"Eighteen years later, I decided to return to the hotel that once set high standards for me of a wonderful sea vacation, — Concorde El Salam Front Area!
This time we vacationed at a hotel from October 4 to October 10, 2026, with a large and friendly group of 16 people (four families)! When choosing a hotel, of course, we paid attention to the rating and reviews. For our family, we booked two Deluxe Sea View rooms: two adults and two teenagers.
We did not make excessive demands and understood that the hotel was not new and had not seen a major renovation for a long time. But, however sad, time has left its mark: Concorde El Salam Front Area is not what I remembered eighteen years ago.
At the same time, there is still something here for which you can come for a vacation. But there are also points that the hotel management should really pay attention to.
❤️ What still delights and impresses
1. Main pool and stunning views.
The main pool is one of the most beautiful places at the hotel! The types are simply magnificent, the atmosphere invites relaxation, and the photos turn out wonderful.
2. Beautiful live reef and sea.
Rif is the real pearl of this place! A bright, vibrant underwater world that makes you want to come back. Special thanks to the rescuers on the pontoon, attentive and positive!
3. Beach and organizing sea holidays.
The beach at the cascading hotel is generally good, with different levels of sunbed placement. But there's a catch: if you want to choose a convenient spot, you'll have to come earlier. By 8 in the morning, there are literally only a few free beds left.
We handled this moment perfectly, so it didn't affect the quality of our vacation. But those who like to sleep longer should take this feature into account. 😉
4. Hotel territory and the work of the landscaping team.
A special compliment to the team responsible for the greenery! The territory is always well-kept and beautiful: bright flowers, excellent lawn, neat plantings, and many picturesque viewpoints for photos.
It is visible that the garden is carefully looked after and that soul is put into it.
5. Nutrition.
Overall excellent food, the selection of dishes is diverse, and there are small updates every day. And most importantly, everything is very, very tasty! Huge thanks to the team of chefs 😋
6. Room cleaning service.
Special thanks to the employee Sabry, who served our rooms 4202 and 4203. Our room was always very clean, and the pleasant surprises and attention to detail created a feeling of real care. It is precisely thanks to such employees that the vacation becomes truly comfortable. Sabry, thank you! 👍
⚠️ What the hotel management would like to draw attention to
1. Attitude towards Russian-speaking guests
This is probably the most unpleasant impression from the vacation. According to our observations, there are quite a few Russian-speaking guests at the hotel—about 30% or even more. It's great that there are also many guests from other countries at the hotel, especially from Italy and the UK. At the same time, in the first few days we repeatedly encountered openly unfriendly attitudes from some bartenders.
A particularly unpleasant situation occurred at the Vendom bar. The order for four cocktails for four people or two coffees for two people on another day was taken literally through clenched teeth, with obvious dislike. Bartenders could turn away, pretend not to notice us, or talk as if we were causing them inconvenience just by being there.
A similar situation occurred in the first few days at Piano Bar. Fortunately, after the break, the atmosphere changed and it became much more comfortable.
I want to emphasize: among the bartenders and waiters were wonderful guys—friendly, attentive, with a great sense of humor. But the contrast between them and those who showed outright negativity was too noticeable and unpleasant.
We came to relax with a large group, but we are ordinary families, not lovers of rowdiness and noisy scandals. We politely interacted with the staff, ordered drinks, and spent time with family and friends. And they completely did not expect to encounter such an attitude.
Hospitality should not depend on the guest's nationality.
2. Tips: gratitude or a mandatory condition of service?
In the first few days, we were unpleasantly surprised by the persistent expectation of tips even before the service was provided.
We perfectly understand that tips are an important part of the service culture in many Egyptian hotels. And if an employee does a good job, shows attention and care, we are happy to thank them. That's exactly what we did.
But when tips seem to be expected in advance, and in their absence the guest risks facing demonstrative neglect, it causes bewilderment.
After all, we have an "all-inclusive" system. I want the order to be brought to you with a smile first, and then you decide how to thank the employee. The sincere desire to leave a tip arises in response to good service, not to pressure and dissatisfied looks.
3. Main reception: lacked promptness and attention to requests
Unfortunately, questions have arisen regarding the work of the main reception. Our requests were not always heard or fulfilled with a significant delay, and sometimes we had to contact them again to resolve simple issues.
