Coral Sea Holiday Resort Aqua Park

We spent 2 weeks here from late June to July 14 during the peak summer heat. Overall, it’s a beautifully kept resort with great dining options, but the entertainment program definitely leaves room for improvement. If you are balancing younger kids and teenagers, here is our honest breakdown of the highs and lows. THE MAIN PROS Wonderful, Welcoming Staff: The staff here absolutely deserve a special mention. They are incredibly warm, attentive, and genuinely made our family feel special throughout our entire 2-week stay. Their top-tier hospitality is a massive credit to the resort. Immaculate Property & Grounds: The resort is exceptionally clean and well-maintained. The gardens are gorgeous, the public spaces are spotless, and both the swimming pools and the private beach are kept pristine. Great Food & Worry-Free Ice: The food variety is excellent. The main buffet is solid (the live egg station at breakfast is fantastic), and the poolside snack bars offer great lunch alternatives. The best part? The ice is completely safe. None of our family got ill at all, meaning you can fully relax and enjoy your drinks. Easy À La Carte Bookings: Unlike many resorts where booking a themed restaurant requires waking up at dawn, this resort has convenient touchscreen kiosks in reception. You can book 48 hours in advance with zero stress. We loved mixing up our evenings this way—the Indian and Greek restaurants were standout favorites! Free Sister Resort Aqua Park Access: Booking here gives you free access to the larger aqua park located just across the road at the sister resort. While it is not quite as nice or well-presented as our main resort, it features 5-6 good slides for older kids and the same for smaller ones. It is great for a fun 2-hour burst to switch things up. Fantastic Aerial High Ropes: The resort features a high wire/aerial adventure course. Our 9-year-old tried this activity and absolutely loved it. It’s well-run and highly recommended for kids looking for a bit of adventure. THINGS TO CONSIDER / THE NEGATIVES Underwhelming Evening Entertainment: If you've been to TUI Magic Life or top resorts in Turkey and Tunisia, you will be disappointed. The entertainment here feels more like a low-budget UK caravan park than a high-end international resort. It relies heavily on shouting by the main pool during the day, and basic karaoke, pub quizzes, or silent discos at night. We lucked out because the World Cup was airing, which gave families a natural focal point to hang out—otherwise, we would have been incredibly bored in the evenings. Football Academy Age Gaps: The coaches are fantastic, but the structure is flawed for teenagers. They bundle kids aged 5 to 15 together, which means a 14- or 15-year-old is playing with toddlers. The absolute "sweet spot" for this academy is ages 8 to 11. Our 9-year-old made tons of friends, but it was a bit of a waste for our 14-year-old. Family Room Layout & Balcony Space: The rooms themselves are clean and have brilliant air conditioning. However, the extra beds in the family rooms are sofa beds. While fine for a 9-year-old, our 14-year-old found them small and quite hard. Additionally, the balconies only come equipped with two chairs and one table—a bit frustrating for a family of four—and there are no loungers for private sunbathing. Shallow Resort Beach: While the resort's private beach and pier are immaculate and great for a quick 30-to-60-minute dip to swim with the fish, the water is very shallow. It is not an ideal spot for a dedicated, long-duration snorkeling session. OUR EXCURSION FEEDBACK & TIPS After a few days at the resort, we decided to book some trips. Here is our direct feedback on what is worth your time and money:

1. The Ultimate Highlight: Book a Private Jet Boat Trip. If you want truly magical snorkeling, bypass the standard tours and book a private jet boat out to Jackson Reef (off Tiran Island). It was the most incredible snorkeling I have ever done. The reef drops 40 meters straight down and you get to swim right along the edge of the shelf, followed by a second, shallower 10-meter swim teeming with fish. To top it off, we had wild dolphins swim right alongside our boat. It is worth every penny.
2. Desert Buggies & Soho Square. For daytime thrills, we highly recommend booking the Dune Buggies. We went just outside Sharm, racing across the desert sand as a family of four, which was brilliant fun, and finished the experience with traditional tea with the Bedouins. For a great evening out, take a 3-hour night trip to Soho Square. The kids loved the hustle and bustle, the dancing water fountain show, and the Ice Bar. The food feels very safe there.
3. Skip (or Prepare for) the Standard TUI Boat Trip. We booked the standard all-day TUI boat trip, and honestly, it wasn’t the best. While the food was okay and TUI responsibly warned us about the extra 500 Egyptian Pound port tax per person, the snorkeling itself felt way too repetitive and crowded. You get three 30-minute slots in the water, but you are swimming with 40 other people at the same time, and the final stop was just off a main public beach.

