Review: The St. Regis Red Sea Resort

Just off the coast of Saudi Arabia, lies an archipelago of 90 untouched islands in the Red Sea, forming part of one of the largest tourism infrastructure projects ever undertaken. The Saudi government is investing over $17 billion into this megaproject to transform the country into a world-class, sustainable tourism destination.

Located in the Ummahat Island Archipelago, the St. Regis Red Sea Resort was the first island resort to open, marking the beginning of an ambitious plan to develop 50 luxury resorts across the region over the next ten years. Major hotel brands, including Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, and Four Seasons, are making significant investments here, and I’m fascinated to see how this unfolds. Saudi Arabia has been historically closed to tourism and only just begun welcoming visitors in the past five years, making this development even more intriguing.

The images of the private islands in the Red Sea were stunning, and when the opportunity arose to visit, I knew I had to see it for myself. While this project is still in its early stages, the results so far are tremendously impressive. This is an incredible destination in a largely uncharted part of the world, and our stay at the St. Regis Red Sea Resort was nothing short of spectacular.

Booking

The St. Regis Red Sea is one of the most expensive resorts in the Middle East, both with cash and points bookings. The nightly cash rate varies between 6,000 – 8,000 SAR ($2,300 – $3,000 CAD) per night, and redemptions are equally as eye-watering, coming in between 160,000 – 200,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. For our booking, I was able to take advantage of a favorable industry rate for a 4-night stay.

Since the St. Regis Red Sea is situated on a remote island, much like many resorts in the Maldives, you’ll need to factor in the transfer cost from Red Sea International Airport to the resort. 

The resort provides two transfer options: a boat transfer that is automatically included on your reservation, or an optional upgrade to a seaplane transfer for an additional fee. The round-trip boat transfer cost 1,955 SAR, for two people. Transfer to the island isn’t included in award stays and must be paid separately in addition to the required points.

The resort graciously upgraded us to a seaplane transfer on our departure for free. I’ll cover both the boat and seaplane transfer process later on.

While the St. Regis Red Sea requires a staggering number of points for a redemption, it will usually result in a value of at least 2-plus cents per point, making this a great property to maximize the value of your points.

Since a Marriott Bonvoy 85,000-point Free Night Award won’t cover a stay here, you’ll need to accumulate a significant number of points. If you and a Player Two each open a few co-branded Marriott credit cards, you’ll be well on your way to making an aspirational stay such as this a reality.

A great starting point is the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Card, which offers a solid welcome bonus along with benefits like 15 Elite Night Credits toward earning or maintaining Marriott Bonvoy status each year.

Resort Overview

The St. Regis Red Sea Resort has 90 guest units, which are evenly divided between overwater and beachfront villas. All of the villas at the St. Regis Red Sea have their own expansive sundeck, outdoor shower, and private plunge pool.

The Red Sea is home to the world’s fourth-largest barrier reef system, making this an outstanding destination for avid snorkel, scuba, and watersports enthusiasts. 

All guests will enjoy the signature St. Regis butler service, catering to their unique preferences throughout their stay.

The resort island is fully powered by 100% renewable solar energy, aligning with the Gulf nation’s commitment to reducing its reliance on fossil fuels.

The St. Regis’ sister property, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is located on an adjacent island. St. Regis guests are welcome to visit Nujuma via a boat transfer arranged by your butler, giving you access to all of Nujuma’s amenities and restaurants during your stay. We spent an afternoon at Nujuma for lunch, and I’ll share some photos and thoughts about the experience later on.

Check-in

About a week before our arrival, I was contacted by the resort requesting our flight details into Red Sea International Airport. The resort then arranged both the car transfer to the marina and the subsequent boat transfer to the island.

The entire transfer process was seamless. After clearing passport control, we headed to one of the hotel desks that assist arriving guests in the Red Sea. Once our reservation was confirmed, we were promptly escorted to a waiting vehicle.

In line with Saudi Arabia’s sustainability initiatives, all transfer vehicles are luxury electric sedans, including the Lucid Air and Mercedes EQS. Travel time from the airport to the marina is about 25 minutes.

At the marina, we were invited to wait in the lounge while our boat was prepared. The lounge has a variety of refreshments available, including bottled water, coffee, tea, and some snacks. 

