Escape to Paradise: Omer Elkhaiam Hotel, Ras El-Barr, Egypt
Escape to Paradise? Maybe… A Brutally Honest Review of Omer Elkhaiam Hotel, Ras El-Barr, Egypt – Strap In!
Alright, buckle up, buttercups, because I'm back from my Egyptian adventure at the Omer Elkhaiam Hotel in Ras El-Barr, and I'm about to give you the real deal. Forget the flowery brochure language. This is unfiltered, opinionated, and probably a little messy. Consider this your pre-trip reality check.
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- Meta Description: A brutally honest review of the Omer Elkhaiam Hotel in Ras El-Barr, Egypt. We cover everything from accessibility to the buffet, with a healthy dose of humor and personal experience. Prepare for a rollercoaster!
The Arrival & the Letdown: Accessibility, or Lack Thereof (Cue Dramatic Music)
Okay, so I'm using a wheelchair. Accessibility is essential for me. The website promised ramps, elevators, and all the good stuff. Let's just say… the reality fell a little short. "Facilities for disabled guests" - that’s what they claimed. The elevator worked, thankfully (a huge win!), but navigating the common areas felt like an obstacle course. Narrow doorways, a few inconvenient steps here and there… it was exhausting. Some ramps existed, but they were often steep enough to make me consider taking up rock climbing. Sigh. This is where the "Escape to Paradise" fantasy started to crack.
On-site accessible restaurants / lounges: I wouldn't say "accessible" per se, more like "eventually-accessible-if-you-really-really-try." The main restaurant, oh the main restaurant! I'll get to the food later. It was technically wheelchair-accessible, but maneuvering around other guests and tables was a feat of engineering.
Wheelchair accessible: Nope. Not fully. Some elements were, but if fully wheelchari accessable is crucial, give this hotel a miss.
Internet: Free Wi-Fi – Hallelujah…Mostly.
Internet Access: Yes. Internet [LAN]: Didn't try, seemed pointless with the Wi-Fi. Internet Services: Provided, thank goodness. Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! YES! (mostly).
Wi-Fi in public areas: Also, mostly. Okay, so the Wi-Fi was free, and that was a gigantic plus! Free Wi-Fi is basically a modern-day miracle. The connection in my room was…decent. Sometimes it cut out, but hey, you're in Egypt – I wasn't expecting Google Fiber. Public areas? Hit or miss. The lobby was usually okay; the pool area was a Wi-Fi wasteland. Needed to upload some photos to Instagram? Forget about it.
Things to Do & Ways to Relax: Spa Dreams & Fitness Nightmares
Okay, this is where the hotel tried. They had all the buzzwords: Pool with view, Sauna, Spa, Spa/sauna, Steamroom, Swimming pool, Swimming pool [outdoor], Fitness center, Gym/fitness, Massage, Body scrub, Body wrap, Foot bath. But the execution? Well… Let's start with the Pool with view. It did have a view. Of the beach. Beautiful, right? Yes, and the pool was cold… like, "I'm-wearing-a-wetsuit" cold. I braved a few dips; the view was the best part.
The Spa: I booked a massage. Let’s just say it wasn't the most relaxing experience of my life. The therapist was…enthusiastic. A little too enthusiastic. And the room! Seriously, the dim lighting was meant to be romantic, but it just made everything look dusty.
The Fitness Center/Gym: I'm usually a gym rat, but this place… I walked in, took one look at the sad array of outdated equipment, and walked right back out. It looked like it hadn't been touched since the 80s.
Cleanliness & Safety: The Sanitization Tango
This is where the hotel actually did pretty well, especially given the current climate. Cleanliness and safety, Anti-viral cleaning products, Breakfast in room, Breakfast takeaway service, Cashless payment service, Daily disinfection in common areas, Doctor/nurse on call, First aid kit, Hand sanitizer, Hot water linen and laundry washing, Hygiene certification, Individually-wrapped food options, Physical distancing of at least 1 meter, Professional-grade sanitizing services, Room sanitization opt-out available, Rooms sanitized between stays, Safe dining setup, Sanitized kitchen and tableware items, Shared stationery removed, Staff trained in safety protocol, Sterilizing equipment. Kudos to them; I felt relatively safe. Hand sanitizer was everywhere, staff wore masks, and the emphasis on cleaning was obvious. It was reassuring to see them taking things seriously. They were clearly trying their best.
Dining, Drinking & Snacking: The Culinary Adventure (With a Small 'a')
Okay, buckle up, foodies. This is where things get…interesting. The hotel offered a ton of options on paper: A la carte in restaurant, Alternative meal arrangement, Asian breakfast, Asian cuisine in restaurant, Bar, Bottle of water, Breakfast [buffet], Breakfast service, Buffet in restaurant, Coffee/tea in restaurant, Coffee shop, Desserts in restaurant, Happy hour, International cuisine in restaurant, Poolside bar, Restaurants, Room service [24-hour], Salad in restaurant, Snack bar, Soup in restaurant, Vegetarian restaurant, Western breakfast, Western cuisine in restaurant.
The Breakfast buffet. Ah, the buffet! This was the make-or-break moment every morning. I’m going to be honest, it was a mixed bag. Some days, the eggs were fluffy perfection. Other days… not so much. The same goes for the coffee. The pastries were…well, I’m going to just say they were present. I had to hunt down a decent cup of coffee every day. The Coffee/tea in restaurant and coffee shop were generally decent.
Happy hour – a nice touch, though the cocktails were a little…watery.
The restaurants: I tried the "international cuisine" one. It was… fine. Nothing to write home about, but edible. I'm a bit of a foodie, so this was a definite letdown .
Room service: the 24-hour room service, was… a lifesaver. When I felt like I couldn’t face another buffet experience, the room service stepped up.
The bottom line? The food wasn't the highlight of the trip, and some of the offerings were disappointing. But hey, you’re in Egypt. Adjust your expectations accordingly.
Services & Conveniences: The Mixed Bag
Services and conveniences, Air conditioning in public area, Audio-visual equipment for special events, Business facilities, Cash withdrawal, Concierge, Contactless check-in/out, Convenience store, Currency exchange, Daily housekeeping, Doorman, Dry cleaning, Elevator, Essential condiments, Facilities for disabled guests, Food delivery, Gift/souvenir shop, Indoor venue for special events, Invoice provided, Ironing service, Laundry service, Luggage storage, Meeting/banquet facilities, Meetings, Meeting stationery, On-site event hosting, Outdoor venue for special events, Projector/LED display, Safety deposit boxes, Seminars, Shrine, Smoking area, Terrace, Wi-Fi for special events, Xerox/fax in business center.
The hotel had a lot of services. Let's take a quick trip through them.
Daily housekeeping: Excellent. My room was always clean and tidy. Concierge: Generally helpful – but sometimes a bit slow. Currency exchange: Very useful! Laundry service: Got my clothes cleaned. Elevator: Worked great!
For the Kids: Family-Friendly, But…
For the kids, Babysitting service, Family/child friendly, Kids facilities, Kids meal. They claimed to be family-friendly. There was a kids' pool, but it was also cold. There was some mention of a kids' club, but I didn't see much evidence of it.
The Rooms: What's to be expected
Available in all rooms, Additional toilet, Air conditioning, Alarm clock, Bathrobes, Bathroom phone, Bathtub, Blackout curtains, Carpeting, Closet, Coffee/tea maker, Complimentary tea, Daily housekeeping, Desk, Extra long bed, Free bottled water, Hair dryer, High floor, In-room safe box, Interconnecting room(s) available, Internet access – LAN, Internet access – wireless, Ironing facilities, Laptop workspace, Linens, Mini bar, Mirror, Non-smoking, On-demand movies, Private bathroom, Reading light, Refrigerator, Safety/security feature, Satellite/cable channels, Scale, Seating area, Separate shower/bathtub, Shower, Slippers, Smoke detector, Socket near the bed, Sofa, Soundproofing, Telephone, Toiletries, Towels, Umbrella, Visual alarm, Wake-up service, Wi-Fi [free], Window that opens.
The room itself was
Escape to Hollicarrs: Dragonfly Lodge Awaits in Picturesque Escrick!
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because this isn't your perfectly curated travel blog post. This is me, wrestling with a week in Ras El-Barr, Egypt, courtesy of the… well, let's just say the "charming" Omer Elkhaiam Hotel. Prepare for some sand in your metaphorical shorts.
Ras El-Barr Rumble: A Messy, Opinionated Itinerary (Omer Elkhaiam Edition)
Day 1: Arrival & Existential Dread by the Nile (That's What It Felt Like, Anyway)
- 9:00 AM: Cairo Airport. Ugh. The sheer chaos! Finding a taxi felt like navigating a minefield. After enduring the taxi driver's endless stream of Arabic (which, let's be honest, I understood about 0.002%) and finally securing a car, everything seemed in motion!
- 12:00 PM: Arrival at the… ahem… "Grand" Omer Elkhaiam. Okay, so the pictures online maybe embellished things. The lobby smelled faintly of chlorine and something vaguely resembling old fish. My room? Let's just say I've seen cleaner gas station bathrooms. The air conditioner, thankfully, worked. Small victories.
- 1:00 PM: Lunch at the hotel restaurant. The food… well, imagine a buffet where everything has been sitting under a questionable heat lamp for a while. The "chicken" was probably the toughest thing I've chewed on since that time I tried to eat a shoe as a kid. I did manage to snag a few decent falafel balls, though. Small wins.
- 2:00 PM: A stroll on the beach. The Mediterranean, however, was a beauty! The sand was fine, the waves were gentle, and for a fleeting moment, I forgot I was in the Omer Elkhaiam. I found a quiet spot, sat down, and watched the waves. I saw a few local kids playing and laughing, and it made me remember the simple joys of childhood.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner and attempt at socializing with fellow hotel guests. This was a comedy of errors. There were two older gentlemen, who only seemed to speak in loud, incomprehensible pronouncements about politics and a very, very enthusiastic family of five who clearly thought the hotel was the perfect place to showcase their collection of beach-towel puppets. It was an experience, alright.
