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Looking for a fun-packed, all-inclusive getaway in Egypt? The Domina Coral Bay Resort in Sharm el Sheikh is PERFECT!
Waking up to watch the sunrise over the sea with a coffee in hand, wandering down to the beach or lazing by the pool with a good book, long lazy meals with a glass of wine, afternoons spent swimming or unwinding at the spa, watching sunset from a beachside bar… a day in the life at this fabulous Egyptian resort can be seriously relaxing.
Or, it can be packed with fun! Careening through the desert on a quad bike in a cloud of sand, snorkelling over coral colourful coral reefs in crystal clear waters, dancing the night away at the resort disco. There’s a holiday for everyone here.
This is a seriously big resort, with several restaurants and bars, numerous pools, 1.8km of beaches, a dive centre, a casino, a spa, daily activities, sports courts, nightly shows and entertainment, and a host of excursions.
You can make your days as full or as empty as you like! There are also multiple room styles and options to suit all budgets – so you can create the perfect holiday to suit you. There’s something for almost every kind of traveller here.
This is going to be a pretty long & thorough review of Domina Coral Bay. If you’re short on time, you can skip to the summary at the end – and check out my 1-minute tour video for a quicker into. Otherwise, read on for a full review of the resort. Enjoy…
My Review of Domina Coral Bay Resort Sharm el Sheikh
My stay was complimentary, but the following review of Domina Coral Bay Resort in Sharm el Sheikh is totally honest and 100% my own opinion.
Quick Introduction to Domina Coral Bay
A huge resort on a picturesque bay in Sharm el Sheikh, Domina Coral Bay is an ideal spot if you’re looking for a relaxing holiday that still offers plenty to do.
The resort boasts its own dive centre, a gorgeous spa, and a casino – as well as multiple swimming pools, a saltwater swimming lake, several restaurants, and much more.
This was my first time spending a full week at an all-inclusive resort. I was a little worried I might be bored, but there was SO much to do. Click here to see my reel showing exactly what I packed into my week-long holiday!
Location: A Private Bay on the Red Sea
The resort is ideally located on the coast in Sharm el Sheikh – less than a 15-minute drive from the airport. It’s on a wide, sheltered bay with a private beach. There’s even a stunning coral reef just offshore, within easy swimming distance.
Sharm el Sheikh is mainly seen as a “resort town” and doesn’t have quite as many cultural or historical attractions as some other destinations in Egypt. But if you do want to get out and explore, the Old Town – with its historic market and striking Sahaba Mosque – is around a 20-minute drive from Domina Coral Bay. You can also visit the famous Ras Mohamed National Park or take an excursion into the surrounding desert – both within easy reach of the resort.
What are the different room types at Domina Coral Bay?
OK, the first thing to say is that Domina Coral Bay resort is absolutely HUGE! It’s divided into several different areas or neighbourhoods, each with its own room types and accommodation offerings.
Click here for the resort map to see where all the different areas are. I’ll cover them all quickly below, but you can get a full rundown of each room type here. It’s worth noting that nothing is quite as far away as it looks: you can walk from the far end of the resort to the main pool in around ten minutes.
The Areas
Aquamarine – this is the central area of Domina Coral Bay, close to all the action, including the main pool. There are two accommodation types here. Aquamarine Beachfront rooms are deluxe twin or queen rooms in two-storey buildings with stunning ocean views, while the Aquamarine Pool & Garden View rooms (again queen or twin) are in three-storey buildings. Beachfront rooms come with Ultra All Inclusive.
Harem – deluxe queen and twin rooms (with pool or garden views) as well as 2-floor Junior Suites with panoramic sea views. Quieter but still very close to the main area.
King’s Lake – an almost-central position just to the right of the main attractions, but quieter. These rooms are positioned around a stunning saltwater lake and top-floor rooms also have sea views. These rooms come with Ultra All Inclusive.
Oasis, Bellavista, and Sultan – these three areas run left to right along the back of the resort. All offer a mix of queen or twin rooms, some have full or partial sea views while others offer pool and garden views. The Bellavista and Sultan areas have their own small swimming pools. The Oasis rooms are a little higher up and offer magnificent views of the bay.
Elisir – similar to the above, but with slightly more deluxe rooms in an area with a private pool at the far end of the resort. These rooms come with All-Inclusive Plus.
Prestige – a luxurious area with deluxe queen or twin rooms, decorated in an elegant Moorish style with four-poster beds. There are a mix of pool and sea view rooms – both come with Premium All Inclusive. Prestige guests have access to the Plaisir restaurant and their own private section of the beach.
