Domina Coral Bay Hotel Review

Nestled along the pristine shores of the Red Sea, Domina Coral Bay Resort in Sharm el Sheikh offers travelers a blend of luxury, adventure, and relaxation.

Spanning an impressive one million square meters, this expansive resort is akin to a mini-city (looks like Santorini), providing guests with a myriad of experiences to suit diverse preferences.

Our holiday was 7 days in February. We weren’t worried about the weather, since we’ve been to Hurghada in December. The weather was nice, and we were able to swim in the sea without any problems. We also did snorkeling, which was fantastic!

The resort is not located in the city, so you won’t be able to explore the sights by foot. It’s actually close to the airport, which made our ride easier, since we went by plane.

Even though it’s an impressively large resort, don’t you worry. They have mini buses (like golf carts) that come frequently, like every 4 minutes, and stop wherever you need them to. We also walked by the shoreline to see the whole resort, and it took us around half an hour.

If you’re not a cat lover, then it’s best I tell you from the start: this resort is not for you. There are lots of cats running around. You’ll find them at the restaurants, in the alleys, and even outside your bedroom door, meow-ing.

Most of the tourists we found there were Italians. Which was no surprise, since it’s an Italian owned chain. I could also hear Russians speaking and that was mostly it. The staff will try and speak to you in Italian and some don’t know English very well, but you’ll manage to communicate with them, eventually.

Accommodation Options

The resort boasts a variety of accommodations spread across several distinct areas, each catering to different tastes and budgets:​

• Aquamarine: Central to the resort’s activities, offering both beachfront and pool/garden view rooms.
• King’s Lake: Features rooms surrounding a picturesque saltwater lake
• Sultan: Provides luxurious rooms with panoramic sea views.​
• Harem: Known for its deluxe rooms and junior suites with pool or sea views.​
• Elisir: Offers rooms with direct access to the spa, ideal for wellness enthusiasts.​
• Prestige: The epitome of luxury within the resort, offering exclusive amenities and services.​

Each area is designed to provide a unique experience, ensuring guests find accommodations that align with their desires.

We stayed at Elisir hotel, an we did enjoy it. The hotel also had a SPA section that you could use if you paid for it. It looked amazing, but we were not able to actually use it, since it didn’t allow children and we were accompanied by two of them.

From the outside, the SPA was everything you needed: heated pools, sunbeds, waterfalls and sauna. If you’re thinking of going there, don’t second guess it!

The room was cleaned everyday, nothing to complain about. Water was left outside the room when we weren’t there and we had left the DND sign.

The beds are not the greatest, I’ll tell you that. They had a mattress that was hard and I found it a bit difficult to sleep on it. I’m used to sleeping on my left side, so that might have just been my issue. If you’re the kind of person that likes sleeping on your back, then I guess it’s going to be perfect for you.

Culinary Delights

Guests can indulge in a plethora of dining options:​

• Buffet Restaurants: Three main venues—Il Giardino, Coral, and Spices—serve a diverse array of international cuisines. While breakfast offerings remain consistent, lunch and dinner menus are varied, ensuring a delightful dining experience. ​
• A La Carte Restaurants: For a more personalized dining experience, restaurants like La Piazetta and the Steakhouse offer exquisite meals. Notably, the Steakhouse has been praised for its perfectly served steaks and knowledgeable staff.

We ate at Il Giardino and Coral. While they both serve the same main dishes, Coral was surely the best option since it was larger and offered a much larger variety in food.

Il Giardino is a smaller yet delightful restaurant. It has a terrace so you can eat outside (which Coral lacks). The design makes you truly feel like you’re in a holiday by the beach: it’s all while, has lots of greenery surrounding it, and has table booths on some sort of mini pool. There are no fish inside the pool, like we saw in Sentido Palm Royale, in Hurghada, because obviously the cats would eat them.

Coral restaurant is located in the shop zone of the resort. After you had dinner or lunch, you could stop by and shop for souvenirs, but we found that most of the shops sold fake overpriced goods, so we only bought an Egyptian oil perfume. No prices on display. If you like to bargain, then please do. Price can be lowered to even half of their first asking price. There’s also a terrace there, which plays live music in the evening if you fancy that.

Between Il Giardino and Coral, I would choose the first because it’s got more of a holiday feel, where as Coral made me feel like I was in a train station.

As for the Spices restaurant, we just walked by it, but never dined, since it was on the other end of the resort.

We tried steak at the Steak House. For this you need to make a reservation at the reception or you can use the Domina mobile app. We booked dinner as we had a free reservation included. If you don’t have that included in your package, then you can pay for your dinner, but it’s a bit pricy.

I have to say, the steak was perfectly served! Ordered medium rare, and it was one of the finest meals I had there. Desert was crème brule and ice-cream. We also tasted the local red wine, but that was nothing to brag about. Overall, the experience was great, food was delicious and the staff knowledgeable, serving was impeccable, and the place was small but with a nice design. I do recommend you try it, if you like a nicely cooked steak. But make sure to make a reservation!

Recreational Activities

The resort ensures that guests have a wealth of activities to choose from:​

• Elisir Spa: A sanctuary for relaxation, the spa offers a range of treatments, including massages, Thalassotherapy pools, and serene outdoor areas.
• Diving and Snorkeling: With direct access to a vibrant coral reef, the resort is a haven for marine enthusiasts. The on-site dive center provides equipment and guidance for both novices and seasoned divers.
• Entertainment: Evenings come alive with diverse entertainment options, from stage shows like the Aladdin performance to live music and themed nights.

Every Thursday night there would be Cleopatra dinner night. We had no idea what it was about and we did think about skipping it entirely as we thought it was just another tourist trap. But Domina resort exceeded our expectations yet again.

We had this experience included in our stay, but if you book it separately, it would be 40 EUR per adult and half the price for kids. I can tell you it’s well worth it!

They hop you in a coach bus and you are left in the desert, at night. We were 7 buses heading to the location. When we stepped out, there was a path lit by torches of fire, that would guide you to the dinner spot.

There, you would find an acting stage for the story of Cleopatra, with buildings, entertainers and just everything that was needed! The story was audio, they had speakers placed around the area and the sound was perfect.

Food was again great, and at the end the MasterChef of Domina came to every table to ask for feedback. Every table applauded him.

Guest Experiences at Domina Coral Bay

Reviews from travelers provide valuable insights:​

• Positive Feedback: Guests frequently commend the resort’s cleanliness, friendly staff, and the breathtaking beach views. One reviewer noted, “Everything was amazing, the resort is well equipped, full of green areas, the beach is exceptional and full of services and facilities.”
• Areas for Improvement: Some guests have pointed out that the resort’s vast size can be overwhelming, making navigation challenging. Additionally, while many appreciate the variety of food offered, others feel that certain dishes could be enhanced to cater more to international palates.

What we personally disliked was the fact that some beach areas were reserved only for D Club members. You could not sunbathe there, even though they were empty. Obviously we wanted to stay on the comfier sunbeds, but we were denied.

The bar was far away from the beach, and they would only server you water in a paper coffee cup. Unlike other resorts, like Labranda Club Makadi in Hurghada, where you had water in fridges placed on the beach, this resort had none. Imagine going for water in scorching sun and coming back with on glass (maybe empty, because you already drank it).

There was another bar on the beach, but I don’t know for whom, because it never served us, not even water.

All in all, Domina Coral Bay Resort stands as a testament to Egyptian hospitality, offering a harmonious blend of luxury, adventure, and relaxation.

Its diverse accommodations, extensive amenities, and commitment to guest satisfaction make it a compelling choice for travelers seeking both rest and recreation in Sharm el Sheikh.