Palm Royale Resort Soma Bay — Hotel in Red Sea

Excellent service, food and room. The beach is lovely and all areas of hotel are very clean and tidy. We used the Italian, Asian and the Lebanese restaurants and I must say the Asian was exceptional. We used the VIP breakfast every morning and found it to be very relaxing and the service was excellent. Perhaps, a few improvements on choice of cereal ,add dry muesli and bran flakes to the choice. There could also be natural yoghurt in a bowl to use and the fruit namely the prunes need to be upgraded, as the quality was poor.

Drinks: Spirits are very good ,as are the soft drinks, but the wine needs to be upgraded so its quality can reflect the same quality as the hotel. Cocktails, the staff really need to be trained in how to make them. Bartenders are only as good as their training when it comes to cocktails, the management needs to address this rapidly and get true quality training for their staff. Unfortunately non of the cocktails resemble their names, and it truly is a shame that they have overlooked this skill! However, I must add that we have never laughed so much and for so long over a Strawberry Daiquiri!

If its a quiet recharging of your batteries you need, this is exactly what the doctor ordered. It's very restful and the atmosphere peaceful. No loud music blaring such a refreshing change.

Pools: These really need to be heated in November, they were absolutely freezing and so used very little by clients. And in particular the Spa pool definitely should be heated from 1st November. I understand this is costly, but they really are unusable and so very disappointing.

Trips: we went on the afternoon adult afternoon trip on the 'Butterfly' boat for snorkeling, fishing (for fish for lunch for the next days boat trip) and lunch, it was excellent and very good value. The guide was brilliant and pulled me along on the life ring as I was a nervous participant.

Staff: Bakara the man selling the trip is very good, he explains in depth about the content of the trip and even puts you in touch with those who have been so you can chat and get a customers opinion - a very big thank you to you Bakara.

Wael Mohamed is an excellent waiter, attentive to your needs and is so polite and caring, thank you Wael you really looked after us both in the VIP lounge and in the Asian restaurant and made our holiday very enjoyable!

On the beach bar was Mohamed Dirar, what a waiter! He ran the bar many times single handed and always had a smile. He also worked in Johnny's bar with the same enthusiasm. Nothing was too much trouble and customer satisfaction was his number one talent - thank you Mohamed.

Samiras , sorry forgot your 1st name, worked on the poolside lunch bar and also on the beach. He was wonderful, funny and he knew our drinks and would always bring them to us on the beach. Thank you.

Malak , he really tried his best to sort out our Daiquiri and was always happy to help in any way he could, I ( Susie) says a big thank you 😊

Mustafa well what can I say nothing was too much trouble and he was always smiling , thank you.

Well I know it's quite specific, but it sometimes is the small things that make a...

🌟 Not Worthy of 5 Stars – Review of Palm Royale Soma Bay 🌟

I recently stayed at Palm Royale Soma Bay with my family, and unfortunately, our experience fell far short of a true 5-star standard. Here’s an honest breakdown of our stay:

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❌ The Drawbacks:

🔹 Awful Food at Café Stella: The main restaurant, Café Stella, was a huge disappointment. The quality, taste, and variety of food were shockingly poor. Every meal felt like a struggle — we often couldn’t find anything decent to eat. It was repetitive, bland, and lacked even basic appeal.

🔹 Unfriendly & Cold Restaurant Staff: The service at the main restaurant was very poor. Staff were unapproachable, constantly frowning, and made no effort to greet or assist guests. There was no sense of hospitality whatsoever — a major red flag for a hotel of this rating.

🔹 Housekeeping Negligence: Despite being a group of four, we were given only one shower gel. Towels and bed linens were not replaced, and the minibar wasn’t refilled unless we called and requested it — something that should be automatic in any decent hotel. Staff seemed more focused on cutting corners than delivering service.

🔹 Elevator Safety Incident: An elevator stopped between floors while I was inside with my children. The doors wouldn’t open, and it took around 10 minutes for someone to help us. My kids had a panic attack, and it was a terrifying experience. Although the manager apologized in person later, this type of safety failure is unacceptable.

🔹 Tipping Didn’t Improve Service: We gave tips early on hoping it would enhance service, but it made no difference. That says a lot about the overall attitude problem among the staff — it’s systemic, not individual.

✅ The Positives:

✔️ Stunning Beach: The beach was absolutely beautiful — clean, sandy, and great for families. Definitely the highlight of the entire resort.

✔️ Well-Maintained Pools: The pools were clean and well-kept, with a good variety for both adults and children.

✔️ Excellent Reception Service: A special shoutout to Mr. Bemen at the reception. He was one of the most professional and courteous staff members we encountered. He arranged two lovely sea-view rooms for us and made sure everything was in order.

✔️ Great À La Carte Restaurants: Unlike the main restaurant, both the Italian and Lebanese restaurants offered delicious food and excellent service. The staff were attentive and welcoming — especially at the Italian venue.

✔️ Fun Evening Entertainment & Kids Club: The night shows were enjoyable and well-executed. The kids club was also excellent, and I’d like to thank Christine for her effort and kindness with the children — from fun activities to face painting.

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Final Verdict:

While Palm Royale Soma Bay does offer a few memorable highlights — mainly the beach, pools, and certain staff — the poor service, unsafe experience, and terrible main restaurant significantly overshadow everything else. This resort is not worthy of a 5-star rating, and I sincerely hope management takes real steps to improve these...

One of the best hotels in its financial range. We have been staying at this hotel 2.06 - 9.06.2022 I must admit that the hotel is one the nicest hotels I have ever been, taking into consideration that I have visited more than 36 countries. The owners of the hotel did think about their guests when they were arranging everything. Every detail tells us about it. The atmosphere in the lobby is royal, with an amazing oasis in the center of the hall. You will enjoy the fish swimming around the island with a lobby bar making the atmosphere even more relaxing.

The rooms are really big and comfortable, also in a royal style. The territory of the hotel looks more like in Turkey than in Egypt, very green, tidy and cosy with lots of huge palm trees. All the staff are extremely friendly, ready to help. I would like to express my gratitude to Mr.Kannan Subramaniam, the front Office Manager! He is the person who helped us several times asking almost every day if we are satisfied, if everything is OK, smiling all the time. It is obvious he keeps everything under control. Such people are really precious for any hotel! I would like to admit that this is probably one hotel among 10 in Egypt I have ever been where the waiters are making their job without waiting for any tips back for any service. Mr.Hazem Moustafa and Mr. Alaa Rada are real professionals! Good choice for any hotel! The beach is absolutely fantastic, no corals, the entrance to the water is one of the best in Egypt for sure. One thing I really would like to be changed is the food in the main restaurant. It should be definitely changed from time to time! The variety of food should be wider. Nothing wrong but this is the case when people say, " you won't stay hungry"! You will not of course, but to enjoy the full scale of advantages of this amazing hotel- food is not that case. The animation team might be more creative, to tell the truth. Nothing interesting is happening in the evenings (compared to other hotels of this level). Only a pianist in the lobby who sounds very professional but always looks too serious) There are several shops and a pharmacy at the hotel. Mr.Andrew from the pharmacy is always ready to help, he speaks English fluently, a very professional and pleasant guy. The prices are quite ok. If you need any medicines he doesn't have at the moment, he will order and you will be able to get everything in a couple of days. If you have any problems or questions - just ask Katya from Guest relation - she knows everything! She's always ready to solve any problem (even if you aren't satisfied with your mattress!) If you like Egypt - I would certainly...