Superior Villa – a luxurious 4-bedroom villa with sea views. Comes with Prestige Premium All-Inclusive and many additional benefits.
Good to know: There are different All Inclusive packages depending on what room you book. Oasis, Aquamarine, Bellavista, Sultan and Harem all come with the basic All-Inclusive package. More details later on down the page.
Room Review: Aquamarine Beachfront
I stayed in one of the Aquamarine Beachfront rooms on my visit. This is the “main” area in Domina Coral Bay: at the centre of the resort, close to the main pool and all the major attractions.
The rooms are in a two-storey building surrounding the main pool. I was in a top-floor room which had a large balcony with stunning views of the Red Sea and the bay. Ground-floor rooms have cute terraces, also with sea views.
Good to Know: The downside of being so close to the action is that these rooms can be a little noisy at night, as the sound from the nearby entertainment views carries. These shows go on until about 11pm Domina time (10pm Egypt time) so if you have young kids or prefer a quieter night, it may be worth staying in one of the quieter areas (see above).
Aquamarine Beachfront Room
My Aquamarine Beachfront room at Domina Coral Bay was huge – with high ceilings and loads of space. There’s also plenty of storage space, including a massive dresser with a wardrobe rail above and drawers below. If you’re staying for a full week, as I was, you can put everything away and feel like you’ve fully moved in!
Decor is light and fresh, with whitewashed walls and pale grey floor tiles. It all feels very simple and clean. It’s the ideal space for relaxing: and those views speak for themselves!
The bathroom was a little smaller, with cute Arabic-style tiling. It was still spacious enough, with a large sink area (plenty of space for all my stuff) and a large walk-in shower.
You get all the basic facilities you’d expect from a modern hotel room. There’s a safe, AC, a TV (which I never even turned on!) and a kettle with tea and coffee. I’d have preferred a pod coffee machine, but you can’t have everything! There’s also a minibar fridge with water, juices, and soft drinks – which were included with my Ultra All-Inclusive package.
These are billed as “Deluxe Rooms”, but I think it’s the view rather than the styling that makes them so. I’d say these were mid-range: comfy, clean, and spacious, but nothing too fancy. The main selling points are the stunning sea views and the proximity to all the attractions.
Pools and Beaches at Domina Coral Bay Resort Sharm el Sheikh
If you’re heading to an all-inclusive resort for a holiday, then it’s likely that beaches and pools are one of your top priorities! Luckily, Domina Coral Bay Sharm el Sheikh has PLENTY to choose from.
There are towel rental spots at all the beaches and pools. You hand in your towel card and get one towel in exchange, then swap it back for your card when you’re done. They won’t give you more than one towel in a day, but you can give it back when you move to a different area and get a fresh one there.
Pools
Several of the accommodation “areas” (see above) have their own small swimming pool, but the main pool is located near the centre of the resort in the Aquamarine area. It’s a large swimming pool surrounded by swaying palm trees. There’s a shallow pool for kids, a poolside bar for drinks, and a nearby cafe (additional cost).
If you want to keep busy during your stay, this is the place to come. Activities run in and around the pool throughout the day – you can check the Domina Coral Bay app to see what’s on when. If you’d rather chill out and swim in peace, though, I recommend heading to the lake or the beach instead!
One downside is that there aren’t really enough sunloungers here, so on busier days it’s harder to find a spot. Get to the pool early if you want to bag a lounger.
Beach
With 1.8km of private beach to play with, you’re spoilt for choice at Domina Coral Bay! There are loads of different areas along the beach – including a couple of private spots that are just for Prestige guests, and the exclusive Luxury Beach Club (additional cost). But alongside those, there are plenty of sections where all guests can find a sunlounger to relax.
Good to know: the coral reef runs alongside most of the beach so you can’t swim directly into the sea. There are a couple of areas where swimming is OK, marked by buoys, but most of these aren’t that deep.
Instead, there are three jetties at intervals along the beach, which reach out into the sea beyond the reef. You can swim from these – but the water is deeper here so it’s not ideal for young kids and non-swimmers. Two of the jetties have “floating” saltwater swimming pools which are great for a more sheltered swim.
Salt Lake
The Salt Lake was my favourite swimming and sunbathing spot at Domina Coral Bay. It’s a large, man-made saltwater lake just next door to the beach.
