When
this story was originally written, we felt that the grading system of Egyptian
hotels was, while objective, not fair to hotels of this caliber. The Plan Hotel,
while only currently rated four stars, was better than some five star hotels we
have reviewed. However, we are pleased to announce that the Hotel Association in
Egypt, in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism, and under the excellent
guidance of the Chairman of the Hotel Association, Mr. Fathi Nour, has revamped
the rating hotel ranking system to be more in accordance with international
standards.
Tour
Egypt expect that this very progressive move by the Hotel Association will not
only allow tourists to make better decisions regarding their accommodations, but
will also vastly improve hotels in Egypt. Now, rather than having to compete
with pricing of hotels that are inferior, we expect the PlanHotel to be ranked
with more similar facilities because of the new system, which will allow them to
maintain their wonderful facilities. Furthermore, the new system will rank
service, which will create a more competitive environment in that regard as
well.
While the rooms at the PlanHotel may not be as nice as its
neighboring five star hotel, the Swiss
Inn, they are nevertheless very
large and comfortable, with all the amenities. Furthermore, the grounds and
common buildings of this hotel are also lovely and well kept.
If something is missing from this hotel, it is not obvious. Nestled within beautifully landscaped grounds, the hotel consists of a main building housing the lobby, bars, restaurants and other facilities and 43 multi-room bungalows divided into three wings with a total of 255 rooms. Gardens are all about, and a manmade pond, home to a number of water fowl, twists its way through the property.
The hotel offers a grand total of six swimming pools, including a baby, one
for diving, three private villa pools, including one that is heated, and a large
recreational pool. There are three lighted tennis courts, two air conditioned
squash courts, a fully equipped gymnasium and even an Amphitheater! Within the
main building is the main restaurant, called the Nile Oasis, Rajastan, an Indian
a la carte restaurant and Cedres du Liban, a Lebanese restaurant. The main bar
is known as the Sailors Pub, and there is also a Lobby Bar. Additionally, the
Cafe Moresco serves oriental coffee and tea, oriental snacks and pastries and
has Shisha water pipes. There is also a boutique and drugstore with mixed
shopping facilities and a business center.
In addition, there is also conference facilities including three fully equipped banquet rooms and a banquet terrace. The business center supports cable, fax and Internet communications and has a secretarial service available upon request.
Of the 255 rooms in this hotel, four are suites, forty-six are family rooms
and twenty-six are connected rooms. The rooms themselves are said to be the
largest in Ain
Soukhna, and this is not difficult to believe. Even the restrooms
and showers are large and comfortable. Each room has individually controlled air
conditioning and heating, international direct dial telephones, remote
controlled color TV's with international cable service, mini-fridges, in-room
safe boxes and hairdryers. Each room also has a comfortable sofa-bed, along with
either a balcony or terrace.
While this hotel is not directly on the beach, it does share the beach front
with the Swiss
Inn. And even though the beach is a very easy walk away, there is a small train
that will transport guests to the beach at regular intervals. The beach itself is
spacious and well equipped, with permanent beach umbrellas and comfortable
lounge chairs. There are also a few playgrounds for children, as well as a
daycare center, a beach snack bar and various facilities for water sports and
boating.
Really, this hotel shares many facilities with the five
star Swiss
Inn, and together, they offer just about every
imaginable activity one might hope to enjoy on a beach
vacation. Of course, there are various water sports, including
windsurfing, boating and sailing, water skiing, diving and
water aerobics, while on the beach there is always volley
ball. However, there are also tennis courts, football
(soccer), bike rentals and even archery. Indoors, there is a
squash court, billiards, a game arcade, darts and various
games for children. And never fear. If one shoots oneself in
the foot with an arrow, there is also a medical clinic with a
physician, nurse and pharmacy.
Of course, there is also the wonderful Thalasso Spa, a therapeutic center located in the Swiss Inn. They offer any number of wellness treatments.
In the evenings, visit one of the many bars, some of which provide live entertainment such as bands, or enjoy an animation (floor show).
We also love the location of this hotel within the Stella di Mare complex at Ain Soukhna. It is easy and quick to reach from Cairo, and as we have pointed out in other articles about Ain Soukhna, there are, close by, at least several sights to see, such as the Suez Canal and the Eastern Desert Monasteries, including St. Anthony's and St. Paul's. Such tours can be arranged at this hotel.
Of course, all of this comes at a price. It's just not a very high price. In our recent stay at the hotel, the room charge was a walloping $30 (USD) per night, but there are other payment options, such as all-inclusive.
The
PlanHotel
Sea Club Stella di Mare
Km. 46 Suez Hurghada Road
Ain Soukhna, Egypt
Phone: +20 62 250200
Fax: +20 62 250002
e-mail
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Last Updated: 11/15/2006