Where to stay in Sharm el Sheikh? Pick your bay before your hotel. The luxury hotels in Sharm el Sheikh are spread over more than 20 kilometres of coast, and Nabq Bay to Hadaba is easily half an hour by car. I spent a lot of time here in December: 24 degrees and the best snorkeling I have done outside the Great Barrier Reef! The trips I loved are in my guide to the things to do in Sharm el Sheikh. I love a good desert like Wadi Rum in Jordan, but Sharm adds what Wadi Rum never will: a coral reef at the end of your hotel jetty.

Below: adults only resorts, boutique hotels with their own house reef and a few bigger luxurious resorts with exceptional service where nobody judges you for never leaving the pool. My favourite looks more Santorini than Sinai; you will meet it further down. All grouped by area, so you know what is outside the gate.

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Where to stay in Sharm el Sheikh: the short version

Where to stay in Sharm el Sheikh comes down to 1 question: do you want a reef or a promenade outside your door? The luxury hotels cluster around a handful of bays, each with a different trade-off: close to the airport, wide beaches, sea views from the cliffs or dinner within walking distance. Which bay suits you is in the next section.

Travelling solo? Look for an adults only resort. It spares you from being the only table without kids at dinner. Small luxury, big difference. This will probably be your best stay.

Best area to stay in Sharm el Sheikh

Sharm el Sheikh is not one town but a string of bays, and the location of your hotel decides what your days look like. These are the 4 areas worth knowing before you book.

Ras Nasrani and Sharks Bay

The closest area to the airport, about 10 minutes by car. The coast drops straight into the reef here, so many hotels have a jetty or pontoon over the coral. This is where you find the best boutique hotels Sharm el Sheikh has to offer, including Meraki and Baron Palms, plus the Four Seasons on the hill and Sunrise Arabian Beach on the bay. The catch: there is little to walk to outside the resorts. Nobody seems to mind.

The reefs start right in front of the hotels | luxury hotels Sharm el Sheikh

Nabq Bay

North of the airport, Nabq Bay has the widest and most pristine beaches, plus the largest resorts. The Nabq Protected Area, with its mangroves, is around the corner. It feels calmer and more spacious than the rest of Sharm. Rixos Sharm El Sheikh Adults Only and Cleopatra Luxury Resort are the picks here.

Hadaba and Ras Um Sid

The plateau south of Naama Bay, with resorts on the cliffs and reefs below them. The Old Market is about 2 kilometres away and Farsha Cafe sits on the same cliffs. Count on 20 to 25 minutes to the airport. Sunrise Montemare and Sunrise Diamond Beach are here.

Naama Bay

The promenade, the restaurants and the nightlife. Naama Bay is busier and less exclusive, but you can walk everywhere. The Camel Bar and Rooftop, my go-to spot for a Margarita, is right in the centre.

Best luxury hotels in Sharm el Sheikh

These are my picks among the Sharm el Sheikh hotels, grouped by area. 4 of them are adults only all the way and 3 more have an adults only pool!

Luxury hotels Sharm el Sheikh in Ras Nasrani and Sharks Bay

Meraki Resort Sharm el Sheikh: my number 1, and not by a small margin. Love this place! The whitewashed boho design looks more Santorini than Sinai. Meraki calls itself the first boho clubbing resort in Sharm, so expect music in the evening; light sleepers, pack earplugs. All-inclusive here means à la carte, which spares you the buffet queue.

There is a full-service spa with a sauna and hammam, and evening entertainment with theme parties. Reviews keep praising the friendliness of the staff, from reception to the waiters. The real reason to book: a jetty straight onto the Ras Nasrani reef. Pro tip: snorkel from the end of the jetty before 8 in the morning, before the rest of the resort wakes up. Guests are 16+ and the hotel rates above 9 on Booking.

