Hyatt Regency in Sharm - Good Dive School?

Anyone ever Stayed at the HR? I understand that there is a Dive School
onsite, but is it any good? Or am I better going with someone like the
Ocean Club (I got the explorers.co.uk cataloge).

Thoughts tips, for a newbie... Looking at going Mid-September.

Thanks

In article <4013fb49$0$247$fa0fcedb@lovejoy.zen.co.uk>, Daddy Longlegs
<daddy@spider.web> writes
>Anyone ever Stayed at the HR? I understand that there is a Dive School
>onsite, but is it any good? Or am I better going with someone like the
>Ocean Club (I got the explorers.co.uk cataloge).
>
>Thoughts tips, for a newbie... Looking at going Mid-September.
>
>Thanks

The school is called the Red Sea Water world at www.sinai-services.com.
I'm going there myself in July, £620 for 14 nights in a 5*+ cannot be
that bad. It is PADI registered and I'd also be interested if any one
else has stayed there.
--

> From: dan@nospam.partywalls.demon.co.uk
> Newsgroups: uk.rec.scuba
> Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2004 20:19:34 +0000
> Subject: Re: Hyatt Regency in Sharm - Good Dive School?
>
> In article <4013fb49$0$247$fa0fcedb@lovejoy.zen.co.uk>, Daddy Longlegs
> <daddy@spider.web> writes
>> Anyone ever Stayed at the HR? I understand that there is a Dive School
>> onsite, but is it any good? Or am I better going with someone like the
>> Ocean Club (I got the explorers.co.uk cataloge).
>>
>> Thoughts tips, for a newbie... Looking at going Mid-September.
>>
>> Thanks
>
> The school is called the Red Sea Water world at www.sinai-services.com.
> I'm going there myself in July, £620 for 14 nights in a 5*+ cannot be
> that bad. It is PADI registered and I'd also be interested if any one
> else has stayed there.

I stayed at the Hyatt Regency in Sharm last September (10 days). We didn't
really go for just the diving but fancied doing a few days whilst we were
there so the Hyatt seemed to fit the bill.

For the record my diving experience is varied but mostly UK Coastal based.
The last time I dived in Egypt was at Hurgada in 1994. Other trips have been
to various island in the Carribean. (Basically we know what we're doing and
what to expect of dive centres).

The reason that we didn't want a full on diving holiday was that we went
away for a rest (hence staying at the Hyatt - nice hotel) and know that a
full on diving week can leave you feeling pretty knackered at the end of it.

If anyone wants to know anything about the hotel please ask but seeing as
the question is about the dive centre then this is my response.

I thought that the dive centre at the Hyatt was pretty crap as far as dive
centres go. On first contact it seemed ok and the desk staff (all Russian)
were quite friendly. I enquired about the diving and got all the standard
replies although they did say that the first dives would be with a guide and
you needed to do the usual 'check' dive.

The dive centre is directly opposite the Gardens dive site, I think that
it's the Far Garden and it's accessable from the shore.

We had taken all our own gear with us including regs. Our regs are din
fitting, first problem, no din cylinders (all cylinders are old ali type
without the removable adapter), (they said they had them when I dropped in
for a chat) but they offered 'A' Clamp adapters (and charged for them). The
rental gear on show looked up to the usual standard for rental gear.

They have two guided dives a day and after you've been on one, then you're
free to do as you please. The guided dives are basically you following the
guide (at pace) in one direction along the 'garden' which is in a poor
state. You then reach a turning point and swim back and get out. It seemed a
bit hurried. (Probably because the guide is trying to get back to make sure
they get brunch before the breakfast area closes - I kid you not!!) The
guides are Russian as well.

In the end we only did the two dives with this centre.

What made us go elsewhere was the fact that later in the day (about 4.30)
Whilst sitting by the pool we decided that we wanted to go out on a boat the
next day. I wandered down to the centre and asked about getting on one of
the boats. They said it was impossible as we were too late for the next days
bookings and that the boat instructors would need us to do a 'local' boat to
see if we were capable of it. To me, this just seemed bollocks and the guide
who we'd dived with seemed a little embarrassed when I asked him if he
thought that we weren't capable of a boat dive.

We decided to check out of the Dive Centre and I must admit the attitude of
the desk staff went a bit cold when we said that we wouldn't be doing any
more diving with them. The Guide became a bit more chatty and I found out
that he'd been there for the last eight years and he thought that the reef
was pretty tired now. I think that the centre is mainly suited to people
staying at the hotel and wanting to do doing try dives. I think the guides
have been 'burnt out' doing this.

I made a couple of phone calls and the following day found us being picked
up at the hotel by Emperor divers (whose shop isn't that far away).
This was by far a better service and was more like what you'd expect from a
dive centre. We didn't have any complaints with the service that we got at
Emperor divers. Ocean College also do a pick up from the Hyatt as well and a
couple of friends use these all the time. I would have used Ocean College
but no one answered the phone - it was a Sunday, so went with Emperor
instead.

