Hotel Tropicana Sea Beach

Located in the heart of Nabq Bay, the Tropicana Sea Beach is a five minute drive from the airport.

Opened in 2008, there was still some construction work going on to the back of the hotel during our visit. The resort has 365 rooms and a capacity of 800 guests at any one time.

The Moorish architecture could be perceived as imposing concrete blocks as it is relatively heavy looking, but it does recall an Egypt influence. The lobby is decorated in a dated oriental style, but it is spacious. Smoking is allowed here which can be a little unpleasant for non-smokers. The pools are large and pleasant with tall palm trees planted all around the area breaking up the concrete monotony. The area around the pool can feel a little cramped.

The rooms are very spacious but the décor leaves something to be desired. A big negative point here is the noise from the evening entertainment which happens in close proximity. Some rooms can be a little dark, so for bright and airy rooms, requests must be placed at the time of booking.

There is a main restaurant offering buffet-style meals, where queues can be long and the food quality is poor. There are also two à la carte restaurants: Chinese and Italian. The Chinese menu is limited and the food is not very tasty unfortunately.

The beach is wide, flat and the sun-loungers are neatly organised. There is however no jetty leading to the coral, as the area is protected, so not a great resort for snorkelling fans.