Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay

I stayed at Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay last weekend to celebrate my 30th birthday, and I can honestly say it exceeded every expectation we had. This wasn’t just a beautiful hotel, it was a place where every member of the team truly understood what genuine hospitality means. From the very first phone call, the experience was exceptional. Ms. Engy from the reservations team made me feel incredibly welcome, patiently listened to all my requests, and reassured me that everything would be taken care of. Before our arrival, Mr. Ahmed Abdelhady also followed up via email and confirmed that all the preferences we had shared in the pre-arrival survey would be arranged, and they absolutely were. When we arrived, we were welcomed by a warm, friendly, and professional front desk team. Walking into our room was such a lovely surprise, again arranged by Mr. Ahmed – it had been beautifully decorated for my birthday, making the celebration feel even more special. They had also thoughtfully assigned us a room away from any noise, exactly as requested, allowing us to enjoy a peaceful and relaxing stay. The dining experience was another highlight. The breakfast and dinner buffets were far beyond what we expected from an open buffet. The quality of the food was excellent, with an impressive variety of dishes catering to every taste, including plenty of vegetarian options. It was clear that the hotel puts real thought into accommodating different dietary preferences. We also loved the Beach Bar, which served delicious lunch options in a beautiful beachfront setting. The beach itself is simply stunning; soft sand, crystal-clear turquoise water, and even coral reefs nearby for those who enjoy snorkeling. Whether you’re looking for a quiet adults-only beach area or facilities for families with children, including pools and a lazy river, the hotel offers something for everyone. What truly makes Kempinski Soma Bay stand out, however, is its people. Every interaction we had reflected professionalism, kindness, and a genuine desire to make our stay memorable. A heartfelt thank you to: * Ms. Nourhan at Reception, who was incredibly welcoming, friendly, and always eager to help. * Mr. Natei Fathi at the main restaurant, whose professionalism and attentive service made every meal a pleasure. * Mr. Mostafa El Saghir from Housekeeping, who kept our room spotless throughout our stay and went above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed. It’s rare to find a hotel where every department consistently delivers such a high standard of service. Kempinski Soma Bay truly deserves its five-star reputation, not only because of its beautiful facilities but because of the outstanding people behind them. Thank you to the entire team for making our trip so memorable. We left with wonderful memories, and we’re already planning to return again later this month. We can’t wait to be back!

This was our first all-inclusive vacation, and the service couldn't have been better. All the staff were extremely friendly, courteous, and honest in a very genuine way. Basha's room service was excellent. Everything was always spotless, and he was very polite. The service at the Laguna Club was exceptionally good, and we really appreciated it. The manager, Wael, and his team Sameh, Dawood, and Ramadan delighted us with their service every day. The chef, Abanoub, cooked fantastic dishes several times a day, and his friendly manner was a real treat. :) The team in the gym, including Achmed and his colleagues, was also fantastic. We laughed together, and they were all friendly and very helpful every day. We wouldn't return for the weather or the resort itself, but for the warm and excellent service and the outstanding food. Here, everyone is treated as equals, and there's always something to laugh about. Based on this positive experience, we are now unexpectedly considering spending our honeymoon here. Thank you to all the employees who make this family-oriented service possible every day!

To start this review, we usually stay at the Oberoi or resorts that are less “buffet style” and more individualized in both size and volume of people there. For the price point of the Kempinski, I was expecting something similar to Oberoi and less like an “all inclusive cruise” mega resort. So perhaps my rating reflects this. We rented the junior suites- they were quiet, had a partial ocean view and were excellent. There is major construction next to the hotel but we were in “block 2” and we did not hear it luckily however this construction ran 24/7 and if you were close enough I could see it being extremely disturbing Pools were expansive and clean, however in February we found them way too cold to swim in (21-24 max) or use. My kids tried them but immediately jumped out. The jacuzzi was great but barely 30-31 degrees so not warm enough to be considered much more than a heated pool. I did find the jacuzzi in the over 16 gender separated spa to be better, the sauna and steam room were also clean and well tempered but as they were over 16, it meant my 13-15yr old couldn’t join me. The gym I did not use but was constantly full and small for the number of rooms at this hotel (I’d estimate around 800 rooms?) and would benefit making this 4-5x bigger as it looked entirely full every time i walked by. The food- Unfortunately the hotel for breakfast and dinner is more or less “buffet only” so if you are not into buffets, this hotel is likely not for you. The food was generally “ok”. but like a buffet most of the flavors just blend into each other and everything is sort of the same stew like consistency. There is a subpar and western priced asian restaurant on site which we ate at once. The buffet is basically intended for the entire hotel so it’s massive and crowded if you plan to eat before 9-930pm or after 6am for breakfast. The other few restaurants within walking distance (a burger place, pizza and tacos) were always closed or appeared to be under construction so we ended up at the buffet more the once due to lack of any alternatives. The food overall was general subpar but in line with what I have experienced in the rest of egypt outside of only the best 5 star hotels. The beach is lovely and perfect if you had small children and need a sandy entrance point with little to no waves. The flies however were quite bad if the wind died down at all, so we weren’t able to lay at the beach very long. . Unfortunately I come to the red sea to snorkel and the closest “home reef” is a 1.5km walk or 3€ golf cart ride each way. It is a decent reef but due to its placement the visibility is not as good as others I’ve tried in the area and it is quite busy if you go out onto the jetty/reef during the afternoon. With that said, there is a few dive shops you can rent your snorkels at for 3-6€ and a wetsuit for similar pricing. The staff here was all lovely, friendly and attentive. We booked a senerity package however we weren’t able to use any of the benefits as they seemed to never be available or offered. So the additional cost of this was a total waste unfortunately. Soma Bay seems to be a massive mega hotel development where they are chaining mega hotels side by side, so you can go from one hotel to the next, with similar shops to be found and never leave the resort. It felt sort of less like Egypt and more like a Canaries mega resort but then I got the impression that the majority of people staying here were looking for exactly that budget friendly inclusive option