We arrived early evening after hot bumpy ride across the desert to fantastic welcome. Refreshing towels, cold drinks etc. They'd separated us by quite a distance but a call in the morning to the head of relations, George, soon had this sorted this out and we were relocated to beach front rooms with the most spectacular views. Rooms are small but lovely, best bathroom i've seen in a while, huge. beds very comfortable and plenty to watch on tv if thats your thing. The terrace at the back is a tranquil spot and sitting out there was my fave end of day thing... loved it. They r finishing rooms at the back of the property but honestly we weren't disturbed. Staff are outstandng. There is not a rude or unhelpful member of the team & they'll do anything to make your stay wonderful...the guy who cleaned our rooms was incredible and it was a pleasure to come back to the room after a long day of lazing. doing not much! Lots of personal touches. The beach staff, room service (my fiance likes rice pudding & they made him a dish the day after we requested and delivered to the beach as we ate a late lunch, no charge - how sweet is that!?) and of course George, are all worthy of special mention as part of one of the best teams at any hotel i've stayed: (where do i stay: Fourseasons in Paris, NY, Milan, London, Sharm, Le Tousserok in Mauritious, Royal Mirage, Pierre, Carlisle etc, Dar Al Masayf etc). We met the head of HR and it was v.nice to find a guy who wants to look after his team and give them a happy place to work. He's succeeded. They're always smiling. Thanks to him for the hats & t.shirts!!
The downside: The food is tragic... u almost stop eating which is great for the diet... beach bar food is nice though portions very small - we were quite often hungry after eating. Breakfast is just ok...they need to visit the Hyatt or Four Seasons in Sharm or the Sofitel Cairo to see what a brilliant breakfast can be in Egypt as they blamed it on poor produce. BUT the total killer is dinner.. u honestly feel its some kind of joke, it can't be a 5star hotel. But it is... the sad thing is there is few hotels which can provide the setting, the staff and the ambience that the Meridien Dahab provides and they simply must fix this problem. We found out on our 3rd day that you can order room service anywhere, so we'd have it late afternoon at the beach bar. Room service is much better than the restaurants - apparently a different kitchen. Only choice is to go out, Al Capone is good as is the Italian place but go early they close around 10pm and aren't open every day.
I hope the Meridien doesn't go the package holiday route and fill themselves with very very rude 'new travellers' as these people r just impossible to be around. We will definitely visit again and i hope they've sorted out the food & the lighting in the rooms. All in all a truly relaxing blissful stay in a stunning setting. Plenty to do and you can easily spend your day without hearing any screaming kids or russians.......we went to Hyatt Sharm the last 5 days & it felt like holidaying in an airport... with thousands of people, no space at the pool, and everyone aggressive. Stay in Dahab, u won't regret it.

This is a new hotel and rated 5 star, which it definatley deserves. It is 1.5 hours from the airport which is worth considering especially in the heat of the day. The Staff are fantastic and are very helpfull and freindly. The rooms too are excellent although they can be a little dark at night with the way the lighting is positioned. We opted for bed and breakfast, the usual breakfast foods are on offer with plenty of choice. Evening meals in the hotel are also very nice but with limited choice. However I picked up a tummy bug that basically confined me to the hotel grounds and a week later it is still not cured. I cant say if it was the hotel or a meal we had in Dahab at the restaurant recommended by the hotel.

The Hotel has its own beach which is man made from what looks like crushed house brick so most people tend to stay by the pool and have a habit of booking the best sunbeds before breakfast which is slightly annoying. Snorkeling from the hotel is not that good compared to Sharm el Sheik where we have stayed before. The visability is quite poor and there is a constant current which pushes you to the south. There is nothing at all near the Hotel. Dahab is a couple of miles away and if you chose to go you will be hasseled to go in every shop and restaurant. The people 'seem' to be freindly but my wife found it intimidating and she doesnt scare easily, perhaps it was the comments she heard directed at other peples back, such as bloody English when someone wouldnt pay £10 for taking a photo of a shop or a child that told us they dont collect crap in Dahab like you do in London. If I go back to Egypt I would stay in Sharm el Sheik and avoid Dahab, its not worth visiting in my opinion. The hotel and pool area are lovely, but so are others in nicer areas

Firstly, this was the first package deal we have undertaken for some years so full marks to Thomson for their service. The journey was almost flawless both ways with only a delay at Sharm (outwith their control) on the way back. Despite a broken baggage belt at Gatwick, we were whizzed through check-in and could only watch with an ironic (and slightly sympathetic) smile, the huge queues at the other check-in desks at Sharm
Now the hotel - very good first impressions. After a transfer of about an hour from Sharm, we were welcomed with a refreshing drink and some much needed cold towels. We were then given a free upgrade to a beachfront room which was lovely. The room had a front terrace with sea view, a large room with sitting area, flat-screen TV, bathroom with sunken bath and rainforest shower and a private, rear terrace with outside shower.
Hotel facilities were good - the pool areas are delightful and there were no problems with sunbeds. Buffet restuarant was OK if, as is usual with these things, a bit repetitive. Breakfast was good though with a fresh egg station and pretty much anything else you could think of to eat in the morning (and some things you just wouldn't!). We were on B&B so took the opportunity to eat in the Vie Restuarant most nights. This actually worked out cheaper than paying for the sometimes bland food in the buffet. The staff in this restuarant were outstanding and went out of their way to cater for my vegetarian partner with something different every night. Just a word on the staff - they were some of the best and friendliest hotel staff I have ever encountered on my many travels. This wasn't due to excessive tipping - I make a point not to tip hotel staff until the last night, but probably due to the large groups of Russians who were incredibly rude to everyone they met. A kind word and a smile goes a long way. The pool boys even ensured that our favourite loungers were available for us every day no matter what time we turned up !
We don't dive but used the diving club to go on snorkelling trips which were very good but the club itself appears rather disorganised - we missed out on one trip because they had forgotten to write down our booking. We also went on a horse-riding trip into the desert which was superb and the guide was extremely patient with my slightly nervous partner.
Downtown Dahab is a 10 minute taxi ride and is quite a funky place. Not much hassle from the shop owners but be prepared when you cross the little bridge to the restuarant area to be constantly pestered by touts trying to get you to eat in their place. Some of these were verging on the aggressive side and I found that you had to be quite firm with them. If you want to avoid this, the first restuarant you come to (Al Capone's) is very good and cheap. Two courses and beer for both of us came to under £10.

All in all a wonderful holiday but I would recommend an earlier rather than later visit. Once the hotel gains in popularity, particularly amongst our Russian friends, I would imagine it will lose the peacefulness and tranquility which so appeals now.

We finished our trip of the Nile Valley and were in some real need of some rest and relaxation...and boy did we find it in Dahab and the Le Meridien resort. The views of the Gulf of Aqaba and peacefulness at this hotel were truly incredible. The staff was very friendly (and even rememberd our names!). The room (we had a deluxe room) was wonderful (even had a private, outdoor shower) and the beach was incredibly beautiful and even better...quiet (unlike the crowded beaches of the Hilton and Swiss Inn). At times we were the only ones on the beach. The snorkelling - even at the hotel beach - was spectacular with a ton of colorful fish and the reef fully intact. It really felt like we found the hotel before anyone else did...which is probably true. Only real complaint is that you are too far from the center of Dahab to walk, but a $5 taxi ride solves that pretty quick. Highly recommended!!!