Casa Cook El Gouna — Hotel in Gamsha

🌴 Casa Cook El Gouna – Our Relaxing Paradise in Egypt (May/June 2025)||We spent 7 nights as a couple (35 & 38) at Casa Cook El Gouna in a Junior Suite Garden View, and to put it simply: this place is a hidden gem – calm, stylish, and deeply relaxing.||⸻||🛬 Arrival & First Impressions||From the moment we arrived, we felt the chill vibe that defines Casa Cook. A welcome drink was handed to us with a smile, and we were offered a free early check-in at 12:00 (instead of 15:00) – already a great start. The check-in took place in our room, no queues, no stress – just smooth and relaxed.||⸻||🛏️ Our Room – Junior Suite Garden View||Our suite was perfect in size and comfort, with a king-size bed, strong AC, and smart TV (Netflix pre-installed – very convenient). The plunge pool was shared with just one other suite, but it still felt very private. We loved the mix of indoor and outdoor showers, and the WC had a separate door, which adds to the comfort. The shaded terrace was ideal for quiet mornings or card games in the afternoon.||⸻||🍳 Food & Breakfast Highlights||Breakfast was an absolute highlight – with vegan options, milk alternatives, freshly made egg dishes by Fatma, pancakes, waffles, smoothies, ginger tea, decaf coffee and more – all included. The vibe was relaxed and high quality. Hossein made our mornings even better – remembering our names and drinks, always warm and attentive without ever being pushy.||We also enjoyed the Bedouin Dinner Night, which takes place once a week – a must-do. Amazing food variety (including vegan), and a lovely show under the stars.||Snacks and drinks throughout the day were just as good, with reasonable prices – and a fine selection of cocktails and wines.||⸻||🏖️ Pool, Peace & Privacy||The main pool is great for a quiet day or a fun game – and it never felt crowded. Music played in the background was chill and never too loud. As an adults-only hotel (16+), the atmosphere was exactly what we were looking for: peaceful, stylish, and mature.||⸻||🌇 Experiences & Extras||The Sunset Tower Tour with Mustafa was a personal highlight – sipping wine while watching the sun go down over El Gouna from above. We even got dropped off in Downtown El Gouna afterwards, which was a perfect evening.||Also worth noting: we left a small note on a feedback form after the first night (wine glass wasn’t refilled fast enough – really minor). To our surprise, Micheal addressed it immediately and ensured the rest of the stay was flawless. Galal even helped us with an external matter – extremely helpful and kind. Remonda from Guest Service was also there for every little request.||And most notably: no one was ever fishing for tips. The entire team was authentic, warm and professional – that’s rare.||⸻||🌆 El Gouna – The Perfect Surrounding||If you’ve been to other parts of Egypt like Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh, you’ll notice the difference immediately: El Gouna feels like a private, well-kept community. It’s safe, modern, and women can dress and move freely without being bothered. TokToks cost about 50 EGP and can be arranged from anywhere. We loved exploring the Marina and Downtown – which is exactly what sets Casa Cook apart from resorts in the Maldives: you have a paradise vibe with the perks of a vibrant town nearby.||⸻||✅ Final Thoughts & Recommendation||This place combines the serenity of high-end island resorts (like the Maldives) with the liveliness of a boutique city retreat. If you’re looking for a stylish, peaceful, and guest-centered adults-only escape, this is it.||We’ll definitely return – and recommend the Junior Suite Garden View to anyone who values privacy, a personal terrace, and the luxury of stepping into a pool right from their door.||Thank you, Casa Cook team – you made our...

Overpriced, bad service and lackluster hygiene.

I contracted EPEC from this 5 day trip to Egypt. This is a bacterial -based disease that is obligated to report to the health authorities. It infects the intestinal track and causes diarrhoea. While I cannot say for certain that I contracted this unpleasant pathogen at Casa Cook, the probability is high. Symptoms started 3 days into the trip and I didn't eat or drink anything in Egypt outside the hotel up until that point. The hotel gets checked by TÜV and my companion didn't experience any symptoms, so I don't assume that it's a general concern. Regardless, I feel it's important to mention.