For example, the husband lost a bracelet, but they couldn't restore it immediately—they asked him to come back in a couple of hours. A similar situation occurred with the second key card for the room: it was issued only after our follow-up request several hours later.
Perhaps this is related to internal security rules or a specific procedure for such requests. But it is important to inform guests about this immediately, explain the reasons for the wait, and resolve issues promptly if possible.
Against the backdrop of other comments about service, the question involuntarily arises: is this a general feature of the organization of work or is it still a difference in attitude towards guests from different countries?
4. Main restaurant: the staff lacks organization
Some waiters would talk quite loudly about our order in their own language, and sometimes it seemed like the staff were having a dispute right in the dining room. All of this hinders the comfortable atmosphere and looks out of place. In addition, cutlery and napkins were often missing. Waiters were not always able to clear tables, set them, and serve guests simultaneously. The drinks might have been mixed up or carried for too long.
The question arises: why can't responsibilities be clearly distributed? For example, separate the employees responsible for cleaning tables from those responsible for setting the table, and allow waiters to focus on orders. Using notebooks to record orders would also help reduce the number of errors.
Perhaps it is worth considering the organization of separate self-service lines for wine and juices, if the restaurant concept allows it.
Not only the service speed, but also the appearance of the entire restaurant area suffers as a result.
For comparison: once we had lunch at the Sport Area hotel restaurant and were pleasantly surprised. It turned out to be noticeably cleaner, calmer, and more presentable, and the waiters were more tactful.
5. SPA: good staff who lack a unified working system
SPA deserves special attention. There are really strong points here: wonderful staff at the reception and a very attentive manager who tried to listen to our comments and react to them. Thank you for being willing to meet!
However, unfortunately, there are significant shortcomings in the organization of the SPA's work itself.
Lack of silence and a relaxing atmosphere. During the massage, the masseuses could talk to each other, and in the common areas, they could shout loudly. For a place where people come to relax, this is completely unacceptable.
Technical problems. We still haven't managed to get the music right in the week we've been here. In the shower of the women's changing room, there was only cold water.
Inconsistency of massage procedures. We visited a friends' SPA company, including as a whole family, and noticed that the quality and duration of the massage heavily depended on the specific specialist. Instead of the stated full hour, the procedure could last 35–45 minutes. The concepts of Relax, Soft, Medium, and Hard also seemed to differ among different masseurs. I would like to see unified standards that the entire team adheres to.
Hygiene questions. The face mask was applied with a brush that we washed only after use. When procedures are performed on different guests, especially in a group, one wants to be sure that strict sanitary rules are observed.
Repeating the same mistakes. The manager tried to take our comments into account, but there was no systemic solution to the problems. After a day or two, some situations repeated themselves.
It gave the impression that some employees have a desire to work well, but there is a lack of general rules, quality control, and a unified service standard.
The SPA has good potential, but it clearly requires a more systematic approach to organizing its work.
6. Diet: cucumbers that you can't miss 😅
A separate small, but very memorable moment is the slicing of cucumbers at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is just a nightmare! 😅 The cucumbers looked so unappetizing, although this can be fixed just by changing the way they are cut.
7. The room inventory and textiles need updating
It is noticeable that the numbers already require updating. The bed linen was bunched up in places, and in the SPA we encountered heavily worn towels—with holes and fringe on the edges.
Despite the listed disadvantages, Concorde El Salam Front Area still has strengths: a beautiful territory, a magnificent reef, wonderful views, a good selection of dishes, and staff who genuinely love their job and know how to create a wonderful atmosphere.
8. There is hotel animation, but the guys clearly lack funding or experience with guests. There were times when the hotel had such a strong team that delighted guests every day with their performances. We were on vacation with our large group, so we didn't need extra entertainment. But those accustomed to colorful evening events will surely be disappointed.
The true level of the hotel is determined not only by the pool, the sea, and the beautiful views. It is defined by the relationship with guests, cleanliness, attention to detail, and consistent quality of service.
Many of the listed things could be overlooked if the service were more heartfelt, attentive, and professional. We lacked customer focus—without distinctions based on nationality, without the intrusive expectation of tips, and without the feeling that the guest has to earn good treatment.
I really want to believe that the hotel management will pay attention to these points and work a lot with the staff!
I arrived with warm memories of the past vacation and left with gratitude for the good moments, but also with some disappointment."
