Holiday Village Red Sea - Family Friendly Paradise
We’ve just returned from the Holiday Village Red Sea — a place where the sun is strong, the pools are huge, and the entertainment is endless. If you’re thinking about heading to the Red Sea with kids in tow, here’s everything we loved, everything we learned, and the moments we’ll be laughing about for years.
📍 Location
Set in sunny Sharm El Sheikh — right on the Red Sea coastline, so the views do most of the bragging for you
Around 5–6 hours flight from major UK airports — long enough for the kids to ask “Are we there yet?” but short enough for you to still smile about it
20‑minute transfer from Sharm El Sheikh Airport — basically “blink and you’re at the pool” distance.
💦 Swimming Pools
Main pool with entertainment and slides – This is the loud, lively heart of the resort. Expect constant action from the Holiday Village team: pool games, quizzes, bingo, aqua aerobics, dancing and music that absolutely refuses to be background noise. If you came on holiday for peace and quiet… you’ve wandered into the wrong pool. Thankfully, this was exactly what we came for as our kids love to get involved with absolutely everything and this is where we spent the majority of our time!
Side pool with bigger slides – Off to the side of the main pool you’ll find a smaller pool with three bigger slides that turned out to be a huge hit. They’re not extreme‑thrill material, but they were absolutely perfect for our crew. The best bit was that even our fearless 3‑year‑old was allowed on them.
Activity pool – This is where the Kids’ Club take over with raft‑building, water games and anything else that guarantees your children return soaked and smiling. It’s also home to the much‑loved HV Swim Academy, where the kids learn skills and you get a few glorious minutes of adult conversation.
Quiet pool – Tucked away at the top of the resort, this pool politely requests “no inflatables” and “quiet,” It was noticeably calmer than the main pool when we wandered past, but if you’re a couple seeking true tranquility, you might still hear the distant soundtrack of children living their best lives. Quiet‑ish is probably the fairest description.
Kids’ splash pool – A mini water park just for the little ones, complete with tiny slides, water sprays and a tipping bucket that somehow always knows the perfect moment to drench an unsuspecting adult. It’s the ideal spot for younger kids to splash, play and burn off enough energy to maybe sit still late.
Aqua Park - Last but definitely not least! Across the road at the sister hotel (Coral Sea Aqua Club) is a full‑on aqua park with a wave pool, lazy river, slides and a splash zone for the little ones. You can grab non‑alcoholic drinks and snacks from the food court while you’re there, which is handy when the kids refuse to leave. We made the rookie mistake of waiting almost a week before checking it out, fully expecting something tiny and a bit sad… but it turned out to be brilliant. A proper “why didn’t we come sooner?” moment.
*Note The road between the hotel and the aqua park is wildly busy — the kind of busy where you briefly question all your life choices. Luckily, the hotel’s security team are stationed there to escort you across like VIPs… if VIPs travelled with arm bands, wet towels and four children arguing about who gets to press the lift button.
Heated in winter – Both the activity pool and the quiet pool are heated during the winter months, which is ideal if you’re visiting when the weather is doing its “I might be warm… I might not” routine. Warm water plus happy kids is always a win.
**A special mention to the amazing team of lifeguards at HV Red Sea - they were absolutely always on the ball without being whistle happy. They loved to interact with the kids, help with sunbeds and even blow up inflatables. 10/10 for these guys!
🛏️ Rooms
Double Room with balcony or terrace (Sleeps up to 3) – Your classic “we’re only sleeping here anyway” setup. Plenty of space for families who travel with 47 soft toys and a suitcase full of snacks
Interconnecting rooms (Sleeps up to 6) – Basically the “as above but doubled” option, and the only setup that sleeps six. It worked brilliantly for us — two rooms, two bathrooms, and enough space that we all felt like we had our own little corner to escape to. The kids loved the freedom, we loved the breathing room, and everyone stayed far happier as a result.
Family Rooms (Sleeps up to 4) – A bit more room to breathe. Spacious and comfy, with all the essential. With a king‑size bed in one area and sofa beds in the other, separated by a wooden sliding door — these rooms are perfect for pretending you have “separate spaces” even though everyone still knows exactly where everyone is.
Kids’ Den Rooms (Sleeps up to 4) – The holy grail for children: their own little den area with bun
beds. The excitement levels are high, the bedtime routine is questionable.
