Sheraton Sharm

I’m willing to bet that if Moses was alive today, he would have roamed the desert of Sharm El Sheik, worked on another commandment and ended his day with a cocktail on his terrace at the Sheraton Sharm.

Opened in 1999, the Sheraton Sharm Hotel, Resort and Villas is a five-star property located away from the cramped strip of the other 250 hotels, making it private and contained ideal for honeymooners, couples and small families, all of whom are its primary clients. But, like all hotels in Sharm El Sheik, Sheraton Sharm is situated between the commanding Sinai Mountains and the tranquil Red Sea.

There are 300 rooms (including 18 suites), 423 resort rooms and 102 villas that comprise this seven-floor property. Of the seven floors, only two are above ground, while the remaining five descend along the coast toward the Red Sea. (The government doesn’t allow more than two floors in the Sinai so as not to further disrupt the landscape.) The resort’s rooms are identified as those that face the garden, the sea and Tiran Island (Tiran rooms), and the others that face Naa’ma Bay or have a mountain view.

Just like most beach resorts in Sharm, the Sheraton embraces its North African heritage with Moorish architecture and decor with carved surfaces and facades. On the exterior, lush gardens surround the property, while inside a range of artwork (contemporary to ancient) charm the white walls.

The lobby is quite grand, featuring high ceilings and a white baby grand piano, with two personal check-in desks and a concierge. It lacks the cacophony of bulk groups and shouting families, and the staff is effortlessly at your service. You don’t feel constricted here, as the halls and common areas are spacious and wide.

Though conferences are rare in Sharm El Sheik, the Sheraton is prepared with four meeting rooms, one of which can accommodate 300 people. A business center doesn’t exist, but there are two computer terminals and a fax machine behind the lobby bar.

My room on the 6th floor was quite large with two single beds, satellite TV, work station and a lounge area. Wireless Internet access is available in increments of 30 minutes ($6) and one hour ($10). The bathroom featured Sheraton-branded amenities and a nice touch was the mosaic pattern in the floor tiles and robed curtains at the tub.

A wonderful highlight was the spacious terrace that looked out onto the pools, a half-mile beach with thatch umbrellas and the Red Sea (the Sheraton has the longest beach). I sat in one of the two comfy chairs, kicked my feet up on the table and watched the blood-red sunrise.

A resort is not complete without a full-service spa, and the spa at the Sharm is one of its best features. A variety of treatments, some unique to Egyptian tradition, are reasonably priced and the hydromassage pool is just as good as a massage. It features everything from aquabeds to neck jets, back jets and foot baths. The fitness center is comprised of four cardio machines and free weights, and there is a large Jacuzzi and sauna in men’s and women’s locker rooms.

There are six restaurants, three dedicated to either section of the hotel (all with buffet options for breakfast, lunch and dinner), and three on the beach. In the center of the resort is the roofless Rumors bar that features evening entertainment. It seems like its own entity separate from the resort, as it has a tiki feel with bridges and platforms made of tethered wood.

Rates for the Sheraton can get as low as $85 in the off season (Feb.-March; May-June; Sept.-Oct.) and reach no more than $220 for a standard room in high season (April; Aug.; Dec.-Jan.).