As the first hotel to reopen in Marsa Alam, and now that the Egyptian airports are open, we are ready to receive you!
As the situation is today, we can confirm the following:
- Marsa Shagra and Wadi Lahami are open! Some room types may be unavailable or available at reduced numbers.
- Marsa Nakari is closed for the foreseeable future.
If you have an existing booking which is affected by closures or changes, our reservations team will be in touch but please feel free to contact us if you have any concerns. The situation changes regularly and we are not contacting existing reservations too far in advance, so that we are sure we can give you correct information and not disrupt your vacation if possible. The situation changes on a regular basis and we may need to make changes to your reservation. We will try to do so with as much notice as possible.
Guests from abroad are required to provide proof of a negative PCR test for entry into Egypt at all airports from 1st September.
According to the increase in costs due to the requirements from the authorities for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 we are implementing an on-site additional fee of €5 per person per night for foreigners. This fee will be waived if you have undertaken a PCR test in line with the government guidelines (no more than 72 hours before arrival in Egypt), and are travelling direct to RSDS from the airport. Egyptian or foreign residents will be charged 50LE per person per night.
In Marsa Shagra there are a number of changes to our operation which your guests should be aware of before arriving, as follows:
General points/reception
- Guests’ temperature will be checked on arrival
- Luggage and the shoes of the guests are sprayed with disinfectant at check-in
- Check-in briefing now conducted by TV video rather than paper flyers (also available on the chalet TVs)
- Currently only chalets are available - please check our agent portal for updates about room type availability. We are currently allowed to fill only 50% of our total occupancy at this time
- Glass windows have been installed in the reception and cafeteria for protection
- Credit card payments are appreciated where possible
- Guest feedback forms removed and replaced with online guest feedback
- Information booklets and flyers have been removed from reception
- Guests are required to send a photo of their passport by email to the reception team, instead of physically leaving their passport in reception.
- Public area surfaces, handles, ‘high touch’ areas sanitised regularly
- Non-contact greetings encouraged
- Cushions have been removed from chairs and beanbags are currently unavailable
- The kids playground is currently unavailable
- Massage is currently unavailable
- Increased signage to encourage social distancing, hand washing, hand sanitisation, reporting symptoms, etc.
- Hand sanitiser dispensers have been installed throughout
- Laundry is now washed on higher temperatures and machines are disinfected after use
- Tipping is now possible on the final invoice of the guest
- Chalets are left empty for 48 hours between check-out and check-in
- 5 chalets have been designated as quarantine chalets in case they are needed
- Tip boxes have been removed from our restaurant, diving centre and reception. Tips can be added to the final invoice of the guest at their request.
Staff
- Staff temperatures are checked daily on entry to the village
- Staff must wear masks and some must additionally wear visors and gloves
- Staff are required to undertake a COVID-19 rapid test on return from vacation
- Minimum of 60 days on site before vacation, to reduce staff turnover
- Staff have been given additional training about COVID-19 and additional signs in Arabic are in place throughout staff working and living areas
Transfers
- Cars currently operating at 50% total capacity (e.g. 6 pax maximum in a microbus)
- Guests must observe the seating plan indicated inside the vehicle
- Air conditioning not being used
Food & Beverage
- Water dispenser scheme is currently not in service and plastic bottles of water are available as part of the soft-all inclusive package
- Meals are served as a set menu instead of buffet, according to a daily menu where guests have two choices for each course
- Cake is served in individual portions at tea time, instead of being left as self service
- A glass screen has been installed in the cafeteria
- Maximum of 6 pax at a large table in the restaurant, 1m distance required between each person and tables are a minimum of 2m apart.
- Shisha is currently unavailable
Rooms
- Housekeeping service is only provided twice per week. If guests require towels and linen they are welcome to ask in the reception.
- Housekeeping staff are required to wear full suits, gloves, visors and use additional equipment for deep cleaning (e.g. steamers).
Diving
- Guests renting regulators are required to purchase their own mouthpiece on site, to keep, at a cost of €3. They can also bring their own.
- Additional disinfecting procedures are in place for rental equipment
- Rinse tanks are no longer in use and guests are required to rinse their equipment under running water in the diving shade.
- House reef white boards are not currently in use. Guests are required to inform the shade staff of their diving profile and they will keep the record and watch for their safety
- Lower maximum numbers of divers on our speedboats according to the speedboat size
- Zone A (truck dives) are currently unavailable until further notice
- No entry to the diving center - all communication should be carried out by the service window
- Defogging liquid provided to discourage the use of saliva for mask defog
- Guests are encouraged to keep all items, including wetsuit and BCD in their diving locker (instead of using hangers)
- Additional chemicals and disinfectants are in use in the diving shade area for sanitisation
We will update this information as changes happen and we look forward to welcoming you back to the Red Sea, and to RSDS.