The moment we settled into the lounge we began to realize the extent of the low occupancy across all the resorts at the Red Sea; this would become a recurring theme throughout our stay. Our flight from Dubai had maybe 40 passengers on it, yet my wife and I were the only ones headed to a resort, as everyone else was arriving for work. 

At the marina, it was a similar scenario. The lounge, designed to accommodate many guests awaiting their boat transfers, was completely empty except for us. This continued as we boarded our boat—just the two of us.

There are many factors that may be contributing to this, but I think it mainly boils down to the exorbitant prices at Red Sea resorts, limited connectivity to Red Sea International (with flights currently only operating from Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dubai), and lingering perceptions about Saudi Arabia that may make some people hesitant to visit. As a result, the Red Sea region still has a long way to go before it can be considered the next Maldives.

Until the situation I described above changes, I expect the extremely low occupancy to remain across all of the resorts in the Red Sea Project. However, for those that do make the difficult journey while the development is still in its infancy, you’ll be richly rewarded with a resort island experience almost entirely to yourself.

The resort advertises the boat transfer as a luxury yacht, but my wife and I were placed on a speedboat for transit to the island. I’m guessing because we were the only two passengers it didn’t make sense to use the yacht, which was fine with us.

For our departure, we were upgraded to a seaplane for our transfer back to Red Sea International Airport. This was a nice gesture from the resort, which added a final special touch to our stay and also allowed us to skip the drive from the marina to the airport, saving us some time.

Upon arriving at the resort, we were warmly welcomed by a team of staff members who had been anticipating our arrival. It was here that we met our butler, Umar, who would be assisting us with any needs throughout our stay. Known for its butler service, the St. Regis Red Sea did not disappoint, and Umar’s attentiveness and communication was exceptional.

The service experience at St. Regis Red Sea is incredibly high-touch, offering a personalized, hands-on approach to guest care. Every single staff member we encountered at the St. Regis Red Sea was so warm, conversational, and friendly that I felt they delivered what I can only describe as the best customer service I’ve ever experienced. I suspect this was in part because of the low guest occupancy, as it often felt like there were a dozen staff members available per guest.

On the arrivals dock, we got our first glimpse of the island and surrounding water. I’ve heard others describe the water here as looking like blue Gatorade, and this is a perfect description. It’s the clearest and cleanest water I’ve ever seen. We felt very fortunate to be able to visit the Red Sea so early in its development, and experience it in its most pristine and untouched state. 

The island stretches approximately 4 km from end to end, so the resort provides a convenient buggy service for transportation, and each villa has two bicycles for guests to use throughout their stay.

I had already completed the check-in formalities prior to arriving, including pre-paying for our stay, so we just had to make a quick stop at the welcome pavilion to sign a few papers before we were on our way to our villa.

The check-in agent greeted us as Titanium Elite members and reviewed our benefits, which included a welcome gift of 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and a small discount at select resort outlets.

The Marriott Bonvoy breakfast benefit didn’t apply to our stay since paid bookings include breakfast for two at Nesma Restaurant each day. It’s unclear whether award stays booked with points receive complimentary breakfast, as it’s not explicitly listed in the points rate. Regardless, I highly recommend having at least Marriott Platinum status when staying here to guarantee a complimentary breakfast.

I booked a standard Dune Villa for our stay and never inquired about an upgrade to an overwater villa at any point. I was a bit surprised that we weren’t proactively upgraded, especially considering the property’s low occupancy rate (I’d estimate fewer than 10 of the 90 rooms were occupied). That said, we were completely satisfied with the Dune Villa. It was everything we could have hoped for, and I might even prefer it to an overwater villa.

We were given our room keys on a bracelet, which is a great design. It allows guests to enjoy all the water activities without the hassle of losing or keeping track of their room key.

Once our check-in was complete, Umar took us on a tour of the island and provided an overview of all of the resort’s facilities and amenities. He also outlined a number of the popular activities available to guests during their stay.

Location

The St. Regis Red Sea Resort is located in the coastal region of the Red Sea, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is situated within the Red Sea Project, an ambitious luxury development along Saudi Arabia’s western coastline. The resort sits on Ummahat Island 1, in the Ummahat Archipelago.

