El Gouna’s first hotel chain, Steigenberger Golf Resort has anchored the town’s hospitality scene since its early years — designed by award-winning American architect Michael Graves, with an 18-hole championship golf course laid out by golfer Fred Couples and course designer Gene Bates.
Rooms and suites carry a distinctive Nubian color palette — rich orange and redbrick tones, arabesque arched windows, and domed ceilings — a deliberate design choice tying the resort to Upper Egyptian architectural tradition rather than generic beach-resort styling. A comprehensive renovation completed in 2023 refreshed every room and the resort’s main restaurant, adding direct pool access from ground-floor rooms and suites.
Three restaurants and four bars cover the range: Fairways for daily-changing international buffets with live cooking stations, La Rotisserie for gourmet dining with panoramic town views, and Harumaki for genuine Japanese cuisine including sushi and teppanyaki — guests can also join the El Gouna Dine Around program, sampling more than 15 participating restaurants across town on the same package.
Designed by award-winning architect Michael Graves, with a golf course laid out by Fred Couples — architectural pedigree rare among Red Sea resorts.
Bookable directly through Steigenberger or standard resort platforms. About 30 minutes from Hurghada International Airport, with a hotel shuttle available. The wellness center and gym are restricted to guests 16 and older, worth knowing for families traveling with younger children.
El Gouna is not a resort strip — it is a purpose-built town of lagoons and islands with its own marina, restaurants and nightlife, and the Steigenberger Golf Resort was its first chain hotel. It suits travellers who want to leave the hotel in the evening and find somewhere to go, and golfers, for the obvious reason.
For a quiet self-contained peninsula instead, Kempinski Soma Bay. For a big beach resort closer to Hurghada, Steigenberger Al Dau. For understated luxury, The Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh.
Of all the Red Sea options on this site, El Gouna is the one that works best for a longer stay, because there is a town around the hotel rather than only a beach. It is about 25 minutes north of Hurghada airport.
