Hotel Domina Coral Bay Aquamarine Pool

The Aquamarine Pool hotel is located within the Domina complex, in the district of Hadaba (a 10-minute drive away from the tourist site of Naama Bay and the international airport). Taxis can take you to the old part of town for approximately £1.50, and there are also on-site shuttles to transport guests from hotel to hotel within the complex (the Domina actually stretches over a total area of one million square metres!).

The Domina Coral Bay is the largest hotel complex in Sharm El Sheikh: it has no less than 2000 rooms spread across six hotels, and is in constant expansion. The first hotel, the 'Aquamarine Beach', opened its doors in 1994 at the instigation of the current manager of the complex, Erminio Briatano. Over the years, Mr. Briatano has been developing the concept of a self-sufficient holiday resort: the ambitious project of meeting the "basic" needs of each hotel with cultivated produce led the entrepreneur to reserve areas of the estate to fruit and vegetable growing and goat and sheep breeding. The most recent plan to expand the resort involves the creation of an Olympic village. The Aquamarine Pool opened in 2001.

This hotel is an extension of the Aquamarine Beach, which, opening in 1994, was the first hotel built by the group. Small alleyways link the reception with the room units (as many guestrooms as at the Oasis), which are simply designed, with a clear and linear structure. As with every hotel of the group, guests can use all the facilities available within the complex: the Domina's services include pools and restaurants (the latter may require an extra charge, depending on your accommodation option). Other than its pools, the estate has a number of bars, spread out everywhere across the estate.

The rooms aren't quite as sophisticated as those of the Oasis hotel, but their decor is extremely charming, in monochrome blue tones. Their location is excellent, providing a beautiful view of the sea. The style in these rooms brings to mind the Thousand and One Nights, thanks to their starry ceiling and the great attention given to detail. It is all rather pleasantly unexpected, especially given their affordable price.

They are equipped in the same way as the guestrooms in the resort's other hotels: air-conditioning, a flat-screen satellite television, a fridge-bar on request and 24-hour room service. The spacious and brightly-lit bathrooms aren't separate (toilet in the bathroom) and are provided with hospitality products.

Whichever hotel you are staying in, you can eat at any of the 11 restaurants within the resort. Their cuisine isn't very local but much more international in its style, served either as a buffet or a la carte. Be cautious with raw vegetables and make sure that water is served in sealed bottles.

Note that the beach is remote. Given the size of the complex and how much trouble it is to get around on foot, guests tend to favour the numerous pools and countless amenities available throughout the Domina estate.

The quickest way to get to the sea is a 10-minute drive via Hadaba.