Downtown Keys

Hotel Description

Look, I’ve stayed at my fair share of places along the Red Sea, and Downtown Keys honestly surprised me. When you first pull up on the Corniche – that’s the main waterfront road that basically defines Hurghada – you’re not expecting much from the outside. It’s this sort of mid-rise building tucked into the Sekalla district, which is actually perfect because you’re right in the thick of things without being stuck in some resort bubble. I mean, you can literally walk to the marina in about five minutes, and there’s this little coffee shop next door where the owner, Ahmed, makes the best Turkish coffee I’ve had outside of Istanbul.

The thing about this place is that it gets the details right in ways that matter. Check-in was surprisingly smooth – none of that “your room isn’t ready even though it’s 4 PM” nonsense. The lobby has this cool tile work that’s clearly been done by local artisans, not some generic hotel chain aesthetic. My room faced the sea, and honestly, waking up to that view of the Red Sea with the desert mountains in the background never got old. The AC actually works (you’d be surprised how often that’s not the case), and the WiFi is solid enough for video calls, which saved me during a work emergency. The beds are comfortable too – not too soft, not too firm, just right for collapsing after a day of diving or wandering around the old town.

What really sold me on this place was the staff’s local knowledge. The front desk guy, Mahmoud, steered me away from the touristy restaurants on the main strip and pointed me toward this incredible seafood place about ten minutes inland where locals actually eat. He also hooked me up with a reliable taxi driver for day trips – and trust me, having a good driver in Hurghada is worth its weight in gold. The hotel’s location on the Corniche means you’re walking distance from everything that matters: the old town with its chaotic but charming market, decent restaurants that won’t break the bank, and multiple dive shops if you’re here for the underwater stuff (which, let’s be honest, you probably are). The only minor complaint? The elevator is a bit slow, but honestly, that’s nitpicking. For a 4-star place with an 8.3 rating, Downtown Keys delivers exactly what it promises – a comfortable base with character that doesn’t feel like every other cookie-cutter hotel along this coast.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $29. One-Bedroom Apartment with Sea View and Terrace with 3 single beds and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 4
• Estimated price from: $30. Deluxe Studio with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $35. Studio Apartment with Balcony with 1 large double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 3
• Estimated price from: $36. Apartment with Sea View with 2 single beds and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 4
• Estimated price from: $35. Studio Apartment with 3 single beds, 1 double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 6

Reviews

• Marmil from Poland – 28 January 2025 (9/10)

  Location, support of host, sea view. Very clean room, fresh beddings, towels.
  
  What could be improved: Low water pressure in the shower, no soap, no shampoo.

• Carmen from Romania – 24 March 2025 (9/10)

  Good location and price. Great owner! Thank you very much Amira!

• André from France – 8 January 2025 (9/10)

  Everything was amazing and clean. The location is also good. There is free Wi-Fi, and Sherif and his team were kind and helpful. We are excited to visit again

• Bo from China – 8 January 2025 (9/10)

  Everything is ok, the environment is comfortable, the decoration is great, and the staff is friendly.

• Reem from Norway – 14 December 2024 (9/10)

  "The location was fantastic! It was close to everything I needed, making it super convenient to explore the area. The room was spacious, clean, and very comfortable. The staff were also friendly and helpful, which made the stay even better."

• Tomas from Lithuania – 28 March 2025 (5/10)

  There is nice grocery store downstairs and nice elevator, singing Quran on the way. Reasonably clean apartment. There is a paid city beach quite close by, but it is not very clean and with sharp stones. Nice sea view out of the balcony.
  
  What could be improved: In the description there was transfer from the airport included, which was not provided. Communication was difficult: hosts not answering in Booking app at all, then there were two different persons communicating on WhatsApp, Mustafa who set disappearing messaging – not good for hospitality business, and Amira who was great online, but I never fully understood her connection to the host. Bedlinen for the sofa were missing the first day, and the host forgot to provide them on time, so we had to wait till the next day. There is no slope in the shower floor, so manual water rinsing is needed. Cupboard door is hitting the too low hanging lamp. Cutlery was missing for some reason, but that was not a problem for us, as we've been eating out.

• Tamer from Bahrain – 20 December 2024 (9/10)

  Der Aufenthalt war hervorragend! Alles war perfekt – von der Freundlichkeit des Personals über die Sauberkeit bis hin zum Komfort. Ich werde definitiv wiederkommen und kann es nur weiterempfehlen.

• Sizheng from China – 7 December 2024 (1/10)

  这是一家不存在的酒店，地址根本找不到，没有人回复，打电话也没有人接听，询问周边居民，都不知道有这家酒店，最后也无法退款。

• Ahmed from Egypt – 14 June 2025 (9/10)

• Raj from Qatar – 22 April 2025 (8/10)

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities