We are looking into travelling to Cairo for 3 nights then for some sun in Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada or Soma Bay for another 3-4 nights. Any recommendations on hotels and which destination is best? We are looking for 4-5 star hotel, in our mid thirties, no kids. For the beach/sun part of our trip just looking to relax, nice beach and water. Any recommendations appreciated.

I've experience only with Sharm El Sheikh (of the ones you mentioned), but we were with Isramworld, who got us very good pricing at top hotels, so it was fun actually going to 5-star hotels though we usually are more conservative with costs.

Ours was the Hyatt Regency, which was gorgeous. I have just a few pictures up of that, and they're the last 8 at
http://pbase.com/andrys/egypt_preview

Since we had arranged for twin beds always and they apparently didn't have one like that when we arrived, they gave us instead a free upgrade for a suite. We each had our own patios, breakfast tables, safes, bathrooms, large HD TVs so that turned out very well

You can google
hyatt sharm el-sheikh
and you'll see their own pictures, which show the landscaping very well. A really beautiful locale. Mine start with arrival and some early evening photos on the beach, relaxing.

- Andrys
http://www.pbase.com/andrys/egypt_jordan

Thanks this is great. We are actually thinking of Cairo now at the Le Meridian and Sharm El Sheikh at the Hyatt. Nice to hear the Hyatt does live up to the reviews. I had read others that said the resort may be a bit run down and in need of refurbishment?

The Hyatt is lovely - altho there are lots of stairs going to and from the rooms, beach, dining area, etc.

If you are at the Hyatt = be sure to make reservations for the Thai restaurant. It was always one of our favorites. We even went there for dinner when we didn't stay at the Hyatt.

We stayed at Le Meridien Pyramids in Cairo. It's a very nice hotel, but I would call it 4*, definitely not 5* (it just doesn't have the same aura as a 5* hotel). From what I gather, the Four Seasons and the Mena House Oberoi would be "real" 5* hotels. BTW, given another trip, I wouldn't stay in Giza at all -- I'd stay in downtown Cairo, just prefer to be closer to the action everywhere I go.