The resort offers breathtaking views of turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, and dramatic sunsets. Its proximity to coral reefs, and protected marine environments also makes it a premier destination for those interested in diving, water sports, and exploring the natural beauty of the Red Sea.

Ummahat Island 1 is a private island resort. The St. Regis Red Sea is the only property on the island and can only be accessed via boat or seaplane.

Room – Sunset Dune Villa

We were assigned villa number 37, a base-level villa. Even though it’s the base-level room, the spacious villa features over 800 square feet of floor space, ensuring ample privacy and comfort. Additionally, every villa at St. Regis Red Sea features a large outdoor patio and private infinity pool.

As you enter the villa, you’ll be greeted by the spacious living room. It features a large sectional sofa and an armchair arranged around a coffee table. 

A flatscreen TV is mounted on an adjacent wall, though it’s somewhat awkwardly positioned. Each time our room was serviced, the staff would leave the TV tuned to the in-house channel, which displayed information such as the current temperature and weather forecast, along with soft music playing in the background when we returned.

Each villa’s design blends the natural hues of the Saudi Arabian desert with blue and green accents inspired by the local biodiversity. The room incorporates a variety of materials, including custom-built fabrics and woodwork, as well as textured, colored glass and marble.

A welcome amenity of dried fruits, nuts, and dates along with a note welcoming us to the resort were placed on the coffee table for us to enjoy.

Next to the TV, was a minibar cabinet featuring a Nespresso machine, a kettle, and bottled water. A variety of Nespresso pods and teas are provided and replenished daily. The cabinet also contains some glassware, and a mini refrigerator stocked with some drinks available for purchase. Since Saudi Arabia is an alcohol-free country, no alcoholic beverages are available at the resort; however, the resort does have an extensive selection of non-alcoholic 0.0% beer, wine, and spirits.

All of the bottled water provided in the rooms are complimentary and restocked each day.

The villa’s entire water-facing side features floor-to-ceiling windows, and the living room boasts motorized sliding pocket doors that seamlessly disappear, opening onto the outdoor patio and creating a vast indoor-outdoor living space.

A king-size bed is centrally positioned in the bedroom, incorporating a common design element where a slatted wooden shell headboard serves as a partition, separating the sleeping area from the closet space behind it.

On each side of the bed is a nightstand along with a panel containing a power outlet, USB-C and USB-A charging ports, and a control panel for adjusting the lighting and motorized curtains in the villa.

I also want to highlight the exceptional job the staff did in maintaining our room throughout our stay. Each evening, they provided turndown service, drawing the curtains, placing a pair of slippers by the bedside, and setting a bottle of water on the nightstand. Additionally, we often returned to find neatly folded towel origami animals placed on the bed, adding a thoughtful and charming touch.

Behind the bed is the closet and wardrobe area, featuring separate his and hers closets along with a central vanity mirror and stool.

This space is very well designed. There’s ample room for a suitcase, multiple drawers, and generous closet space for hanging garments. One closet contains amenities such as robes, slippers, and an ironing board, while the other has the in-room safe along with amenities like a beach tote and shoe care accessories, including a brush and an incredibly satisfying shoehorn.

Made of what appeared to be solid brass or copper and wrapped in beautifully luxurious leather, the shoehorn had a perfectly balanced weight—easily the finest I’ve ever used. This may sound crazy, but I believe you can gauge a lot about a hotel’s quality simply by the shoehorn they provide.

Moving into the spacious bathroom, you’ll find a dual vanity arrangement and large soaking tub. The bathroom features a separate toilet chamber, a walk-in shower, and a door leading to the outdoor shower.

I loved the design of the vanity with its use of sand-colored marble along with a backsplash that looks like the coral water of the Red Sea.

A massive soaker bathtub is featured prominently in the bathroom and is situated right next to another of the floor-to-ceiling windows which offers more great views of the patio and water of the Red Sea in the distance.

The toilet chamber includes a wall-mounted toilet and a bidet. I particularly admire the textured turquoise tiles on the wall, which remind me of fish scales. When the light hits them just right, they have an almost shimmer-like effect to them, much like the iridescence of real fish scales.

