Seagull resort is one of those resorts that you either like or dislike. There’s no in-between. It’s the kind of hotel that gets dramatic feedback and you don’t actually know what to expect. So, we went and staid there for 7 nights, to see for ourselves. And it all went was we expected it.

If you’re thinking of booking a room there, keep on reading this review of Seagull Resort in Hurghada. We’ll briefly go through all the pros and the cons, as viewed from our end. Yes, this is a subjective review, but then again, all reviews are!

We’ll start by letting you know that the hotel as two reception areas, because it’s literally two hotels: separate rooms, separate beach, separate bars, separate restaurants and everything. It’s large, but not that large. You’re probably thinking you’ll do lots of walking if you go there, but it was a surprisingly short walk to the beach.

Seagull room: pros and cons

They checked us in in the old part of the hotel, so I’m going to be showing you that room.

Pros:

• decent size;
• air conditioning worked;
• clean bed linen.

Cons:

• wrecked furniture: the drawers weren’t properly opening/closing, same for the dressing;
• seif didn’t work;
• hair dryer didn’t work;
• balconies very close to each other – no privacy;
• mold on the shower door.

When you get the room, make sure to check it, and address your concerns to the staff – they are nice and helpful.

There was another problem with the hotel: dampness. Every single morning, the person cleaning the rooms would brush the walls, since they were decomposing. I managed to film it one morning, before he could clean it. Watch the video!

Food: dine in or dine out?

For me, it was a dine out, 7/7. Food was pretty bad and I enjoyed nothing. And this wasn’t just me: my husband couldn’t eat the food either.

The meats were of low quality, and you could tell because the gristle in the meat was visible when cutting it. It felt rubbery and hard to chew. I tried every single meat I found: beef, chicken, lamb, turkey and whatever was present for lunch or dinner – it was all catastrophic.

Salads weren’t great either. I tried a few, but nothing could convince me to eat those salads again. They lacked a sense of moderation: all the salads were drenched in dressings.

Having a sweet tooth? You’re better off buying something from the supermarket. Although the desserts all looked like they were competing for “Best look of the year” they tasted poorly. No actual taste, just some faint taste of syrup and jelly.

I knew the reviews were mixed, concerning the food, but I never expected it to be that bad. I would always find something to eat, wherever I went, but Seagull resort just wasn’t for me. Was it ok for others? Judging by the number of tourists there, yes, it was ok for others! Is it going to be ok for you? I honestly have no idea.

Sleep and Rest: what to expect

Expect to bring ear plugs if you want a decent sleep. I didn’t and I wish I would have.

The room balconies are close to each other. I mean like close. I’m just going to post a picture because you might think I’m exaggerating. Here you go:

Now, imagine all those rooms had tourists. Some liked to stay late in the night outside, on the balcony, accompanied by friends: laughing and having a good time. And I mean, that’s what vacations are for, right? But when you want to sleep, and you have a few groups that are just talking loud, shouting and screaming, then it’s no fun for you.

And if you thought that was bad, wait, it gets worse: people drink too much! And when they start pounding on the doors and shouting, at 2-3 a.m. then that’s no fun either.

A staff member summed it up perfectly, and I quote: “Lots of Russians that only drink, shout and sleep. Both men and women, but women are the worst.”.

So, if you’re looking to get some good night rest, you might want to look for another hotel.

Location: perfect for exploring

Seagull hotel is right where we wanted it to be: on Sheraton street. And you know what makes this place perfect? It’s a walking distance to the Marina, to the local restaurants, to shops, supermarkets and even pharmacies – if you need one.

We knew the area, since we stayed at Bella Vista Resort – which is, same as Seagull, a four star hotel.

If you’re going to book a room at Seagull, then consider dining in these spots:

• Charly’s hot stone steak: for a perfect steak;
• El Dar Darak: for local cuisine;
• Al Sheraa Fish: delicious mussels and perfectly cooked fresh fish;
• Luca’s: for English menu and a great view

Avoid getting pizza at the so called “Pizza Roma” Italian restaurant. I’m not sure how it got those great reviews on Google, but in no way could we call that a pizza: the pizza dough was crunchy, but not like that crisp crunch we all enjoy, but more like freeze-dough-and-then-cooked-after-months kind of dough. The mozzarella had nothing to do with what I knew to be called “mozzarella” – no taste, no stretch, just white. It looked ok, but that was it. Pasta was a nice surprise, go for that if you want!

Entertainment: get ready!

Get ready to walk to the amphitheater, if you’re staying in the old Seagull resort.

Basically everything happens in the new resort – live music, live shows, beach games, tennis court, gym, spa – all of it! The old Seagull is kind of boring. Besides some themed dinner nights, some small water karts in the pool and sometimes inside live music (we saw that once), there’s not much to do. You have three pool tables inside the hotel that you can use 2 hours without getting charged and that’s kind of it.

Although the old resort was quiet, I did see many families return late at night from the newer section of the resort. I’m thinking they probably went to see the show at the amphitheater, since there were many kids.

While walking around the new hotel, I saw what looked like a stage on the beach. So, I’m thinking there was a lot more going on, that I didn’t see.

There was also a strange building that looked like an UFO – I could see it from the room balcony. It was some sort of restaurant, where you would pay $20 USD per person and you would have dinner and entertainment. It all went dark at 21:00 and I only say the lights on for just one evening. the show id probably one night per week.

Last thoughts

Seagull resort isn’t for picky people. You don’t get to try fine dining, nor partake in great entertainment shows. At the very best, I would rate it as basic. If I think twice, I would rate it as below mediocre.

Why would anyone go there? For a decent price (and I mean low), I believe it would serve well families with kids. Maybe some young teens that can go sleepless night without feeling tired. But, for me, I don’t believe I’m ever going back. For me, the only thing that was great was the location. And the quiet beach. Just for those two things, I’m not going to pay full price.

Here’s the whole video of the hotel that I made, while at Seagull. Take a look and see for yourself if this hotel does satisfy your needs!