This Resort on Egypt's Red Sea Is Built for Every Mood You Wake Up In

In a world where every notification is an overwhelming stimulus in disguise, simplicity reigns supreme. Monochrome spaces. Muted palettes. Minimalist everything. Even in travel, the era of “pick your vibe” all-inclusive resorts—especially ones powered by over-animated animation teams—seems to have faded. If there’s no curated experience, no overarching story threading through everything from the thematic rooms to the locally-inspired breakfast spread, then it’s a relic of the past. At Utopia Beach Club on Egypt’s Red Sea, however, it’s hard not to fall for the maximalist charm of a proper all-inclusive stay. Especially one managed by a family that asks you to pick your own theme from a selection so vast, so diverse, the challenge is settling on just one. 
Here, between the historic port city of Quseir and the scuba diving mecca of Marsa Alam, the 312-key resort exists in an oasis of its own—and not a monolithic one. Though it’s secluded from the world outside Ras Allasad bay, where it resides, within its walls you’ll find a kaleidoscope of personalities, as colourful and convergent as the reefs beneath the waves. You see it in the diverse selection of cheeses at dinner. In how different waiters choose to say “hello.” Even within the architecture itself, varying styles and moods coexist easily: vaulted red-brick ceilings inspired by indigenous cooling techniques sit above neoclassical colonnades in the lobby—of which there are three. Woven bamboo furniture, simple and locally made, softens grand reception spaces fit for a royal ball. Elevated walkways weave through manicured gardens, only to lead to an open-air stone theatre that seems destined to come alive with the staging of a Sophoclean tragedy. 
Utopia thrives on these contradictions. On giving you the power—and inspiration—to author your own fantasy rather than live the contours of a pre-defined narrative, luxurious as it may be. The resort’s lodgings mirror that same flexibility, from the furniture to the floral arrangements. If you lean more towards utility, you’ll find cosy pool- or sea-facing rooms that give you functionality without fuss. For a tad more room and the feel of home, a selection of suites stand ready to fit all your luggage, your cousins, and your oversized sun-hats. Then, for the lavish lovers, there are queen-sized beds that rest at the very edge of private pools, dissolving the distance between sleep and swim entirely. Finally, for those who just want some space, the stone bungalows will transport you straight into an island fantasy far removed from people and pitch meetings. 
But at a place like this, where you sleep is only half the story. Because, in the end, where you choose to lay your head doesn’t matter nearly as much as how you choose to spend your day. And at Utopia, whatever mood you find yourself in, there’s an activity that speaks its language. 
You could wake up at any hour of your choosing and slink into the pool from your bedside. You could hit the gym hard and the breakfast buffet harder, play a game of padel, attend a yoga session on the sand, and do it all with free cocktails in hand. You could learn to scuba dive, or you could go to the spa. You could spend the whole day working on your tan, reading a romance thriller or an encyclopaedic history of Indian Ocean trade. You could go for a horseback ride and be the kind of person that casually leaves their phone on silent. Between lunch and dinner, the afternoon could be the start of your adventure arc into nearby Quseir, or the start of your naptime. After dinner, the evening’s entertainment could literally win you the lottery. And the next day, you could do it all again, then do it differently. The point is, it’s entirely up to you. And also: no matter what you choose, you’ll always end up at the beach anyway. 
There, you’ll find endless rows of loungers, shaded beneath parasols ornamented with seashells. Sunbathers wave at swimmers, snorkellers surface only briefly, and hardcore divers test their equipment at Utopia’s diving centre. Beneath the surface, you’ll find schools of striped mullet and small squads of barracudas (no, they won’t bite you—but keep your distance). Nearer the seafloor, metre-long cornetfish act like an underwater compass, pointing in the direction of the current and swimming in place against the constant pull. By a collapsed metal pier to the left of the beach, seabirds perch atop the sunken wreck. And, once you’ve had you fill of sea and sun, you can head straight into town. 
Best explored by bike, Quseir is a maze of wide streets where old European homes still stand. On one end, you’ll find a 16th century Ottoman fort where Napoleon’s men fought off the British. On the other, you’ll want to organise an impromptu photoshoot inside an abandoned phosphate factory that may as well have been a movie set. And throughout it all, there’s some really, really good seafood. 
By the end of it all—the swims, the dinners, the detours into town—what lingers isn’t the thread count of the sheets or the scale of the buffet (though sushi Mondays are, in fact, important.) It’s the feeling of having a choice. A choice to do everything. Or nothing at all. To fill your days to the brim, or let them stretch lazily between the bazaar and the beach. Maybe that’s what a modern utopia looks like. Not perfection. Not minimalism. Not maximalism either. Just the rare luxury of waking up and deciding, without compromise, who you feel like being that day.