Looking for a Red Sea resort in Egypt that will soothe your senses and recharge your soul? Look no further than the Casa Cook El Gouna.
Along the Red Sea in Egypt, El Gouna is coastal town unlike any other. Here, the Greek concept of ‘Parea’ (sharing experiences and ideas with loved ones) informs every aspect: from the design that's inspired by the local architecture and incorporates regional talent, to the approach to cultural and leisure activities. At its heart is the Casa Cook El Gouna hotel which offers a modern take on Mediterranean-style resorts in the region, with not a single cliche in sight.
Each of the Casa Cook hotels (there are currently five others in Rhodes, Madonna, Samos and another on the North Coast of Eygpt) are tailored to travellers who subscribe to a holiday mantra that combines healthy food, spa treatments, yoga, great music and of course excellent design, and this Red Sea resort in Egypt is no different.
The latest Casa Cook hotel is on the outskirts of El Gouna, Arabic for “the lagoon”, a town built on the Red Sea Coast around twenty minutes from Hurghada airport. Each of the Casa Cook hotels is overseen by creative director Remo Masala whose mission has been to create a recognisable global brand that blends the talents of local architects and designers ensuring each property sits seamlessly in its location. As a result the design ethos at Casa Cook El Gouna is rooted is its context: it is simple and understated, the exterior, a striking wooden slatted building sits quietly in its surroundings, while huge green cacti act as sculptural border plants.
Accommodation at this Mediterranean-style retreat on Egypt's Rea Sea coast ranges from standard rooms to villas, each designed in a palette of grey, brown and taupe with natural linen throws, hand-carved wooden side tables and textured patterned cushions creating layers of earthy intrigue. A warm colour palette, from the ceramics to the rattan lights and stone floors, sits comfortably in this desert landscape, with the azure sky needing no competition. Kitted with crisp white sheets, outdoor showers, a coffee maker and Marshall speakers, rooms here are designed to be a sanctuary, to enjoy the perfect cup of coffee, listen to some great music and lie by the pool. Junior Suites offer a shared pool and Villas have two bedrooms with their own private pool – perfect for family groups.
Food at Casa Cook El Gouna is as carefully curated as the colour palette. The Kitchen Club has been designed to celebrate communal eating with a pretty central courtyard, long dining tables and a menu that features a mix of Arabic flavours as well as more international dishes… think of it as an Egyptian Soul Kitchen. During the day lunch can be eaten by the beach pool where expert bartenders serve herb-infused cocktails. This is the place to watch the kite surfers, skimming over the Red Sea, their coloured sails filling the sky urgently, zipping backwards and forwards across the horizon.
The Spa, for guests not wishing for anything more strenuous than wellness treatments has a pool, two saunas, steam room, plunge pool and an eye-catching hammam. Treatments and massages have their roots grounded in oriental techniques, interiors like the rest of Casa Cook El Gouna are designed to maximise light, simplicity and stillness.
Despite the temptation to stay submerged in the cocooning atmosphere of Casa Cook El Gouna, there are activities including wine tours, sailing trips on a catamaran, horse riding around the lagoon, and quad biking into the desert. The quad biking trip explores the Pilly Valley, the third longest canyon in the world, once a rich oceanic seabed where fossilised corals and sea shells are found by the Bedouin tribes that still roam these desert landscapes. You can watch the sunset around a Bedouin campfire, drinking strong tea and eating freshly made bread as the distant lights of El Gouna can be seen against the night sky.
It is only once you are out in the desert that you can perhaps understand that the town of El Gouna (only thirty years ago there was nothing here but rocks and sand) is quite an extraordinary achievement. Owned and nurtured by Orascom Development, El Gouna has ten kilometres of coastline now known as the Red Sea Riviera, with twenty islands surrounded by lagoons. European and American architects have all designed the buildings to resemble traditional rural Egyptian architecture mainly found in Nubian villages. There are golf courses, supermarkets, and restaurants and in 2017, telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris established the annual El Gouna Film Festival; its 2024 edition was attended by the regional icons like Youssra, Dorra Zarrouk and Hend Sabri.
