Sheraton Soma Bay Resort

I was here last year and the drop in this hotel’s level is shocking.
I was a on a family vacation and as a group we booked 4 rooms .. every room had an issue wether it’s electrical, plumbing or otherwise.. it’s like the entire maintenance team seized to exist.
Service level dipped too. I tried to get a drink at the pool and the waiter informed me that i had to get out of the pool, go to the reception to leave a copy of my credit card. Why wasn’t i informed about this new policy at check in .. it didn’t exist last year!! I ordered tonnes of stuff, just signed and then paid at check out just like any other respectable hotel. The level of rudeness was surprising to be honest.
And i’ve never been to a buffet in a 5 star hotel that didn’t include any drinks .. i’m not talking about soft drinks or juices but a 5 star hotel buffet without a glass of water is inexcusable..
we originally came for the soma splash for the kids but it’s simply not worth it .. i guess it’s time to find a new destination for our family vacation.

Sheraton Soma Bay is a bismal experience. I’m writing that as someone who spent almost a thousand nights in Marriott brands’ hotels alone (including many in different Sheraton locations - from the USA, through Tenerife, Asia, up to Australia).

I think I have never been that disappointed with a hotel that claims to be 5 star yet is closer to 3 star.

1. At check-in most of our group had badly allocated rooms - including children separated from parents despite they booked connected rooms (and had this confirmed on their booking). It took the hotel not an hour or half a day but 1-2 days to resolve depending on the room.
2. My room was booked on a wrong name.
3. Facilities are EXTREMELY old and worn. This hotel should have been closed for renovation 3-5 years ago… instead they are renovating as it is opened. Renovation includes some closed facilities and very loud pneumatic drills from 10 to 16 almost every day. So loud that smart watches were issuing alerts that it’s harmful for hearing.
4. Mattresses and chairs on the beach are mostly damaged (with holes in them, shaky, etc.) and the employees responsible for towels are extremely slow. I waited twice more than 20 minutes before someone finally showed up (despite earlier promises at the booth that it will be less than 5 minutes).
5. Service in restaurants is disappointing - you need to constantly “fight for their attention” to get anything (including cutlery or a bottle of water), even when the restaurants are half empty during the week time. Not to mention the weekend when Egyptian tourists join the international crowd and it becomes quite full even in April / May. Then you have to literally “run after waiters”
6. Drinks at the bar are terrible. I’m not talking about the all inclusive drinks (which are the worst of the worst). I’m talking about drinks in general. Even if you are ready to pay, there is very little in the offer. Even something as simple as Aperol Spritz is not available in most (or all?) bars.
7. All inclusive offer is a joke compared to most family hotels around the world.
8. Activities for children are few and rather disappointing.
9. The only service I would give a 5-star rating is the room cleaning - on time, fast and always leaving some cool towel sculptures behind them. Really great person taking care for rooms 23XX the week we stayed.
10. Food was OK, but not great.

All in all - regardless if you are an all inclusive guest or just want to pay a premium for premium services, you will be disappointed.

The good things (great beach, great weather, the Jetty with amazing reef just at the end of the molo, kite and windsurfing facilities, the Marina, etc.) are not hotel properties but available to anyone from any hotel in Soma Bay (Robinson, Kempinski, etc.).

Thus - while Soma Bay is great, I’d recommend to choose another hotel in the neighborhood. Sheraton claims they will finish renovation in 2 years (though when I asked “does it mean 2026?”, the answer was blurry and unclear) - maybe after the renovation it will be again worth visiting.