Hilton Hurghada Plaza

Very good value for the price

Stayed for 1 week at the end of November 2007. I would rate it as a very high end 3 star to borderline 4 star hotel by western standards. Pros were the friendly staff, good quality and fresh buffet food, the attractive pool area, pleasant and clean room,and the lovely gardens. The fact that activities such as the glass bottomed boat departed from the pier on the hotel grounds also make the hotel very convenient for this purpose. Returning from the desert safari excursion, other tourists yet to be dropped off at their hotels were impressed by the grounds and exterior of the hotel and said so to me. The one siginificant shortcoming is the beach which is rather small and subpar in terms of having coarse sand. Overall though I think this hotel is very good value for the price I paid and would probably be even better value in the low season. I will probably go there again and would recommend it for most tourists on a middling holiday budget.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

I would recommend appropriate tipping to get that extra level of service. Tips at the outset will signal your willingness to tip in principle and you can then tip at your discretion for those staff that go the extra mile in their service to you. It should be borne in mind that most of the ordinary staff are on very low wages and depend on tips to supplement meagre pay, a relatively modest tip by U.S. or European standards can mean an awful lot in material terms to them. Have a heart!