After reading many reviews on trip advisor and heeding much of the advice given we choose the Sofitel in Sharm and had an excellent holiday, mainly due to the brilliant hotel.

It is situated in an excellent location at the end of Naama Bay and therefore is a lovely stroll out if you want a bit of life.

There are 5 beaches, all small and tranquill with lots of watersports on offer if you want it. The sun loungers are free and plentiful and very comfy and all have parasols. The snorkelling off the beach is lovely, a little chilly in Feb after a while, but still worth it.

The Hotel Pool is also large and very clean and many facilities like pool games, bar, restaurant and kids creche area.

As mentioned by other reports, the hotel is spread over a very large and spacious site, there are lots of steps but its not a problem and is easy to get around. The reception is at the head of the hotel and then all the 5 blocks encompass around the large pool as the centre view point, lovely.

The rooms I noticed had taken a bit of stick on other reports, but apart from the electronic key card not working twice our double room was lovely, yes the grouting around the tiles in the shower could have had a bit of attention - but frankly who cares when the large room (Room 2208) was cool, nice balcony - very private (am sure better views if on a higher level) and kept more than clean and tidy by room service everyday.

The food in the Liwa was brilliant for a buffet, at breakfast there was everything you could possibly want from full cooked to continental, to pastries galore, to cheeses, salad and porridge, dried fruit, everything for those more health concious right to full blown fry up! In feb we could choose to sit out in the covered terrace or inside and both were most pleasant, especially outside in the evenings (but do take a cardi it wasnt warm enough to jus go out after dark in short skirts/.tops etc).

In the evenings we ate in Liwa too, lots of choice for both meat eaters and veggie. We like the freshly prepared salad to your choice by the chef.

We also ate 3 times at the Indian Restaurant, it has great views and the food is amazing, really one of the most tasty indians we have had ( and we have alot!).

Lunches round the pool were also good and reasonably priced (we were on HB) and the drinks in the lovely Horizon Bar were too.

You really dont need to leave the hotel, it has everything you could want, but we also went horse riding from the hotel stables in to the dessert (2 hours ) we are experienced riders and it was just as well as you do have to cross a busy road, the horses are well behaved although not quite BHS standard tack etc, but they are very well cared for by the staff and kept cool in their stables and showered off. The hats you borrow are also good, but the boots are limited.

We also went scuba diving with the hotel Scorpion Divers and went from the beach one day (was ok) and then out to Ras Mohamed another also lots to see and our guides were good, if maybe a little impatient. May be if we went again we would go with a larger set up but it was convenient and competitively priced so cant grumble there.

The hotel has a mix of guests not so many Brits, mainly Russian and French but everyone go on fine and we did not see any loudness by anyone.

The reception staff could be a little speedier at their job, but overall the dining staff and housekeeping are all lovely and do their best to look after everyone.

We had a great time and were so glad we choose the Sofitel, after walking into Naama Bay we felt very lucky and spoilt that we stayed at the superior Sofitel!

I've tried to include information that I believe others may find useful, especially those who worry about the minor details...like myself. I hope it's not too long and of some use.

Making the booking

I booked the hotel directly through an online travel agent and got a good deal on a garden view room for single use. After receiving confirmation I emailed The Sofitel and asked them to confirm my booking, which they did within a short space of time. I also expressed a preference for an upper floor room (cheeky I know) and they replied saying that they would arrange this and also send a taxi to collect me from the airport free of charge. Flights were booked seperately with First Choice.

Leaving for Sharm

Tickets were picked up from Gatwick without any problems - I just had to show them a copy my email confirmation. Luggage labels are available on the front desk. The flight left on time and took under 5 hours.

Transfer to hotel

There was some delay in waiting for the baggage to arrive. After the best part of an hour I finally left the Terminal and I have to admit to being worried about the driver not waiting for me. I needn't have...I was greeted warmly and led to the Sofitel's 'taxi'. A mini bus/people carrier all to myself...journey time to hotel was 10 mins.

