Cooks Club El Gouna

the only little thing : I like music a lot by the pool but around 5 pm it was to loud at my opinion. Should I return next time ? Yes I do ! Everything was excellent :the room, breakfast, the bar....So when I come back to El Gouna I would stay here :)

We have stayed at several cooks club hotels and this one is by far the best of them all, the hotel location and el Gouna as a whole couldn’t have been better. Comfortable rooms, great food and extremely accommodating to anything you may need. What stood out to us however was the staff. Thank you to Adham for the finest cocktails in all Hurghada, we couldn’t wait for you to start everyday always making us laugh. Jalal with impeccable service always with a smile and Abdulah for welcoming us to the pool every morning and making it the easiest possible two weeks. A massive thank you 🙏 We look forward to seeing you all again.

We recently stayed at Cook’s Club El Gouna, and although the resort itself is beautiful and has some fantastic qualities, we left feeling that the overall experience could have been so much better. There were things we absolutely loved, but equally, there were several things that disappointed us and made the stay feel less special than we had hoped.

The resort and location

The resort is beautiful, with a lovely area for sunbathing, a well-presented layout and a good location that felt safe. During the daytime, the atmosphere is amazing, the drinks are good, and it is easy to see the potential this hotel has. We were also greeted in our room with desserts, which was a lovely touch, and the staff who welcomed us were friendly.

However, our room and balcony were considerably smaller than they appeared in the photographs. We also had a giant palm tree directly in front of our balcony, with the branches hitting us when the wind blew. This made sitting outside less enjoyable than we had expected.

Communication and organisation

One of our biggest issues was the lack of communication. There seemed to be very little information provided about how the hotel operates, what was included, what was permitted and how certain things worked. We often felt that we had to learn as we went along rather than being properly informed from the beginning.

There was also a noticeable language barrier, with limited communication in English at times. This made situations more confusing than they needed to be and contributed to the feeling that the hotel was poorly organised in certain areas.

Check-in was particularly disappointing. The service felt very poor, and we did not receive the welcome or level of assistance we would have expected. Unfortunately, this impression continued throughout parts of our stay, with some staff appearing to have a rather uninterested, almost “can’t be bothered” attitude. While some members of the team were genuinely lovely, others unfortunately let the experience down.

One example that really summed up the communication issues was our late checkout. We were told that we could have a late checkout, only to be informed on our final day, just two hours before the usual checkout time, that we had to leave at 12 pm as normal. We were not due to leave until 5 pm, so this was extremely frustrating and could have been avoided with better communication and organisation.

We also experienced a situation where we waited two and a half hours for lunch, which is simply too long. On other occasions, plates were taken away before we had even finished our last bite, making the service feel rushed and inattentive.

Food and drinks

The drinks were good, and we appreciated the complimentary water. However, the food was very average overall and did not meet our expectations.

We were also not properly informed about the set menus or how the food would be served on particular days. This left us unsure about what our options were, especially at dinner.

As someone with a dairy allergy, I was particularly grateful to the members of staff who took the time to help me understand what I could and couldn’t eat. On one occasion, neither of the starters on offer was suitable for me, so I asked whether tomato soup was possible. One of the chefs freshly prepared it just for me, which was an incredibly thoughtful gesture. There were also occasions when alternative menu choices were offered, which made a real difference.

The chefs deserve credit for their willingness to accommodate dietary requirements, and this was one of the positive aspects of our dining experience.

Service, atmosphere and general standards

Although the resort is lovely during the day, we found the evenings disappointing in comparison. The atmosphere and overall experience did not maintain the same standard, which was a shame because the daytime experience showed how enjoyable the hotel could be.

We also noticed work being carried out quite late into the evening, which was disruptive and not ideal when trying to relax.

On top of this, there were items left on the floor in the corridors, creating potential trip hazards. These are relatively small details individually, but together they made us question the hotel’s attention to detail and overall standards.

There were also a significant number of flies during our stay. We understand that this is not entirely within the hotel’s control, and we later discovered that we had visited during the fly season in El Gouna. However, we do feel that more could be done to help prevent or manage the problem, particularly around dining areas.

As a woman, I also felt quite harassed during our stay, and at times the atmosphere left me feeling uncomfortable and judged. This is something that affected my overall enjoyment of the holiday and should not be overlooked.

The staff who made our holiday special

Despite the criticisms above, I want to give special recognition to four members of staff who genuinely stood out and made our holiday so much better. They showed kindness, care and personality, and they are a credit to the hotel.

• Allah – Housekeeping: Allah was absolutely lovely. It was my partner’s birthday while we were away, and he went out of his way to make it special by decorating our room without even being asked. This was such a thoughtful gesture and something we will remember. It showed genuine care and made us feel special.
• Beshoy – Waiter: Beshoy was always friendly, chatty and kind. He went out of his way to make fun drinks for us and consistently brought a positive attitude to our interactions. He was one of those people who genuinely made us smile and improved our experience.
• Malak – Waitress: Malak was fantastic. She would walk me around the entire restaurant and explain what I could and couldn’t eat because of my dairy allergy. She was patient, considerate and incredibly helpful. She even offered us an alternative menu choice when we weren’t keen on what was originally available. Her willingness to help made me feel much more comfortable and looked after.
• Gamal – Waiter: We only saw Gamal during our first week, but he made a lasting impression. He was so happy, friendly and welcoming, and his positive attitude really stood out.

I also want to acknowledge the chefs, who were accommodating and willing to help with my dietary requirements. The freshly prepared tomato soup was a perfect example of the effort some members of the team were willing to make.

These individuals genuinely made a difference to our stay. It is a shame that the standard of service was not consistent across the whole team, because the kindness and effort shown by these staff members demonstrate what the hotel experience can and should be like.

How does it compare to Cook’s Club Adakoy?

Having previously stayed at Cook’s Club Adakoy, we couldn’t help comparing the two experiences. In our opinion, Adakoy is 1,000% better. The overall experience here simply did not compare, particularly when it came to service, organisation and the feeling of being properly looked after.

We came with expectations based on our previous experience, and unfortunately, El Gouna did not live up to them.

Our overall verdict

Cook’s Club El Gouna is a beautiful resort in a lovely location, and there is a lot to appreciate, especially during the day. The sunbathing area is lovely, the drinks are good, and there are some genuinely wonderful members of staff who clearly care about their guests.

However, we found the communication, organisation, consistency of service and food disappointing. The unclear information about menus and hotel procedures, the late checkout confusion, the long wait for lunch, the evening experience and some of the general maintenance and safety issues all took away from what could have been a fantastic holiday.

I am also someone who notices how a hotel could improve, perhaps more than others do, and there were several occasions when I felt that small changes could have made a significant difference.

Ultimately, I believe this resort has the potential to be excellent, but the experience needs to be more consistent. Better communication, clearer information for guests, improved service standards and greater attention to detail would go a long way.

We are particularly grateful to Allah, Beshoy, Malak and Gamal, whose kindness made our stay more memorable for all the right reasons. They should be recognised for the effort they put into making guests feel welcome.

Sadly, although we enjoyed parts of our holiday, we left feeling that the hotel fell short of our expectations. Having experienced Cook’s Club Adakoy, we know the standard the brand can achieve, and this stay simply did not reach it.