Travel Egypt: Best Hotels in Sharm El-Sheikh

Sharm el Sheikh lies on the southern tip of the Sinai Pennisula on the Red Sea. Popular with beach lovers and sports enthusiasts, yachting, parasailing, fishing, glass bottom boating, snorkeling are just some of what you'll find here. But, of course, the real treasure is diving, as dive professionals have officially crowned Sharm el-Sheikh as the best diving waters in the world. Sharm makes a wonderful vacation spot for the whole family. But, some of the hotels are extremely expensive, with little to show for their exorbitant fees. This list of value-friendly
hotels is your headstart to booking your dream vacation in Sharm el-Sheikh.

This community has seven bay areas, but the main ones for tourism are the bustling Naama Bay in Sharm's downtown district, beautiful Shark's Bay, the newly developed Nabq's Bay and the ever so quiet Pasha Bay. Any one of these regions is perfect in it's own right and they are located just a stone's throw from each other, easlily accessible by shuttle bus or taxi.

To begin with, Naqb Bay has a few fine low cost hotels, but they are mainly geared for British and Russian tourism and difficult to book from the States. But, easy American booking can be had for the Jaz Mirabel Club, located just 20 minutes from downtown Sharm. There is less traffic in this area, making it safe and pleasant to walk the streets. Nearby, across from the Oriental Hotel, is the upscale La Strada mall and entertainment center. Walking a bit further, is the rustic Al Khan Mall, with numerous low cost dining options.

Some of the hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh are built on rocky beaches, and the Jaz Mirabel is no exception. The water level is about two feet high for at least a half a mile out, so ,It's not great for swimming, but makes a wonderful fish scouting experience as you tread the surf. But, the bottom surface is jaggy, so you'll need flip flops or reef shoes to wade in the sea.

Jaz Mirabel is a sprawling complex of beautiful manicured gardens and architectual delights. The interiors are cream colored earth tones and sparkling clean floors.This property has a tennis and basketball court, but is a bit skimpy on the nightlife, with just one small disco. But, transport is fast and easy into Naama Bay from the hotel taxis at the front door. The Jaz Mirabel gym has newer equipment and the sauna, steamroom and spa are free. The children's waterpark provides water slides and life guards, making this resort a favorite with families.

Jaz Mirabel is five star luxury and loaded with ammenities, yet priced in a moderate category in the low $100's..
www.hotels.com/hotel_jaz-mirabel-club_257082_photos.html

Next is Pasha Bay, another quiet and low traffic zone. Here you'll find the Crowne Plaza Resort, which is shown in the photo for this article. Most rooms are sea view and styled in richly toned Moroccan decor. Though this hotel is set far away from the others, the free shuttle bus will take you to downtown Sharm in about 10 minutes.Crowne Plaza is gated and set back on a private road , so there are few people on this property that are not registered guests. Prices are reasonable at around $100 including breakfast and the service is excellent from this Saudi-owned gem at the Red Sea.
www.hotels.com/hotel_crowne-plaza-resort-sharm-el-sheikh_273556_photos.html

Nearby, on Pasha Coast, is the Sheraton Resort. This five star hotel keeps the prices consistant in the $80 to $90 range, regardless of season. Some of the guest rooms are in the main building, and there are larger quarters in the villa section. However, not all rooms have a balcony; you must ask for one. All the watersports expected in Sharn el Sheikh are here, plus Sheraton has a windsurfing shop and offers bellydancing classes on the beach. While the Sheraton is an American corporate chain, this location is definently Russian.They cater mainly to European tours, but the mix of people is part of the fun on a vacation abroad. French ,Italien, Russian and English are widely spoken here, so before booking a show, make sure you speak the lingo. The breakfast buffet had some strange dishes, but overall it was pleasant,,,,,This hotel offers a free shuttle bus to downtown Sharm at Naama Bay and also to the airport. At under $100 per night, Sheraton is a clean and comfortable hotel at a bargain basement price.
www.hotels.com/hotel_sheraton-sharm-hotel-rsort-villas-spa_161458_photos.html

Further down the coast is Shark's Bay, which got it's name from the fisherman who brought their shark catches to the marina. It's a friendly place with many high end hotel choices, such as the Four Season's at over $400 a night, but better budget-friendly deals can be had at a few select hotels.