The walk-in shower features a wall-mounted fixture and overhead rainfall shower head.

If you prefer to shower out in the elements, you can step into an enclosed shower accessible through a door in the bathroom.

The outdoor patio is undeniably the villa’s standout amenity, and a key reason to choose a resort like this. It offers absolute privacy, with direct access to your own infinity-edge plunge pool and a private stretch of beach that leads right to the Red Sea.

The Dune Villa’s design, featuring a sweeping roofline and strategically placed sand dunes, trees, and shrubs, ensures total privacy, keeping you fully isolated from the neighboring villas.

There’s really no need for much else when you have a deck like this. We spent most of our downtime here, enjoying the pool, beach, and simply soaking up the sun.

If you thought we were finished with showers, think again! A third(!) shower is located just off the deck. It features a handy shower head positioned at knee height, perfect for rinsing the sand off your feet.

From the outside, the prominent sweeping roofline stands out, drawing inspiration from the windswept sand dunes of the Saudi Arabian desert, designed to blend with the natural landscape.

From the beach, you can see that the entire water-facing side of the villa is made up of floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall glass, offering stunning views and an abundance of natural light throughout the interior.

Venturing onto the beach, we were greeted by some of the most pristine, perfectly manicured sand and the clearest water we’ve ever seen. As I’ve mentioned before, there were almost no other guests at the resort during our stay, so we had this entire stretch of beach completely to ourselves. The sense of isolation was surreal, and it made the long journey to get here feel all the more worthwhile.

Room – Sunset Coral Villa

During my stay at the resort, I had the chance to tour one of the overwater coral villas. It’s really no wonder why these types of overwater villas often steal the spotlight on social media, as the vibrant color of the water becomes even more striking from this perspective. However, each villa type available at St. Regis Red Sea has its own set of pros and cons to think about. 

If you’re after a larger outdoor space, beach access, and more privacy, the dune villas are the best option. However, if you’re looking for that iconic overwater villa experience with the water right off your patio, be prepared to sacrifice a bit of privacy and outdoor space.

As their name suggests, each overwater villa is shaped like a sea coral shell. All of the overwater coral villas have the same amenities as the dune villas, including an outdoor shower, sundeck, and private infinity plunge pool. 

The living room is nicely appointed with a couch, armchair, and flatscreen TV.

The coral villas feature expansive glass walls, offering panoramic views of the surrounding water from every angle.

The bathroom features a large soaker bathtub, enclosed toilet chamber, walk-in shower, and dual vanity sinks.

The bedroom makes the most of the overwater experience, providing an almost unobstructed view of the perfectly blue water.

The sundeck offered ample space for two loungers and the plunge pool. A set of stairs led down to a smaller deck with a ladder for easy access to the sea.

You also have your own dining table and a pair of lounging chairs, perfectly arranged for enjoying the sunset.

Both of the room types at St. Regis Red Sea are absolutely stunning, and I’m confident anyone would be thrilled with either. However, each comes with its own set of trade-offs to consider, so I would encourage you to weigh the characteristics of each room type in choosing one that best aligns with your ideal resort experience.

Restaurants & Bars

The St. Regis Red Sea Resort has four dining outlets and one bar on the property. In-villa dining is also available and orders can be placed directly from your mobile device using the hotel’s web portal. 

Similar to other private island destinations like Maldives and Bora Bora, food and beverages here are outrageously expensive. This was no surprise, as guests at resorts like these are a captive audience, and the pricing reflects that reality.  

To give you an idea of what to expect: burgers run around $50, coffees and sodas cost $15, and non-alcoholic cocktails start at about $35. Needless to say, we made the most of breakfast and opted to share the rest of our meals throughout the day.

A quick money-saving tip: Decline the bottled water offered at the restaurants, as you’ll be charged for it. The exact same bottled water is available in your villa—for free!

While the food prices are steep, the quality and service are among the best we’ve experienced anywhere in the world. Every dish was fresh and flavorful. At almost every meal, the head chef personally visited our table to gather our feedback and thank us for visiting the resort.

Nesma Restaurant – Daily Complimentary Breakfast

Nesma is the resort’s all-day dining outlet serving Middle Eastern cuisine. This is where breakfast is served each day from 7:00 AM to 10:30 AM. 

