- Egypt Holidays
- Makadi Bay
- Fort Arabesque Resort Spa and Villas
Hotel Lies in the most beautiful cove of Makadi Bay only 20 km south of Hurghada Airport and is situated between yellow dunes and a mountain areaFort Arabesque Resort Spa and Villas lies in the most beautiful cove of Makadi Bay Not like any other hotel the fort arabesque is offering its guests a unique all-inclusive concept with a variety of different outlets four restaurants and five bars serving the inclusive concept Fort Arabesque hotel promises tranquility and opulence with its luxurious rooms and suites and private apartments
Relax at the full-service spa, where you can enjoy massages, body treatments and facials. After dipping into one of the 5 outdoor swimming pools or 3 hot tubs, you can spend some time at the private beach. Additional amenities at this resort include complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services and an arcade/games room.
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.
Fort Arabesque was our hotel of choice after an intense 9-day trek across Egypt—starting in Cairo, moving onto a Nile cruise, and waking at the crack of dawn each day for temples and tombs. We needed somewhere purely to unwind and snorkel. After plenty of research, we landed on Fort Arabesque for its location, house reef, and facilities.
Located in Makadi Bay, Hurghada, the hotel ticked nearly every box: a great sandy beach, an exceptional house reef, and a peaceful setting well away from the busy marina. The snorkeling directly off the beach is fantastic. Just bring water shoes, as several entry points into the sea are quite rocky.
The aesthetic offers relaxed, chic vibes, complete with classic yellow-and-white striped umbrellas and sun loungers. A lot of thought clearly went into the overall look and feel, with distinct touches across the restaurants and bars. Having an eye for detail from a past career, I did notice a few oddities—like the Red Rock lobby bar appearing to run out of paint on one wall, leaving a two-tone effect. Nothing that ruined the holiday, just small quirks.
We stayed in a 4th-floor room overlooking the beach and couldn't fault it. It had a comfortable, well-sized bed, an excellent bathroom, and tea/coffee facilities. Note on the hairdryer: it’s about as useful as a chocolate teapot. If you have long hair, definitely bring your own. Overall cleanliness and grounds maintenance are immaculate—easily among the best-kept hotel grounds I’ve seen.
Don't come expecting lively entertainment. The atmosphere is deliberately chilled, and the evening entertainment is minimal and rather subpar compared to other resorts. That seems to be by design, so if you are after a party scene, look elsewhere. Service is generally good across the board, though you may need a short adjustment period to the local communication style, which can initially come across as somewhat blunt or abrupt to British sensibilities.
The one significant downside is the relentless upselling from the hotel's spa and beauty reps on the beach. Even though they wear official Fort Arabesque uniforms and name badges, their sales tactics are relentless and disruptive. If you do consider a treatment, tread very carefully: extra charges and add-ons are pushed aggressively, escalating bills drastically (in our case, escalating toward €700), which led to an uncomfortable dispute and feeling pressured to pay. Management urgently needs to rein this in, as it seriously detracted from an otherwise relaxing stay.
We travelled as a couple (early 60'S).) We flew from Bristol with easyjet. We stayed in the one bedroom villa with swim up pool. Check in was smooth and friendly. Arrived late so missed dinner, they did provide sandwiches and cakes which was nice. Room is spacious and had all the usual amenities. My wife loved the room and private pool. For me it was just somewhere to shower and sleep. The coffee machine and fully stocked fridge was very good. The real advantage of the villa is unlimited access to the 159 club and pavilion. Ala carte food which was very good in deed. The staff at both restaurants were fantastic and are a credit to the hotel. We used the Greek restaurant for dinner a couple of times, the beach restaurant for dinner twice and the adult buffet for lunch twice. They were all of a good standard. We also had a dedicated cabana for our whole stay and a cool box with a choice of drinks every day. All liquor and wine was local. If you are looking for branded or top shelf liquor, this is not the place for you. We drank mostly rose wine, the white was drinkable, not the red unfortunately. We also had lots of cocktails which were made to a high standard, the use of local liquor did not affect the quality. All staff throughout the hotel were very friendly and helpful. My only real complaint was that sparkling wine is not included. Given that you can buy it for 7 euros per bottle in Egypt, this was a little disappointing. Would we go back? Absolutely, in fact we have already booked to go in June 2027!!
This was our ninth visit to Fort Arabesque but our first stay in the villas. The villa was spotlessly clean and spacious with luxury linen and towels. Large fruit basket was a welcoming touch. On the down side I found the bed rather hard and this did affect my quality of sleep. I also found the seating in the lounge area too firm for comfort. The swim up pool was wonderful in the 40 degree heat. Clean and kept at nice temperature but needs some attention to tiling(see picture) All of the staff were friendly and helpful. They were hardworking - nothing was too much trouble. Generous complimentary snacks and mini bar drinks/chocolate were restocked daily Food in The Pavilion restaurant was very good as was the food in club159. The risottos and seafood were particularly delicious and my husband enjoyed the steaks. However as I do not eat meat the menu became repetitious for me. House red wine was ok but house white wine was unpleasant (changed since our last visit?) so I swopped over to rose wine which was much better. Provision of a cabana on the beach was great. My birthday was noted by housekeeping(my cards were on the side) and a birthday cake from the hotel was delivered to our villa in the afternoon, which was a lovely surprise . We are already booked to come back in November but we will be returning to West bay part of the hotel. West bay is closest part of hotel to the dive centre with villas being the furthest away. I find there is more choice of salads/food for pescatarians in the buffet restaurants especially at breakfast.
Good afternoon, I'd like to leave a review of the Fort Arabesque Resort, Spa & Villas in Egypt. This is our second time staying at this wonderful place. From the very first moment, we felt the comfort and incredible beauty of the sea and grounds. The clean, spacious rooms are equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable stay. The hotel staff is friendly and responsive. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the concierge service at your hotel! Every time I stay here, I am amazed by their professionalism and attentiveness. Their teamwork and genuine desire to help in any situation are evident – whether it's organizing excursions, calling a taxi, or simply recommending local attractions. Concierge Ehab always provides a personalized approach, takes into account all requests, and makes your stay as comfortable as possible. Thank you for your work, your friendliness, and your willingness to go the extra mile for our guests.
We had a very pleasant stay at this hotel. Everything was clean and well looked after, and the staff were consistently friendly, attentive and welcoming. There was a real sense that the team genuinely cared about their guests and wanted everyone to feel comfortable and well looked after.
I would especially like to thank Dr Mira Atef. During a medical emergency, he looked after me with exceptional kindness, compassion and personal dedication. His support meant a great deal to me at a very difficult moment. Thanks to his excellent care, I was able to take my planned flight home just two days later.
I am truly grateful for his help and will always remember the kindness I was shown.