Check in

On arrival my bag was taken to one side and I was led to reception - there is a brief security check and you walk through some metal detectors. I handed over my passport and accommodation voucher, filled out a few details and was handed my room card and a towel card. I was then led by one of the staff to my room. Along the way she gave me a quick orientation..pointing out the main restaurants, bars and going over the times for breakfast, lunch etc. When I reached my room the porter was there with my luggage. Overall a very smooth process and not much hanging around.

Hotel Layout

The hotel is beautiful to look at and has been carved out of the side of the mountain. There are lots of steps to negotiate but they're broken up into flights of ten at most. There are 2 lifts available if the walking becomes too much or you have walking difficulties. At times it feels like you're walking in a maze but you won't get lost..everything is sign-posted clearly for you

Rooms

My room was large (I had 2 single beds) and there's lots of storage space available. There's a mini bar, tv, radio and an electronic safe in the wardrobe (you have to set your own code).

The rooms at The Sofitel are spread over 5 Blocks (A - Picasso, B- Red Tooth, C- Orange Spine, D - Blue Green and E - Royal Angel). It seemed to me that all of the rooms had a sea-view, but this may not be the case with the lower floor rooms in blocks C and D as they face the pool area.

I was given room 1510 in Block A on the 3rd floor. I had a full sea view and could see into Naama Bay on my right. I was very pleased with the room allocated. Given the location of The Sofitel I think any upper floor room would deliver a great view.

One point to bear in mind. Behind my block there was a building that seemed to house some sort of generator (I never found out what it was). On some nights the noise can be heard through the air conditioning vents so it may annoy some. I got used to it and it never bothered me much, as I was so tired from snorkelling.

Eating & Drinking

I stayed B&B. Breakfast is taken at the Liwa restaurant between 6.30 and 10.30am. The food is good, plentiful and you can go up as many times as you like. I mostly ate in Naama Bay but did visit the hotel's Oriental/Egyptian restaurant (Kababgy)...the food was very good here. Pool snacks are readily available but come served with a side portion of pickled vegetables..somewhat of an acquired taste.

The Horizon Bar is a nice spot to watch the sunset, but it did get windy in the evenings so wear layers if you can. Avoid the gin, it tastes like battery acid!

Swimming Pool

Huge heated pool in the middle of the hotel. I never used it because I prefer the beach. There's the usual pool aerobics in the morning and animation team activities, but nothing too rowdy.

Gardens

Well tended and very pretty. They cut the grass a few times when I was there so, if like me, you get hayfever you might want to pack your antihistamine tablets just in case. I suffered a few symptons but was ok once I reached the beach.

Beaches

I counted 4 hotel beaches..my favourite being the one furthest on the left past the Horizon beach bar. The snorkelling here is outstanding. The sea was warm and as for the views..well...pack an underwater camera if you can! They cost 100 Egyptian pounds in the hotel (the Kodak ones) but can be bought for 70 Egyptian in Naama Bay.
I got stung once by a jellyfish (there weren't too many overall) It feels like a stinging nettle and the pain soon goes. I had packed an ammonia applicator pen for stings (available in Boots) and that eased the discomfort.

Beaches are clean and quiet, sun beds are free. Hand over your towel card at the booth near the pool and you'll be given a large blue towel to use..just remember to get your card back when returning it.

If you walk out of reception and turn right into the car park you can walk along the cliffs towards the Hyatt. You'll eventualy come to a secluded cove...there's not much here but if you like walking then it might appeal to you and the views are nice too.

Clientele

A mix of French, Italian, German, Russian, Egyptians and Brits. Everyone was friendly and got on well..no horror sories to report.

Staff

Very helpful, always smiling. Reception staff could sometimes be a bit slow but be patient with them as they are frequently over-run with new arrivals and phone calls.

Shops & Facilities

There are small shops in the hotel selling souvenirs and snorkelling gear. There's a camera shop outside reception. The bank can also be found here (open 9.30am to 1.30pm, closed on Fridays). There's an ATM next to reception for withdrawing or exchanging money (you simply insert your money into the slot and it gives you Egyptian pounds for a small charge).

