The Oberoi Beach Resort

Every one of the 102 rooms at the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh is a true suite with a separate lounge or living area, a king size bed and a marble bathroom with a sunken tub, and even the entry level category measures around 85 m² once its private outdoor space is counted. Four categories are published, all designed around two adults.

Which suite should you book?

The Deluxe is a generous starting point, but if your budget allows one jump, make it the Superior Deluxe: waking up to the Red Sea through floor to ceiling glass is what this resort does best. Celebrating something? The Grand Suite’s private heated pool turns the suite into a destination in itself, and the Royal Suite adds the pavilion for private dinners under the stars.

What all inclusive means at the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh

Forget the wristband and buffet formula of the bigger Red Sea resorts. All inclusive here is built around cooked to order, waiter served dining: a generous breakfast in The Restaurant, relaxed lunches at The Pergola by the pool and à la carte dinners, with drinks brought to your table or lounger rather than collected from a queue.

The hotel tailors its packages rather than publishing one fixed brochure list, and drinks selections and any à la carte supplements can vary, so we confirm the exact dining package with your quote. That way you know precisely which venues and drinks are covered before you pay a deposit.

Bars at the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh

• The Bar: Spanish marble, polished wood and a canopied terrace above the infinity pool, open 12.30pm to midnight for cocktails, soft drinks, light Indian and Middle Eastern snacks and Cuban cigars
• The Beach Bar: a barefoot spot on the sand serving tropical cocktails and fresh grills from 10am until sunset
• Private pier dining: a table over the water at sunset, bookable for special occasions

One pool takes centre stage at the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh, and it needs no supporting cast: a 43 metre infinity pool set above the beach, its edge dissolving into the Red Sea beyond. It is heated in the cooler months, so a February swim is as comfortable as an August one, and it includes a dedicated adults’ swimming area plus two whirlpools for soaking with a view.

• 43 metres with an infinity edge
• Heated in winter
• Adults’ swimming area
• Two whirlpools
• Drinks served to your lounger
• The Pergola alongside for lunch

The character is exactly what you would want from an all-suite hideaway: unhurried, uncrowded and quiet enough to hear the sea. With just 102 suites sharing 48 acres, space around the water is one thing you will never compete for, and The Bar’s canopied terrace sits directly above the pool when you fancy a cocktail without drying off.

Book a Grand or Royal Suite and you add a second option: your own 6.8 metre heated pool in a walled garden, a few steps from the bed. And the heating matters more than you might think: the Red Sea coast is a genuine winter sun destination with daytime temperatures in the low twenties from November to March, which is precisely when a warm pool earns its keep.

The resort fronts a private stretch of sand on Sahl Hasheesh bay, with loungers and parasols spaced as generously as everything else here. Pleasant as the beach is, the real prize lies just offshore.

The Oberoi house reef

A coral wall runs along the bay for around a kilometre, with several distinct dive spots and depths down to about 30 metres, and in our view it is one of the finest house reefs on the Hurghada coast. You reach it without a boat: the resort’s jetty carries you over the shallows so you can slip straight into deeper water, which protects the coral and makes entries easy. Snorkellers see shoals of reef fish within a few metres of the surface, while divers get wall and night dive options a short walk from their suite.

Diving and water sports at the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh

The on site PADI dive centre covers everything from a first try in the pool to professional qualifications:

• Introductory sessions and the PADI Open Water course for beginners
• Adventure, Rescue and Divemaster courses for progressing divers
• Guided house reef dives, boat dives and night dives
• Snorkelling boat trips and sunset cruises

Conditions favour beginners as well as old hands. The bay is more sheltered than the open coast, the water is famously clear, and sea temperatures range from around 21 to 23 degrees in winter to nearer 28 in high summer, so a shortie wetsuit or none at all covers most of the year. Tell us your certification level when you book and we can arrange dive packages alongside your holiday, or simply leave it and wander down to the centre once you are there.

The Oberoi Spa treats wellness with the same seriousness as the suites. Treatment rooms are private, there is a couples suite with its own steam room opening onto a private garden, and the therapy menu runs from Balinese and Thai massage to signature Oberoi rituals.

• Private treatment rooms
• Couples suite with steam room and garden
• Balinese, Thai and signature Oberoi therapies
• Private steam rooms
• 24 hour gym with Life Fitness equipment
• Tennis court and yoga sessions

Beyond the treatment menu, the resort runs a programme of complimentary experiences that suits its unhurried pace: cooking classes with the chefs, wine tastings, group yoga and evening stargazing away from the city lights, with private yoga sessions available at a charge. Spa treatments are charged separately from your all inclusive package, so let us know if you would like us to pass a spa request to the hotel ahead of a special occasion.

Our tip: book the couples suite for a shared afternoon rather than separate slots. With its own steam room and private garden it is closer to a tiny spa of your own than a treatment room, and it has become the quiet highlight of many an anniversary stay.

Sahl Hasheesh is a gated, purpose built resort bay about 20 minutes south of Hurghada, and it is the most polished address on this coast: manicured, secure and quiet, with none of the downtown hustle. The Oberoi occupies a prime, private slice of the bay behind its own walls, so the only sounds are the gardens and the sea.

For an evening out, Old Town Sahl Hasheesh is a short ride away, a seafront promenade of restaurants, cafes and shops built in an Arabian style. For a bigger night, a marina stroll or shopping, Hurghada is around half an hour by road, and the resort can arrange taxis whenever you want them.

We arrange transfers for every Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh holiday, so you are met in the arrivals hall and collected from the resort door for the journey home. Day excursions, including a guided day to Luxor’s temples and tombs, can be added to your quote.

Getting here from the UK is straightforward: direct flights to Hurghada take around five and a half to six hours from several UK airports, and with the airport only 20 minutes from the gates you can realistically leave home in the morning and swim before sunset.

The practical answers our Egypt specialists give most often about the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh, from transfer times to snorkelling and suite choices. If your question is not covered, call us and ask: someone here will know.