Best hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh for families with kids or adults seeking good food and sandy beach

For a natural sandy beach in Sharm, look at specific zones: around Hadaba and further toward Delta Sharm — Terrazina and El Fanar beaches; around Naabq — Zaza and Musa Bay beaches. Also noted: for a short trip it's often less hassle to book a cheap hotel than an apartment, while long-term residents in Naabq condominiums buy beach access passes to upscale resorts like Rixos.

Sultan hotel (Sharm): good family rooms, excellent food, but only one water slide — a 10-year-old found it boring, and there's no beach shore entry. Also noted that with Fun Sun airline package hotels there's a good kids club called "Tukan" accepting children from age 3.

For families in Sharm, Rotana and Fanara are often compared. Rotana’s strengths are a large well-equipped beach, better and more varied food, strong beach service, a pontoon, and two short piers. Its downside is no shore entry into the sea, plus it can be windy in winter and early spring, and there is little to walk to outside the resort. Fanara stands out for a calm warm bay and direct shore entry, which is easier with children, but the grounds are smaller, the beach is tighter, there are many steps, and food/service are considered weaker. As a practical rule: Fanara is more often recommended for winter and early spring, while Rotana suits late spring and summer if shore entry is not essential.

If a sandy beach is the priority in Sharm, Maritim and Jaz Fayrouz were specifically recommended. By contrast, Melia Sinai was noted for becoming deep almost immediately, so it is less suitable for travelers who want a gradual child-friendly sea entry.

For a relaxed adult holiday focused on good food, decent drinks, and a sandy beach, both Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada have suitable options. Always confirm whether the hotel has a sandy shoreline rather than a pier-only entry.

When choosing a hotel in Sharm, prioritize specific features: easy water entry, aquapark, and drink quality rather than star rating alone. Low tides occur across all bays during summer, so this is not unique to any one hotel.

Naama Bay (NABU area) and the northern part of Hurghada experience very pronounced low tides — the water recedes for hours at a time, making swimming impossible. Avoid these locations in summer if tides are a concern.

Families with young children used to mid-to-upper 4-star resorts in Hurghada should look for similar 4–5 star properties in Sharm with an aquapark and child-friendly beach area. Note that almost all Sharm hotels use pier-based sea entry rather than a natural sandy shoreline.