Since we were on a paid stay, breakfast was included in our daily rate. The St. Regis brand generally doesn’t offer complimentary breakfast to all guests, but instead provides it as a welcome amenity choice for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum and above members.  

Earning Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status is relatively straightforward, especially with the U.S.-issued American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card. If you’re new to U.S. credit cards, our comprehensive guide has all the information you need to get started.

Breakfast at Nesma Restaurant features a buffet spread complemented by hot dishes from an à la carte menu. Many offerings are inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine, made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients from Saudi Arabia. With breakfast included in our stay, we saw it as a great chance for the two of us to order multiple dishes and share, allowing us to sample a variety of the unique dishes from the menu.

The buffet featured all the usual staples of a luxury resort breakfast spread, including fresh fruit, pastries, salads, yogurt, and a selection of nuts and grains.

Fresh-pressed juices, coffee, and tea are also available.

The à la carte menu featured a variety of egg dishes along with a selection of sweet pastries, including pancakes and French toast.

We did our best to order every dish at least once, and not only was each one beautifully presented, but everything was also cooked to perfection. I especially loved getting to try a variety of the local egg dishes, including the Saudi shakshuka.

The staff also insisted we try a few of the freshly baked Arabic breads each morning. These came piping hot out of the oven and as someone who loves Arabic and Middle Eastern cuisine these were a highlight of our morning breakfast routine.

For Nesma’s dinner service, the menu features more international dishes with Middle Eastern inspired flavors. We dined here on our first two nights at the resort, and to keep costs manageable, we opted to share an entrée and enjoy one dessert each evening.

We had the wagyu ribeye kebab and Red Sea catch, both of which were outstanding as well as a very interesting black grape and pistachio dessert.

The full dinner menu for Nesma Restaurant is as follows:

The Beach Club at St. Regis

The Beach Club Grill is your typical beachfront bar, set in the sand and offering classic beach and poolside favorites like tacos, burgers, pizza, and more. It’s the perfect place to relax with a refreshing drink to beat the midday heat.

The following menu is available for both lunch and dinner:

Since the country is alcohol-free, the resort has to get creative with its cocktails, and I’d say they’ve done an excellent job. All the cocktails I tried were incredibly refreshing and flavorful, and most did a commendable job of mimicking the taste of alcoholic drinks minus the alcohol. 

However, the cocktails ultimately come across as glorified fruit juice concoctions albeit with high-quality ingredients and excellent presentation. However, the prices of these cocktails will definitely leave a dent in your wallet—at approximately $35 CAD each.

This, of course, was expected given the property’s status as one of the most expensive in the Middle East, where such prices are typical. That said, the St. Regis Red Sea is charging as much for these non-alcoholic cocktails as competing resorts charge for drinks with actual alcohol in them.

This isn’t a dealbreaker for us since we’re not big drinkers, but I can understand how this could be a significant deterrent for many potential guests.

During our stay, we shared a few light bites in the afternoon. On the recommendation of our Italian waiter, who rated the pizza at St. Regis Red Sea an 8 out of 10 for authenticity, we decided to give it a try. As we had a very large breakfast each morning, sharing a couple of appetizers or small entree was the perfect amount to tide us over until dinner. 

Gishiki 45

Gishiki quickly became our favorite restaurant at the resort. While I’m usually not that fond of Japanese cuisine, I thoroughly enjoyed every dish we tried at Gishiki 45. Here, we had the pleasure of meeting one of our favorite staff members at the St. Regis Red Sea, Sami. She took the time to patiently explain the entire menu to the two of us, who aren’t very familiar with Japanese cuisine.

The restaurant offers an open-air seating concept, where guests can dine either inside with views of the activity in the kitchen or on the large outdoor patio. 

The menu for Gishiki 45 is as follows:

We tried to sample a variety of items from the menu, including gyoza, fried chicken, maki rolls, and a wagyu striploin. Everything was so tremendous on our first night here, we knew we had to come back again the next night.

The banana chocolate mousse with miso caramel was truly unforgettable. It not only tasted amazing, but it was also beautifully presented to resemble a miniature Japanese bonsai tree. A very impressive touch.

