Rixos Sharm El Sheikh

Currently on day 3 and decided to book in to the spa for some relaxation and pampering . It didn’t disappoint! I had some time in the jacuzzi and sauna with my partner and then I went for a Turkish Hammam ritual and full body massage with Kai, I am disabled and she was so respectful and patient and kind and also very very good. I feel wonderful! My MS causes me to be very tense and I feel so relaxed, might be the best massage I’ve ever had. Thank you Kai

During our stay at Rixos Premium Seagate, we also had the opportunity to spend quite a lot of time at the neighbouring Rixos Sharm El Sheikh Adults Only – and I am very glad we did.

It would be easy to think of this hotel simply as the “other Rixos next door”, but that would be completely unfair.

Yes, compared with Rixos Premium Seagate, it feels slightly less grand and perhaps a little more relaxed. Seagate has that very obvious modern premium-resort feeling from the moment you enter.

But “slightly simpler” definitely does NOT mean lower quality.

Rixos Sharm El Sheikh has its own character, and after spending time here we genuinely enjoyed it.

The first thing you notice is the territory.

It is large, green, beautifully maintained and designed on different levels, which gives different parts of the hotel completely different atmospheres. There are palm trees, gardens, pools, paths, restaurants and little areas where you can simply sit with a drink and enjoy the surroundings.

It is a very pleasant resort just to walk around.

At the same time, because the territory is so large, Rixos has found a very practical solution: small electric buggies constantly drive around the resort.

We loved them.

You don't have to think, “Oh no, now I have to walk all the way from the restaurant back up to the pool.”

You simply wait a few minutes – in our experience they came approximately every three or four minutes – get in, and the driver takes you where you need to go.

From the main restaurant to the upper part of the hotel, from the pools back down again – it makes moving around such a large resort surprisingly easy.

And the drivers themselves were always smiling and friendly, which somehow makes even a two-minute buggy ride part of the holiday.

One of my favourite things about this hotel, however, is something that probably doesn't get mentioned enough:

the glass wind screens around the pools.

This is such a clever idea.

Sharm El Sheikh can be windy, especially at certain times of the year, and normally the solution is some kind of solid wall or barrier. The problem is that you then lose the beautiful view.

Here they use transparent glass protection.

You can sit beside the pool, still see the sea and the surrounding landscape, but at the same time you are protected from the wind.

It sounds like a small architectural detail until you actually experience it.

Then you realise how much more comfortable it makes spending several hours beside the pool.

The upper pool was probably our favourite.

It has a completely different atmosphere from the lower part of the resort. It is beautifully positioned, with buildings naturally protecting it from the wind, additional glass screens around the area, and a bar right there.

You can spend hours here.

Swim, get out, order something from the bar, relax, enjoy the sun – and because of the way this area is designed, you don't constantly feel the wind.

Whoever planned this part of the resort understood Sharm El Sheikh very well.

The swimming pools in general are one of the strengths of the hotel. There are different areas with different moods, so you can choose whether you want something livelier or somewhere quieter and more relaxing.

The tennis courts were another pleasant surprise.

They are proper courts rather than something added to a hotel simply so that “tennis” can appear on the list of facilities. If you enjoy playing, bring your sports clothes – it is a great way to spend part of the morning before it gets too hot.

And then, of course, there is the food.

We ate here several times and were genuinely impressed.

There was an excellent selection, particularly if you enjoy fish and seafood. Plenty of seafood, salmon and other fish, fresh salads, meat, fruit, desserts and all the usual international choices – but with enough variety and quality that it never felt like just another enormous hotel buffet.

The seafood and red fish were particular favourites for us.

The à la carte restaurants are also worth exploring. Don't make the mistake of eating every meal in exactly the same place simply because the buffet is already good.

There is much more to discover.

The same applies to the bars.

One thing Rixos generally does extremely well is drinks. You are not simply given the cheapest possible local alcohol because you are staying on an All Inclusive package. The choice of branded drinks is genuinely good, and this contributes enormously to the feeling that you are staying somewhere a level above the average Egyptian all-inclusive resort.

But perhaps the strongest impression was made by the people.

The staff were wonderful.

Friendly, positive, smiling and genuinely welcoming.

And there is an important difference between professional service and warm service.

Professional service means somebody does their job correctly.

Warm service means somebody smiles when they see you, remembers you, jokes with you, asks whether everything is okay and somehow makes you feel that they are actually happy that you are there.

That was much closer to our experience here.

Interestingly, other guests seem to notice exactly the same thing. The staff are one of the most consistently praised parts of this hotel, and after spending time here ourselves I completely understand why.

The atmosphere is also different from Rixos Premium Seagate.

And I mean different, not worse.

Seagate feels larger, newer and more obviously “Premium”. Rixos Sharm El Sheikh feels a little more intimate, mature and relaxed.

It is also an Adults Only hotel, and that changes the rhythm of the resort.

You can have entertainment, music and activity when you want it, but you can also find a quiet pool, order a drink and simply spend a few hours doing absolutely nothing.

Sometimes that is exactly what a holiday should be.

The beach and Red Sea are another major advantage.

If you enjoy snorkelling, take your mask with you. The underwater world around Sharm El Sheikh is one of the reasons I enjoy this destination so much. The coral, colourful fish and incredibly clear water give the sea a completely different dimension.

You aren't simply looking at beautiful blue water.

There is another world underneath it.

And because Rixos Sharm El Sheikh and Rixos Premium Seagate are so close to each other, there is an additional feeling that you have access to a much larger Rixos experience rather than being confined to one small hotel territory.

That was particularly enjoyable for us. We could spend part of the day in one atmosphere and later find ourselves somewhere that felt completely different.

My advice for anyone coming here would be the same advice I would give for Seagate:

explore.

Don't find one favourite swimming pool on your first morning and spend the next seven days in exactly the same place.

Take the buggy.

Go to the upper pool.

Try the different restaurants.

Play tennis.

Walk around the gardens.

Spend time by the sea.

Find the quieter areas.

Have a drink somewhere you haven't tried before.

This is a big resort, and part of the pleasure is discovering it.

If I compare it directly with Rixos Premium Seagate, I would say that Seagate feels a little more luxurious and spectacular.

But I would never describe Rixos Sharm El Sheikh as a “lesser” hotel.

It is simply a different Rixos.

Beautifully green, exceptionally clean, comfortable, relaxed and very well designed for the climate. Excellent food, very good seafood, quality drinks, lovely pools, great sports facilities and, above all, genuinely warm and friendly people.

And I still think those transparent glass wind screens around the pools deserve an award. :)

Such a simple idea – but when you are sitting comfortably beside the pool, protected from the wind while still looking straight through towards the sea, you realise how brilliant it actually is.

We came here initially because we were staying at the neighbouring Rixos Premium Seagate.

We kept coming back because we genuinely liked this hotel.

And I think that says everything.