Where to exchange dollars or withdraw Egyptian pounds at a hotel in Sharm el-Sheikh?

On the hotel grounds, one vendor (a man selling clothes) happily exchanged cash dollars without taking any commission — he even gathered small change from his pockets to make up the amount.

An old $50 bill was successfully exchanged at an ATM in Naama Bay near McDonald's and the Mango store, close to the Oriental Rivoli hotel.

There's a risk the hotel ATM may 'eat' a bill during exchange — in one day this happened to several guests (losses of 50 euros, 5 and 10 dollars). Keep the ATM receipt and file a claim — refunds were successfully obtained.

At the currency exchange point, any bills are accepted, including old ones, but you need to bring your passport — unlike the hotel and ATMs, which refuse old bills.

Withdrawing pounds at the hotel ATM with a UnionPay card: tapping the card triggers an error, but inserting it into the slot works fine.

If you only need a small amount of pounds (e.g. for a taxi), try asking fellow countrymen staying at the hotel — someone may have leftover pounds to spare.

A $100 bill from 1996 was refused everywhere except an Anex Tour guide (only for excursions) — even a room category upgrade wasn't accepted with it. However, the hotel ATM did exchange it: when a staff member's attempt seemingly failed, guests tried themselves, inserting the bill one at a time, and it worked.

Dollar bills in poor condition — worn, crumpled, or torn — are also refused at the hotel, regardless of the bill's year.

In Naama Bay, some hotel-area ATMs do not accept bills smaller than $100, but there is a spot where a $50 note was exchanged successfully: farther along the street, there is an ATM on the left-side steps of a shopping center.

According to a recent report, it was possible to exchange dollars for Egyptian pounds directly at the hotel; the quoted rate was 49.08 EGP per USD, with about 49 EGP actually received after the bank fee.

If someone arranges an exchange visit to the hotel, agree on the rate in advance. A safer approach is to transfer money to a card only after the cash dollars or pounds are already in your hands.

The hotel ATM does not accept old $100 bills (e.g. dated 2006) — neither for withdrawal nor exchange. Fresh banknotes are required. In Naama Bay the situation is similar: ATMs either work only with cards or run out of cash.

Smaller dollar bills (not $100 notes) are much easier to exchange and are accepted without issues. The main difficulty is specifically with old $100 bills.

If the hotel ATM is not working for exchange, shop vendors on the hotel grounds may offer cash dollar-to-pound exchange — but at an unfavorable rate. For reference, the city rate was around 4,987 EGP per $100. Bargaining is possible.

The Sharmilion hotel has an ATM for withdrawing Egyptian pounds, but it does not exchange cash dollars. Cards from RSHB bank work at this ATM.

Currency exchange near Sharmilion hotel: from the main entrance, walk toward the sea and turn right — the exchange point is located just before the palm tree alley. A security officer nearby can help you find it.

Hotel reception and on-site shops will not exchange cash dollars without a purchase. For a straightforward cash exchange, you need to use the external exchange point outside the hotel.