Sheraton Soma Bay Resort

1 reader found this review helpful

We were looking for a holiday location with unspoiled beaches, good weather and good food, and decided to go to Egypt becuase it seemed to be the shortest distance travel wise with a 2 year old in March. It was a choice between El Gouna or Soma Bay, and we opted for Soma Bay as it seemed to be a bit quieter, which is what we were looking for.
Overall opinion was fantastic! I would (and have) recommended this hotel to anyone. It is not for young people looking for a lively nightlife, but if you have a young family, or you are a couple (old or young), this is a lovely place to spend your holidays. The hotel is literally in the middle of nowhere, you drive through flat desert land and suddenly, you arrive at Soma Bay. The resort area of Soma Bay is still in the process of being developed and there is a lot o building work going on at the beginning of the resort, but the Sheraton hotel is at the other side, and so very quiet. It has it's own area of a private beach and the sand is very soft, ideal for young children. The pool is a very good size and there is also a private children's pool with lots of water toys and a small playground. The kid's club building is also housed in this area and although it is mainly for kids 4+, my 2 year old was welcomed. In the evening, there is a mini club disco (8pm), located in the club next to the restaurant. My daughter particularly loved the half an hour of singing and running about (it also tired her out before bedtime!!!), and would get very excited every evening at the prospect of having a boogie. The entertainment staff were very polite and friendly, and although not British, they spoke good English.
The rooms are of a good size and we were lucky enough to get a room on the ground floor so we had a patio area outside the room. It was lovely to sit on outside your room in the evening and chill out.
Stafff throughout the hotel are very efficient and polite, nothing was too much trouble. There are three restaurants, the main one for breakfast and dinner, an outside restaurant, located near to the pool and beach for lunch, and an a la carte restaurant, also open in the evenings. We eat at the a la carte on our first night and felt it was not particularly great, others may disagree, but the main restaurant had far more choice, and was of a very high standard. In fact, for a buffet restaurant, the food is probably one of the best I have even eaten in. My husband works in the trade in the Uk (F&B Manager in a 5* hotel, and even he was impressed). The quality and variety was great, and there were different themed nights on different days of the week so there was plently of variety. Ice cream galore for little ones, and all soft drinks and local alcoholic drinks were also included in the package. I was very impressed with this hotel and would definately return.
Outside in the hotel grounds, there is a gym and sauna, regular exercise classes for those who want it, and also various sporting activities. We met several people who returned to this hotel year after year...THere is also a diving school located next to the hotel for those wanting to go diving, and a running track or those who want to go jogging.
Generally, there are not too many Brits in this hotel, which may be a problem for some, but it didn't bother us. There are a lot of Swiss, Austrian and Germans, a few Italians and a scattering of Brits. It is an upmarket hotel, and not for those looking to get drunk every night...
We stayed here for a fortnight in March and the weather was very warm, not too hot, which was ideal to get a tan, but not too hot for little children.
There is something here for everyone wanting to chill out and relax, in a safe and secure environment. People constantly ask me if there are any problems with health issues or stomach bugs, and my reply is always this "you get what you pay for, and if you stay in cheap and cheerful places, then don't expect the hightest standards'. At Soma Bay, you are paying for a quality product, and I personally feel that this is what you get.
I have given this hotel 9/10 and not 10/10 for 2 reasons: firstly, the a la carte restauratn is not that great, and secondly, the shop, located just off the lobby area, is too small and very expensive. It does stock nappies/ tolietries etc... but they are far too overpriced. We took the hotel shuttle bus into Hurghada one day for a look around. If you have never been to Hurghada before, I would not reccomend it. It is full of typical tourist tat shops selling cheap and cheerful t shirts etc...We only went to get the nappies and could not wait to get back to our haven of tranquility.
~ A lovely hotel.