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The Best Hotels in Hurghada, Bay by Bay and Beach by Beach

The word Hurghada on a booking site covers about fifty-five kilometres of Red Sea coast, and the bays inside it are nothing like each other. Measured by road from the airport, the town is twelve minutes away and Soma Bay is forty-four. Once you have picked a bay there is a second question that decides your holiday and that almost nobody answers: whether you can walk into the sea from your beach, or whether the coral means you need a jetty.

Best all-round: The Oberoi Beach Resort, Sahl Hasheesh

See availability in HurghadaLive prices for your dates
By Emma12 min readPublished Prices checked August 2026
Table of contents
The Red Sea shoreline at Hurghada, the coast its resorts are spread along for 55 kilometres
Photo: Maksim Ulitin · CC BY 3.0

In Brief

What are the best hotels in Hurghada?

The Oberoi Beach Resort at Sahl Hasheesh is the best of them, an all-suite resort half an hour south of the airport with a reef off its own beach. Steigenberger Al Dau in the town is the value pick, with a 5,000 square metre pool landscape and a golf course twelve minutes from arrivals. Ignore both if you want nightlife, which is in the town and nowhere else.

Key takeaways

  • Measured by road from the airport: town 8 km, Sahl Hasheesh 22.7, Makadi 36.1, El Gouna 38.5, Soma Bay 48.1
  • Beach entry varies hotel by hotel, not bay by bay, and decides whether you can swim from the sand
  • Makadi Bay has reef close enough to reach from shore; Sahl Hasheesh is mostly a boat-diving bay
  • Steigenberger Al Dau publishes check-in from 3pm and check-out until noon, which few here do

Which one fits how you travel

Find the row that sounds like your trip. Every pick below names the traveller it is wrong for, so you can book on fit rather than on rank.

If you areBookWhy
Here to snorkel without a boatGrand Makadi Hotel, in Makadi BayIt fronts the North Reef, the shore-access reef this coast is known for, with both beach and jetty entry.
Wanting the best resort on the coastThe Oberoi Beach Resort, Sahl HasheeshAll-suite, many with private pools, a reef off its own beach and 31 minutes from the airport.
On a short breakSteigenberger Al Dau, or Hilton Hurghada PlazaBoth are twelve minutes from arrivals, so three nights stays three nights instead of becoming two and a half.
Travelling with children who want slidesPickalbatros Jungle Aqua ParkIt is built around the water park rather than the sea, which is what that kind of trip actually needs.
Kitesurfing or playing golfKempinski Hotel Soma BayThe shallow flats and the championship course are the reason the bay exists, and the 44 minute transfer is the cost.
Wanting to walk out to dinnerSheraton Miramar at El Gouna, or a town hotelEl Gouna is a walkable town with independent restaurants; everywhere else on this coast, dinner is your hotel.
See availability for your dates in HurghadaCompare every hotel below on one map · Older town resorts, straightforward all-inclusive
  • Free cancellation on most rooms
  • No booking fee
  • Prices on Trip.com
Flights to HurghadaCompare airlines and dates

What the bands mean

Hurghada sells almost entirely as all-inclusive packages, so a nightly rate here means less than it does anywhere else on this site and the symbols below are relative tiers only. The costs that actually vary are the transfer and the extras. A hotel in the town is a twelve minute drive from the airport, one in Soma Bay is forty-four, and that difference is paid twice, once each way, on top of whatever your package includes. The other real variable is what the all-inclusive band covers: on this coast the gap between a basic band and a premium one is usually the a la carte restaurants, the imported drinks and the dive centre, none of which shows up in the headline price.

€
Older town resorts, straightforward all-inclusive
€€
Mid-range bay resorts, large pools and water parks
€€€
Full-service resorts in the purpose-built bays
€€€€
The luxury tier at Sahl Hasheesh and Soma Bay

The 9 hotels, and who each one is wrong for

Walking times are to Hurghada International Airport, by road. Measured in August 2026 by road routing from Hurghada International Airport to each resort area, because on this coast the transfer is the number that matters and walking distances are meaningless. Hurghada Marina in the town is 8.0 km and about 12 minutes. Sahl Hasheesh is 22.7 km and 31 minutes, Makadi Bay 36.1 km and 38 minutes, El Gouna 38.5 km and 39 minutes, Soma Bay 48.1 km and 44 minutes, and Safaga 55.2 km and 48 minutes. Those are free-flowing times on the coast road, so treat them as a floor rather than a promise.

