Self-guided
Where to stay in Sharm El Sheikh: Naama Bay vs Sharks Bay vs Nabq vs Hadaba
Sharm El Sheikh's hotels sit in distinct pockets along the coast, and which one suits you matters more than the star rating. This guide picks one or two hotels from Naama Bay, Sharks Bay, Ras Nasrani, Nabq Bay and Hadaba, ordered north to south along the coast, so you can match the area to what you actually want from the trip.
- 1
Novotel Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm El SheikhNaama Bay is where Novotel sits, right on the pedestrian promenade with the bay's shops, cafés and bars a walk in either direction. It's the pick for first-timers and couples who want to step out of the hotel and be in the middle of things immediately, no taxi required. The trade-off with any promenade-front hotel here: you're paying for the walkability, not for space or seclusion.
- 2
Stella Di Mare Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm El SheikhNaama Bay is also home to Stella Di Mare, though at the quieter north edge: a low cliff above the bay, 20–25 minutes on foot from the promenade (15 through Genena Mall), or a free shuttle if you'd rather not walk both ways. It suits couples and spa-first travellers who want Naama Bay in reach without the noise under the window. The caveat: there's no wide sandy beach, just a jetty over the reef, so swimming means reef shoes rather than a walk-in shore.
walkablecoupleswellnessbeachfront - 3
Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm El SheikhSharks Bay is where Four Seasons is built, down a cliff with a funicular linking the rooms to a small beach and two jetties onto a house reef reviewers rate among the best in Sharm. It's the polished choice for couples and families with older children who want service and restaurant range over sand. The caveat: the beach itself is small and sand-and-shingle, and everything on site is à la carte at prices reviewers call steep.
luxurycouplesfamilieshouse reef - 4
Savoy Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm El SheikhSharks Bay is also home to Savoy, a large family resort near Soho Square's restaurants and shops. It suits families who want a big-resort layout with plenty of pools and space to spread out, in the same bay as some of Sharm's newer hotels. As with any big family resort, expect a busier, more programmed atmosphere than the smaller hotels along this coast.
soho squarebeachfronthouse reefsnorkeling - 5
Baron Resort Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm El SheikhRas Nasrani is where Baron Resort sits, between Sharks Bay and Nabq, with a 600-metre sandy beach and a pontoon onto a house reef with Tiran Island in view. It's built for families who swim: two kids' clubs, a splash pool and a saltwater adults-only pool for the grown-ups. The caveat: nothing is walkable from here, and Naama Bay is about 20 minutes by taxi.
familiesbeachfronthouse reefsnorkeling - 6
Rixos Premium Seagate
Sharm El SheikhNabq Bay is where Rixos Premium Seagate anchors one end, a very large resort built as its own self-contained town: a 23-slide aqua park, more than a dozen restaurants including a Turkish one, and a long pier out to the reef. It suits families who'd rather not leave the grounds for a week, and Turkish travellers drawn to Lalezar and the hammam. The caveat: Naama Bay is 18 km away, so this is a stay-in resort, not a base for exploring.
familiesbeachfronthouse reefsnorkeling - 7
Steigenberger Alcazar
Sharm El SheikhNabq Bay is also home to Steigenberger Alcazar, at its northern end, the best-built big resort on this stretch: arches, high ceilings and swim-up terraces across 584 rooms, run well enough that the size rarely shows. It suits families with small children and design-minded couples who want atmosphere without leaving the resort. The caveat: the sea here is a shallow lagoon that nearly empties at low tide, so the reef is a long jetty walk, not a shore snorkel.
familiesdesignbeachfrontquiet - 8
Renaissance Golden View Sharm
Sharm El SheikhRas Um Sid is where Renaissance Golden View sits, at Sharm's southern tip, terraced down a hillside to a jetty onto a living house reef with Ras Um Sid's shore reefs a walk away. It suits snorkellers and divers, and families with children who swim, who want the coast's best reef within reach. The caveat: it's a hillside resort with a lot of stairs, and Naama Bay is about 20 minutes by taxi for an evening out.
house reefsnorkelingfamiliesbeachfront - 9
Sunrise Montemare
Sharm El SheikhHadaba is also where Sunrise Montemare sits, stepped down the Um El Sid cliff with a jetty onto a good reef and a Posh Club tier that adds a butler and the airport transfer. Older listings still call it adults-only, which is out of date; it now takes families as well as the couples who book Posh Club for a quieter stay. The caveat: it's a terraced hillside site, so expect steps and a shuttle bus that queues at busy times.
familiescouplessnorkelinghouse reef
Prices and availability are checked live before booking.
Curated trips using these hotels
Questions before you book
Which area of Sharm El Sheikh is best for first-timers?
Naama Bay, for the walkability. It's the only part of Sharm where you can reach restaurants, bars and shops on foot from most hotels, which matters if you don't want to negotiate a taxi every evening.
Which area has the best snorkelling?
Hadaba and Ras Um Sid, at Sharm's southern tip, have the coast's best-regarded shore and house reefs — Renaissance and Sunrise Montemare both sit right on them. Ras Nasrani (Baron Resort) and Sharks Bay (Four Seasons) also have good house reefs reached by jetty or pontoon.
Is Nabq Bay too far from everything?
It's the furthest bay from Naama Bay — Rixos Premium Seagate gives 18 km, Steigenberger Alcazar about 25 minutes by taxi — so it works best if you're happy to stay on-site. Both hotels are built at a scale where you don't need to leave.
Can I walk between the different bays?
No. Naama Bay's promenade is walkable within itself, but Sharks Bay, Ras Nasrani, Nabq Bay and Hadaba are all separated by stretches of road with no pedestrian route; a taxi is how you move between them.