| Steigenberger Al Dau brings luxury to the heart of Hurghada |
| By Rana Kamaly |
| The Steigenberger Al Dau Beach Hotel Red Sea is the only five-star deluxe hotel in central Hurghada, a title earned not just for its amenities, but its service. Though the 388-room hotel sprawls across 16,000 landscaped square meters, it has a relatively low profile of five floors. As would be expected, the Steigenberger has standard guest rooms, suites of varying sizes and two four-bedroom villas, with butler service available on request for any room. But for a truly decadent getaway, reserve a spa suite, each with its own whirlpool, sauna and massage area.Even if a private spa vacation is not in the cards for you, there are plenty of opportunities to soak up sun and salt water. There is the beach, of course, and the hotel hosts the Ilios Dive and Aqua center; with private boats and a private marina. The dive center is PADI and EUF-certified for recreational diving courses, including specialty courses for children and people with disabilities.Land lovers can lounge by the 5,000 square-meter pool area, which features a meandering ‘lazy river’ a half kilometer long, where you can float on an inner tube around the palm tree-lined property. In addition to the freshwater swimming options, the Thalasso spa has a heated indoor and outdoor salt-water pool — some health experts recommend a dip in warm salt water to relax muscles and ease cramps, among other health benefits. The spa has more than nine treatment rooms with couples massage, Thai massage, Indian massage, and water massage available for all guests. With sauna, different types of Jacuzzi tubs and a Turkish hammam. The masseuses are very well trained and in many cases they come from the country were the massage is coming from, for example the Thai massage specialists available are four Thai girls that are certified. Also if you are a woman and you don’t feel comfortable in a mixed gym, spa or sauna there are the same treatment rooms only for women where you can go for some quality time by yourself. A 1,000 square-meter gym is available 24 hours a day with a magnificent garden and pool view that really motivates the runner to complete an extra mile or two on the treadmill. For a little outdoor exercise, Steigenberger has the only golf course in Hurghada. Golfers will find the nine hole, par 3 course offers a bit of a challenge as they factor in the nearly constant Red Sea breezes. Or you could just take a nice leisurely stroll on the grounds. As a tree lover, I really appreciated the botanical garden approach to the property, where the exotic plants are labeled to let you know what they are. Children can burn off their extra energy at the Steigenberger’s Simba Kids Club that includes a private pool, playground and supervised children’s activities. Parents can enjoy their grown-up time without having to worry about where the kids are. And then of course there’s the food. The hotel offers an amazing open buffet breakfast, with everything that you might wish for. A German brand, Steigenberger caters to both local and foreign tastes, with stations for the traditional assortment of Egyptian favorites such as delicious fuul and taamiyya, alongside more Western fare. One of the things I appreciated is how the hotel accommodates different habits. If you’re unable to make it to the breakfast buffet, you can order an early breakfast before 7am or a late breakfast after 10:30am in the main lobby. For lunch and dinner guests can choose from tamarind main restaurant, Alexanders, with French Mediterranean cuisine, Tanga with Lebanese cuisine and the Bwalo beach restaurant. All restaurants have terraces with a different evening show every night and live music as well. In addition, two of the restaurants have an amazing sea view where guests can watch the sunset while eating or enjoying the evening breeze. There are also some nice bars throughout the hotel. Every night one of the restaurants hosts a dance performance, while the lobby has live piano music — with the dimmed lights, candles and the bar available, it’s a relaxing, romantic atmosphere. Eventually you’ll have to spend a little time in your room. Fortunately, 93 percent of hotel rooms have sea views, all creatively decorated with African and oriental accents — earthy colors that act as a backdrop for the carved wood and wicker furniture. All rooms and suites have a balcony with at least a garden view, air conditioning, satellite TV, bathtub and a walk-in shower, mini bar, data port with internet access, safe and international direct dial telephone set. The normal double room is spacious and very comfortable and cozy. The hotel also has conference facilities with seven different meeting rooms, the largest of which caters to up to 650 people. There is also a fully equipped business center on site. While you could easily spend your entire vacation on the hotel property, the Steigenberger is centrally located along Hurghada’s new promenade lined with restaurants and shops. A shuttle bus runs a circuit of the city’s main areas twice a day, and the hotel can also arrange camel and beach buggy safaris. |
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