My first time ever writing a negative review after many visits to Egypt.
My sister and I recently stayed for two weeks at Pickalbatros Citadel Resort, a hotel we specifically chose because of its reputation as a luxury 5-star resort and because we believed it would provide a safe and professional environment for two young women traveling alone. Unfortunately, our experience fell far below those expectations.
We have traveled to Egypt many times before and are very familiar with the culture, hospitality, and hotels there, which is exactly why this experience was so shocking to us. We have never experienced anything remotely similar during any previous trip.
Unfortunately, inappropriate behavior from staff began almost immediately upon arrival. During one of our first interactions with employees at the resort, a member of the entertainment team commented that my sister and I were “so hot” that he did not know which one to choose, before asking his colleague which one he wanted so he could “take the other one.” This immediately made us feel uncomfortable as two young women relaxing by the beach in a bathing suit, and it gave us a very negative first impression of the hotel.
We later reported the behavior privately and specifically requested that the situation be handled discreetly and professionally. Instead, the employee was confronted directly in front of us, which made the situation even more uncomfortable. Although he later apologized and claimed it was “just a joke,” the damage had already been done.
We also experienced major issues with the cleanliness of our room. Despite contacting reception multiple times and requesting additional cleaning, the condition remained unacceptable. The floors were so dirty that simply walking from the entrance to the bed would leave the bottoms of our feet black. The hotel eventually provided slippers, but even those became so dirty that they had to be replaced several times during our stay.
One of the most concerning situations involved a housekeeper whose behavior repeatedly crossed personal boundaries. He stood unnecessarily close to us, stared excessively, and “accidentally” touched intimate areas of our bodies on multiple occasions. We eventually requested a different housekeeper because we no longer felt comfortable. Despite asking for the complaint to remain confidential, it quickly became obvious that he had been informed, which created further discomfort during the remainder of our stay.
We also experienced serious issues with excursions booked directly through hotel representatives. A dolphin trip we paid for was delayed for hours and ultimately replaced with a completely different excursion without our knowledge or agreement. Instead of seeing dolphins, we were unexpectedly taken to an island where groups of men were staring at us and taking photos of us in bikinis, making us feel extremely unsafe. The boat itself was driven so recklessly that both of us were left bruised afterward.
After we complained, we were promised a complimentary replacement trip as compensation.
We had another excursion booked for Tuesday, but the night before we were informed it had suddenly been moved to Friday, meaning the “free” replacement trip was not actually free at all, it was just the trip we initially paid for already.
When we requested refunds, the representative initially agreed, but we were later only refunded for the excursion we never attended. We then spent almost an entire day being avoided while repeatedly trying to resolve the matter calmly and respectfully.
The behavior of one of the excursion office staff members became increasingly inappropriate and unprofessional after we started asking for refunds. At one point, while walking near the excursion office, he called out to my sister and encouraged us to come inside. We believed he finally intended to resolve the refund issue, but instead the interaction became uncomfortable and humiliating, causing us to leave almost immediately.
Shortly afterward, he followed us outside, grabbed my sister’s hand, and whispered something highly inappropriate to her. We were both visibly distressed and immediately left the situation. Given the timing and circumstances surrounding our unresolved complaints regarding the excursions, this interaction further reinforced our concerns regarding professionalism and guest safety.
The overall atmosphere at the resort eventually became so uncomfortable that we no longer felt at ease spending time there. We frequently left the property and spent additional money visiting beaches and restaurants elsewhere simply to have some peace and quiet instead of using the facilities we had already paid for.
Even when using the resort’s red “Do Not Disturb” signs, staff members repeatedly ignored them and continued approaching us. Meanwhile, other guests using the same signs were left alone without issue.
That is why we also found ourselves spending a lot of our time at the “Relax Pool” area simply because it was one of the few places where staff members — aside from one very kind lifeguard — generally left guests alone. However, there was only very few seats and this was far from ideal, as the area was located far away from the bars and main facilities, making even getting water inconvenient. Additionally, both my sister and I are allergic to chlorine water, meaning we could not even use the pool itself to cool down despite spending a lot of time there.
Throughout our stay, we consistently attempted to handle every issue calmly and privately while giving staff and management opportunities to resolve matters appropriately. Unfortunately, many concerns were either mishandled or ignored.
To be fair, not every part of the experience was negative. The service at Alfredo Restaurant was genuinely excellent, and the croissants there were some of the best we had ever had. A few individual staff members were also polite and professional. Unfortunately, those positive experiences were heavily overshadowed by the repeated issues we encountered throughout the rest of the resort.
For a very expensive 5-star resort, the level of professionalism, hygiene, guest safety, and complaint handling was far below acceptable standards.
Christensen7892026-06-03