There are no waves, and usually less wind than down on the beach, so it’s a great spot for a more sheltered swim – perfect for families with younger kids. It’s also much more serene and chilled out than the pool, another win in my book!
There’s a sandy beach around the lake with sunloungers and a lakeside beach bar for drinks. This is also where you’ll find the Blue Lake Restaurant, which was probably my favourite in the entire resort!
Other Facilities: Total Holiday Bliss!
Elisir Spa
Hands down my favourite experience at Domina Coral Bay! The Elisir Spa is a fantastic, secluded spot to truly get away from it all and unwind.
It’s also huge. So big, in fact, that I only discovered there was a whole second area inside the spa on my last day at the resort!
The spa’s large outdoor area is tucked away between some high walls and rocky cliff faces, so it feels completely cut off from the rest of the resort. On the top level, there’s a large marine pool with massage jets and a cave, surrounded by comfy sunbeds – great for relaxing away from the noisier main pool.
On the lower level, there’s a fab Thalassotherapy area with a mix of different temperature pools, including a cool plunge pool, two jacuzzis, and a cold waterfall. I’ve indulged in this kind of cold-to-hot water therapy before (including on my trip to Cancun last year) and it’s really good for you.
The spa also has a huge range of treatments on offer, so of course I had to indulge in massage. They actually offered a package of four massages between two of us (spread across the week) which worked out at a bargain price of about 37€ per massage. Both times the massage was excellent – the perfect accompaniment to a week of relaxation!
Gym
Once upon a time, you’d never have caught me in the gym while on holiday – how times have changed! But if, like me, you don’t want your whole fitness routine to go out the window while you’re away, you’re in luck!
Domina Coral Bay has a fantastic beachfront gym with ocean views – so you can keep on top of your workouts while you’re away (and maybe burn off some of that amazing all-inclusive food!). It has all the equipment you’d expect, plenty of space, and is kept very clean and tidy.
The Beach Luxury Club
If you want to treat yourself to a slightly more upscale, exclusive experience, look no further than The Beach Luxury Club. This is an adults-only, paid-for section of the beach with ultra-comfy cushioned sunbeds (with or without curtains for shade) and direct-to-sunbed service for food and drink.
Paying for access and then paying for drinks on top might seem a little much, but it can be worth it for the upgraded experience. There’s something quite nice about relaxing on a plush sunbed whilst looking out at the rest of the world on the “normal” beach area!
There’s also a restaurant at the club, set just back from the sand, which makes a great spot for lunch, dinner, or sunset drinks.
Beach Luxury Club Dinner Show
Once a week, the Beach Luxury Club hosts a Dinner Show, with a set menu, live performers, and music. The theme changes regularly; when we were there it was a Mardi Gras-inspired night, and all the servers were wearing elaborate costumes and masks.
There’s a definite party vibe! Once the show and dinner are over, the DJ turns the music up and the party goes on until late. I LOVED this event: the food was great, the acts were fantastic, and it was a lot of fun to have dancers right next to our table while we ate!
Diving and Snorkelling
Domina Coral Bay is on a small bay with its own coral reef, so the snorkelling opportunities here are fantastic! You can rent snorkel equipment and hop straight in from the jetty to discover a colourful underwater world.
There’s also a fantastic dive centre which offers everything from a free (yes – free!) introduction dive to guided dives and PADI qualifications.
My bad ears mean I can’t dive, but my holiday buddy Lisa did a PADI Reactivate Course while she was on the trip with me. Watch her reel to see what diving in Sharm el Sheikh looks like!
There are more great diving and snorkelling opportunities in the wide area around Sharm el Sheikh, too. I highly recommend booking one of the boat trips, or an excursion to Ras Mohamed National Park, to visit some of the best snorkel and dive sites. We took the boat trip to Tiran Island with stops at three fab sites – Lisa could dive while I snorkelled, so this was a great option for groups where not everyone wants to dive.
Evening Entertainment
There’s a fab range of entertainment every night at Domina Coral Bay for those who want it. Stage shows, competitions, live music, dancers, and much more.
The Arena is the “main” venue for evening entertainment. We loved the Aladdin Show – a shortened version of the hit Broadway production, with brilliant dance routines. Download the Domina Coral Bay app before your holiday so you can see what’s going to be on, and start making plans.
I highly recommend booking at least one of the dinner shows, such as the Cleopatra Show. We headed to the Friday night Dinner Show at the Beach Luxury Club (see above) and it was a great night – especially if you’re looking for a party!
