Helwas Beach Resort

The hotel is directly on a calm beach which was lovely. They have a nice pool in the middle of the nearby resort you can use. Breakfast was on demand from a menu. Staff were friendly (even if very absent minded) and tried to be helpful. The shower had consistent hot water. Could improve: 1) The ownership has changed since all the lovely reviews on how nice the restaurant is and how hospitable the hosts are (we were not aware of this and the new owner has kept all these nice reviews that are not applicable anymore). We booked on the basis of these reviews expecting a lovely boutique stay. What actually was offered was a shell of an hotel with no staff on-site, as the hotel has been bought and attached to the nearby resort (you have to check in there and drop your keys there if you want your room cleaned etc). The restaurant in the comments has been replaced by a very average pizza place (tested, we recommend going elsewhere like Mala or Leo not far), and breakfast is now pooled with the resort. We would likely not have booked this place if we knew this. 2) We made reservations for multiple day trips and car rides, upon checking with reception they "forgot" to actually book them, every single one of them. You'd think they would check our other bookings after they forgot the first day but no. If you do book something with them we advise checking the day before every single time.

Helwas Beach Resort is attached to Mayai Ocean Resort (not adjacent, but rather one property over). While check-in, swimming pool, and breakfast is all at the main location, Helwas offers a more quiet place to stay. The pool was nice, the place was clean, and the staff was friendly. Prices online seem to be better than in-person. Could improve: The breakfast is basic, having to choose from a set menu. The steps were steep and not uniform to get to reach our accommodations.

Very kind and helpful staff, especially the reception. Breakfast was good with a decent variety. The resort let us switch rooms after a noise issue outside our original room without a quarrel. Could improve: The in-house restaurant was ok, but not worth the money. I'd recommend walking down the beach and finding one of the countless other places for dinner.