Which rooms and buildings are best to request at an Egyptian resort hotel?

Two families had booked standard garden-view rooms and asked at check-in to be placed near each other. Without being asked, the hotel upgraded them to adjacent pool-view rooms with a direct exit to the water park/pool.

At the Sentido hotel, a Comfort garden-view room was booked but the guests were placed in room 5101 instead — it had full-size beds for everyone rather than one bed plus two sofa-beds as in the standard Comfort layout.

Guests were offered a deluxe room with three beds in building 4, but declined and stayed in building 12 instead, where they had two separate beds (pushed together) and a sofa made up for the child.

Difference between standard and deluxe rooms: standard rooms have a fixed wall-mounted showerhead, while deluxe rooms have a handheld shower with a hose (better mixer); deluxe rooms also tend to have fresher renovations. Returning guests are sometimes offered a complimentary deluxe upgrade at reception.

Guests compared bed sizes: at the main hotel, a single bed measured 120 cm, whereas at the neighboring Desert Rose hotel, standard beds are only 90 cm wide.

Recent report on room 203: assigned with a side view toward the Sheraton, but instead of one double bed there are two separate beds, and the toilet is broken — the family planned to request a room change the next day.

Even with a Premium Garden View booking, guests can be placed in a room with no extra bed option at all — instead of the usual double + one-and-a-half bed setup, they got two wide single beds. Rather than pay extra for a third bed, they pushed the two beds together and slept across them as a family of three (including a 5-year-old).

Staff explained that all building-10 rooms are officially designated for honeymooners, which is why they only have double beds — despite a guest with a teenage son messaging the hotel three times in advance requesting separate beds, no room swap was arranged on the first day.

A returning guest (second consecutive stay) was given a complimentary upgrade at reception to a family room with a main bed plus two extra beds near the entrance, though the room was on the 3rd floor; a crib was also brought on request.

When requesting three beds in a standard room, staff may refuse, insisting standard rooms never have a 3-bed configuration at all (the sofa in this case was reported as very hard).

If you are placed in the farthest wing under renovation with only one large bed for three people, ask to move: for $20, guests were transferred without difficulty to a bungalow. Its finishes were slightly worse, but the room was very spacious and had a direct outdoor entrance rather than a corridor.

A warning about the Aqua room type: the booking description mentioned up to 4 beds possible, but the building wasn't specified. After booking it turned out to be building 10, and no 4-bed configuration was found there. The guest plans to switch to a family room through her travel agent before arrival.

Room 436 (standard): furniture is old but mattresses are good, linen is clean and white. The room exits onto a small pool area, not the sea.

Reception is quite flexible: if space is available, they may place you near your desired building. A family (2 adults + 2 kids) with a pre-renovation booking in building 4 was offered a family room with one large bed and a sofa.

At check-in, it may be worth asking for a family room in the new building instead of a standard room: in a recent report, this upgrade was obtained at reception for $10 plus chocolate. The assigned room had three semi-double beds, and the furniture and beds were described as new and comfortable.

Building 6 has very spacious renovated rooms: a large double bed, a wide extra bed, and a sofa can comfortably fit a family of 2+2 or even 3+1 with a teenager. Some of these rooms have a large sea-view balcony; the restaurant is about a 1-minute walk away, and the beach is easily reached via the lift. The downside is that music from the sky bar can be heard until around 11 pm.

If you are booked into a standard room, Villa 21 can turn out to be a very good option: on the 2nd floor (room 803), guests received what was effectively a family layout with two connecting rooms and two balconies. The setup included one double bed and one single bed, and an extra bed was brought within about 30 minutes.

Room 5445 in the new building faces the Sheraton side: children slept soundly and noise was not an issue. Two beds can be pushed together and a third extra bed requested.

Villas 80–81 are located at the back of the resort. Layout: one large double bed plus a small extra bed in an alcove — not suitable for three guests needing separate beds. It is worth insisting on a move to the main building: after about 20 minutes of negotiation, a twin room with an extra bed was provided at no extra charge.

Family room in the right-hand building from reception (April 2025): excellent condition — ideal beds, mattresses and pillows, clean white linen without pilling, plenty of towels. The experience highlights that room quality sets the tone for the entire stay.

Building 2: you can request it at check-in, but the bed configuration may differ from what was booked — two singles may be replaced by one large double. This is acceptable for a couple or a parent with a young child.

Buildings 1 and 6 have family rooms in several configurations: large studio-style rooms with 4 beds, two-room units with a single window (one room has no window), and two-room units facing two directions. Corner rooms are slightly more spacious and comfortably fit 4 beds with room to spare.

A family arrived in the morning and checked in by 1pm. They requested building D but it was full — they were assigned building K, third floor (no elevator). The room exceeded expectations: Family 2 Bedrooms with Pool View, 120 sqm, two separate rooms each with TV, toilet and shower, plus two balconies.