The first choice is the tried and true Hilton's Shark's Bay, located just 10 minutes from the airport and provides you with free shuttle service. The resort is action packed with activities and they offer unlimited free coffee and tea for the guest rooms. The Italien restaurant is fantastic and there's fast food hotdogs and hamburgers at the
pool.The gym is adequate and the sauna and spa are free, however, they separate the men and women in these faciltites. Hilton Shark's Bay is an easy commute by bus to Naama Bay and prices are in the low $100's.
www.hotels.com/hotel_hilton-sharks-bay-resort_207288_photos.html

Nextdoor is the Concorde el Salam Hotel, offering five star accomodation and the best Shark's Bay prices. At under $80 per night, with glorious seaside views and beautiful Arabian decor, the Concorde is the best deal in the region. In addition to the standard water sports, Concorde has a sports complex with tennis, volleyball, basketball, football, an equestrian center, and even an ice rink. There's a small fee for most activities, but the billiard tables are free.
www.hotels.com/hotel_concorde-el-salam-sharm-el-sheikh-hotel_197999_photos.html

Nearby is the Sunrise Island View Hotel offering a variety of acivities for all ages and sports levels. Sunrise is a clean and tidy two story complex, with whitewashed walls and beautiful jade colored floor tiles.The dining is top quality and diverse from linen tablecloths to pizza and BBQ. For a special treat, try the Italien restaurant's five course dinner, but reservations are recommended as it books up early. For hearty Arabic food and traditional Egyptian music, Fatima's is the place to go where you'll find economical seaview dining in a casual atmosphere. The hotel nightlife includes belly dancing shows, a disco and Arabian tent for shisha pipes (flavored tobacco). Children have a large play area activity center and several shallow pools with lifeguards. For all Sunrise Island has to offer, the price remains a deal at $140 a night.
www.asiarooms.com/egypt/sharm_el_sheikh/sunrise_island_view-hotel-gallery.html

And finally, Naama Bay is Sharm el-Sheikh's main district and is buslting with tourists well into the night. Hotel prices are high in this region, but a few have managed to keep the bill down and give the tourists a break. Hilton operates two favorites in the heart of Naama Bay, the Hilton Sharm Dreams and it's sister property across the street, the Hilton Fayrouz. Prices are generally lower at Sharm Dreams averaging about $130 on travel wholesale websites, but Fayrouz can be double that on so-called discount sites. Check around for better Fayrouz deals, as even the Hilton Corp. does a better discount on their own Hilton.com site, bringing Fayrouz down to the low $100s as that of Sharm Dreams.

I f you decide to stay at the cheaper Sharm Dreams, you may still access Fayrouz's private walkway ending on the Naama beach promenade. On the back side of Fayrouz, is a Hilton mall that includes a mini market. A stop there can save you extra money if you stock your room fridge with food staples. Nearby is the seaside Pirate's Bar, a quirky little place where you might like to sample the local Sakara beer, or try the beach bar for pizza and cold sandwiches. Restaurants at both Fayrouz and Sharm Dreams are top quality and reasonably priced.

The beach area is soft sand, rather than the jaggy coral reef of the resorts further north, and the bay is suitable for swimming. These resorts are located on an inlet, keeping young swimmers in a safe envirnment far from
open waters. For budgets in the $130 range, either Fayrouz or Sharm Dreams is your ticket.
www.hotels.com/hotel_hilton-sharm-dreams-resort_170321_photos.html
www.hotels.com/hotel_hilton-fayrouz-resort-sharm-el_121193_photos.html
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Two best buys, located within a five minute walk to Naama"s city center are beach ready and hassle free.
The Royal Plaza Hotel is a sparkling clean low rise that caters to European tour groups. Easy American booking is had from Hotels.com, and this bargain price of $80 will leave you plenty of money for other things. Try the rooftop bar for a forward panoramic view of the sea, and likewise city view from behind. Down the street is the family owned and operated Bay View Hotel with it's own tiny stretch of beach, humble furnishings and super savings of $60 per night. Both of these properties are walking distance to dining, nightlife and shopping; no shuttle buses necessary. There are other budget hotels lower than Bay View, but they are not recommended as they are set back from the beaches with unkindly views.
www.hotels.com/hotel_royal-plaza-hotel_235376_photos.html
www.hotels.com/hotel_bay-view-hotel_278852_photos.html