Quick Resort Tip: If the loud music at the main pool gets to be too much, escape to the quiet pool to swim in peace. And when the mid-July heat peaks, head to the air-conditioned coffee bar near reception—our 9-year-old practically drank his body weight in their excellent iced chocolates!

Here’s the full, final version with all your additions included ✨ Perfect location right on the doorstep of shops and the beach – you couldn’t ask for better! Our room was spotlessly clean, and the air conditioning was an absolute lifesaver in the heat.

There are various pools to choose from – the main pool hosts all the kids’ entertainment, and the lifeguards are the absolute best, so you can relax knowing everyone’s safe.

This hotel is definitely geared entirely around families with children – I wouldn’t recommend it for couples or groups looking for an adults-only break. The evening entertainment is all kid-focused, with very little for grown-ups beyond the occasional cabaret singer. That said, drink prices are very reasonable – cocktails are decent enough, and soft drinks are available 24 hours a day. Food-wise there’s plenty of variety to suit even the fussiest eaters.

The bar staff are incredible – they really remember your drinks and preferences! The waiters in the restaurants are also amazing, and the gardening staff work so hard to keep the grounds looking immaculate – there isn’t a grass blade out of place!

Every single member of staff was so friendly and went above and beyond to help – they honestly couldn’t do enough for you. A small tip definitely goes a long way for extra special service; our poolside waiter Mani was absolutely incredible! It was my birthday while we were away, and they even decorated our room for me – such a lovely touch.

Also on your doorstep: there’s a camel you can visit right on the beach, plus an on-site pharmacy and medical centre for total peace of mind.

Just a short walk down the road you’ll find Arab Bucks – I’d highly recommend it for great food and drinks! Hard Rock Cafe is also nearby, and it’s got such a good nightclub – we had an amazing night there! For days and evenings out, don’t miss the Old Town and Soho Square – Soho Square is an absolute must-visit after dark with all its beautiful lights and lively atmosphere.

Overall, Holiday Village Sharm El Sheikh is a wonderful choice – you’ll have a lovely time! 😊

Wow just wow we had the best family holiday at the holiday village Red Sea hotel. The staff cannot do enough for you. The grounds are kept immaculate the rooms are spacious and bottled water is constantly replenished. The cleaner freshens up your room and will make an animal out of towels. Beach towels are also provided. There’s a hair dryer and shower cap provided. The views are stunning and recommend a whirlpool bath room. There’s lots of activities to do and the kids club is good. Plenty of pools including a quiet pool. There’s a buffet style in the main restaurant which has a variety of food for everyone however there is also separate restaurants you can book on to using the screens in the main lobby area. Highly recommend the Indian restaurant and the American diner. We arrived late and they put on a small buffet for you on arrival. Big shout out to waled & osama both waiters made our experience amazing, super accommodating with my partners allergies to onion & garlic. Super friendly & they work so hard as do all the other workers. Thank you. We also visited the Hard Rock Cafe the food and service is fantastic. The only thing we did not enjoy was the mosquitos, ensure your room is sprayed before you sleep at night the cleaner will give you a spray. There’s a jasmine shop on the beach that sells a moisture for £10 which will help dry up the bite and stop the itching. I would recommend taking your own inflatables as the lilos are around £20 to buy there. There’s beach is stunning however very shallow. You are better to take money out from the ATM when your there as the exchange rate in the uk is a lot. The airport is not the best it’s expensive so best to take your own before hand. We paid extra for the fast tracking you get your own vip assistant to do all the checking in for you it’s well worth it as it’s a really long process otherwise. I would 1000% visit this hotel again you won’t be disappointed.