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Just an hour outside of Cairo, Ain
Sokhna is a breezy weekend reprieve
from the heat and chaos of the city on
the western shore of the Gulf of Suez.
Sharm el Sheikh attracts an interna-
tional crowd to its world-class dive
sites and lively nightlife on the Red
Sea Riviera. El Alamein — a port on
the Mediterranean Sea two hours
west of Alexandria — is transform-
ing the country’s North Coast into an
equally enviable vacation destination.
Front and center in each location: a
Porto resort.
Creating Porto World
A decade ago, Amer Group, a re-
spected Egyptian developer of resi-
dential properties, resorts, shopping
malls, and restaurants since 1985, wowed the market with its Porto
World concept —mammoth mixed-used resorts, each designed to be
a destination in its own right, with so much to do on-site that few resi-
dents or guests got around to leaving the premises.
“The Porto brand is very unique and very popular in Egypt,” says
Nancy Sarwat, CEO of Porto World Hotels and Resorts. Resorts in the
blossoming Porto portfolio include a world-class marina, an Olympic
training site, a Venice-style lagoon with gondolas, even a mountain-
top location. Studded with fancy shopping promenades, Vegas-
style dancing fountains, and cosmopolitan concert venues, the
sprawling villages include dozens of
swimming pools and restaurants,
luxury spas, and championship golf
courses.
A Family-Friendly Lifestyle
In the family-friendly Egyptian mar-
ket, vacation ownership fits like a
glove. The market trendsetter, Amer
Group introduced the concept of
fractional ownership to the country.
“We are a very family-oriented
destination and we understand what
Egyptians want. We are selling a
lifestyle,” says Sherif Khalil, chief
commercial officer of Amer Group.
“There is something new you can do
every day of your stay. And we
know that kids are the most impor-
tant part of any family on vacation. That’s why we’re very focused on
entertaining kids.” The company’s own mascot, Papa Porto, roams the
grounds of each resort, engaging children with adventure stories, car-
nival games, and gifts.
Today, 20,000 members enjoy maximum flexibility, using the 30
nights in their fractional shares to reserve weekend or weeklong stays in
contemporary one- and two-bedroom apartments in Porto Vacation
Club’s four resorts. A fifth option is set to open in the tony Nabq area of
Sharm el Sheikh in 2016, followed by beach resorts on Jordan’s Dead
Sea and in Agadir, Morocco.
52
PORTO VACATION CLUB
By Joyce Hadley Copeland
RESORTDEVELOPER.COM
vacation industry review
APRIL – JUNE 2016
Egypt may be best known for its
pyramids and vast desert,
but it’s hardly at a loss for idyllic
seaside vacation destinations.
PORTO MARINA, EL ALAMEIN
PORTO SOUTH BEACH VACATION CLUB,
AIN SOKHNA
New Lifestyle Choice
for Egyptian Families