Swim‑Up Rooms – Perfect if you like the idea of rolling out of bed and straight into the pool. Less perfect if your kids wake up at 6am and think that’s a great time for a swim. We love the resort feel on holiday so rarely opt to go for the swim up option.
*Top Tip - There is lots of conversation on the hotel Facebook groups and about pre-booking rooms and which block to choose. We decided not to book and hope for the best. Our room was situated in the furthest away block and it was still only a 5 minute walk to the Main Pool and a couple of minutes walk to the main restaurant - I think we could have been anywhere on the resort and not had a issue.
🍽️ Food & Drink
There is absolutely no chance of going hungry here — Holiday Village Red Sea takes feeding families very seriously with a big buffet restaurant plus 5 a’la cartes included in the All Inclusive. And yes, Russell the Brussel is around doing his “eat your veggies” thing, which the kids weirdly love.
This particular resort has six restaurants and more bars than you’ll manage to visit, so here’s the low‑down:
The Dine Around Buffet Restaurant - Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with live cooking stations, a kids’ corner and even an adults‑only area for anyone trying to pretend they’re on a peaceful getaway.
Village Diner – This one was our absolute favourite. Think American‑meets‑Mexican comfort food served in a brilliantly themed, well‑decorated restaurant that feels like it’s been plucked straight from a movie set. We loved the vibe, the décor and, most importantly, the food. The steak was the standout dish for us, and the kids were in nacho‑fuelled heaven. You get one visit per week on All Inclusive, and it’s 100% worth snapping up.
Greek Taverna - A nice à la carte with sea views and all the Greek favourites. One visit per stay is included, and it’s a nice change from the buffet chaos. Tip - Bring a fan, this another warm one!
Bamboo - Japanese & Chinese dishes in one place — It was a hit with our family!
Indian Restaurant - Really tasty, full‑flavour dishes in a lovely setting. The kids happily ate the milder options while we enjoyed the spicier ones. A solid, feel‑good meal that left everyone happy.
The StoneGrill™ (extra charge) – I’d read so many glowing reviews about this place that, as a big steak lover, I went in with sky‑high expectations. Sadly, it ended up being our least favourite à la carte of the trip. The cut of meat wasn’t great, the restaurant felt about 100 degrees inside, and the open flame heating the hot stone was slightly terrifying with a 3, 4, 6 and 7‑year‑old at the table. It’s a fun concept — cooking your own steak, fish or satay on a 400‑degree stone — but for us, it just didn’t live up to the hype.
La Mer Restaurant (extra charge) – I have just spotted this “romantic sea food spot by the sea” on the Tui website and I honestly can’t tell if it’s new for 2026 or if we just completely missed it, but as big seafood lovers we’d definitely have tried it. It’s on the list for next time.
Food Court – Located right next to the Main Pool and only open at lunchtime with easy, light bites like pizza, chicken burgers and help‑yourself ice cream. This quickly became our go‑to lunch spot. We were a bit worried at first about there not being many “snack‑style” options, but actually ended up loving the little break from the sun to eat here or nip into the buffet. Its popularity meant there was occasionally a small queue for a table of six, but it always moved quickly and we never waited long.
Top Tips
*Our 7‑year‑old is allergic to prawns - we translated this to Arabic and showed the waiting staff at each restaurant. The buffet did have labelled sections for dietary requirements, but during our stay it didn’t always feel completely reliable — we spotted a few possible cross‑contamination issues, especially around gluten. It’s definitely worth double‑checking dishes if you have allergies.
** The TUI website advises men should wear long trousers in restaurants, this is not adhered to and most men wear shorts (just not the sports or swim type!)
🎭 Kids Club
If your kids ever claim they’re “bored” here, they’re lying. Or lost. Or possibly someone else’s children.
Open seven days a week, and most of it is included, which is the real magic. HV has a club for every age and energy level.
The HV Crèche looks after the tiniest guests (up to 35 months) with storytelling, crafts and even a bit of evening star‑gazing — which is adorable until you realise they’ll be up at 5am anyway. ** We didn’t need the crèche this time as our youngest is now four, but we’ve used the HV Crèche at other resorts and honestly, the staff were brilliant. Our two were 1 and 2 at the time and liked the crèche team so much they practically forgot we existed. We popped them in for one session a day and they trotted off happily every time — worth the extra charge for a tiny slice of parental freedom.
The HV Club for 3–9s is basically a child’s dream: detective missions, space‑themed games and enough excitement that they come back buzzing but somehow still refuse to nap.
