Makadi Palace - All Inclusive

Very beautiful place to be spending your vacation. Nice rooms.Good variety in food. Lots of charm and great atmosphere. Staff are kind and very friendly, and make a great effort to help you in times of need. We are definitely looking forward to be going back again.

It was one of the great experiences in Makadi. Friendly and helpful FO staff provided a good service during the check-in process. Our room view was wonderful of pools and natural environments. The hotel has a pathway that connects other 3 hotels gave us to go by the beach. Beach operation was good, providing basic snacks and drinks. Food on the buffet was enough after our experince in UK. Thanks to Mr John who took care of everything related to our vacation in the hotel. Nice staff taking care of you.

At first glance, Makadi Spa looks like a decent hotel—nice setting, good weather, and decent facilities. But once you settle in, the cracks start to show. First, this is not an all-inclusive in the way most travellers understand it. You quickly realize you have to pay extra for just about everything. Want something from the minibar? That’s extra. Want a drink? You have to track down the right bar at the right time of day. Want to enjoy a cold beer by the pool? Forget it—alcohol isn’t allowed poolside. wifi in reception when it works. Even if you buy it, it doesn't work. Then there's the food. Or what they call food. We tried the à la carte restaurants, and honestly, it's laughable. They have one labeled as “Indian.” There was nothing remotely Indian about it. The curry tasted like it came from a supermarket jar. Drinks weren’t included with the meal either—yes, even under the so-called AI (all-inclusive) package. The Thai restaurant? If they’ve ever heard of lemongrass or Thai basil, I’d be shocked. The dishes were bland and completely off the mark—no spice, no flavor, no authenticity. I could not face the other restaurants. Don’t even get me started on the buffet. There aren’t enough words to describe how bad it was. Lukewarm, bland, and often unidentifiable. It was the kind of food that makes you nostalgic for airplane meals. The only real plus? The sun was out. If you’re after a proper all-inclusive experience with good food and flexible drink options, I’d look elsewhere.

We have visited thsi hotel many times over the last 8 years and it never ceases to amaze us how pretty it is and how welcoming All the staff are. We saw that the Dome has now been refurbished ....WOW only one criticism..the pool beds could do with being renewed, but we loved our holiday and we will make a point of returning later this year.

I chose a four week stay at the Makadi Palace this January/February as the perfect place to finish writing my novel in peace and sunshine. I have not been disappointed. True the rooms are a little dated but they are kept scrupulously clean each day by a team of excellent staff who are always keen to provide anything you ask for - more linen, extra water etc. The staff in the restaurants and bars are equally helpful and, although I HAVE given tips for exemplary service, I have not found anyone expecting a tip or harassing me as some reviewers below claim. The food in the bars and restaurants is delicious with a wealth of choice for all tastes. I’m not over-fond of buffets (a personal opinion) but on the days I’ve eaten there I’ve always found loads to choose from. I have usually booked a table (free) at the Botanical Garden or Thai (a la carte) or occasionally gone to one of the restaurants in the mall where you do have to pay extra for drinks but not for most food. My favourites there are the Egyptian Tam Tam restaurant or the French Maison du pain - both excellent. However my highest praise must go to the exceptional customer service provided by the hotel management - which I have to say exceeds anything I’ve come across even in the UK. They sorted every minor problem out immediately. I am diabetic and needed my fridge to work to keep my insulin in good condition. I was a little worried about the original in my junior suite and it was replaced immediately. I had a similar problem re the warmth of the hot water and again an engineer sorted this out. But the issue that impressed me most was a slight disagreement I had with one of the travel desks at the hotel (not directly managed by them). When I raised the issue, the hotel manager took complete ownership of the problem and resolved it for me straight away. So I have to say to anyone complaining below - just talk to them, they’re great and your problem will be solved. Thank you Makadi Palace for a truly wonderful stay and if my book ever gets published, I’ll be sure to mention you.

This is going to be a very long but honest review! No description of pools/ pool activity is that is what you are looking for. People based their reviews on different criteria. Mine is hotel premises and beach (snorkeling included). That is how I pick my hotels. The architect who designed it surely deserves 5 stars and a raise!:-) It is typically oriental in style and the lush greenery adds to the general atmosphere of the place. Inside, despite the 40°C outside, the air stays bearable and the rooms quite cool. Surely because of the thick walls. At the beginning, the spectacular complex seems like a labyrinth you need to decipher, inside and outside. It gets easier to find your way as the days go by. The rooms are huge and beautifully designed, though the furniture and the linen are very old. The renovated rooms offer a new bathtub and a big screen TV. The air-conditioning and the shower work well. There is shampoo in a dispenser by the shower and a hand soap by the washbasin. There is a hairdryer ( very fragile, coming to pieces with every use) and the toilet area is separated from the rest of the bathroom via an arched vault. Even the bathroom was given enough consideration by the architect. Kudos! The wardrobe in the hall has no doors, so your clothes will be exposed to anyone who comes to your room. There are 2 mirrors (one full length in the hall) and the lighting is dim everywhere. There is mini fridge which stays cool when you leave the room. The door opens with a card that you need to keep in the special slot by the entrance. The balcony offers 2 sunlounges that are very comfy and there is an extra couch by the balcony with 2 coffee tables. The couch and the beds are not the most comfortable but I managed to sleep well during my 2-week stay. They give a 2l bottled water in the room every day but you can also get small bottled water at the Joker bar, by the reception, at all times. A small attention to the cleaners and you get nice towel art on the bed every day. The room was kept clean during my stay and I had 2 different housekeepers. The lush greenery in the complex comes with the cost of falling leaves and flowers everywhere. The hotel manager might want to insist on cleaning the are constanly. Gardeners tend to sit in the shadow a lot and pretend working. Cleaning is also an issue in the main restaurant, The Melange - the handles of the doors are sticky, the glass on the door has oily prints all over, and I had an impression that even the cutlery is slightly sticky there. The old wooden doors are being pushed with hundreds of hands every day, whereas the Dome (spectacular restaurant but only offers dinners) has automatic sliding doors. The same old sticky wooden doors in the Discovery Restaurant but this one makes up with the service/ food choice. The waiters are just well mannered and well behaved, unlike some in the Melange (very pushy and obvious in demanding a tip). The same good mannerism in the Dome. I haven't tried the A La