Hi there, since I really enjoyed this site for planing my NYC trip this march ( I already posted for Metro-Home NYC ) I want to post some information for other users that might be helpful.

I usually travel once a year for one week to Hurghada for scuba diving with some of my club-mates from my scuba club.

For the last 6 or 7 years we stayed always at the Arabia beach b/c we were very satisfied with this hotel.

1) Hotel
it is a relatively big hotel with more than 500 rooms but for real it is even bigger b/c a part of the hotel was just named for a different hotel, the Bel Air.
It is a 4 * hotel based on egyptian standard wich you have to consider when you compare it to western standards. The rooms a comfortable sized with two Double beds, air condition, refridgerator, sat.-TV, and a large (for a hotel ) bathroom with a tub . Some rooms have an in room safe and for the ohters there is a safe provided at the reception free of charge.
The rooms are cleaned daily and the roommates will honor if you leave then 1-2 LE Bakshish (less than 50 cent)
Breakfast and lunch comes in several restaurants as a Buffet wich is OK but not spectacluar.
You have the possibility to dine at "Villa Kunterbunt" with your room card free of charge for certain menues or recieve a 20 LE discount on your bill when dining a'la carte. (beverages not included)

I cannot say anything about day-activities than scuba diving b/c wee leave every day early for diving and come back late afternoon.

But I definitfely can recomend the Hotel for ppl. who like just to lay in the sun. Try to request a room on ground level to the lagoon side. There are lagoons built from the sea into the complex so if you have a ground level room on the lagoone side you step just out of your balcony door and you are right at the waterfront.

2) Scuba diving

A really great place to stay for scuba divers b/c it has an integrated diving base, the "Blue Water Dive Resort" which has been elected by the readers of a German diving magazine for best scuba diving base at the red sea.
It is not allowed to post a URL but when you type "blue-water-dive" in google it is the first hit.
The red sea has really great diving spot and especially Hurghada has a great value compared to other diving spots in the world.
Special for this hotel is that it is one of very few hotels in HUrghada that has its oen coral reef right in front of the door. This is great for snorkling or one or two dives. For frequently diving I defintively recommend the boat trips.

If you are interested in scuba diving ask for a room in block A, wich is closest to the base but for all others the blue-water provides a Pickup-shuttle service from the main entrance of the hotel.
(But from anywhere in the Hotel it is not more than a few hundred meters [or yards ;-)])

Me and my diving-mates return to this spot this year in September so if there are any changes I will post them.