Following our meal, the staff would always bring us a pot of Saudi coffee. The manager of the restaurant, who was from Jeddah, explained the traditional way Saudi coffee is prepared, where it’s roasted with spices like cardamom and clove. It’s typically served in small cups, ensuring it’s fresh and allowing the host to offer refills as a sign of generosity. It’s often served with dates instead of adding sugar.

The St. Regis Bar

A bar in an alcohol-free country is the perfect example of an oxymoron. Nevertheless, this is the signature St. Regis bar serving up light bites, crafted cocktails and the site of the iconic St. Regis sabering ritual, which takes place each evening at sunset.

The St. Regis Bar menu features the following food and drinks, including the Coral Mary (a Saudi-inspired mocktail version of the signature St. Regis Bloody Mary):

The St. Regis Bar has a very relaxed atmosphere, featuring high-top seating at the bar and armchairs throughout the interior. 

Outside on the sand, there are comfy couches and lounging chairs to lay back in and watch the sunset.

We attended the sabering ritual on a few occasions and the resort serves non-alcoholic champagne made in Jeddah specifically for the St. Regis Red Sea.

The St. Regis Bar was the perfect place to kick off our evening. With alcohol unavailable, the resort goes to great lengths in crafting cocktails that far surpass typical mocktail offerings. We were both impressed by the creativity, presentation, and distinctive flavors of each drink.

I should also mention that in our numerous conversations with staff members, many expressed their belief that alcohol will likely become available at certain resorts in the coming years. With Saudi Arabia set to host the World Cup in 2034 and the goal of establishing itself as a global destination, it certainly seems inevitable. However, this is purely conjecture at this point, and there is no confirmed timeline for if or when it will actually happen.

Tilina

Tilina was the only restaurant we didn’t get a chance to try. Given the resort’s low occupancy, it seems they didn’t find it necessary to keep all four restaurants open for dinner, especially with only about ten guests on the property. As a result, Tilina wasn’t open during our stay.  

Even if it had been open, we likely wouldn’t have dined there since it’s a French fine dining restaurant with a set menu. We generally avoid set menu establishments, and based on the pricing at the other restaurants, I can only imagine how expensive Tilina must be.

Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

The St. Regis Red Sea’s sister property, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is under the same management company and guests may visit Nujuma to enjoy its restaurants and public facilities. Dining at Nujuma is entirely seamless, as you can charge your bill to your room at the St. Regis. 

You can view all of the available dining options at Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve here.

As the newest and one of only seven Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties in the world, the Ritz-Carlton Reserve brand is designed to offer intimate, personalized experiences, often set in some of the world’s most breathtaking and remote locations. Each property is focused on privacy, tailored service, and an authentic connection to the local culture and surroundings. 

I was lucky enough to visit Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve during a trip to Bali, Indonesia, and was blown away by the experience. So, with the newest Reserve property being just a 5-minute boat ride away, I couldn’t resist the chance to take a tour.

Although we weren’t guests staying at the property, we were treated as if we were. Upon our arrival we were greeted by a member of the staff who was available to us for any needs and took us on a full tour of the property and then dropped us off at the beachside Mediterranean restaurant for lunch.  

We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon lunch at Jamaa, seated with a beautiful view of one of the pools and the beach. This experience of visiting a second resort property during our stay reminded me of a stay I had at Andaz Bali, where guests have access to the amenities and restaurants of a neighboring property under the same management.

Facilities

While guests at the St. Regis Red Sea are secluded on a small private island, there’s no shortage of activities to enjoy. The resort offers beach games, tennis courts, watersports activities, hiking excursions to the mainland, and an exceptional spa experience.

Fitness Center

The fitness center at the St. Regis Red Sea is more than just a gym—it’s a complete fitness complex with outdoor racket courts, a lap pool, and a dedicated yoga pavilion.

The gym is open 24 hours a day.

Bottled and infused water is available inside the fitness center along with some snacks like granola and energy bars.

The gym is equipped with the latest machines from Technogym, offering everything needed for a complete workout. It includes strength machines, a Smith machine, free weights, bodyweight accessories, and a variety of cardio equipment.

Directly outside the gym is a lap pool.

