For years, the golden city of Dahab was known for its shabby seaside shacks, crude cuisine and lazy lifestyle. It was labeled as a hippie town largely because of the heavy use of drugs that once dominated the Red Sea village, attracting backpackers in search of easy access to illegal substances and cheap waterfront lodging. It kept many a domestic tourist at bay and failed to interest international visitors looking for a five-star experience.

In the late 1990s, travelers began to appreciate the laid-back style of the sleepy city, enjoying unique dive sites by day and lounging in the Bedouin cafés with good shisha and hearty meals by night. Several international hotel chains recognized Dahab’s potential as a top resort location and began building. Still, telling people you were on a trip to Dahab may have raised some eyebrows.

Today, few of these stereotypes linger as Dahab continues to vigorously reinvent itself, with more hotel chains looking to highlight the destination’s best attributes. Now, when travelers talk about the city of golden sands, you will most likely hear about azure waters, year-round sunshine, adventures in water sports and the exquisite cuisine found at five-star properties.

The Hilton Dahab takes advantage of everything the quaint city has to offer, balancing its standards of luxury with the town’s unique identity. With the Sinai Mountains as its backyard and the Red Sea waters at its doorstep, the resort’s Nubian-inspired architecture exists in harmony with its surroundings. Perched on a sheltered natural lagoon, the property boasts 163 bungalows built around saltwater pools and a verdant landscape, a welcoming site after the hour-long drive from Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport.

Upon arrival, we paused only briefly to refresh ourselves with a welcome cocktail and cool, scented towels before being escorted to our rooms. Navigating through the maze of sprawling white buildings was confusing at first, but we got the hang of it after a couple of walks between our rooms, the beach and the main restaurant.

The highlight of the air-conditioned guest rooms is not the large bed, the soft, white comforter or fluffy pillows, but the hammock hanging on the spacious balcony. The property’s buildings are set up in a U-shape, so most rooms have a breathtaking view of the garden, lagoon or pool with a backdrop of Saudi Arabia’s mountainous coastline far across the Gulf of Aqaba. Lazing on the hammock could easily become one of your favorite pastimes, but don’t spend too much time in your room.

Courtesy Hilton Hotels With a more laid-back atmosphere than Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab attracts afficionados of both land and sea.

While the resort boasts a large swimming pool, the beach is the heart of the action. As General Manager Ahmed Sabry will tell you, the city rates second for windsurfers worldwide, who enjoy an average of 270 windy days a year. This kind of weather makes it ideal for beginners and professionals alike, and the pros at Mistral Club will show you how it’s done. Even if you’re not surfing, you’ll surely appreciate the cool breeze and the relief it offers from the scorching afternoon summer sunshine.

The Aquasport center offers water skiing, wakeboarding, kite surfing, kayaks, banana boats and glass boats. The most exciting part of our trip, however, involved some quality time underwater: My first scuba diving experience was like nothing I had done before. The dive masters at the on-site Sinai Divers Center explained the basics and helped me don the heavy equipment for the 30-minute introductory dive. It was intimidating at first, but everything I had heard about diving in the Red Sea, and especially in Dahab, gave me that extra ounce of courage.

We did not venture too deep into the crystal clear waters, but it was enough to tempt me to return and get some more diving experience.

After such an active day we had built up quite an appetite and appreciated lunch at Neptune’s Restaurant. Located on the water’s edge, the outlet serves up an à la carte menu of freshly caught fish prepared over a charcoal grill. Later in the day, we enjoyed drinks and appetizers at the rooftop Coconut Bar, which offers the best view of the sunset on Dahab Bay. Dinner was served under the stars at the hotel’s alfresco Italian restaurant, Portofino.

Most guests spend their nights at the Windjammer Bar listening to the talented Russian singer, playing pool, shooting darts or performing an embarrassing karaoke number. If you want to explore the town, the hotel shuttle will drop you off in the northern part of Dahab: The Masbat offers Bedouin style cafés where you can unwind with shisha and the local favorite mint tea or do some shopping for handicrafts.

When not in the water, we were having off-road adventures. A short drive from the hotel is Sam’s Motorbike Center, where you can take an ATV out for a serious test drive through the Sinai Mountains, stopping at the makeshift café in the middle of the desert to catch the sunset. Before we reluctantly said goodbye to the cozy Red Sea resort, we took a three-hour snorkeling trip and enjoyed a sumptuous lunch on board the hotel’s private yacht.

As the friendly Hilton staff says, all you have to do is get there and they will take care of the rest. By the end of the trip we knew each staff member by name and felt like we had spent a month relaxing by the sea, not just a couple of days. There’s nothing like being pampered at such a serene sanctuary. We went home with great memories and a precious souvenir: a glowing golden tan that lives up to the city’s name.  et