  • A hotel beach with a small marina on the Hurghada town shoreline

    Hurghada town

    Steigenberger Al Dau Beach Hotel

    €€€
    Best value

    The best-value serious resort on this coast, in the town itself and therefore a twelve minute drive from arrivals. Its own group site describes a private beach, a 5,000 square metre outdoor pool landscape with a current channel, a 9-hole par 3 golf course and an on-site water sports and diving centre, and it publishes check-in from 3pm and check-out until noon.

    Walk to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    About 12 minutes by road from the airport to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    Right for
    Travellers who want a full resort and still want to walk out to the town's restaurants in the evening.
    Wrong for
    Anyone chasing seclusion, because the town shoreline is built up and busy on both sides.
    The catch
    Its own page does not describe the beach entry, so whether you walk in from the sand or use a jetty is not stated, and on this coast that is the single most useful thing a hotel could publish.
    Check dates and prices for Steigenberger Al Dau Beach HotelOpens the live rate for your dates
  • The purpose-built resort bay at Sahl Hasheesh, half an hour south of Hurghada airport

    Sahl Hasheesh

    The Oberoi Beach Resort, Sahl Hasheesh

    €€€€
    Rated 4.8 out of 5 on Google Maps from 1,554 reviews, as of October 2026
    Best all-round

    The best hotel on the Egyptian Red Sea coast and the reason to choose Sahl Hasheesh, an all-suite resort where the cheapest room is a suite and many have their own private pool. It is reported to have a reef off its own beach, which in this bay is unusual, and it sits 22.7 km and about half an hour from the airport.

    Walk to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    22.7 km and about 31 minutes by road from the airport to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    Right for
    Couples who want space, privacy and a beach that is not shared with two thousand other guests.
    Wrong for
    Families wanting a water park, since this is a quiet adult-feeling resort rather than a slide complex.
    The catch
    Its own website could not be reached during this check, so the suite layouts, private pool details and house reef could not be verified at source and are reported here as unconfirmed.
    Check dates and prices for The Oberoi Beach Resort, Sahl HasheeshOpens the live rate for your dates
  • The wide sheltered bay at Sahl Hasheesh on the Red Sea coast

    Sahl Hasheesh

    Baron Palace Sahl Hasheesh

    €€€€
    Rated 4.7 out of 5 on Google Maps from 7,137 reviews, as of October 2026

    The large luxury alternative in the same bay, built around an enormous pool complex and aimed at families who want a five-star all-inclusive rather than a boutique one. Same 31 minute transfer, same sheltered bay, very different scale.

    Walk to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    22.7 km and about 31 minutes by road from the airport to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    Right for
    Families who want a genuinely luxurious all-inclusive and do not mind a big resort.
    Wrong for
    Anyone who wants a quiet beach, because the size of the property works against that.
    The catch
    Sahl Hasheesh is the bay where most of the diving happens by boat rather than from shore, so snorkellers who want to swim to a reef are better served in Makadi.
    Check dates and prices for Baron Palace Sahl HasheeshOpens the live rate for your dates
  • The shoreline at Makadi Bay, where the reef comes close enough to reach from the beach

    Makadi Bay

    Grand Makadi Hotel

    €€€
    Rated 4.1 out of 5 on Google Maps from 3,103 reviews, as of October 2026

    The hotel that sits in front of Makadi Bay's North Reef, which independent snorkelling guides consistently name as the best shore-access reef on this coast, with both beach and jetty entry. If the reason you are coming to the Red Sea is to snorkel without getting on a boat every day, this is the address that answers it.

    Walk to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    36.1 km and about 38 minutes by road from the airport to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    Right for
    Snorkellers who want to walk off the beach and be over coral within minutes.
    Wrong for
    Anyone wanting nightlife or a town, because Makadi Bay is a resort strip and nothing else.
    The catch
    The reef quality is documented by snorkelling guides and diving bodies rather than by the hotel itself, which publishes nothing specific about its beach entry, so confirm the current arrangement before booking on that basis.
    Check dates and prices for Grand Makadi HotelOpens the live rate for your dates
  • The Red Sea coastline at the southern end of Makadi Bay, where the reef is reached by jetty

    Makadi Bay, south end

    Stella Di Mare Beach Resort, Makadi

    €€
    Rated 4.4 out of 5 on Google Maps from 8,901 reviews, as of October 2026

    The other end of Makadi Bay, on the South Reef, reached by a wooden jetty rather than from the sand. It is the clearest illustration of the rule that matters most here: two hotels in the same bay can offer completely different water.