Besides that, we were not happy with the hotel at that rate. For 100 EUR / night I would have rated the hotel 4/5 stars. The food is fairly priced but tastes very mediocre. For some reason all food items taste somehow the same. We ate because we were hungry and not because we enjoyed the food and for such an expensive hotel that's just sad. The best food items were starters at the Arabic Night restaurant. However, the seated dinner experiences takes so long between courses and it's quite cold outside next to the pool that we only felt like doing it once. Main courses and dessert were nothing special either.

You will also get bothered by hotel staff all the time. They are constantly knocking on your door to clean the, to clean the pool, to check the mini bar, etc. It's not a one and done deal, they will constantly interrupt you. Also, the cleaning is super artificial. They don't clean the mirrors or the toilets. They change towels if required and swipe on the surface level and that's it. The room cleaning staff is quite nice though. In contrast, some staff members at the restaurants are amazing at making you feel uncomfortable with their jokes. For instance, I feel that asking me why I didn't finish some (formerly-frozen? and odd-tasting) squid even though I am a big man, doesn't seem appropriate.

The beach sucks. There are loads of kite surfers around and the sea is very flat even after 5-10 minutes walking into the water you can still stand. Besides some tiny crabs and worms, you won't find many animals either. There are also some construction projects going on in the far, so you will hear that too.

I am giving 2 stars because we received a massage and a free late checkout due to our inconveniences. However, given that time is scarce and that we paid a pretty hefty price for the experience, more than two stars feel too much.

The massage staff is great at giving massages. So this was the best about our stay.

I am not sure whether I would come back to this hotel if I was offered the...

We spent a total of 16 amazing days at this beautiful resort. We had half-board, and it did not disappoint.

Rooms: We stayed in both a sea-view room and a junior suite during our stay. We loved watching the sunrise from the sea-view room. The junior suite was large, and we enjoyed the shared pool.

Amenities: The larger pool near the beach had sufficient sun beds, and the atmosphere was quite nice, with food and drink service. We also spent some time at the other pool closer to reception, which was a quieter area. The lounge areas were nice and comfortable, especially in the evening when they had live music and DJs playing.

Service: As mentioned earlier, we had half-board, and we’re so happy we did. The food was delicious and fresh. The breakfast spread every morning was incredible, especially the falafel. Every week, they have three themed buffet dinners, and the rest of the time, meals were à la carte. The themed buffets featured delicious food, and we thoroughly enjoyed all of them. The Bedouin night, seafood night, and BBQ night were all special in their own ways. The food was always a standout. We also very much enjoyed two other special dinners: the romantic private dinner and the Arabesque Restaurant. The kitchen staff really spoiled us with their delicious food and great service. We also had the chance to take a cooking class with the kitchen team. We felt like the kitchen staff really treated us like family during our stay, and we want to say a BIG thank you to the following people, as we didn’t get to say a proper thank you before we left:

Kitchen and Beach Club: Chef Ramadan, Chef Omar, Fatma, Gamil, Osama, Mikey, Saher, Mustafa, Khaled, and of course, ‘waka-waka’ Waheed.

Arabesque Restaurant: Eid and Chef Amr.

Thank you all for your kindness and smiles.

My husband and I have stayed in many five-star hotels, and we can confidently say that the service from the kitchen staff and housekeeping at Casa Cook is above and beyond anything we have experienced. If we could give these teams more than 5 stars, we certainly would.

One area for improvement that we feel is overshadowed by everything else is the reception staff. Although they were courteous, we felt that, at times, our inquiries seemed like a chore to them, and they felt a bit unapproachable, which was in stark contrast to the kitchen staff. We didn’t interact with them much, but when we did, we were a bit puzzled.

Overall, our experience was positive and incredible, and we look forward to...