Everything Else:
- Aladin Casino (I didn’t visit as I’m not the gambling type, but if you like casinos this one looks great fun).
- Outlets – a shopping area which feels like a mini town centre in the middle of the resort. Souvenirs shops, local products, a pharmacy, and a small supermarket. You never need to leave the resort if you don’t want to!
- Internal Transport – there’s a minibus service to get around the resort, and you can also call for a golf cart to drive you somewhere (additional charge).
- Mini Club – a kid’s club open daily for children aged 4-12.
- Padel Courts – padel is a cross between squash and tennis (I’d never heard of it and didn’t have time to try it, but it could be fun to give it a whirl!).
- Daily Activities – there’s a wealth of activities throughout the day, including sports, yoga, dance classes and more. Check the Domina Coral Bay App to see what’s on.
I tend to prefer doing my own thing (or just chilling with a book) to “organised fun” so I didn’t go near any of the activities. It was great to see how much was going on though, and the people that did join in looked like they were having fun (while I lazily watched them from my sunlounger)!! If you’re the kind of person who can’t sit still for too long – or want a way to meet new friends – there’s plenty to keep you busy!
Dining Options at Domina Coral Bay Resort Sharm el Sheikh
All-Inclusive Packages Explained
There are four different all-inclusive packages at Domina Coral Bay, and these are linked to the eight different room categories (covered earlier in this post). Essentially, it means there’s something to suit every budget and every kind of traveller…
- All-Inclusive – Oasis, Aquamarine, Bellavista, Sultan and Harem. 3 buffet restaurants, 8 bars, 4 pools, and access to the Main Beach and Sultan Beach.
- All-Inclusive Plus – Elisir. 3 buffet restaurants, 2 a la carte restaurants (see below), 9 bars, 5 pools, Main Beach and Elisir-Sultan Beach, and access to the gym and spa.
- Ultra All Inclusive – Aquamarine Deluxe and King’s Lake. 3 buffet restaurants, 3 a la carte restaurants (see below), 9 bars, 5 pools and Salt Lake, Main Beach and Elisir-Sultan Beach, access to the gym and spa, plus Club Car service.
- Premium All Inclusive – Prestige. 3 buffet restaurants, 6 a la carte restaurants (see below), 9 bars, 7 pools and Salt Lake, gym and spa, 3 beaches (Main Beach, Elisir-Sultan Beach, and the private Prestige Beach), Club Car service, and butler service.
Restaurants at Domina Coral Bay Resort Sharm el Sheikh
Buffet Restaurants
There are three buffet restaurants at Domina Coral Bay: Coral, Il Giardino, and Spices. All of them serve a varied mix of international cuisine – Spices also serves up local Egyptian cuisine – and the other two both have theme nights to mix things up.
To be honest, I only ate at one of the buffet restaurants once during my stay as I prefer ordering a la carte. Coral is a huge space with a massive variety of food. It’s a bit lacking in atmosphere due to the size, but I liked the live pasta station and the outdoor BBQ options. Fans of buffets will probably enjoy the restaurants, and it’s nice to have three so you can mix things up!
A La Carte Restaurants
There are also numerous a la carte restaurants to enjoy at Domina Coral Bay. Even if they aren’t included with your all-inlcusive package, you can still pay to visit if you fancy a break from the buffet!
La Piazetta* (dinner) – covered outdoor dining (with patio heaters for cooler weather). Italian cuisine with lots of pizza and pasta dishes.
Steakhouse* (dinner) – my favourite dinner spot in Domina Coral Bay! A cosy indoor dining space with cute, rustic decor and amazing service. The menu is large and not just steak-focused, but the burgers and grill options are divine!
*included with the All Inclusive Plus package and above.
Blue Lake Restaurant** (breakfast and lunch) – probably my favourite in the resort! A covered outdoor dining terrace next to Salt Lake, with some tables directly on the sand. Breakfast is a small continental buffet plus eggs cooked to order, while the lunch menu has Italian/Mediterranean vibes with several delicious seafood options.
**included with the Ultra and Premium All Inclusive packages.
Plaisir*** (breakfast and dinner) – upscale fine dining restaurant with international cuisine and an intimate feel.
La terazza*** (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) – a modern restaurant on the beach serving Italian cuisine.
Prestige Beach Bar*** (lunch) – cute outdoor bar and restaurant overlooking the private Prestige beach. I stopped by for a drink: the service was fab and the sea views were gorgeous!