    Walk to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    36.1 km and about 38 minutes by road from the airport to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    Right for
    Snorkellers happy to walk a jetty for a quieter reef than the busy north end.
    Wrong for
    Families with small children who want to paddle straight in, because a jetty entry is not that.
    The catch
    A jetty means a walk in the sun with fins in hand and a ladder at the end, which is fine once and tedious three times a day.
    Check dates and prices for Stella Di Mare Beach Resort, MakadiOpens the live rate for your dates
  • The built-up shoreline of Hurghada town, where the older resorts sit close together

    Hurghada town

    Hilton Hurghada Plaza

    €€
    Rated 4.6 out of 5 on Google Maps from 7,648 reviews, as of October 2026

    A long-established town resort on the Hurghada shoreline, well placed for anyone who wants the promenade and the marina within reach rather than a sealed compound half an hour down the coast. It is one of the more reliable mid-range names on this stretch.

    Walk to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    About 12 minutes by road from the airport to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    Right for
    First-time visitors who want a straightforward beach resort close to the airport and the town.
    Wrong for
    Anyone expecting a pristine reef off the beach, because the town shoreline is the most developed part of the coast.
    The catch
    Its own pages refused automated access during this check, so the beach entry, pool hours and all-inclusive inclusions are unverified here rather than copied from a listing site.
    Check dates and prices for Hilton Hurghada PlazaOpens the live rate for your dates
  • The mosque by the port in Hurghada, at the town end of the resort coast

    Hurghada town, inland

    Pickalbatros Jungle Aqua Park

    €€
    Rated 4.7 out of 5 on Google Maps from 26,452 reviews, as of October 2026

    The water park option, an enormous themed resort in the town aimed squarely at families who want slides rather than reefs. It is inland rather than on the beach, with a shuttle to the sea, which is the trade it asks you to make.

    Walk to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    About 12 minutes by road from the airport to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    Right for
    Families with children who will spend the week on slides and never look at the coral.
    Wrong for
    Anyone who wants to walk from their room to the sea, because this is not a beachfront resort.
    The catch
    The beach is a shuttle ride rather than a walk, so the sea is a planned outing instead of something you drift down to after breakfast.
    Check dates and prices for Pickalbatros Jungle Aqua ParkOpens the live rate for your dates
  • A long jetty running out over the shallows at Soma Bay, the way many Red Sea resorts reach swimmable water

    Soma Bay

    Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay

    €€€€
    Rated 4.8 out of 5 on Google Maps from 3,362 reviews, as of October 2026

    The most distant resort on this page and one of the best, in a bay known for its long shallow flats, its kitesurfing and a championship golf course. Soma Bay is 48.1 km and about forty-four minutes from the airport, which is the price of how quiet it is.

    Walk to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    48.1 km and about 44 minutes by road from the airport to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    Right for
    Kitesurfers, golfers and anyone who wants the emptiest beach within reach of this airport.
    Wrong for
    Short-break travellers, because an hour and a half of transfer time across three nights is a large bite.
    The catch
    The shallow flats that make Soma Bay ideal for kitesurfing are the same flats that make swimming from the beach a long wade, which is why the jetties here are so long.
    Check dates and prices for Kempinski Hotel Soma BayOpens the live rate for your dates
  • The lagoons and low white buildings of El Gouna, north of Hurghada

    El Gouna

    Sheraton Miramar Resort, El Gouna

    €€€
    Rated 4.6 out of 5 on Google Maps from 4,247 reviews, as of October 2026

    El Gouna is the outlier on this coast, a purpose-built town of lagoons, bridges and low white buildings 38.5 km north of the airport, with restaurants and bars that belong to the town rather than to a hotel. This resort sits on its own islands at the seaward edge of it.

    Walk to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    38.5 km and about 39 minutes by road from the airport to Hurghada International Airport, by road
    Right for
    People who want to eat somewhere different each night without leaving a walkable, safe, self-contained town.
    Wrong for
    Anyone looking for authentic Egypt, because El Gouna is a developer's town and makes no pretence otherwise.
    The catch
    El Gouna prices are noticeably higher than the rest of the coast for food and drink outside your board basis, which erodes the point of an all-inclusive.
    Check dates and prices for Sheraton Miramar Resort, El GounaOpens the live rate for your dates

Where not to book in Hurghada

Two mistakes cost people their week here. The first is treating Hurghada as one place. Measured by road from the airport, the town is 8 km and about twelve minutes, Sahl Hasheesh 22.7 km and 31 minutes, Makadi Bay 36.1 and 38, El Gouna 38.5 and 39, Soma Bay 48.1 and 44, and Safaga 55.2 and 48. All of them are sold under the same search term. On a three night trip the difference between the town and Soma Bay is most of an afternoon. The second is assuming the beach is a beach. On this coast the shallows are often coral rather than sand, which is why so many resorts have long jetties, and the difference is hotel by hotel rather than bay by bay: independent snorkelling guides note that in Makadi Bay one hotel can have a weak sandy entry while its neighbour has a jetty onto an excellent reef edge. Almost no hotel states which it has. Ask before booking, and bring water shoes either way.

