Hope you get some comments from divers Lyn.

Is there a way to go on the three corners own web-site and see what they would charge for a room booked direct ?

I'm sure when I looked some months ago you could find the information on there but it took a bit of hunting down. It seemed to give a per night price based on your starting night, that way you could probably get an 8 night price rather than just a 7 night price.

I still think it is worth emailing though as if they are quiet at the weeks you are looking at they could give you a discount on their published rates. Also once they have your email addy they might send you any special offers or promos through.

hy lyn just a quick point, el gouna is not at all good for diving or even snorkleing. it is very shallow every where and your diving friends would have to go out into the red sea in a hired boat for every dive, i stayed at three corners rihana and the water is literally three feet for as far as you can see with no fish or any life

Hmm thanks for that imput Stewart .. They would be happy on day boats if that's the normal system there in el gouna .. I know Enmperor are based in the marina but I'm wondering if their options may be a bit more varied in Makadi Bay.

Not getting very far with a direct price from OV chris .. they referred me back to three corners on-line booking system which was more expensive when I looked last week ,that was partly due to only being able to get a superior room for 3 . I tried to ask if I could put an extra bed in a standard room but no reply , as usual it's always the language barrier being a bit limited and they probably didnt understand what I was talking about.

Oh dear not good if you can't get a price from them direct. It did seem like a nice hotel and in an excellent location. But when we went snorkelling we had to go out on a boat from the Movenpick. Emperor operate out of the Movenpick but I don't think you would need to go that far I am sure there will be dive operations in the marina and possible the TCOV will have their own anyway. Don't know if this is an important consideration from your point of view rather than the Divers I think the TCOV is a hotel on a similar scale to the original side of the Hilton Sharks Bay whereas the SRMB seems to be quite a bit larger from what I have read. But I think the later has family rooms which could be great for the room you need for three people if you could get one of those and a twin room next to it.

Not helping much am I

xxx

Yes you are helping Chris . im definately swaying towards the OV and TC and Hotels4u (who are the cheapest) both offer standard rooms for up to 3 .. Im monitoring the prices and price is down since last week . only by about £70 but Im down to £1296 now . Another £100 in total for sea view rooms and only a deposit needed .SRMB still coming in more

I've been looking at them both for a week in October on a package but they are pretty expensive. The prices are much better for November but the weather gets worse the further in you go and by end of November it will be jacket or coat weather in the evenings. Probably why it is dearer in October, plus it's Ramadan and Eid In Oct so will be popular for those festivals with folk coming in from Cairo.

One of the things that many seem to like about the Sunrise Royal Makadi Bay is the six included a la cartes but if that is not your thing and you are happy with the buffet it won't be a deal clincher for you like it seems to be for some. Booking them seems to involve queuing up each morning from what I read using touch screens that are a bit unreliable, so I don't fancy that.

i'm not sure but I don't think there is shore diving from Makadi Bay either so it may be as broad as it's long for divers, there is probably a way you can check that out. Although it sounds like the Fort Arabesque Hotel which is next door to the SRMB has a the best reef off its beach but maybe that is only in terms of snorkeling.

xxxx

Yes the dive centre out of fort Arabesque seems to be the recommended one chris and from what I remember boats leave from the jetty or whatever the set up is in makadi bay... but if the dive sites are further out than the case in sharm it would probably be day boats anyway . I can't see them wanting to dive the house reef for the week even if there was one . They need more adventure

Not worried about a beach as such because I prefer the pool and no the A la cartes although a bonus and if I was going would want them included are as you say not a deal breaker for us .. AND the OV has the dine around option and A/I available at a bar on the marina I think too .. I know you mentioned the name somewhere . The lads might enjoy that .

There was a time this area was much cheaper than sharm but it doesn't seem the case now .. I suppose lot's of competition in sharm now .

I agree Sharm was always more expensive than all the others but it has completely evened out. I think as Sharm has nearly 300 hotels they have had to do a better job at holding prices steady. I've also been looking at Marsa Alam and that used to be cheaper than Sharm as well but no longer the case.

I wonder if all the day boats from Hurgarda, El Gouna and Makadi Bay dive the same reefs, as all three resorts are pretty close to each other? Maybe from a dive point if view it doesn't matter which resort you are at so just go for the best hotel . Dolphin House seems to be advertised in all three resorts as one to do.

I can understand why people who like to snorkel would not pick El Gouna though as if you are used to hoping off a jetty at a hotel, you would be a bit miffed to keep paying for a boat to take you out to the coral.

xxx