Crowne Plaza jewel brings flavour of Morocco to Egypt's Red Sea riviera

Descending from 30 metres above the Red Sea to its shore, the resort provides guests with a striking array of irregular balcony designs in total or half wood, some open and others shuttered in Andalucian-style.

Its unobtrusive splendour overlooking El Pacha Bay, giving magnificent views of the renowned Far Garden coral reef, belies the existence of 329 deluxe rooms, as well as three and four bedroom chalets designed for optimal comfort and convenience.

It is little wonder that the Crowne Plaza Resort Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt's first Crowne Plaza property, and the first new Crowne Plaza resort in the Middle East and Africa, is being seen as a unique development in many ways.

"The north African belt of Arabic countries are all to be experienced in one place at this resort, and there is nothing else like it in Sharm El Sheikh," explains Moine Kandil, the general manager. "Historically, Egypt has always found itself at the centre the world's development, and today it is at the centre of the Arabic world for the tourist."

The stepped resort has a Roman style swimming pool, a diving pool, two other swimming pools and a fifth pool as part of a superb health club. Its private is beach served by a bar and café, both set in caves. This three-level beach has hideouts giving magnificent views of the azure sea of the South Sinai, and boasts the ultimate in watersport facilities.

Providing culinary delights for guests are an all-day café and three restaurants: La Veranda, The Palms, and the Space Ship Bar, with a rusty old space ship décor which extends the resort's aquatic and nautical associations to that other "great ocean" - space. They offer speciality food, seafood and contemporary cuisine. There is an Arabic shisha cafe.

All rooms offer in-room tea and coffee facilities, computer connections, international satellite and movie channels. Non-smoking and disabled rooms are available. Conference facilities include two 200 square metre multi-purpose function rooms with terraces offering breathtaking views of the coral reefs as well as smaller breakout rooms. There is also a fully equipped business centre, car rental desk, book and goft shops and local souvenir bazaar.

It is the first of two Crowne Plaza resorts to open on Egypt's south Sinai coastline. The Crowne Plaza Resort Abu Soma will be opened in February 2002 by Six Continents Hotels, which currently operates seven properties in Egypt, with another nine under development.