Fantazia Resort Marsa Alam

I visited this hotel for the second time, despite my promise after my first stay three years ago that I would never return. Unfortunately, I was convinced to give it another try, hoping for a better experience. Sadly, that wasn’t the case.Upon arrival, I was offered an upgrade to the Sirena Hotel, which I accepted. For 70 euros plus a 20 euro tip, it was a good investment, as the Fantasia rooms are terrible. However, what really damages the hotel’s reputation are the staff. They have become so accustomed to receiving tips that if you don’t tip the pool bartender daily, you can expect to wait up to 30 minutes for a drink. Sometimes, you only get part of your order. One dollar is no longer considered a tip, and anything below 5 euros is seen as insignificant.The problem extends to sunbeds, where loungers are reserved by staff with towels, only to be sold to guests later. Long-term reservations seem to be the norm here. At dinner, drinks would sometimes arrive late or not at all, unless you consistently tip and pay promptly. On more than one occasion, I received my drink only after finishing my meal.Despite these issues, there were some bright spots. The bar under the Sirena beach restaurant had excellent service, and the lobby bars at both hotels, as well as the Cave Bar on the beach, were quite enjoyable.The worst experience was the quad/buggy tour. The tour operator, "Alibaba and the 40 Thieves," was a disaster. We requested a faster ride and paid 350 euros for two buggies, supposedly Polaris RZR 900s. While they looked the part, the engine in the two-seater was completely dead—according to the guide, it was a weak 200cc motor, barely faster than a lawnmower. It took forever to reach 50 km/h, and we ended up back at the hotel before sunset. Overall, we paid double the price for a ride that didn’t even last two hours, including mandatory stops for shopping at overpriced stores, where prices were marked up by over 1500%.On a positive note, I can’t criticize the paper salesman and the perfumer from Fantasia, both were great people. The sea, unfortunately, was heavily damaged, which added to the disappointment of the trip.In summary, this stay was a waste of time. Luckily, I know of much better hotels in Marsa Alam, just a little further down the coast. One last note, there are clearly two classes of guests here—Italians and everyone else.