Palace inspired architecture, a genuinely sandy beach and one of the calmest atmospheres on the Red Sea. Old Palace Resort Sahl Hasheesh is the five star all inclusive we recommend when customers want comfort without crowds, around 20 minutes from Hurghada airport.
Sahl Hasheesh is the most polished corner of the Hurghada coast, a purpose built bay about 18 km south of the airport, sheltered by desert mountains and threaded with a 12 km seafront promenade. The resort sits directly on that promenade, on what the hotel fairly describes as the only fully sandy beach in the bay, with the shops and cafés of Old Town within walking distance.
The hotel itself opened in 2008 and has been kept in good order since, with arches, domes and marble that nod to a grand Egyptian palace without tipping into theme park territory. Accommodation spreads across a main building and three lower garden wings, around 250 rooms in all, so it feels settled and personal rather than vast. Service is the thing our customers mention first: staff who remember names, drinks and where you like to sit.
The practical wins stack up nicely. You get a gently shelving sandy entry to the sea where much of the bay relies on jetties, a small coral reef within snorkelling distance of the shore, two pools including one heated through winter, three restaurants, a clutch of bars, a hammam spa and a PADI dive centre on site.
Who it suits:
Our honest take: this is a relaxed hotel, not a party one. Evening entertainment is gentle, the à la carte restaurants open three evenings each per week, and the style is classic rather than cutting edge. In our view that calm is precisely its charm, and it is why so many customers go back.
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Every room and suite at Old Palace Resort Sahl Hasheesh comes with a private balcony, terrace or porch, individually controlled air conditioning, a minibar, tea and coffee tray with kettle, satellite TV, a safe and a hairdryer. Most look over the sea, the pools or the gardens, and ground floor rooms with ramped access are available. Here is every published category.
The entry point, and far from an afterthought: a properly sized room with king or twin beds, a garden view and a private balcony or terrace. A sensible choice if you plan to spend your days on the beach rather than in the room.
The same generous footprint as the Standard but repositioned for the view, looking over the pool or side on to the sea, many with pleasantly secluded terraces. A modest upgrade that makes morning coffee outside considerably better.
Our pick of the rooms. A sea view, a proper private terrace and direct access towards the main pool and beach, so you step almost straight from your door to the sand. King or twin beds plus space for a family of four.
A chalet style room in the garden wings with a living corner, sofa bed and furnished private patio, looking over the pool or gardens. Connecting options can be requested, and these are the rooms we suggest when space matters more than a sea view.
A step up in style: a separate living and dining area, sofa bed and a furnished terrace, with views over the main pool, patio, gardens or the sea depending on position. Good for longer stays where you want somewhere to lounge indoors.
A full living room with dining area, king and twin bedding plus a sofa bed, and a whirlpool bathtub to soak in after a day of snorkelling. Garden view, and one of the best value suite options for larger families.
The flagship: the same generous layout as the Grand Suite but facing the Red Sea, with upgraded amenities throughout. If you want the best sea view in the house, this is it.
All inclusive here is built around the El Kasr buffet: breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, with live cooking stations turning out Asian, Middle Eastern and European dishes. Between meals there is afternoon tea with cakes, ice cream and snacks, and local beers, wines, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks are served by the glass across the bars. There is 24 hour room service too.
On the current concept our customers can typically book one dinner in each of the two à la carte restaurants per stay. Policies do shift season to season, so we confirm the exact dining package with your quote.
The heart of the resort, indoors and out, serving breakfast from 7am, lunch and dinner with themed nights and chefs cooking to order at live stations. Dress is smart casual at dinner, and the spread is genuinely broad rather than the same buffet reshuffled.
Antipasti, homemade pasta and pizza done properly, served over two evening seatings on three nights a week. Book your table with guest relations early in your stay, as the second seating in particular fills quickly.
The carnivore option: a Brazilian style grill with skewered meats and South American flavours, again over two seatings on its three open evenings. In our view the more memorable of the two à la carte venues, and a strong choice first.
The main pool is the showpiece, a very large free form lagoon set between the palace building and the beach, ringed by plentiful sunbeds and served by the Sea Breeze swim up bar. It is the sociable pool, home to daytime activities such as water polo in summer, yet the sheer size means it never feels like a scrum.
The second pool is the quiet one, a relaxation pool with an adjoining whirlpool and its own Jacuzzi Bar. Crucially for winter sun travellers, this pool is heated from roughly November to March and generally open from 8am to around 5.30pm, so a proper swim is comfortable even in January when the sea feels brisk.
Between the two, most guests settle into a rhythm: main pool and swim up bar until mid afternoon, then the warm pool and whirlpool as the light softens, cocktail from the Jacuzzi Bar in hand. Sunbed pressure is low by Red Sea standards, and towels are handed out freely rather than rationed.
The private beach runs to around 200 metres of genuine, soft sand with a gently shelving entry into the sea, and a wooden walkway leads down to the shoreline. That matters here: much of the bay is rockier underfoot than the brochures let on, and plenty of neighbouring hotels rely on jetties for swimming. Here you simply wade in. Sunbeds, parasols and towels are free, and the Beach Bar keeps you watered.
A small coral reef sits roughly 30 metres off the hotel beach, close enough for even hesitant snorkellers, and guests regularly report it teeming with Red Sea fish. For a bigger spectacle, a much larger reef lies off the Sahl Hasheesh pier to the left of the hotel, an easy walk along the promenade, near the bay’s famous Sunken City, an artificial reef of submerged sculptures that has become a much loved snorkel site.
The on site Blue Ocean Diving Centre runs PADI courses from beginner try dives to full certifications, plus boat trips to reefs and islands further out. Windsurfing, sailing and other water sports can be arranged through the aqua centre, with the bay’s reliable breeze and calm water making it a forgiving place to learn.
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