- 9:00 PM: Back to the room. Staring at the ceiling, wondering if I'd made a terrible mistake. Considering relocating to a desert island. Contemplating starting a daily diary.
Day 2: The Fisherman's Woes & a Dose of Egyptian Sunshine
- 7:00 AM: Woke up to a symphony of… well, everything. The hotel staff’s early morning conversations (happening directly outside my window), what sounded like a cat-fight in the hallway, and the distant cries of seagulls. Ah, paradise.
- 8:00 AM: Breakfast. Breakfast was slightly better than lunch, but there were still certain textural issues with the eggs. The coffee? Instantly forgettable.
- 9:00 AM: Walk along the beach to the fishing boats. This was the best part of the day so far. I watched the fishermen haul in their nets, their faces etched with years of sun and salt. They were smiling, though: a testament to the enduring human spirit. A bit of a clumsy attempt to communicate with one of them made me feel deeply embarrassed; the fisherman had tried, with all his might, to get me to buy fish. I didn't understand and just walked away, feeling guilty for the rest of the day.
- 12:00 PM: Lunch in a local restaurant. Found a small establishment, and the food was amazing. Fresh seafood, perfectly cooked. The kind of food that makes you want to lick your plate (and I almost did). A complete contrast to the Omer Elkhaiam's offerings.
- 2:00 PM: Spent some time getting a tan. The sun was intense, but in a good way. Got to listen to some Arabic music playing in the background, and close my eyes to enjoy the moment.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner in the hotel. Another round of "guess what you're eating" with a side of loud conversations.
- 9:00 PM: Staring at the ceiling. Wondering if I should just embrace the chaos. Maybe…maybe.
Day 3: The Market and the Mirage of Relaxation
- 8:00 AM: Breakfast, same old story.
- 9:00 AM: Attempt to venture into Ras El-Barr’s market. This was a sensory overload; a glorious, chaotic symphony of calls, smells, and vibrant textiles. The bargaining was a sport. I attempted, failed miserably. The best thing? The fresh spices.
- 12:00 PM: Back for lunch. Even though my stomach was still recovering from my previous meals, I went there.
- 2:00 PM: The great beach-lounging experiment. I tried, I really tried, to relax. But the incessant chatter, the squawking seagulls, and the ever-present fear of a rogue beach-towel puppet assault made it almost impossible.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner. Staring at the same faces, same dishes, same disappointments.
- 9:00 PM: Staring at the ceiling. Seriously considering sending a search party for my sanity.
Day 4: Doubling Down on the Experience… or Maybe Just Giving Up? (The River Nile, for Real This Time)
- 9:00 AM: Decided to get out of the Omer Elkhaiam. Jumped on a bus toward Damietta.
- 10:00 AM: Went to the Nile and took a boat trip. The beauty of the river was stunning. So peaceful. The guide was entertaining.
- 1:00 PM: Got the bus back to Ras El-Barr.
- 2:00 PM: Lunch (hotel). This time, I packed a survival kit: a small bag of biscuits, and determination.
- 3:00 PM: Beach.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner.
- 9:00 PM: Staring at the ceiling. Yep.
Day 5 to 7: The Twilight Zone & Departure
- This is where it gets… fuzzy. Okay, let's be honest, I think I just sort of blended into the furniture. Days melded into a haze of the same buffet, the same beach, the same internal monologue of "well, this is an experience."
- There were fleeting moments of joy - a particularly beautiful sunset, a friendly chat with a local vendor about the merits of Egyptian tea, a small victory of managing to communicate a basic sentence in Arabic ("Shukran," I think I said it correctly).
- By the end of the week, I had become semi-comfortable with the chaos. I learned to appreciate the little things: the warmth of the sun, the sound of the waves, the faint smell of the sea.
- Departure Day: Goodbye, Omer Elkhaiam. You were… something. I won't miss you, but I'll probably never forget you. The plane, the airport, the relief of knowing my bed was waiting. It will be good to be back.
Final Thoughts (Because Apparently, I Need to Have Some)
Look, Ras El-Barr isn't perfect. The Omer Elkhaiam is, let's just say, an "experience". But even with the imperfections, the questionable food, and the slightly-too-intense chaos, I wouldn’t trade it. It was a reminder to embrace the mess, to find the beauty in the unexpected, and that, sometimes, even a bad hotel can be the start of a pretty good story. And maybe, just maybe, that's what travel is all about. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a vacation from my vacation.
Escape to Paradise: Your Cozy Hua Hin Getaway Awaits!
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What's the deal with this "starter" thing? Is it alive?! And if so, is it judging me?
Okay, so you *started*. Was the first loaf… edible?
Proofing. What's this mysterious "proofing" process like? And how long does it take?!
The Scoring. How do you cut those pretty patterns in your bread?!
What's the biggest mistake you've made, and what did you learn from it?
Is it worth it? Really? All this fuss and mess for *bread*?
