How does it compare to the Maldives? The St. Regis Red Sea Resort

On this trip to Saudi Arabia, I was most looking forward to the Red Sea. I spent 60 days in the Maldives last year, and I wanted to see what the Red Sea's top luxury resorts had to offer. From the moment you land at Red Sea Airport, you are provided with a full-service experience. After a 20-minute drive and a 30-minute speedboat ride, you will arrive at the Red Sea Resort. The St. Regis and The Red Sea Edition are very close to each other, and the hotel said that guests can visit the neighboring island for free to dine, enjoy a spa, and more. So, staying at one hotel and experiencing two is also an option. This time, I stayed in the Sunset Coral Villa, which is a sunset overwater villa. The biggest drawback of the St. Regis overwater villas is the lack of privacy. I don't know what the designer was thinking, but the living room and bathroom face the overwater villa jetty, which can be a serious issue during peak season when there are many guests. The St. Regis has a lot of facilities, including a gym, swimming pool, spa, padel court, tennis court, and kids' club (which are also standard on luxury islands in the Maldives). Check-in is done in the lobby, unlike in the Maldives where you can check in directly in your room. To be honest, the positioning is similar to the Maldives, but the style and sea views are different. The Red Sea is more like a combination of desert and ocean, so the vegetation is not as lush. If you're choosing an island vacation for the first time, the Maldives is definitely a better choice. But if you've been to many islands and are willing to overlook the details, I highly recommend the Red Sea. There are very few guests, and the large number of staff and high-quality service are quite impressive.