I think that the centre at the Hyatt might be ok for one dive but the
snorkeling at the Hyatt is much better than the diving.

If you are planning a full on dive trip then maybe the Hyatt isn't for you
as you'll miss out on what is a really good hotel with excellent facilities.
Especially is you're out on a boat all day.

hope this helps.

Ian.

Ian Murray wrote:
> I made a couple of phone calls and the following day found us being
> picked up at the hotel by Emperor divers (whose shop isn't that far
> away)...

I'd certainly recommend Emperor, they're certainly one of the most
professional outfits out there and I haven't ahd a bad experience with
them. Their boats are in excellent condition, the staff are friendly and
helpful, you can get nitrox and DIN tanks easily, and once they've figured
out you know what you're doing they'll leave you alone to get on with
things (if thats what you want).

Al.

Thanks for the info Ian, what I was looking for really. Think I will
book the Hyatt but use a different Dive School. I will be going with the
non-diver wife so she wants a nice hotel to be in while I am off diving.

Whats the hotel itself like then?

Thanks
MarkJ
>

> From: Daddy Longlegs <daddy@spider.web>
> Organization: Zen Internet
> Newsgroups: uk.rec.scuba
> Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2004 15:21:03 +0000
> Subject: Re: Hyatt Regency in Sharm - Good Dive School?
>
> Thanks
> MarkJ

The Hotel is very good and definitely five star by Egyptian standards. The
Service in the hotel is excellent. It has a nice comfortable bar (Stars)
which does bar snacks in the evening whilst you overlook the view down to
the sea and sip your cocktails (on the last evening we watched a pod of
Dolphins in the bay from here).

The Hyatt is a big sprawling development built in to the hillside and it
took us a day or so to work out where things where. It's mainly centred
around the pools of which there are three at different levels down the hill.
They are all connected with waterfalls, gardens etc.. and an 80mtr
waterslide which goes underground and exits at the middle pool. The bottom
pool is 'kid free' ie no under 16's (which was nice). You can get waiter
service all day at any place within the hotel's grounds (Beach or Pool)

During the day there either the poolside bar / cafe or the beachfront Cafe
to eat / drink at. The Beachfront one is the more expensive. But also has a
more varied menu. The Beachfront was open for one or two night also whilst
we were there. This was for the 'fish market' night.

The Hyatt has it's own private beach and jetty which leads on to the Gardens
reef. The beach is sand and the snorkeling at the end of the Jetty is
excellent (probably better than the diving in the immediate area).

For the evening there's a couple of choices to eat. Firstly there the Souk
which is like an outdoor market area where there's many choices of food
(Italian, Chinese, Mexican, etc...) and it's run a bit like a market type
area. You're given a bag of coins and at the end they add up what you've
used and equate that to actual cash. Food is cooked at the stalls and you
can eat whatever you want. For two people including wine it came to about
£20 Which by Egyptian standards is a bit dear but at least you know what
you're eating. They put on entertainment (dancers etc) but it gets a bit
samey each night.

The other options are the normal buffet which we didn't do and the Sala Thai
which is the 'well known' Thai restaurant which some people rave about. I
thought that the Sala Thai was pretty average for a Thai restaurant but
maybe I just chose badly on the day. A lot of people were eating at the Sala
Thai for special occasions and it is a bit pricey especially by Egyptian
standards although the view is spectacular. If you have a special occasion
then I'd suggest taking the Champagne from the UK. At the Sala Thai it was
£150 for a bottle of Moet and it's not clearly labeled on the menu (it looks
like £15 we nearly got caught out).

There is a return shuttle bus to Sharm a few times a day and evening. The
good thing about this is that the last one leaves Sharm at a reasonable time
so you can have a drink etc in Sharm and be sure of getting back in one
piece. They also do private cabs which are all jeep type new merc type
things. Normal cabs aren't allowed to pick up on the premises. If you need
something from town (but can't be bothered going for it) they'll send a car
for it and you only get charged for the item they went to pick up.

One thing which we didn't make the most of was the gym and it's facilities.
It's well worth getting up a bit early and using the gym (it's well fitted
out) and the spa. Then getting in to breakfast before the rush. For the wife
the gym / spa offers all the treatments (facials, manicures, massages) and
these are very cheap and well worth it. No one seems to use these facilities
much.

There is a cash point and bank on site within the Hotel.

Would I go to the Hyatt again - yes (Bush and Blair have both stayed there)
It really does make it a hard choice whether to go and spend a day on a boat
or to relax and be waited on at the poolside.

Mail me if you want any specifics.

Ian.

In article <4013fb49$0$247$fa0fcedb@lovejoy.zen.co.uk>, daddy@spider.web
(Daddy Longlegs) wrote:

> Anyone ever Stayed at the HR?

Yes, always do.....
Excellent hotel and facilities......

For a friendly dive school try.....

WWW.DIVEAFRICA.COM
Ask for Nikki..

Dave Morgan @ Work :^)