Best Hotels and Resorts in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

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November 30, 2024

Sharm el Sheikh boasts many excellent hotels and resorts to choose from. Here, you will find large resorts of major hotel chains (e.g., Four Seasons), small boutique hotels, and anything in between. There are many family friendly hotels which offer a lot of activities for the little ones. Of course, you can expect many little kids staying in such places and some noise which comes with them. There are also adult only resorts which will be perfect for adult visitors who are looking to relax and unwind.

I would not recommend going below 4 stars in Egypt, unless you are on a really tight budget. It’s not US or Europe where a 3 star hotel could be still quite solid. The quality of food and service might end up very low, ruining your experience.

In order to feel comfortable and secure, it’s definitely a good idea to book a 5 star hotel in Egypt. This is not an expensive country, so hotel prices are quite reasonable. You can get a lot of value for your money. Make sure to thoroughly check pictures and reviews on major travel websites to get a good idea of what guests thought about the hotel.

With proper research, you can definitely find a great place to stay at without breaking the bank.

Key considerations for selecting a hotel in Sharm el Sheikh

Some of the characteristics I suggest looking at include:

Availability of a private beach and how close it is. It’s always better not to cross any streets, as you don’t know how long it takes or how dangerous it is. Some hotels offer shuttles to go to the beach, but I personally don’t like that idea. One never knows how frequent the shuttle would be and how crowded. Most of the people come to Sharm el Sheikh for the beach, so you need to be able to get there easily.
Resort configuration. Certain resorts (e.g., Domina Coral Bay) have different room categories. You’ll be staying at the same resort, but restaurants you’ll be able to use, type of building, proximity to the beach etc. will vary. You need to be careful which room category you book.
Hotel grounds. Especially for resorts which are located far away from the tourist hub like Naama Bay, you’d want to have large enough grounds to be able to walk around. There is nothing but empty desert land around some hotels and no particular places to go.
Number of bars and restaurants and types of meals provided (all inclusive or not). Meals and variety of food will vary from hotel to hotel. Even if the resort says “all inclusive”, it does not always mean everything at the hotel will be free.
Animation. Many hotels have excellent animation teams entertaining guests all day long. You’ll be able to participate in various fun activities throughout the day and go to a concert or show at night. If you are just planning to relax and not take part in anything, then quality of animation is not a big deal.
Adult only hotel or kids friendly. There are resorts of both kinds in Sharm el Sheikh, so pay attention when selecting your hotel.
Types of kids’ activities offered (for those looking to book a family vacation). Some hotels have excellent kids’ clubs where your kids will be able to make lots of friends and have plenty of fun.
Proximity to a major tourist hub like Naama Bay. Naama Bay has a very exciting night life. It boasts many bars and restaurants, as well as gift shops which you might want to visit. If you live close enough to Naama Bay, you’ll be able to just walk there. If your hotel is a bit far away, you’ll need to take a taxi.
Green certification/commitment to sustainability. Many hotels in Sharm el Sheikh have adopted sustainable practices. If it’s important for you, check their website for information.

Water activities

Some hotels in Sharm el Sheikh have large water parks on their premises. If you are interested in such activities, make sure to pick the hotel which has a good water park. Often, entrance to the water park is not free and would require additional payment.

Another key consideration is the type of coral reefs you can find at the hotel beach. Some hotels have extensive live coral reefs with a lot of sea creatures living there, perfect for guests who are interested in snorkeling or diving. Other hotels have smaller coral reefs, so you will need to work a bit harder to find the fish in the water. Some hotels might not have any reefs at all anymore. As you know, with the global warming, coral reefs have been greatly affected. Some hotels might have had good coral reefs in the past, but they unfortunately died due to higher temperatures.

One thing to keep in mind is that beaches with extensive coral reefs might not be well suited for small kids. For them, it’s actually better to have a sandy entrance into the water and less coral, so they can play in the water near the shore.

In any event, it’s paramount to get a pair of good water shoes for you and your kids. It’s not recommended to enter the water without them even on beaches which have less coral in the water.

Many hotels will have pontoon bridges (also known as floating bridges) on their beaches to make it easier for guests to enter the water. This is a really great thing, in my view, as you can just walk along this bridge with your mask and then immediately descend into the deep water. Obviously, this is not an option for people who are not good swimmers (a shallow and sandy entrance to the water works much better).

If you end up at a hotel which does not have good corals, don’t despair. There are plenty of diving and snorkeling tours you can take in Sharm el Sheikh! You’ll be able to get on a boat and go to Ras Mohammed national park, one of the best diving and snorkeling places in the world. Seeing lots of coral fish is guaranteed!

