What are hotel rooms and facilities actually like in Sharm el-Sheikh — real guest experiences

A $120 surcharge was offered at check-in for a better view. Guests who paid received a room with an especially good view and direct pool access, with the sea and restaurant nearby. The minibar was replenished daily with canned beer, cola, Sprite and Fanta.

When the grounds are watered in the evenings, guests sometimes noticed a strong unpleasant smell which they associated with wastewater irrigation. One stay included a severe allergic reaction reportedly linked to it.

The sandy beach has a long, shallow entry suitable for children, but sunbeds can be scarce: guests reserve them from early morning and towels may remain unattended for half a day. To secure a spot, some guests arrived before 7:00 a.m.

In addition to the older playground, guests found a children’s centre with a ball pit and swings.

From the second-floor balcony of room 2225, guests counted eight pools; in August they were mostly empty. A bar is to the left, and towels are issued by the loungers.

Following refurbishment, the two separate lobby dining areas were merged, and the bridge and stream in front of the entrance were removed. Additional à la carte restaurants were added; the main pool’s artificial wave feature was replaced with slides. Rooms were renovated as well.

Standard room: clean, shower gel/shampoo provided, fridge, hairdryer, iron, free safe, a few Russian TV channels. Furniture slightly worn but functional. Downside: a locked connecting door to the next room (apparently a family room split in two) lets a lot of noise through.

All rooms have a sea view, but the specific outlook varies: some face the pool, others face the open-air dining terrace.

The hotel has one pool with varying depth zones; pool and sea swimming are allowed until 7pm. The beach has three rows of loungers with a sandy entry. A bridge leads to an island with a rockier sea entry; the swim zone is enclosed by the shore and island, so there's no open-sea feel or waves. Yacht/boat moorings sit just beyond the buoys on both sides.

The hotel has an additional building across the road, reached via an overpass, with more rooms, a small pool, a spa, and a gym. The spa, including the sauna, is paid.

Guests noted the main pool looks worn: large patches missing small tiles, gone green and slippery — surprising given this hotel ranks higher than a nearby sister property (Golf).

Late checkout: wristbands and towels aren't collected at checkout. Extending the room is only possible if rooms are available, costing around $35 to extend until 3pm. If no rooms are free, guests can still enjoy the pool/beach all day and use the spa showers, with luggage left in the hotel's storage room until transfer time.

In the Aqua building, instead of the expected view, guests reported getting a balcony overlooking an area outside the hotel with trash/dump, rather than the aquapark.

Guests note the hotel grounds feel small for the number of guests. There's one main pool (though large), plus a separate panoramic pool on the 3rd floor that's less commonly used/known.

A recent first-line stay contradicts older reports of major construction next to guest buildings: the work is at an abandoned hotel on the way to the beach, away from the occupied blocks. The first line has separate residential buildings with its own pools and restaurant, a calmer mostly adults-oriented atmosphere, about a 5–6 minute walk to the sea, and tuk-tuks between the two lines roughly every 5 minutes. The first-line restaurant feels more intimate in the evenings and also serves a late-night snack after midnight.

In building 2, guests who booked a standard garden-view room reported that a $20 tip at reception got them a more convenient poolside room close to the restaurant and lobby bar.

Rooms 2222 and 2223 are considered well located: even though they face the pool and two slides, guests reported little to no noise. The walk to the main restaurant has no stairs, and room 2223 has the brighter balcony of the two.

For a $30 check-in tip, one guest received a good triple room in building 4 on the second floor, with a large balcony and both pool and sea views. Based on that stay, floors 2–3 are preferable in building 4, since ground-floor rooms near the bushes may attract insects.

At check-in, a room with aquapark pool view was swapped for room 1512 in building C (ground floor), closer to the sea and restaurants, with a $10 tip at the desk. A 36 GB SIM card is available at the airport for $8 — enough for three people over 10 days with data to spare.

Family deluxe room 1222 in the main building with reception: corridor is well-ventilated, convenient location next to reception, restaurant, pool, and waterpark. The children's playground is old and unimpressive. Room quality is on par with other five-star hotels.

In the main building (wing overlooking the pool/waterpark), deluxe rooms on floors 4–6 with pool-facing even-numbered rooms are recommended. Upper-floor rooms tend to be newer. The waterpark side is noisy due to loud music. To ensure a full balcony rather than a French balcony, placing $20 in your passport at check-in is advised.

A room in the Sheraton wing is spacious but has no balcony, overlooking an internal courtyard with a pool. The door reportedly does not close tightly.

The two-storey buildings by the pool have rooms with large balconies — corner units have especially spacious ones. The bathroom has a removable shower head. Guests recommend bringing a clothesline with pegs, as there is no dedicated drying rack.