The HV Crew for 10–12s gets the cool stuff like Twilight Thrills — obstacle courses and puzzles once the sun goes down, because apparently kids don’t get tired. This is one we haven’t tried and tested yet with our oldest being 8 but we heard great things from other families!
The kids’ club schedule is all on the Holiday Village app, which you can download before you go or once you arrive. You can check the timetable, register the kids and even upload photos of the grown‑ups who are allowed to sign them out. You can also book and pay for the extra activities on there, like the Chocolate Party and the Widget Party. Both were a small extra cost but absolutely worth it — the kids came out buzzing and covered in varying amounts of sugar and glitter.
The Zone (for teens) - teens get their own hangout, complete with mocktail making, TikTok sessions and Jackbox gaming. There’s even an outdoor cinema with blankets and fairy lights — basically the kind of vibe adults would pay extra for. It runs mid‑June to mid‑September plus May and October half terms.
Parent & Toddler Sessions - If you’ve got a little one under 35 months, there are sweet sessions like Arty Tots, Beach Tots and Sensory Splashers. Great for meeting other parents and pretending you’ve got your life together.
HV Academy - The HV Academies on offer here are swimming, football and stage — and honestly, they were all brilliant. The football academy runs early morning or in the evening so the kids aren’t melting in the heat, which is a win for everyone. There’s no pressure to go every day, but after they’ve done a certain number of sessions they get a certificate presented on stage, which made our lot feel like absolute superstars.
🧗♂️ Other HV Activities
Aerial Adventure – A huge hit with the over‑6s. It’s a proper little assault course up in the air, complete with harnesses and all the safety bits that make parents breathe again. Each HV has a slightly different setup, and yes, adults can have a go too… if you’re feeling brave enough to be shown up by your own children.
Aeroball – Imagine trampolining and basketball had a very energetic baby. That’s Aeroball. Sessions are split by age, and there are family slots too if you fancy bouncing around together like caffeinated kangaroos.
Archery, Football Pitch, Tennis Court, Volleyball, Playpark
🌊 Other (Non‑HV) Activities
We booked a watersports morning, which was a brilliant change of pace. It’s about a 15‑minute walk along the beach to the watersports centre, where we signed up for a package that included the banana boat, the water sofa (chaos, but hilarious) and a speedboat trip out to a coral reef for some genuinely great snorkelling.
There’s also a camel called Bobby who casually hangs out on the beach offering rides — the kids thought he was iconic.
And if you fancy something a bit calmer, the spa is lovely. They offer treatment packages with really decent deals, perfect for escaping the sun, the noise, your children and maybe even your partner for an hour.
🎤 Evening Entertainment
Evenings are almost always kicked off with the super‑child‑friendly stuff — mini discos, silly games and plenty of Widget appearances to keep the little ones buzzing. Once that wrapped up, the later show was technically aimed at adults, but the kids were more than happy to sit with a mocktail and watch along. The evenings felt easy, relaxed and genuinely enjoyable for everyone.
We weren’t totally sold on the idea of indoor entertainment at first — it’s not what we’re used to on holiday — but the air‑conditioned theatre won us over pretty quickly. It still felt relaxed with its table‑and‑chair setup, and honestly, after a day in the sun, the cool air was a blessing.
Outside on the terrace, there were also local acts popping up throughout the week — singers, belly dancers, musicians — all fun to watch… assuming you weren’t already at your personal heat limit for the day.
Holiday Village Red Sea turned out to be exactly the kind of place families dream about: easy, sun‑soaked, and packed with things to do without ever feeling overwhelming. From the genuinely lovely staff to the huge choice of pools, activities, and evening entertainment, it’s a resort that makes family travel feel effortless. If you’re looking for a stress‑free escape with guaranteed sunshine and plenty to keep everyone smiling, this one is absolutely worth considering.
⭐ We rate this hotel an 8/10
Pros:
The service was fantastic, every single staff member we met from lifeguards to waiters were fantastic!
The activities on offer at the kids club really engaged even the oldest 2 kids, must more exciting than just a playroom they can hang out in
The buffet was much better than we expected, a great variety of good food.
Sun beds were always available, no mad rush to reserve.
Cons:
Even though kids club activities are on for most of the day, you do need to stick to specific times and book each activity on the app - we didn’t have any problem with the activities being full at this resort but I know this is a problem at other HV’s.
No poolside snack bars (a con for some although we enjoyed having an excuse to get out of the mid-day heat!)
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