***included with the Premium All Inclusive package.
Alibaba (lunch) – casual beach restaurant known for its wood-fired pizzas and salads.
Coral Bay Cafe (open 24 hours) – casual spot for coffees, snacks and cakes. They also serve drinks (not part of the all-inclusive) with live music in the evenings.
The Beach Luxury Club (lunch and dinner) – a great spot for drinks with a sea view, as well as international cuisine specialising in Italian, seafood, and sushi. I ate here on the night of the Dinner Show (which I mentioned earlier) and the food was fabulous.
All-Inclusive Bars
There are nine all-inclusive bars dotted around the resort in addition to the above restaurants. Most are open daily until sunset, but the rooftop Pergola Bar is open till midnight. It has great views, shisha pipes, and fun Arabic decor with floor cushions and swaying curtains.
In my opinion, the best beach bar is the one at the far eastern end of the beach. It’s slightly uphill and has a great view of the whole bay – perfect for watching the sunset at the end of the day!
If you want to party, the Stargate Disco is open two nights a week from midnight. I didn’t go in (bit too much of a granny these days to be out partying past midnight!!), but if you want to stay out drinking and dancing, this is your only option.
Domina Coral Bay Resort Sharm el Sheikh – Quick Review Summary
What I Loved
- This is a huge resort with something for everyone – as good for couples on a romantic honeymoon as it is for families or groups of friends.
- Having a coral reef right on our doorstep!
- The sea views from the Aquamarine Beachfront rooms.
- Elisir Spa – both the outdoor pool network and the fabulous treatments. I highly recommend a massage here!
- Working out with a sea view at the gym.
- Amazing food at the a la carte restaurants.
- Salt Lake for a dreamy, chilled-out swimming and sunbathing spot.
- The tours: our desert quad bike excursion and snorkelling boat trip to Tiran Island.
Things Worth Knowing
- The Aquamarine area was noisy at night. If you have young kids or prefer going to bed early, I’d recommend booking King’s Lake or Prestige instead.
- Personally, I didn’t love the buffet restaurants and I think I would have gotten bored eating there for every meal. So I think it’s worth upgrading to one of the rooms with all-inclusive packages that include some of the a la carte restaurants as well.
- Only one of the all-inclusive bars is open after sunset, and it’s not near where the entertainment takes place. If you want to enjoy the show or live music, you’ll have to pay for drinks separately. That said, the rooftop all-inclusive bar is a great spot for a quiet drink with a great view of the resort.
- It’s not easy to swim in the sea from the beach, and the swimming jetties aren’t suitable for young kids and non-swimmers. But there are PLENTY of other options if you want a dip.
Good to Know: Domina Time
The resort uses its own separate timezone, an hour ahead of the local Egyptian time. They do this to maximise daylight hours – but it can be confusing (especially when booking your transfer back in time for your flight, which will of course be in Egyptian time). My phone automatically synced to local time so I had to keep adding on an hour in my head. But it does mean that you can wake up later and enjoy the sunshine for longer. Just be sure to set the time on your phone manually and unwind on “Domina Time”.
Final Summary
I have to confess, I’m not normally a “resort” type of traveller. I usually prefer to get out and explore a place, and the idea of spending a full week without once leaving the resort felt a bit alien to me.
But after my week at Domina Coral Bay I can truly see the appeal. Sometimes, you just need a proper “holiday”: to chill out, have fun, eat good food, and enjoy the sunshine, without trying to see and experience everything.
Of course, we did get out into Sharm el Sheikh and the surrounding area on our two excursions, but for the rest of the week, I was perfectly content to chill and explore the resort. It helps that Domina Coral Bay is absolutely huge, and genuinely has something for everyone.
With its fab mix of restaurants and bars, dozens of different swimming options, and that exquisite Elisir Spa, there was never time to get bored! There’s loads to do, but there are also plenty of opportunities to unwind and do nothing.
Thanks to its size and diverse accommodation areas (which feel like several resorts in one), Domina Coral Bay can easily appeal to a broad range of travellers – whether you’re visiting as a family, a couple on a romantic getaway, or a group of friends.
The Details
Domina Coral Bay Resort Sharm el Sheikh
Hadaba 46619
Sharm Al Shiekh
South Sinai Governorate 46628,
Egypt
Phone: +20 69363 01510-9
Email: [email protected]
I hope you found this review of the Domina Coral Bay Resort in Sharm el Sheikh helpful! Let me know if you book a stay – scroll down to leave a comment!
