Robinson Soma Bay

Arabic architecture, wide open spaces and a club built around the sea: ROBINSON SOMA BAY is a large resort for divers who also want a proper choice of things to do on dry land. You can keep the day simple with the beach, a pool and a cold drink, or fill it with tennis, fitness, watersports and evening entertainment. There is no need to manufacture excitement; the programme already does that job.

The atmosphere leans towards an active club rather than a small hideaway. Live performances, themed evenings, sports competitions, music and a nightclub keep the place moving after dinner, while the gardens, terraces and private beach give you room to slow down. The club welcomes families and children, but adults remain at the centre of the concept.

English is spoken by the hotel team, alongside German and Arabic. That matters when you are discussing a transfer, a special meal or the practical details of a diving day. The hotel's website also serves French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese and Turkish-speaking guests.

You are in Hurghada, Egypt, on the Soma Bay peninsula, directly beside a broad golden-sand beach. The resort runs for roughly 500 metres along the shore, with a gently sloping entry, loungers, parasols and beach towels. A coral reef lies in front of the bay, so the sea is not merely scenery beyond the pool.

The setting is deliberately removed from town life: desert on one side, Red Sea on the other, with a less densely built-up feel than the main Hurghada strip. Safaga is about 11 miles away, while Hurghada itself is the location used for the address and the airport connection.

Hurghada International Airport is about 28 miles away, with a transfer taking roughly 45 minutes. Nearby restaurants and cafés are not arranged around the entrance, so this is a resort where you are likely to eat, drink and spend the evening on site rather than wander out for a choice of alternatives.

The room choice is mainly about how you want to wake up. Standard accommodation keeps things straightforward for a couple or a solo diver, while sea-view and sea-side options put the Red Sea into the evening routine. If you are travelling as a family, the family rooms and the larger family option give you more usable space than a standard double. The suite with sea view is the one to consider when the view and a separate feeling of space matter more than keeping the room simple.

Every room has air conditioning, a balcony, WiFi, a refrigerator, a private bathroom with a shower or bath, a television and a safe. The refrigerator is a small but useful detail when you return warm, thirsty and not especially interested in another trip to the bar. Daily housekeeping is included, and a lift serves the four-storey club.

The accommodation was renovated in 2016. Single rooms use twin beds, as do the standard double categories, while the family rooms use four single beds. There is no room service, so the practical rhythm is breakfast, sea or pool, then back to the main areas for food and drinks. For a longer stay, laundry facilities and a paid laundry service can help keep the dive bag under control.

Full board is the working arrangement here, with buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Hauptrestaurant handles breakfast and dinner on its terrace, with international dishes, local touches and an Ayurveda-oriented selection. Breakfast starts at 07:00, while dinner runs from 19:30 to 21:30. That timing is comfortable for a relaxed evening, though an early boat departure may make breakfast planning worth checking before you book.

Lunch moves to the beach at the Strandrestaurant, where the buffet runs from 12:30 to 14:30. The BistroLine then covers the afternoon from 15:00 to 17:30, with snacks and cakes when lunch is already a distant memory but dinner is still a poor idea. Selected drinks are included with the main meals, including coffee, tea, water, juice at breakfast, and selected wine, beer, soft drinks, coffee and tea at lunch and dinner.

There are four restaurants in total: the main restaurant, the beach restaurant and two speciality restaurants open on selected evenings. The local-speciality restaurant and the international speciality restaurant are both available for an additional charge. Six bars spread the day from the Hauptbar, open from 08:30 to 00:30, to the beach, sunset, watersports and outdoor bars. The NITE CLUB opens from midnight, for those who still have the energy to prove a point.

Three heated outdoor freshwater pools give you alternatives to the sea: a 600-square-metre main pool, a 60-square-metre relaxation pool and a shallow children's pool. Sun loungers, parasols and beach towels are available around the beach and pool areas, so you can choose between salt, chlorine or simply staying horizontal. The private beach is long enough for a proper walk when sitting still starts to feel like another form of decompression.

The WellFit-Spa is for guests aged 16 and over, with Finnish saunas, a textile sauna, a bio-sauna, a steam bath, an outdoor relaxation area and a relaxation pool. Treatments include massages, facials, beauty treatments and Ayurveda. A couples massage is available, as are head, neck, back and foot treatments. The spa is the obvious answer when your shoulders have done enough work for one day.

For something more active, you have seven tennis courts, a fitness centre, yoga, Pilates, Aqua Fit, indoor cycling, functional training and other group classes. Golf is available on a course within 3 km, with a shuttle to Cascades Golf Club. The watersports programme includes windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing, catamaran sailing, paddleboarding, wing foiling, e-foiling and boat excursions. In the evening, choose between live performances, theatre shows, themed dinners, music, quizzes, sports broadcasts and the nightclub. Families also have children's programmes from age 3 to 17, a children's pool and babysitting.

Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out is by 11:00. The reception is open around the clock, with luggage storage, a tour desk, currency exchange and an ATM on site. Free private parking is available without reservation, and WiFi is free throughout the hotel. An infirmary is available on site.

Transfers from Hurghada International Airport can be arranged through ROBINSON. Depending on the booking arrangement, the transfer may be included or added separately; reserve it with the hotel or your travel provider rather than assuming it is part of every package. The drive takes roughly 45 minutes.

The resort accepts major cards including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club and Maestro; cash is not accepted. Children of all ages are welcome, although guests under 18 may check in only with a parent or official guardian. Cots and extra beds depend on the selected accommodation, and pets are not allowed. The club is generally adapted for guests with reduced mobility; specific requirements should be discussed before booking.

The club's environmental work is practical rather than decorative. Renewable energy comes from solar, photovoltaic, wind and biomass systems, while energy-saving room cards, motion sensors, double glazing and LED lighting reduce consumption in rooms and public areas. Treated wastewater is reused for irrigation, and rainwater collection is part of the water management approach.

Food waste is managed through prevention, reduction, recycling and disposal measures. The resort grows herbs for the restaurants, offers vegetarian and vegan dishes, uses refill stations for fresh water and replaces single-use plastic toiletries with dispensers. Reusable cups and tableware, biodegradable cleaning products and recycling for glass, paper, plastic and organic waste are also part of the operation.

You can contribute without turning the holiday into an environmental seminar: reuse towels, use the water stations and choose the option to skip room cleaning when it suits you. The resort also supports local artists, local guides and community organisations, and shares information about local ecosystems, cultural heritage and appropriate behaviour.