Adjacent to the fitness center are two tennis courts. The resort provides complimentary rackets and tennis balls for guest use.

The last feature of the fitness complex is the sunrise yoga pavilion. It’s my understanding that the resort provides daily complimentary yoga sessions led by an instructor.

I visited the fitness center every morning during our stay at the resort, and I’ve never seen such a well-equipped facility. As you might expect by now, I had the entire gym and lap pool to myself each morning, which made for a peaceful and hassle-free workout.

Pool

The resort features two public pools located on the main beach. The larger pool is open to guests of all ages, while the smaller one is intended for adults only. 

The pool area is beautifully designed, offering views of the water and ample comfortable seating. However, with the allure of the in-villa plunge pools and the inviting waters of the Red Sea, it’s a shame that such an attractive resort pool goes completely unused. Unfortunately, this tends to happen at resorts like this, especially when guest numbers are so low.

The resort does provide some poolside amenities like sunscreen and after-sun lotion.

Also, if you want to use a hot tub while at the resort, the one near the adults-only pool is the one on the property.

Beach

The resort’s main public beach is conveniently located near the pools and restaurants. Located on the island’s southwestern side, where the waters are calmest, it’s the perfect spot for a swim or to enjoy various watersports activities.

The beach and the water are truly immaculate. Each morning the beaches were cleaned by the staff using specialized sand-filtering equipment.

Spacious cabanas with queen-sized beds line the beach, each equipped with a ceiling fan, charging outlets, and curtains for added comfort. The beach is fully staffed, allowing guests to order food and drinks directly to their cabana. Additionally, a convenient “call-attendant” button is available at all pool and beach seating for quick service requests.

The loungers, daybeds, and cabanas are arranged with generous spacing between them, ensuring a sense of privacy and relaxation for every guest.

The staff will even bring towels right to the water’s edge as soon as they notice someone going in. Though a small detail, this is a perfect example of the level of attentiveness we experienced at many points throughout our stay.

Beach games like volleyball and cornhole are available for guests to use at their leisure.

Kids Club

The Kids Club facility provides babysitting and other child-care related services, along with an outdoor climbing structure, swings, and a waterpark.

Spa

The spa facilities at St. Regis Red Sea are extensive, and aside from specialized treatments, all of the amenities are available for guests to enjoy at no additional cost.

The spa features separate facilities for male and female guests, with each side offering similar amenities and services.

The full spa menu is available to view here.

A private salon is available for services such as haircuts, manicures, pedicures, and more.

The primary amenities of the spa feature two hydrotherapy pools and three Sommerhuber heated ceramic loungers.

You’ll also have access to both a steam room and a dry sauna.

Outside are two more hydrotherapy pools, which includes another cold plunge pool and a vitality pool. The vitality pool features various jets, nozzles, and sprayers infused with essential oils.

Activities

The resort offers a wide variety of desert and water sports activities. While some activities, like kayaking and stargazing, are complimentary, most activities are priced either by the hour or as part of a full excursion. 

The list of available watersports activities is as follows:

• Stand Up paddleboard
• Kayaking
• E-Foil
• Windsurfing
• Sailing
• Snorkeling
• Scuba Diving
• Seabob 

The resort also offers mainland excursions, including hiking, cycling, stargazing, and conservation tours, where guests can explore the desert biome and learn about the local flora and fauna native to the region.

Our butler suggested we try the E-Foil, something we’d never done before, and we had an absolute blast on the water for an hour. For beginners like us, we had an instructor with us the entire time to offer guidance in using the E-Foil and providing some useful tips to get us started.

Conclusion

I have nothing but the highest praise for the St. Regis Red Sea Resort. From the luxurious accommodations and exceptional dining to the impeccable service, every aspect of our stay was extraordinary.

The private island setting is gorgeous, offering an almost endless array of activities, facilities, and plenty of peaceful spots to unwind and enjoy a leisurely day.

While the Red Sea Project has a long road ahead before it can rival the Maldives, the potential here is immense. With over 50 resorts set to be built in the next 5 to 10 years, this is a resort and destination I can’t wait to revisit. The next decade will be an exciting one for this region, and I’m so grateful we had the chance to experience it early in its most untouched state.