* I want to be upfront with you—I receive a small commission if you book through the links on this page. However, I want to emphasize that this is an honest review based on my personal experience at the resort.
A Package Holiday in Marsa Alam: My Stay at the Pickalbatros Villaggio Resort – Portofino
Today, I’m sharing my experience with one of my first self-booked package holidays. Usually, my blog focuses on adventurous backpacking, but this time, I’ll take you into the world of package holidays in Marsa Alam, Egypt. The Pickalbatros Villaggio Resort – Portofino is a spacious and luxurious hotel complex located right by the Red Sea. It combines high comfort, diverse leisure activities, and excellent service. In this post, I’ll share my detailed experiences.
Location of Pickalbatros Villaggio Resort
The resort is beautifully situated along the coast of Marsa Alam, offering direct access to its private sandy beach. The surroundings are ideal for those seeking relaxation and for water sports enthusiasts—especially divers and snorkelers looking to explore the stunning underwater world of the Red Sea. Marsa Alam Airport is about a 40-minute drive away, making the journey to the resort quite convenient. One of the major highlights is the hotel’s house reef and bathing lagoon. The 1 km long beach also provides plenty of privacy.
Tips for Your Stay at Pickalbatros Villaggio Resort Portofino
- If you enjoy playing table tennis, bring your own quality paddles and balls.
- Book through an online travel agency to save time at the airport.
- Have small change for tipping the staff.
- Upon arrival, reserve a table at the à la carte restaurant right away, as spots fill up quickly.
Package Holiday or Individual Booking?
We found that booking through an online travel agency was significantly cheaper. The best deals were available on Check24 and Ab-in-den-Urlaub. I’ve included direct booking links for you below. Booking the flights and hotel separately turned out to be more expensive in most cases.
Another benefit of a package holiday: upon arrival, our visas were already prepared and could be picked up directly at the tour operator’s counter (in our case, Dertour).
The Hotel Complex
he resort is very spacious and offers plenty of room to relax. The complex consists of two hotels: the Pickalbatros Villaggio Resort and the Pickalbatros Vita Resort, together featuring nearly 1,000 rooms. However, the resort never feels overcrowded thanks to its vast layout.
One of the best aspects: the hotel is not built as a high-rise, meaning all accommodations are one or two stories high. This helps maintain a quiet and relaxed atmosphere even when the resort is fully booked.
The entire complex is extremely clean, with several heated pools, a large garden landscape, and plenty of seating and lounging areas. There is also a water park with slides, making it ideal for families.
Rooms & Comfort
The rooms were fantastic. Even the cheapest category included a terrace, a modern bathroom, a super comfortable bed, a flat-screen TV (with some German channels), and a desk. If you’re willing to pay a little more, you can book a room with an ocean view.
The cleanliness and service were also outstanding. The staff was always friendly and helpful.
Terrace Ceiling Bed Bathroom Bathroom
Food & Drinks at Pickalbatros Villaggio Resort Portofino
The resort offers 5 buffet restaurants and one à la carte restaurant, as well as several snack bars and bars. The food selection ranges from oriental and Mediterranean dishes to Asian specialties.
The quality of the food is decent—while it might not match a fine dining restaurant, it’s freshly prepared and offers great variety. There are also vegetarian and vegan options, though they are not always clearly labeled.
The drink selection includes soft drinks, beer, wine, long drinks, and cocktails.
Service & Staff
The service at Pickalbatros Villaggio Resort was excellent. The staff was friendly, attentive, and efficient.
Tipping Advice
- Employees cannot exchange small euro coins at the bank, so it’s best to withdraw Egyptian pounds at an ATM and break them into smaller bills at the reception.
- We usually tipped 20 to 50 Egyptian pounds to waiters and housekeeping staff.
Leisure Activities & Entertainment
- Diving & Snorkeling
- Fitness center
- Tennis and paddle courts
- Volleyball, basketball and football fields
- Billiards, darts and table tennis
- Virtual reality gaming center
- A well-equipped spa
The entertainment program includes live music, yoga, aqua aerobics, and evening shows.
Wifi
The good news: WiFi is available throughout the resort.
The bad news: it’s slow. The fastest speed I measured was 4 Mbps. If you need fast internet, consider buying an Egyptian SIM card upon arrival.
Diving School: Dive Red Sea
Our experience with the Dive Red Sea diving school on the hotel grounds was excellent. Here, you can not only obtain your diving certification directly on-site but also book exciting diving excursions. For example, there’s Dolphin House, where you can snorkel and dive with dolphins. At Marsa Mubarak, the chances of diving with dugongs (sea cows) are very high—just like the opportunity to encounter sea turtles. I recommend checking the weather conditions in advance, as our dive trip had to be rescheduled due to strong gusts of wind, making a boat dive too risky.
My Conclusion
The Pickalbatros Villaggio Resort – Portofino is a great choice for a relaxing beach holiday. The beach, pools, and entertainment options are excellent, and the service is top-notch.
Would I come back? Yes, for a chill, all-inclusive trip—but not for an adventure holiday.
👉 If you’re looking for a high-quality, stress-free holiday in Marsa Alam, this resort is definitely worth considering!
