Casa Cook El Gouna

Sand tones and polished concrete

Casa Cook El Gouna describes itself as an oasis where the desert meets the Red Sea, inspired by Bedouin style: wood, linen, stone, sun-bleached tones and minimal architecture. The rooms spell it out: floor-to-ceiling windows, polished concrete bathrooms, furniture in mango, teak and sarso wood.

The hotel received one Michelin Key (the Michelin Guide's hotel award) in 2026, one of 13 in Egypt according to the hotel, and holds the Green Key label (an international environmental label run by the Foundation for Environmental Education) for the third year running.

It is for guests aged 16 and over, with no children's facilities.

The wind, the reason to come

The hotel has its own kitesurf centre, run with the Duotone brand: lessons for every level, equipment hire and access to the lagoon spots.

El Gouna gets wind all year. Summer (March to October) brings more windy days but fewer very strong ones; in winter the wind blows about 70% of the time, with stronger gusts. It comes from the north and blows cross-shore or onshore on most spots, 95% of the time. Windfinder's El Gouna station records, from 2006 to 2026, an average wind of 12 knots (about 22 km/h) from the north-north-west, with average gusts of 15 knots.

In the water, expect 25 to 30 °C in summer and about 19 °C in winter, when a 4/3 mm full wetsuit is recommended. Several El Gouna spots have long stretches of shallow water with no reef.

Our reading: beginners progress well in summer, when the wind is steady without being strong; experienced riders after punchier days will find more of them in winter, wetsuit included.

A day on land

The day starts at the Kitchen Club, the main breakfast room (7.30 to 11 am), which serves dinner from 7 to 11 pm: Arabic, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking, mezze and local produce. The beach bar serves drinks and cocktails from 10 am to 11 pm and lunch from 12.30 to 6 pm, with a resident DJ. Arabesque offers an oriental dinner. All times are local.

To recover after a session: the yoga shala, an open-air, shaded yoga pavilion with aerial hammocks, holds daily yoga and Pilates classes (8.30 am to 5.30 pm). The spa is open from 10 am to 7 pm, with a hammam, steam room, two saunas, a plunge pool and a heated pool. The gym is open around the clock.

Every Tuesday, a "Bedouin Night" is held on the beach platform from 7 to 10.30 pm.

Beyond the hotel

The hotel runs three outings:

• on Saturdays, the "Desert Flow Experience", about six hours in the Eastern Desert and Red Sea Mountains: guided walk, tea, a yoga flow for all levels and stargazing, ending at El Gouna Oasis;
• on Thursdays, a three-hour tour of Hurghada: El Mina mosque, the old fishing harbour, the fish market;
• at sunset, an hour at the top of the Steigenberger's Sunset Tower, looking over the lagoons, the golf course and the sea.

Abu Tig Marina, with its restaurants, and El Gouna's town centre are about 3 and 5 km away respectively.

Sabaro's view

For whom: kitesurfing couples and friends, beginners and experienced alike; adults who want a design hotel without children.

Strengths: kitesurf centre on site; private beach; villas with private pools; a 9.3/10 Booking.com rating based on 873 reviews.

Good to know: Junior Suites share their pool with a few other suites.