Best hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh for families with kids or adults seeking good food and sandy beach

Charmillion Club Resort may be worth considering for its grounds and food: a previous guest liked the grounds and found the food acceptable, but described the rooms as dated. If recently renovated accommodation is a priority, check the condition of the room category before booking.

For a New Year family holiday, Sultan Gardens Resort and Baron Resort are suggested among similarly priced options. Service is considered better at Sultan Gardens, while food is good at both; Baron Resort has the stronger reef but can be windy in November. Baron Palace is a separate adults-only property. Sultan Gardens and Rotana have a nearby market for walks, whereas most of these resorts have little of interest within walking distance outside the grounds.

Current on-site update: Reef Oasis Beach (Sharm) has both a pontoon and a beach entry, but the water near shore is shallow — mostly used for wading/lounging rather than swimming.

Long Beach (Sharm): the beach is shallow for a long stretch, requiring a long walk to reach depth; the reef is accessed via the pier, which was under repair last season so swimming there wasn't possible; only a few scattered reef patches exist in the shallow area.

Barcelo Tiran (Sharm): sandy walk-in beach entry, fish visible right at the shore, reef to the right. First-line, compact grounds, rated 4-star (formerly 5-star). Good service and food; the sea is great — swimming near shore is possible even during a red flag, suitable for snorkeling with kids.

Sultan Gardens Resort (Sharm): a large sandy beach suitable for kids and grandparents, while also offering a pier with a reef for those wanting deeper-water swimming.

For a family holiday, consider Continental Plaza: it is noted for a decent beach and an on-site water park, and many families with children stay there.

Reef Oasis Beach, a beachfront hotel, is recommended for its very good beach and convenient shore entry into the sea, which can suit families with children.

The hotel formerly known as Iberotel Palace (now renamed) is recommended as an adults-only option with a wonderful sandy beach entry. A boat takes guests to the reef (about a 3-minute ride) for roughly $10, and the reef is beautiful — even the sandy beach area has things to see.

For a natural sandy beach in Sharm, look at specific zones: around Hadaba and further toward Delta Sharm — Terrazina and El Fanar beaches; around Naabq — Zaza and Musa Bay beaches. Also noted: for a short trip it's often less hassle to book a cheap hotel than an apartment, while long-term residents in Naabq condominiums buy beach access passes to upscale resorts like Rixos.

Sultan hotel (Sharm): good family rooms, excellent food, but only one water slide — a 10-year-old found it boring, and there's no beach shore entry. Also noted that with Fun Sun airline package hotels there's a good kids club called "Tukan" accepting children from age 3.

For families in Sharm, Rotana and Fanara are often compared. Rotana’s strengths are a large well-equipped beach, better and more varied food, strong beach service, a pontoon, and two short piers. Its downside is no shore entry into the sea, plus it can be windy in winter and early spring, and there is little to walk to outside the resort. Fanara stands out for a calm warm bay and direct shore entry, which is easier with children, but the grounds are smaller, the beach is tighter, there are many steps, and food/service are considered weaker. As a practical rule: Fanara is more often recommended for winter and early spring, while Rotana suits late spring and summer if shore entry is not essential.

If a sandy beach is the priority in Sharm, Maritim and Jaz Fayrouz were specifically recommended. By contrast, Melia Sinai was noted for becoming deep almost immediately, so it is less suitable for travelers who want a gradual child-friendly sea entry.

For a relaxed adult holiday focused on good food, decent drinks, and a sandy beach, both Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada have suitable options. Always confirm whether the hotel has a sandy shoreline rather than a pier-only entry.

When choosing a hotel in Sharm, prioritize specific features: easy water entry, aquapark, and drink quality rather than star rating alone. Low tides occur across all bays during summer, so this is not unique to any one hotel.

Naama Bay (NABU area) and the northern part of Hurghada experience very pronounced low tides — the water recedes for hours at a time, making swimming impossible. Avoid these locations in summer if tides are a concern.

Families with young children used to mid-to-upper 4-star resorts in Hurghada should look for similar 4–5 star properties in Sharm with an aquapark and child-friendly beach area. Note that almost all Sharm hotels use pier-based sea entry rather than a natural sandy shoreline.