Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts

Steigenberger Resort Alaya Marsa Alam

Steigenberger Resort Alaya is an adults-only all-inclusive on the Red Sea at Marsa Alam, for couples who want the reef and a swim-up room. The plan covers nearly everything, the transfer of about 10 minutes is as short as one gets in Egypt, and the resort sits on a stretch of coast where it is the only thing there is. The reef is the reason to come; a town to walk to is not on offer. Guests praise the staff, the food and the specialty restaurants, the swim-up rooms and pool areas, and the snorkelling and diving straight off the resort. The complaints are that the beach is a reef and jetty entry rather than a sandy walk-in, that the setting leaves no outside dining or nightlife, and that the spa, the premium services and the transfer cost extra. The thing people wish they had known is exactly that first point: this is a snorkelling beach, not a paddling one, and the pools are where the lounging happens. The plan covers the main buffet and the four a la carte venues, with reservations, plus the drinks list with some imported spirits excluded and a daily minibar; room service, the spa and the transfer are outside it. The Swim-Up Room is the upgrade that changes the week, and the one we would pay for; the Luxury Suite is the larger room, not the better one. Families are not the audience here, and anyone who wants soft sand underfoot should look further up the coast.

Steigenberger Coraya Beach

Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel

Steigenberger Aqua Magic is a water-park hotel in Hurghada, for families whose week will be measured in slides and lazy-river laps rather than beach days. It is about 10 minutes from the airport, with 703 rooms, nine pools, a water park with a lazy river, five restaurants and seven bars, and clubs for small children and teenagers. The beach is reached through a sister hotel or the promenade, which tells you where the priority lies. Guests praise the water park, the slides and the lazy river, the family suites and the children's and teens' programming, and the staff and entertainment. The complaints are that private beach access involves the neighbouring hotel or the promenade rather than a walk from the room, and that a la carte dining is limited by the stay rules. The thing people wish they had known is that the a la carte restaurants are rationed to three meals per stay under the booking terms, so the buffet carries most of the week. The plan covers the buffet meals and snacks, selected drinks and non-alcoholic minibar items, the kids' and teens' clubs and Wi-Fi; a la carte dining beyond the three-meal limit, spa treatments, babysitting and the airport transfer are extra, and premium alcohol is limited. The Family Junior Suite at 68 square metres and the two-bedroom Family Suite are the categories built for the audience. Couples, and anyone whose holiday is a beach, should look further down the Red Sea coast.