Do hotels and locals in Hurghada speak Russian or English?
From messages by 3 participants in 2 sources · Last activity: 10 days ago
At one Hurghada hotel, Russian-speaking guests currently make up the largest share, with Germans the second-largest group. Staff are reported to be welcoming, and there are Russian-speaking entertainers, including for children.
39 days ago Russian-speaking entertainers, including children’s activities
At one family-friendly hotel, guests include many locals (Egyptians), Italians, Poles, Spaniards, and Russians. Staff speak Russian but are not pushy about selling excursions or services.
Male reception staff at the hotel don't speak Russian, but know German and English well. The Russian-speaking girls often mentioned in old reviews left the country long ago. However, the girls selling excursions (desk across from the central reception) speak fluent Russian and know all the guides — worth approaching them with questions.
Excursion sales desk opposite reception
One city hotel in Hurghada has two Russian-speaking guest relations staff and a dedicated receptionist who handles only Russian-speaking guests — a useful point of contact for any issues.
Russian-speaking guest relations desk
Hotel staff primarily communicate in English (after Arabic). Bartenders and other employees find it easier to serve English-speaking guests — this is a language barrier, not bias. The same applies to Hungarian, Romanian, Polish, and Czech guests, for whom there are also no dedicated staff.
Guest mix at a small city hotel includes roughly equal numbers of Russians, Hungarians, Romanians, Poles, Czechs, and Dutch. The number of Russian-speaking guests has grown 4–5 times compared to previous years, putting pressure on the limited Russian-speaking staff.
Some locals in Hurghada speak basic Russian, picked up from tourists or past study in Russia, but the number has declined in recent years as fewer Egyptians study abroad in Russia.
English is the most widely spoken tourist language in Hurghada. Some areas cater mainly to European tourists and have little Russian presence. Basic English will make communication significantly easier.
In a small city hotel, Russian-speaking guests included two Russian families, one solo woman, a Russian-speaking couple from Germany, and a couple from Armenia. The majority of other guests were Europeans, mostly Germans.