Golden Beach Resort

Golden Beach Resort is a large all-inclusive seaside resort for travellers who like their holiday facilities close at hand. You have a private sandy beach, gardens with palms, several pools, a spa, sports facilities and enough evening activity to keep the place moving once the sun goes down.

It works particularly well if you are travelling with a partner or family and do not all want to spend every hour doing the same thing. You can head for the beach, the quiet pool or the spa while other members of your party make for the aqua park, tennis court or evening entertainment. It is a resort with plenty going on, so those seeking a small, hushed hideaway should look elsewhere.

The hotel team languages are not specified in the available details. English is therefore not confirmed here; check communication arrangements before booking if that matters to you.

The resort sits directly on a wide sandy beach on the north-western side of Hurghada, in a quieter coastal setting rather than in the town centre. Sun loungers, parasols, showers, changing cabins and beach towels are available on the hotel beach, and bathing shoes are recommended.

El Gouna is about 6 miles away, giving you an alternative for an outing beyond the resort. Hurghada centre is about 9 miles away, while Hurghada International Airport is about 15 miles away by road. You are choosing a self-contained beach base rather than a hotel where restaurants, bars and town life begin outside the entrance.

The nearest listed public beach is Panorama Bungalows Aqua Park Hurghada Beach, about 0.6 miles away on foot. Other nearby options include Hawaii Beach, about 0.8 miles away, and Moon Gate Hurghada Beach, about 2 miles away.

The practical choice depends mainly on the view and how much room you want around the beds. A sea-view room suits a couple who would rather open the balcony onto the Red Sea, while garden- or pool-view rooms keep the focus on the resort grounds and can make more sense when the room is chiefly a place to sleep between meals, beach time and early starts.

Triple rooms use a combination of beds and sofa beds, making them the sensible option for three people travelling together. The superior sea-view rooms offer more floor space than the standard categories, which matters when three sets of luggage, beach clothing and the usual post-dive clutter start competing for the same corners. The room cards below give the exact dimensions, sleeping arrangements and capacities for each category.

Air conditioning is provided, a welcome detail when you return hot, salty and ready for a shower rather than a conversation. Rooms have private balconies, wardrobes, tiled or carpeted flooring according to the accommodation, a television, telephone and electric kettle. Sea-view rooms open the night with the Red Sea outside; bathrooms include a bath or shower, towels, toiletries and a hairdryer.

All-inclusive dining is the main rhythm, with breakfast, lunch and dinner centred on The Bouquet, an air-conditioned international buffet serving hot dishes, cold cuts, salads and desserts. Breakfast is buffet-style, with continental and halal choices. The restaurant seats large numbers, so it is designed for practicality rather than a hushed little supper for two.

You have more variety when dinner needs a change of scenery: Don Vito covers Italian food, Aladdin brings Oriental dishes, Fish Mint focuses on seafood and Bonsai serves Asian cuisine. These à la carte restaurants operate in evening sittings and require a reservation. Grease handles fast food, while Fish Mint also covers lunch buffet snacks and afternoon snacks. Hungry after a long day? The answer is not difficult to find.

Drinks and lighter bites are spread across the property. The Vikings combines a bar, snacks and ice cream, Beer Garden serves soup and pretzels into the evening, and Bloom Yard, Mocca's and Ivy Bar cover coffee, hot drinks and lobby service. Bamboo Bar and Dolce Vita Bar sit by the pools, the Beach Bar follows the season, Vitamin Bar works with fresh fruit, smoothies and ice cream, and the Night Club runs late with drinks outside the all-inclusive arrangement. The all-inclusive plan covers food in the restaurants; room service is not part of it.

Six outdoor pools give you several ways to spend a non-diving day, including a relaxation pool, an adults-only pool, a separate children's pool and pools linked by an artificial river that runs towards the beach. The aqua park adds slides for different age groups. Beach towels, loungers and parasols make the easier option perfectly viable: find a shaded spot and let the day get on with itself.

For a little movement, you have a tennis court, fitness centre, aerobics, table tennis, darts, mini golf, billiards, giant chess, backgammon, checkers and electronic games. Tennis equipment and some other activities carry an additional charge. Water-based options include snorkelling, kayaking, kitesurfing, jet skiing, fishing and boat excursions, with some activities chargeable.

The spa is the useful part when shoulders and legs have had enough of the holiday schedule. Massage treatments include full-body, head, neck, back, foot and couples massage, alongside a sauna, jacuzzi, Turkish steam bath, body treatments, manicure, pedicure and waxing. Evening entertainment brings live music, DJ music, themed parties, cinema and a nightclub, so you can either join in or retreat to the beach before the volume rises.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 22:00 and check-out from 07:00 to 10:30. You need to tell the resort your expected arrival time, particularly if your flight lands late or you are arranging a transfer. An airport shuttle is available and can be booked with the hotel; the airport is about 15 miles away by road.

The reception operates around the clock and the resort has an ATM, currency exchange, concierge service, tour desk, luggage storage and a small supermarket. A Gold Shop and Souvenir Shop are also on site, alongside a barber and beauty shop. Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, and parking is available without reservation.

The resort accepts cash payments. Children of all ages are welcome, with cots and extra beds available according to the room category and availability. A kids' club, children's activities, children's pool, indoor and outdoor play areas and a child-friendly buffet give families plenty to work with. Pets are not allowed.