Review: Mercure Hurghada – an all inclusive resort on the Red Sea
After touring the ancient sites of Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, we can recommend a relaxing few days at a beach to complete your holiday in Egypt. We stayed at a family-friendly all-inclusive in Hurghada. In this post I’m sharing what we enjoyed about the Mercure Hurghada resort and why it’s worth checking out if you’re looking for somewhere to stay on the Red Sea without breaking the bank.
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About the Mercure Hurghada resort
The Mercure Hurghada is an all inclusive 4 star resort aimed at a European audience with a day time and evening entertainment programme including a kids club.
The hotel complex is low level with rooms grouped around green spaces trimmed with established palms. The guest areas have an Arabian feel with white washed walls, geometric wooden panels, lanterns and chandeliers.
We checked in for two nights at the end of our 10 day tour of Egypt, but would have happily stayed longer. Particularly as a snorkelling trip we had planned was cancelled due to windy weather.
Regardless, we enjoyed a few days of relaxation and easily filled our days.
Family rooms at the Mercure
We had connecting rooms on the ground floor with small private terraces overlooking one of the grassed areas. We were a few minutes walk from all the facilities.
Inside, the decor was an unmistakeable Accor style with purple seating and plum cushions. Everything was well put together and freshly decorated in a simple, functional yet comfortable way.
There were all the mod cons: a kettle, fridge and hair dryer. A tip for tea lovers: the hot drink supplies were only topped up once during our stay but there’s plenty of tea bags in the buffet if you need more.
All inclusive food and drink
Mercure Hurghada’s all inclusive food package includes all food served in the buffet, al a carte restaurants and ice cream by the pool. You can also pay for hot snacks at the pool bar.
Drinks-wise, you can serve yourself coffees and soft drinks beside the pool, and local wine is served with lunch and dinner. Waiters come around to top you up and if you flash them a smile they come round again.
The bar is open for other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks during the day. Inclusive drinks range from draught lager to cocktails made with local spirits. Premium drinks must be bought, but we thought they were a reasonable price.
During our stay we only ate at the buffet but there are three al a carte restaurants: an Italian and Asian for evening meals, and the Ultra Lounge Bar, which offered all day dining. You can visit two of these during your stay and reservations must be made in advance.
However, they were all booked up during our two days at the resort, so the Dar El Andalus buffet was our only option. This has three different themes across the week: Arabian, Egyptian and International.
The buffet counters were well stocked and didn’t feel too busy. Arriving for dinner was the only minor punch point. It took a few minutes to be seated but once inside it was easy to fill our plates.
Families with young children can find high chairs and a microwave for baby food in the buffet area.
Resort facilities
There are three free form swimming pools and an east facing private beach lined with wooden sun beds and parasols.
There’s also a spa, gym, water sports and excursions.
The kids club runs from 9am to midday and 2pm to 5pm Sunday to Friday. We found the start time was a bit loose but you can sign in and out at any time. The club is for children aged four to 12-years-old.
There is a small activity room and outdoor play area. Activities include competitions, face painting, crafts and games.
The evening entertainment in the covered amphitheatre had a European holiday park feel. The girls remembered the mini disco dances from our holiday in Tuscany and were happy to join in. The kids had a great time and, despite being shattered, asked to stay on and see the evening show which was an acrobatic juggling act.
Something that Mercure Hurghada doesn’t have, which would have thrilled the kids, is a water park. Check out nearby Pickalbatros Jungle Aqua Park at Neverland Hurghada if this is a deal breaker for you.
Here’s some more hotels in Hurghada.
Sadly our snorkelling excursion planned for the day after we arrived was cancelled due to windy weather, so we decided to do some activities at the resort.
Mr Tin Box had been promising the girls and I a trip to a spa if we found one and the Mercure Hurghada was the first of our Egypt hotels to deliver.
We booked a manicure and pedicure, and Mr Tin Box was persuaded to have a facial. I got upsold a facial, wax and tinted eye brows and spent a luxurious three hours being pampered. Oops!
The rest of the afternoon was spent hopping between the pool and kids club where the girls did crafts and played games.
Horse riding on the beach
An activity we found right next to the resort was the El Rancho stables. Mr Tin Box went over to check them out before we booked to make sure that the horses looked happy and healthy.
The staff at El Rancho were great. They sized us all up for riding helmets and half chaps, and recognised when some riders were feeling nervous.
Our girls were both so excited about the ride but also a little edgy as they are very much novices. We all were!
The horses know where they are going so you don’t need to be a competent rider. But they did at times get distracted by each other and tasty looking hedges.
This made our 10-year-old a little uneasy, so one of the stable team stayed with her for the whole ride.
We did a loop around the resort along the beach and back to the stables with a few photo opportunities along the way. Our ride lasted an hour and was a lovely way to finish our last full day in Egypt.
A note on smoking at the resort
Something that surprised us Brits when we visited Hurghada was the amount of smoking happening indoors and outdoors. It was really noticeable, particularly around the swimming pool. The only places where smoking was prohibited was in guest rooms and the restaurants.
However, I believe smoking has now been banned in all public indoor areas at the hotel inline with most European countries.
Final thoughts on Mercure Hurghada
Hurghada has its fair share of all inclusive family resorts and this one is far from the flashiest. But this beach front hotel is at the lower end of the price range and offers lots of inclusive activities for families and low key entertainment, as well as unlimited local drinks and ice creams for the kids.
Besides the connecting rooms that we stayed in there are family rooms and larger suites, giving families of all sizes and ages options. It’s definitely worth adding to your shortlist.
You can either book the Mercure direct, check prices on Kayak or book it as a package holiday with flights.
You might also like to read
- My full Egypt travel guide
- Our top places to visit in Egypt with kids
- 10 day Egypt itinerary
- What to wear in Egypt
- Visiting Egypt during Ramadan
- What we thought of the Cairo to Aswan sleeper train
More tried and tested family resorts
Read more of my international hotel and resort reviews:
- Atlantis the Palm Dubai
- LEGOLAND Hotel Dubai
- Lapita Hotel Dubai Parks and Resort, Dubai
- New World Phu Qouc Resort, Vietnam
- Kiani Beach Resort, Crete
- Norcenni Girasole Club, Italy
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