to book then asked me for my debit card details, I said ‘no I want to pay on my credit card for the extra security it gives me.’ She told me I would have to book online to pay by credit card.
I entered all my details online including my credit card details 5 times, but it just said ‘error’ every time. I phoned my credit card company to see why the transaction wouldn’t complete, and he said they had approved the transaction every time so it was them declining the transaction. He then advised me to check their Trust Pilot reviews.
From this I can assume that maybe they put the odd reasonable deal on, get you excited about booking something, then after you have researched and got excited about going you are left with booking it at a higher price?? I don’t know, I just know I don’t trust a company that won’t take credit card payments.
I booked with Love Holidays instead, easier site to navigate, I got a good deal in a hotel with much better reviews, and they let me pay by credit card so I feel more secure, and they immediately confirmed my booking.

Did not book direct with Red Sea but through an agent but was very pleased with service of reps once I arrived in Egypt. As a first time solo traveler I was anxious but the rep met me as soon as entered the Luxor terminal and guided me through passport and helped me get cash from ATM. Had own taxi to boat, Jaz Princess, and he gave lots of information. Next morning I was greeted by the tour guide I had been told about and was given a 1-1 tour with driver around sites, felt very safe. The rest of the party I had joined went out on part of the tour the day before so this was to catch me up. Rest of the holiday I was with Nabil tour guide and rest of group which was fun and interesting. The boat was nice, the room spacious although the bath/shower was rather difficult to get in and out off and very slippery. The food was lovely with loads and choice and different theme each night. The staff were attentive and the Maitre D' was very entertaining. Drinks were not too expensive and service was good. We did moor alongside other boats was was fun to look at others and did not detract from the experience. Had a couple of boat trips out on the Nile which were enjoyable. The same rep took me back to the airport when I left and again guided me through the process. Thank you Red Sea for making my holiday safe and enjoyable.

Went away July 2025. The hotel was meant to be 5 star Grand palace. The hotel rooms were worn and coukd do with update. The hotel was meant to be a newer hotel. I doubt that. Floors were very slippery. I was amazed there were not more people who slipped, that hurt themselves. A ramp that took you to the restaurant and reception you had to hold on to walk up and could just slide down it. There was building work, waking us us early morning. I complained to Redsea holidays. They just sent me back a generic reply after a month.
Using them for a few years. Will not be using them again. Just do not care.

Ive been using Red Sea Holidays for over 5 years and cant fault it. As Im self employed I can search for prices on any day I fancy. I always find a day to depart thats half the normal price. They only have a handful of the same hotels and resorts that they use - but Ive found that the resorts I use - both in Sharm and Hurghada are more then adequate for my needs. Never the 4 or 5 stars the hotels claim to be but at the price I find them at - always good value for money. If I paid the normal price Id consider it a rip off - so you need to search a multiple of dates. One day might be £1,500 p/p. Another day might be £450. So search!!. One great feature is late check out if you have a late flight. My experiences have always been good.

Very expensive trip to Hurghada over £5500 for 2 adults 1 child to an alleged 5 star hotel it was 3 at best with budget flights via easyJet - complete rip off would never use them again. In resort rep was useless and wasn’t at all bothered by the concerns I raised.

i haven't used red sea holiday site for years and its like going back in a time warp, they actually have the same website like from 7 years ago!!!! it was bad then and its still as bad. And they cant even reply to there criticisms on here. it is so clunky and so much info in such a small screen space. Just spend some money and update the site and make it easier!!

A seamless journey from the moment i called the reservation number to when i came home. The agents on the phones are very knowledgeable and are willing to answer any questions i had before i travelled. We booked private transfers and they were there to pick us up with cold water for the journey. I went as a family to the Waterworld great hotel plenty of choice of food as my son is very fussy, both in the buffet restaurant and a la carte. Staff could not do enough for us. Room was spacious and clean. Right on the beach amazing snorkeling. Pools plenty to choose from with a range of activities. Entertainment kids clubs and entertainment in the evening. Great value holiday and am looking at booking for next year already. Nice to book with a company where you get the personal service.

