Rixos Premium Seagate

A theme park by the sea

Rixos Premium Seagate is the family address in Sabaro's Sharm El Sheikh selection. Everything is designed so you never need to go out: all-inclusive package, private beach, seven pools and, right next door, Rixos Aquaventure, a water park of 23 slides spread over six towers. The park adds a lazy river, a wave pool and, on dry land, a go-kart track, a Ferris wheel and a climbing wall.

The hotel is on Nabq Bay, 9 km from the international airport, 18 km from Naama Bay and 25 km from the Old Market. It is very large, which is both its strength and its limit: there is always an activity, a restaurant or a free pool, but walking distances add up, and check-in can take patience at busy times.

Next door, Rixos Sharm El Sheikh, of the same brand, is for adults only: the two share a formula and differ completely in atmosphere.

A club for every age

The Rixy Kids Club welcomes children of all ages, with separate spaces for toddlers, children and teenagers. For ages 4 to 12, the programme runs from morning to evening: games, contests, sports, crafts (face painting, crown making), then a cinema session with cartoons. An outdoor playground is reserved for them.

The Teens Club takes 10 to 17-year-olds in a supervised space without parents: games, workshops and tournaments all day. It is a real plus for families with teenagers, often overlooked by hotel clubs.

For parents, the Exclusive Sports Club offers TRX (suspension training with straps), CrossFit and Kangoo Jump (running on spring boots) classes, a gym, an open-air workout area, tennis and beach volleyball. Access to the sauna, steam room, hot tub and juice bar of Anjana Spa is included; treatments, massages and hammam scrubs are paid.

Choosing your wing

The resort is divided into several sections, and the choice shapes the stay.

• The main building has the Superior (32 m²) and Deluxe (36 m²) rooms, with a balcony or terrace over the garden or pool, and a minibar (water, soft drinks, beer) refilled daily.
• Seagate Aqua, on the second line, further from the beach, has rooms, family rooms and suites.
• The Premium building, set apart, has its own pool reserved for its guests: the right choice for a couple who want a quieter pool.
• For families, Family Rooms have two bedrooms joined by a connecting door, one with a king bed and one with twin beds; the Seagate Aqua suites add a living room and two or three bathrooms.
• The villas, with three bedrooms and four bathrooms, have a garden, private pool and butler.

Sabaro advises families who come mainly for the sea to ask for the main building, and large families to look at the Seagate Aqua suites.

Eating and going out

The hotel has some twenty restaurants and bars. The Turquoise buffet serves all day; near the beach, an open-air food court lines up eight counters (burgers, shawarma, pasta, pizza). À la carte, you choose between L'Olivo for Italian, Epicure for French cooking, La Churrascaria for Brazilian-style meat, Lalezar for Ottoman cuisine, Mykonos for Greek food, Salt for fish, an Asian restaurant, and The Mangal, by the sea under the palms, where each table has its own grill. At People's, the sushi and teppanyaki counter is charged extra.

In the evening, Rixos bets on shows: acrobats, circus acts, DJs and concerts at the Rixos Arena. The Piano Lobby Bar and the Seagate Aqua lobby lounge, open around the clock, are quieter.

Sabaro's view

For whom: families with children and teenagers who want an all-inclusive with a water park and supervised clubs.

Strengths: the Aquaventure park next door; a club for every age, teenagers included; the choice of restaurants; a 4.8/5 rating on Tripadvisor from more than 9,000 reviews.

Good to know: it is a very large resort, lively until late; some guests report waits at check-in and uneven room service; Naama Bay is 18 km away, by taxi.