You can check our experience with such a tour on my blog: Diving and Snorkeling with Kids in Sharm el Sheikh.

Sharm el Sheikh Hotels you can consider for your stay

As mentioned above, there are hundreds of hotels and resorts to choose from in Sharm el Sheikh. Below I list a few hotels where our family and some of our friends have stayed over the years. These are some ideas for you to consider when deciding where to stay in Sharm el Sheikh. All these places are 5 star hotels and they offer all-inclusive rates. They also all have private beaches with umbrellas and beach chairs.

1. Cleopatra Luxury Resort Sharm el Sheikh. Cleopatra has several resorts, some of which are for adults only, while others are for families. You will need to choose the one which suits your needs. Cleopatra Luxury Resort Sharm el Sheikh is perfect for families. It offers a private beach, kids club, daily live music entertainment, spa, gym, an infinity pool, a kids’ pool, and 10 bars and restaurants. No pets allowed. Excellent corals and snorkeling opportunities. The resort is located 10 miles away from Naama Bay.

2. Jaz Belvedere. Similar to Cleopatra, Jaz is a chain, so they have several hotels and resorts you can choose from. We stayed at Jaz Belvedere in the fall in 2024 and were very happy with its facilities and level of service.

This resort is perfect for families with young kids. The hotel has a private beach, two large pools, one main restaurant, several bars and a la carte restaurants, a supermarket, 2 tennis courts, a gym, a kids’ club, a medical clinic and much more. The resort has a sustainability certification. Jaz Belvedere is located 12 miles away from Naama Bay. The hotel has some corals, but not as extensive as some other hotels. If you are looking for a superb coral reef, you might want to try another one of Jaz hotels, Iberotel Redsina.

My full review of Jaz Belvedere Resort is available on my blog: Jaz Belvedere Resort, Sharm el Sheikh – Hotel Review.

3. Royal Monte Carlo Resort and Spa. Main facilities: private beach, swimming pool, tennis courts, spa, aqua park (additional charge), kids’ club, gym, animation, 1 main restaurant and several a la carte restaurants, no pets allowed, 2 miles to Naama Bay.

4. Park Regency Sharm el Sheikh. Main facilities: private beach, 4 swimming pools, aqua park, fitness center, 5 restaurants, convenience store, beautiful gardens, golf course 2 miles away, Naama Bay 10 minutes away. Good animation with performances every day. Excellent hotel for guests who are interested in diving and snorkeling: the resort has three beach coves with spectacular diving sites. This is a kids friendly resort which boasts a kids’ club, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, and a kids friendly buffet.

5. Domina Coral Bay. This is a very large resort where our family stayed some years ago. A key feature is that they have various room categories at different price levels. Currently, they offer 12 different room categories, the most expensive of which is Prestige and the cheapest one Oasis. The more expensive the category, the more perks you get. A big advantage of Domina Coral Bay Resort is that, regardless of room category, you get to use the same beach. The beach is almost 2 km long, perfect for long walks. There are several floating platforms from which you can dive into the water. The coral reefs in this resort are superb and ideal for those who are looking for snorkeling and diving opportunities. In addition, this is an accessible and pet friendly resort.

6. Coral Sea Waterworld. Some of the main facilities include private beach, excellent aqua park with a large selection of water slides, evening entertainment, 2 large outdoor swimming pools (for adults and kids), gym, kids’ club, tennis court, football field, beach volleyball, medical clinic, diving center. Pets not allowed. 16 miles to Naama Bay. This hotel will greatly appeal to families with kids, as their aqua park gets rave reviews. However, coral reef is not as large as in some other hotels.

7. Sultan Gardens Resort. This resort is located on the Sharks Bay with beautiful views of the Tirana island. It’s popular with families. Main facilities include private beach (220 m long), 5 swimming pools, 6 restaurants (Italian, Mediterranean, Chinese etc.), gym, mini-golf, kids’ club, beach volleyball, daily entertainment. This resort has a sustainability certification and excellent snorkeling opportunities with many colorful fish in the water. No pets allowed. Located in 5 miles from Naama Bay.

Additional choices you can look at:

The Final Word

One of the things I love about Sharm el Sheikh is a large variety of hotels. You don’t have to settle and you can pick the hotel which best suits your taste. Whether you are a single traveler, a couple, or a member of a large family with kids, you’ll be able to have a great vacation.

I hope you’ll consider Sharm el Sheikh as your next vacation destination. There is so much to do and see there. Check out my post: Top Ten Reasons to Visit Sharm el Sheikh for inspiration.