Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay

The Kempinski’s 325 rooms and suites are set within low-rise, Moorish-inspired buildings threaded with gardens and water features. Interiors are calm and classical, decorated in soft tones with an oriental twist, and every room comes with a proper seating area, a marble bathroom and a private balcony or terrace overlooking the resort, the lagoons or the Red Sea. At 39 square metres, even the entry-level rooms are notably generous, sleeping up to three guests.

Resort View Room

Looking over the water features and greenery at the heart of the resort, these are restful, good-value rooms just a short stroll from the pools and beach.

Side Sea View Room

The same generous layout angled towards the coast, with partial sea views from your balcony or terrace alongside the gardens.

Sea View Room

Wake to the Red Sea itself, with uninterrupted blue views from your balcony or terrace and the beach only moments away.

Laguna Club Room

Sea-view rooms with access to the Laguna Club Lounge, a private retreat with panoramic Red Sea views where food, drinks and personalised service flow throughout the day.

Junior Suite

The 22 Junior Suites occupy prime positions around the resort, each with a king bed, an integrated sitting and relaxation area and a large marble bathroom, available with side sea or full sea views. Laguna Club Lounge access is included.

Deluxe Suite

A clear step up in space, the seven Deluxe Suites pair an elegant bedroom with a separate living room, plus a large marble bathroom with separate bathtub and shower.

Terrace Suite

Just three of these exist, prized for their generous proportions and outdoor space; ask our team about availability.

Presidential Suite

The resort’s two finest addresses, each with a palatial master bedroom, a dedicated dining area and an expansive living room, all flowing onto a wide terrace with an unobstructed panorama of the Red Sea horizon.

Soma Bay is a private, gated peninsula on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, around 45 kilometres south of Hurghada International Airport; transfers take roughly 45 minutes, and once through the gates you are surrounded by the sea on all sides. The peninsula enjoys year-round sunshine, sheltered bays and a famously reliable breeze, which is exactly why it has become one of the Red Sea’s most polished resort destinations.

Everything within Somabay is on the Kempinski’s doorstep. The Cascades championship golf course, designed by Gary Player, rolls between the sea and the desert hills; the 7Bft Kite House sits on a shallow lagoon rated among the finest kitesurfing spots anywhere; and the ORCA dive centre, the largest on the Red Sea, runs trips to celebrated offshore reefs. The marina is the place to join a sunset sailing trip, and the Cascades Spa & Thalasso is a short shuttle ride away.

Beyond the peninsula, Hurghada’s marina and old town make an easy excursion, while a full day trip can carry you across the Eastern Desert to Luxor, home to Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings.

The Kempinski’s gardens spill down to a 400-metre private sandy beach where the water stays shallow close to shore, ideal for younger swimmers, and the nearby coral means snorkellers can explore straight from the resort rather than booking a boat. Pool attendants and certified lifeguards are on duty daily.

• Pools: an expansive pool landscape set among the resort’s lagoons, including a family pool encircled by a meandering lazy river, a dedicated children’s pool and a grand Jacuzzi; one pool is heated through the winter months.
• Beach: 400 metres of private sand with calm, shallow swimming and gorgeous Red Sea sunsets.
• Spa and wellness: guests have use of one of the region’s largest and best-equipped thalassotherapy centres, the Cascades Spa & Thalasso within Somabay, reached by a short shuttle ride, with seawater facilities and an extensive treatment menu; there is also a fitness centre for keeping up your routine.
• Watersports: snorkelling, windsurfing and diving on the bay, with kitesurfing at Somabay’s 7Bft Kite House and diving arranged through the ORCA dive centre, the largest on the Red Sea.
• Golf: the 18-hole Cascades championship course, designed by Gary Player, lies minutes away on the peninsula.
• Families: a supervised Kids’ Club, a children’s play area and the kids’ pool keep little ones happily occupied.

Add a slow drift along the lazy river or a sunset stroll along the shore and there is genuinely little reason to leave the peninsula.

Classic Holidays guests stay at the Kempinski on a half board basis, with full board available if you would rather have every meal taken care of, and the resort’s restaurants make either choice a pleasure.

The View Restaurant is the heart of it all, serving expansive breakfast and dinner buffets that blend authentic Egyptian flavours with international favourites, including theatrical live cooking stations and a terrace overlooking the Red Sea. Half board covers breakfast and dinner here; choose full board and lunch is included too.

For a change of pace, Bamboo Shoot Restaurant is billed as the Red Sea’s premier Asian fusion destination, an a la carte journey through Japanese precision, Chinese mastery and Thai artistry served in elegant, smart-casual surroundings.

Through the day, Al Mar Restaurant & Bar keeps things relaxed with artisanal Mediterranean dishes and refreshing cocktails by the pool from mid morning until early evening, while the Beachcomber Bar serves chilled specialities, gourmet snacks and sweet treats along the beach.

Come evening, the newly renovated Sultan Bar is the spot for signature cocktails and premium cigars accompanied by refined entertainment, open from early afternoon until midnight.

Guests staying in Laguna Club rooms and Junior Suites also enjoy the Laguna Club Lounge, a private sanctuary with panoramic Red Sea views where a rotating selection of culinary treats and drinks is served throughout the day. Whichever board basis you choose, evenings here tend to begin the same way, with a slow sundowner as the sky turns gold over the bay before dinner is served.