Baron Palms Resort: boutique hotel style on a 5-star scale, for guests aged 16 and older. Think giant palm trees, 2 pools with waterfalls and jacuzzis, Egyptian cotton sheets and a pillow menu. 4 restaurants keep you fed all day, and the beach is a short walk through the gardens. Parasailing, kayaking and tennis are there if you get restless. One of the best adults only hotels in Sharm el Sheikh for couples, with a guest score around 9.4 on Booking.

Luxury hotels in Sharm el Sheikh for families

Four Seasons Resort Sharm el Sheikh: the grande dame of the Red Sea. The resort is built like an Arabian village of whitewashed villas, with lush gardens, fountains and bougainvillea around every corner. A funicular carries you down to a private beach of 1 kilometre, a very civilised way to reach the sea. 2 house reefs lie just offshore and there is a dive centre for scuba diving on site.

The facilities are on another level: 4 outdoor swimming pools, 4 tennis courts, a spa with 13 treatment rooms, 9 restaurants and 3 lounges, including fine dining at Il Frantoio. Every room has a balcony or terrace and some suites come with a pool. The service is exceptional, as you would expect. Kids are welcome here, so this is the one for a family trip in style, 10 minutes from the airport.

Sunrise Arabian Beach Resort: a resort built in 6 terraces down to Sharks Bay, looking out to Tiran Island. A long jetty runs out to the reef, so your snorkel gear gets used every day. There are 9 restaurants, including Greek, Indian, Thai and French, which turns the dinner question into a nightly debate. Families are welcome, but the Relax Pool, the Mayfair Lounge and the swim-up rooms are for guests 16+. About 10 minutes from the airport. Pack light: all those terraces mean a lot of steps.

Adults only hotels in Nabq Bay

Rixos Sharm El Sheikh Adults Only: strictly 18+, so no exceptions for teenagers. 7 pools, 2 swim-up bars and 9 restaurants, including Salt for seafood on the beach and Sakura for sushi. There is even a water park, which feels slightly absurd without children around. Fun anyway. Add the Anjana Spa for massages and spa treatments, a sauna, an outdoor tennis court, yoga on the beach and the reefs of the Strait of Tiran within easy reach by boat. All-inclusive, with a guest score around 9.2.

Cleopatra Luxury Resort: the grown-up resort of Nabq Bay, without water slides or mini disco. The seafront infinity pool seems to spill straight into the Red Sea, and there are 4 pools in total, all adults only. A jetty of about 120 metres takes you to the house reef. At the Cleo Spa the sauna and steam room are included, the hammam is paid separately. Love the spa services! All-inclusive, about 15 minutes from the airport.

Villa stays in Nabq Bay

Club Privé by Rixos: unlike the other hotels in this guide, you sleep in a villa here. Every villa has its own pool, a garden and a kitchen, and a personal butler comes with the stay. Perfect place to completly unwind. The Anjana Spa includes a sauna, steam room and Turkish hammam. Kids are welcome too.

Clifftop resorts in Hadaba

Sunrise Montemare Resort Grand Select: a resort on the cliffs above the Gulf of Aqaba, looking out to Tiran Island. Families are welcome, but there is an adults only pool for guests 16+, plus swim-up and jacuzzi rooms. Book a Posh Club suite for extra privileges. The surprise is the Ayurveda spa: Sunrise was the first hotel chain in Egypt to bring in Ayurveda treatments, with therapists from India. The Old Market is about 2 kilometres away.

Sunrise Diamond Beach Resort Grand Select: the all-inclusive with 6 restaurants and 11 bars, so you will never run out of places for a sundowner. The Diamond Pool Suites in the Posh Club come with a private pool, and there is an adults only pool for when the kids club gets loud. Guests rate it very highly.

Naama Bay: walk to dinner

Naama Bay Suites and Spa: the most central address in this guide. Restaurants, bars and the beach are all within walking distance. A smart choice for travellers who would rather spend your money on dinners than on a resort.