When to book

March to May and October to November are the best weeks, warm enough to swim and short of the summer heat, which from June to August is severe and makes the middle of the day unusable outdoors. Water temperature stays swimmable all year, and December to February is the cheapest and quietest period, with pleasant days, cool evenings and enough wind that the sea can be choppy for boat trips. Egyptian school holidays and European half terms are the demand spikes rather than any local season. Whatever the month, book the bay before you book the hotel, because moving between bays once you have arrived means a taxi ride of half an hour or more each way.

Best hotels in Hurghada: FAQ

The questions travellers ask most when picking a hotel here.

The Oberoi Beach Resort at Sahl Hasheesh, which is an all-suite resort where even the entry-level room is a suite and many come with a private pool, set in a sheltered bay 22.7 km and about half an hour south of the airport. It is reported to have a reef off its own beach, which is unusual for that bay. If you want the same quality of experience closer to the airport and at a lower price, Steigenberger Al Dau Beach Hotel in the town publishes a 5,000 square metre pool landscape, a 9-hole par 3 golf course and its own diving centre, and is twelve minutes from arrivals rather than thirty-one.

It depends on what you want the week to be. The town, about twelve minutes from the airport, is right for short breaks, for anyone who wants restaurants and a marina outside the hotel, and for the cheapest packages, at the cost of the most developed shoreline. Makadi Bay, 38 minutes out, is the snorkelling answer because the reef comes close enough to reach from shore. Sahl Hasheesh, 31 minutes, is the luxury bay and mostly boat diving. Soma Bay, 44 minutes, is for kitesurfing, golf and quiet. El Gouna, 39 minutes north, is the only one that is a walkable town in its own right.

Both exist, often within a few hundred metres of each other, and this is the question worth asking before you book anything. Much of this coast has coral in the shallows rather than sand, which is why so many resorts have long wooden jetties running out to a ladder in swimmable water. Some hotels have gently shelving sandy entry instead. Snorkelling guides make the point that this varies hotel by hotel rather than bay by bay, and that in Makadi Bay in particular one property can have a poor sandy entry while the next has a jetty onto an excellent reef edge. Almost no hotel publishes which it has, so email and ask, and pack water shoes regardless.

Measured by road in August 2026, Hurghada Marina in the town is 8.0 km and about 12 minutes, Sahl Hasheesh 22.7 km and about 31 minutes, Makadi Bay 36.1 km and about 38, El Gouna 38.5 km and about 39, Soma Bay 48.1 km and about 44, and Safaga 55.2 km and about 48. Those are free-flowing coast road times, so a real transfer with a stop or two will be longer. All of these areas appear under the same Hurghada search on booking sites, which is why so many people arrive expecting a short hop and get an hour in a minibus.

Very, provided you match the resort to the children. For young children who want to paddle, the priority is a sandy entry rather than a reef, which points at the town resorts and the sandier end of Makadi Bay. For children who want slides, Pickalbatros Jungle Aqua Park is built entirely around a water park, at the cost of not being on the beach. For older children who will snorkel, the north end of Makadi Bay is the best water on this coast reachable without a boat. What does not work well with a family is a long transfer: forty-four minutes each way to Soma Bay is a hard start and a harder finish.

Plan the rest of the trip

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Photo credits (10)

Photos via Wikimedia Commons, used under their respective licences.

  • A hotel beach with a small marina on the Hurghada town shoreline: Dr. Ondrej Havelka (cestovatel) - CC BY 4.0 · source
  • Boats moored at Hurghada Marina, the restaurant and nightlife strip of the town: Almondox - CC BY 3.0 · source
  • The built-up shoreline of Hurghada town, where the older resorts sit close together: Almondox - CC BY 3.0 · source
  • The mosque by the port in Hurghada, at the town end of the resort coast: reesorts.com - CC0 · source
  • The purpose-built resort bay at Sahl Hasheesh, half an hour south of Hurghada airport: Marc Ryckaert - CC BY 3.0 · source
  • The wide sheltered bay at Sahl Hasheesh on the Red Sea coast: Marc Ryckaert - CC BY 3.0 · source
  • The Red Sea coastline at the southern end of Makadi Bay, where the reef is reached by jetty: Dirgela - CC0 · source
  • The shoreline at Makadi Bay, where the reef comes close enough to reach from the beach: Xxlstier - CC BY 4.0 · source
  • A long jetty running out over the shallows at Soma Bay, the way many Red Sea resorts reach swimmable water: dronepicr - CC BY 2.0 · source
  • The lagoons and low white buildings of El Gouna, north of Hurghada: Marc Ryckaert - CC BY 3.0 · source