In the 2015 Conde Nast traveler awards, the Four Seasons Sharm el Sheikh was rated the top hotel in Egypt. In addition, it was ranked as:
#8 The World's Top 100 and
#4 Best Hotels in the Middle East, Africa & the Indian Ocean
In its 2015 annual review of the top hotels for the super-rich, New World Wealth rated the Four Seasons in Sharm el Sheikh at #9 for Africa Top Rated Hotels & Lodges.
According to Conde Nast, Sharm el Sheikh is a four hours from London by air. Cost: seven nights from £3,799 for a family of four, including breakfast, flights and transfers. As to the airport, the article notes:
Whizz through fast-track passport control and get ushered into cars for the 10-minute drive through shimmering sand dunes.
The Four Seasons describes its Sharm el Sheikh hotel this way:
Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh is a unique place among international beach destinations offering a desert and sea hideaway experience with year-round sunshine and world-class diving in the Red Sea. Within an oasis of lush greenery and fountains, Four Seasons is a self-contained world with eight options for dining and drinks, glamorous swimming pools, a private beach, kids’ activities, and an indoor-outdoor Spa and Wellness Centre. The Resort maintains its position as the premier luxury resort in the destination, promising guests a comfortable and relaxing experience.
Here's the New World Wealth top ten:
[I've only stayed at 5 of the 10 listed hotels, and I'm certainly not a multi-millionaire, but I wouldn't have included the Plaza. The Bellagio and Little Nell are very nice hotels, but I'm surprised no hotels from China or Thailand made the list. There are a few in both places I would have included.]
I have no idea whether any of the Russian passengers who died on the crashed flight had stayed at the Four Seasons. But I now see why so many people would want to visit Sharm el Sheikh, and why there are so many thousands of Britons and Russians still there needing evacuation. It's a very beautiful place.
If ISIS did down the plane, it's going to have a lasting impact on the tourist industry in Egypt.