Best things to do in Sharm el Sheikh from your hotel

Even at a 5-star resort, leave your sunbed at least 3 times. The attractions I recommend most are snorkeling at Ras Mohammed National Park, a jeep tour into the Sinai desert and a day at Saint Catherine’s Monastery. The full list is in my guide to all 12 things to do in Sharm el Sheikh.

Ras Mohammed is, after the Great Barrier Reef, the most beautiful place I have ever snorkeled. The park is about 40 minutes by car, or about an hour by boat from Naama Bay.

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In the desert, I saw Saturn, Mars and the moon through a telescope in more detail than ever before. It made me a little emotional. The jeep tour to the Blue Hole, the canyons and Dahab packs a lot of Sinai into 1 day.

Saint Catherine’s Monastery is about 3 hours away and only opens to visitors for a few hours in the morning, so plan an early start.

Best restaurants and bars in Sharm el Sheikh

Most luxury hotels in Sharm el Sheikh are all-inclusive, but dining out at least once is part of the trip. At the Camel Bar and Rooftop in Naama Bay you sit on cushions on the floor, with a creative cocktail menu. For a drink with a sea view, Farsha Cafe hangs off the cliffs of Hadaba. In Dahab we had a delicious lunch at Ali Baba, with Tim’s Munch right next door for brunch. Keep in mind that most Egyptians do not drink alcohol, and the wine is not that good in most places. Beers are a better option.

Cocktails at Camel Bar and Rooftop in Naama Bay | Sharm el Sheikh

Practical tips for booking luxury hotels in Sharm el Sheikh

The best time to visit is October to April, with daytime temperatures between roughly 22 and 30 degrees. December gave me 24 degrees, while Europe turned up the heating at home. Prices depend on your dates. Reckon on an average price of roughly 150 to 300 euros a night for most hotels in this guide in high season; the Four Seasons usually sits well above that.

For the best prices and deals, avoid the Christmas holidays and check availability in time: most rates come with free cancellation, so booking early costs you nothing. Only a few days? With a flight of about 5 hours from Amsterdam, a long weekend works too.

Sharm el Sheikh airport is 10 to 25 minutes from every hotel in this guide, so arrange an airport transfer and you are by the pool within the hour. The free Sinai entry stamp covers 15 days around Sharm el Sheikh. For a day trip to Cairo you need the full Egyptian visa.

Pack reef shoes, as many hotel beaches here have a rocky entry. I use Saily for an eSIM that works the moment you land. Snorkeling or diving on your trip? Check that your travel insurance covers it.

Luxury hotels Sharm el Sheikh: Frequently asked questions

Where is the best place to stay in Sharm el Sheikh?

Ras Nasrani and Sharks Bay are the best places to stay in Sharm el Sheikh for luxury and snorkeling. Naama Bay is better if you want restaurants and bars within walking distance.

What are the best adults only hotels in Sharm el Sheikh?

Meraki Resort and Baron Palms welcome guests from 16, while Rixos Sharm El Sheikh Adults Only is strictly 18+. Cleopatra Luxury Resort is adults only as well. Sunrise Montemare and Sunrise Arabian Beach have adults only pools but also welcome families.

Which luxury hotels in Sharm el Sheikh have a house reef?

Meraki has a jetty straight onto the Ras Nasrani reef, and the Four Seasons has 2 house reefs just offshore. Most hotels in Ras Nasrani and Sharks Bay have direct reef access.

Are luxury hotels in Sharm el Sheikh all-inclusive?

Most of them are. Meraki works with an à la carte all-inclusive concept, while Rixos, Baron Palms, Cleopatra, Sunrise Montemare and Sunrise Diamond Beach offer all-inclusive rates too.

What is the best time to visit Sharm el Sheikh?

October to April, with daytime temperatures between roughly 22 and 30 degrees. Book ahead for Christmas and New Year, when the adults only resorts fill up first.