After a sweaty journey through the bleak Egyptian desert, the sight of the sparkling new beachside InterContinental hotel in Hurghada seemed like a mirage. First, the palm-lined drive and the crenellated walls, then the verdant gardens embroidered with flowers. Finally, the 445-room hotel itself, every balconied room boasting an uninterrupted view of the Red Sea. Only the security checkpoint into the foyer reminded you that this was Egypt.

It was like stepping into an Arabian fantasy village. No expense had been spared: hundreds of palm trees had been imported and dotted around; and criss-crossing the grounds was a network of streams and bridges with an enormous freeform pool with a fountain as the centrepiece.

Whether this newest addition to the InterContinental portfolio triumphs over the Egyptian desert depends, in part, on Mark Warner, the British holiday company that has taken over 108 rooms and imported its enormously popular blend of all-inclusive childcare, meals and watersports.

On paper, it looked like a perfect destination for my family. Tom, a Devonian who rather fancies himself as a salty seadog, could try out the watersports. Three-year-old Rosa could provide a frank assessment of the childcare, while it fell to me to cast a ruthless eye over all the services that could be accessed from a sunlounger. And so we became one of the first families to try out the Mark Warner experience at the Abu Soma resort.

Every family we spoke to was a Mark Warner devotee, lured to Egypt by the prospect of a family-friendly escape in more luxurious surroundings than the company usually provides.

Rosa’s day, beginning at 9am, was split into half-hour segments, such as Pool Fun, Beach Fun or Playground. Indoor activities, such as storytelling or painting, were sensibly planned for the hottest part of the day. Adjacent to the bright playrooms was a 24-hour kitchen, with milk, microwave and sterilising equipment. The centre was closed between 1pm and 3pm — which meant retrieving the kids for a buffet lunch in the main restaurant.

We tended to use the childcare facilities in the morning and keep Rosa with us in the afternoon. Slowly, Tom and I began to remember what pre-Rosa holidays had been like. We read novels instead of Maisy books, snoozed unprodded, and swam and snorkelled adventurously rather than toddling around in the shallows. The snorkelling boat from the hotel was timed to fit in with the childcare hours.

The arrangement suited Rosa well too — she described Sam, her assigned nanny, as “nice”, a pinnacle of toddler praise. And I quickly relaxed about her being out of sight. Following afternoons spent building sandcastles — with Rosa joyously crowning them with the corpses of harmless lilac jellyfish — we finished our day with a swim in the heated pool near the impressive gym, sauna and treatment centre.

The main pool and neighbouring children’s pool were simply too cold (Mark Warner says the pools will now be heated in the colder months) and the pool bar was closed. This disappointed Rosa, who regards perching on a sub-aqua stool in her armbands, clutching a fruit juice cocktail, as an essential holiday experience. It was one of several teething problems with the hotel.

In the large buffet restaurant,the fresh salads, pasta and hot dishes were of good quality but a little repetitive for both lunch and dinner. So most evenings, we paid a supplement (these apply to children too) to eat in one of the excellent à la carte restaurants.

Rosa loved watching her pizza being made and loved eating it even more; at the Greek taverna we ate barbecued octopus and a rich moussaka. However, unlike on other Mark Warner holidays, the wine at mealtimes was not included. What with the restaurant supplements too, the bill at the end of the week — about £250 — came as a shock, seeing as this was meant to be all-inclusive, although it did include the watersports tuition.

Aside from the jellyfish, the beach has other drawbacks. Plastic shoes might be a good idea, given that I spotted a sea snake. It was virtually impossible to get drinks on the beach during our visit; the company says waiters are now provided.

But the main gripe was the entertainment. Night after night it comprised a man in a frilly shirt playing a recorder. The situation has reportedly improved. The cocktails at the English-style pub, Johnny’s Bar, were overpriced and, I suspect, underboozy. When we wanted to play pool, I was asked to pay £5. I expressed my disapproval. “You cannot expect to play pool free in a five-star hotel,” was the unexpected conversation-closer.

The Mark Warner staff, who are exemplary, could teach the InterContinental staff a thing or two about keeping customers happy. I hope they do.

In fact, as my husband suggested, put the sailing guys in charge of the bars and, jellyfish or not, you’d have a pretty cool destination.

Need to know

Getting there: The family travelled with Mark Warner (0870 7704222). One week at Abu Soma from £525 (children 2-11 from £295).

Their airport hotel was booked via Holiday Extras (0870 8444186).

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