Outside reception on the left is a small fitness centre which is free to use. There's a small selection of cardio machines, a few free weights and resistance machines. You can have a sauna,massage etc but there is a charge for this. There's also a hair salon available too.

The hotel has Internet access but the service was temporarily unavailable when I enquired about using it.

Getting to Naama Bay

Walk past the dive centre and the path will lead to a security point. Walk down the steps and the promenade leads all the way into Naama Bay...it takes about 15 - 20 minutes. In my opinion this is why the Sofitel has the edge over other hotels...you can have a quiet relaxing time in the hotel grounds but if you feel like a night out then you can be in the centre of Naama Bay in no time at all. The hotels in Naama Bay are all close together and everything felt too cramped to me...it's not until you get back to the Sofitel that you appreciate just how good a location it really is.

Excursions

Next to the pool area is a small hut and they can arrange the usual trips for you. I wouldn't bother with the glass bottom boat trip as the boat spent most of it's time outside the hotel's own reef. You can save yourself some money by just wading in and having a snorkel.

Longwood reps visit the hotel frequently and you can join their excursions if you like. I did the Stargazer trip - feel free to message me if you'd like to know more. I'l try and post details on the main forum as well.

Check-out

Rooms are to be vacated by 12 noon. On arrival I managed to get the room until 3pm for no charge...but when I went back to my room (after 1pm to finish packing) the door wouldn't open. A quick trip to reception fixed this though.
If you want a hotel transfer speak to reception one day before you check out.

Other stuff

Mossies - didn't get bitten once. I used a plug-in adaptor and was fine.

Aircraft noise - yes, you'll hear them as you're in the flight path but you get used to it and it's no bother.

Overall

I would definitley go back to The Sofitel. I had originally intended to book The Hyatt but the ambience of the Sofitel, the views and it's links to the promenade into Naama Bay really make a difference. I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay as much as I did.

After spending 2 nights in Cairo ( Le Meridien Giza), 3 nights in Aswan ( Isis Island)and 2 nights on a nile cruiser ( Liberty) it was such a surprise to find a hotel in Egypt where the staff, from the gardener, to the manager, are so FRIENDLY and genuine! It was so refreshing and we are so glad we went otherwise we would have had a completely negative view of Egypt and Egyptians in the tourist industry. Only stayed 3 nights, but we'll go back as we all loved it. It was the end of the Egyptian school holidays, so the hotel was deserted. Location is excellent... 10 minutes free transport to airport, 15 mins walk into Na'ama bay, and all that glorious coral and fish straight off the beach! It was better than what I saw the one time I went to the Great Barrier reef. We hired the hotel speed boat to take us around to the reef out front of the Hyatt as I had read it was better, but you can easily walk around there along the cliffs. Loved the rooms, but a bit cool, on account of the high ceilings and tiled floors. Ours had a lovely balcony, only plastic chairs, but they were fine. Breakfast good, big selection and lots of it. Service excellent. Highly recommend the Indian Restaurant. My husband said the Dive School based there was excellent.
Just be aware that this hotel is on the flight path and though it didn't bother me it might bother you.

We have just reurned from 10 days at the Sofitel.
The Hotel is more 4* then 5* mainly because it needs updating in rooms and communal areas.
The best things about it were the views from all rooms and the excellent Staff.
Food in the main restaurant was just passable but La Brise and the Indian Restaurant were good.
Don't go there in the Egyptian School Holidays (as we did) unless you have kids yourself
We walked inyo Naama Bay one day----what a dump! Tacky shops and restaurants just not worth bothering about.
We ate in the Hyatt Regency Thai which was not nearly as good as our local!
We also went to the Observatory Lounge at the 4 Seaons. which had excellent food..
The best reason for going to Sharm el Sheikh
is the weather.If we go again we will find the extra money and stay at the 4Seaons..