I attempted to make a booking on the Red Sea Holiday site for 10 people, inputted all the relevant information only for the site to freeze at the payment page. A phone call to the number provided connected me with the Red Sea Holiday rep Peter.
I am so glad this happened, Peter took control of the situation and re confirmed all the booking details and offered so much more information of the hotel and rooms that were available on the web site with a positive attitude, it made the booking a pleasure to do. I am really looking forward to going now knowing this was a great choice reinforced by such a knowledgeable rep from the company.

PLEASE AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!! Do not use this company!!! Terrible service!! Me and my partner went for a two week all inclusive holiday and left after 6 days due to poor food hygiene!!! Most of the guests were ill as could hear this through the walls !!! We were so ill that could not leave the room !!! Staff extremely rude !!! Could not get any medical help ! Waited 2 days for water to be brought to the room!! Customer service are horrific still in dispute since 2nd January. Even provided prescription and biopsy results and no compensation!!! Still waiting. Avoid at all costs !!!!

Laura Brooughton and anyone else please share the legal outcome. Good luck to all pursuing legal action against these crooks.
Beware if you are ill in their 💩 hole hotels.
No empathy or care for customers, only contempt off these crooks
They behave like the post office execs in Horizon scandal and hire some poncey solicitor to defend their evil, unethical behaviour.
When are the UK government going to punish these horrendous aggressive businesses, UK is awash with such crooks.

Information was sparce- didn't know until the night before that we needed to be up at 3am to transfer to our Nile cruise. Not advised in advance that the itinerary involved 4/5am starts. Rep on site not interested once we told him we didn't wish to book additional excursions.
We stayed at the Grand Hotel which is very dated and in need of refurbishment. Pool areas were clean, but sunbeds uncomfortable. You get bothered all day by people touting for business. Food was plentiful but bland. Overall this was more like a 3* Hotel.
The majority of guests are not English.
The Nile cruise ticked all the boxes. We were on the Jaz princess which is one of the largest ships. Hubby and I experienced diarrhoea from day 2 on the ship and were told the tummy bug would have been contracted at the hotel! We were still unwell 10 days later as were 20 other guests in our party.
There is no lift on the ship and the side of the bath is high with entrance and exit restricted by a glass partition. There is no slip mat and no handles to assist. Overall getting in and out for a shower was unsafe.
Staff were attentive although the cabin boys were only attentive when tipped. The cabins were however clean and the bed comfortable. When docked there would be another ship alongside, so no view except into someone else's cabin.
Food was varied and plentiful. Drinks were extra other than tea/coffee with breakfast and a small bottle of water daily. Pay by card at the end of the cruise ( no way to check billing as couldn't read slips they gave you).
Guide was knowledgeable but time at temples never long enough to fully explore.

Booked with Red Sea holidays online about 10 days before our departure. Documents emailed immediately. Our flight was with TUI so I had to ring them to book seats. TUI said I couldn’t so I emailed Red Sea Holidays (as it was Sunday) and the next day they gave me a different phone number for the correct department. TUI were lovely but something was wrong on their system and they asked me to call again in a few days. After the 3rd time of doing this, l phoned Red Sea holidays. They phoned TUI and an hour later I had no problem booking seats. A Red Sea rep met us at the airport and accompanied us on our private transfer. A rep met us at the hotel the next day and every day, the rep came to the hotel. As the hotel was owned by Red Sea, they let us keep our rooms for free until half an hour before we were due to leave. A rep then accompanied us to the airport. I cannot fault the service we had from Red Sea Holidays.

I have just booked with Red Sea holidays they couldn’t have been more helpful. Gave me lots of advice as a solo traveller and didn’t push me to book, told me to think about it and to ring with any questions.
I was really happy with the way I was dealt with. Deborah Van Allen

Fraudulent company, false advertise at it’s maximum. When you complain the hotel management agrees that the website has false advertisement and the facilities that are advertised are non-existent, they claim Egypt is all the same and although hotels are advertised as 4-5* to expect 1* which is actually not true if you book elsewhere Egypt is lovely and does have some amazing hotels just this company wants you to believe 1* service and facilities is the standard as that is all they provide.

Do not book a Red Sea holiday or hotel, you can find cheaper holidays with actual 4-5* hotels which are true to their description.

When complaining about a holiday to Egypt, whitewashed over everything, would not use this operator again.