Palm Royale Resort – Soma Bay

Hotel Description

You know what struck me first about Palm Royale Resort? It’s actually tucked away from the main Hurghada chaos – about 45 minutes down the Safaga road, which honestly feels like a blessing once you’ve dealt with the hustle of downtown Hurghada. The resort sits right on Soma Bay, and I mean right on it – you’re literally stepping from the lobby area onto this pristine stretch of Red Sea coastline that feels almost private. The whole place has this sort of understated elegance going on, not the flashy, over-the-top vibe you get at some of the bigger chain resorts closer to town. Check-in was surprisingly smooth (I was dreading the usual Egyptian paperwork marathon), and the staff genuinely seemed to know what they were doing.

What really sets this place apart is the diving and snorkeling situation – and I’m not just talking about the usual hotel reef that’s been trampled to death by tourists. The house reef here is actually pristine, probably because Soma Bay is still relatively underdeveloped compared to the main Hurghada strip. I spent hours just floating around watching the parrotfish and angelfish do their thing, and the coral formations are honestly some of the best I’ve seen along this stretch of coast. The dive center runs trips to Abu Kafan and other spots that the day-trippers from Hurghada don’t usually hit. Food-wise, they’ve got several restaurants, and while the main buffet is pretty standard resort fare, the seafood at their beachfront grill is legit – clearly sourced locally and prepared by someone who actually knows fish. The pools are well-maintained (no weird chemical smell), and there’s this infinity pool that faces the sea where you can catch some spectacular sunsets without fighting crowds for a good spot.

Here’s the thing though – this place definitely skews toward the quieter, more relaxed crowd. If you’re looking for thumping nightlife and pool parties, you’ll probably be bored. But if you want to actually unwind, read a book by the water, maybe do some diving, and enjoy decent food without the typical resort madness, Palm Royale hits that sweet spot. The rooms are spacious with proper AC (crucial in summer), and most have sea views that are actually worth looking at. Parking is free and easy, which matters if you’re planning to rent a car and explore places like El Gouna or even make the drive to Luxor. The 8.7 rating makes sense to me – it’s genuinely well-run, the location is gorgeous, and they seem to maintain everything properly. Just don’t expect it to be cheap, especially during European winter months when everyone’s escaping the cold.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $168. Superior Double or Twin Room with 2 single beds and 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $182. Superior Double or Twin Room with Pool View with 2 single beds and 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $191. Superior Double or Twin Room with Sea View with 2 single beds and 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $229. Club Double or Twin Room with Pool and Sea View with 2 single beds and 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $232. Family Room (2 Adults + 2 Children) with 2 single beds, 1 extra-large double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $274. Junior Suite with 1 extra-large double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $284. Executive Suite with 1 extra-large double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $316. Deluxe Double or Twin Room with Sea View with 2 single beds and 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $337. Deluxe Suite with Sea View with 1 extra-large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $984. Presidential Suite with 2 × 1 extra-large double bed for Max persons: 4

Reviews

• Iwona from Poland – 4 May 2025 (9/10)

  The place is aesthetically pleasing, well-maintained, and makes a great impression right from the start. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the food was truly delicious – everything was of a good standard. Mr. Mustafa and Mr. Alazab – thank you very much for your service during the meals! You were both very polite, kind, and highly professional. Due to a minor injury, I needed medical assistance. The hotel has a Clinic 24/7 on-site, which I was also very satisfied with. Many thanks to Dr. Kareem for his professional help and great kindness.
  
  What could be improved: We paid for our stay in full at the very beginning. The day before departure, we settled the bill for additional orders, made sure everything was cleared, and received confirmation that there were no outstanding charges. However, on the day of departure, at 6 a.m., we were informed that we needed to pay an additional $300 because the staff member who processed our payment had made a mistake, and the next person failed to notice the error.
  
  The original price matched what we had seen on Booking.com, but it turned out the issue was related to taxes. What we found disappointing was that the staff did not acknowledge any responsibility for the mistake—instead, they explained the additional charge with a certain irritation, as if it was self-explanatory.
  
  Despite this misunderstanding, our overall impression of the hotel remains positive and we truly enjoyed our stay.

• Tadas from United Kingdom – 16 April 2025 (9/10)

  Everything was great, service, staff, location and food.
  
  What could be improved: The windsurfing facility in the hotel could definitely use some improvement. The equipment is quite outdated and not well maintained, which affects the overall experience. Additionally, charging extra for wetsuits doesn’t feel fair, especially when all the available ones are damaged or in poor condition

• David from United Kingdom – 27 March 2025 (9/10)

  6th time here. Perfect kite surfing location. Staff are great. Hotel is classic elegant in design and feel.

• Igor from Poland – 26 March 2025 (9/10)

  All stated below is benchmarked against other hotels in Egypt I stayed (~10 incl. Sheraton Soma Bay, Kempinski, Hilton Marsa Alam, Gemma and similar ones).
  
  -great spot for kitesurfing. Perfect wind and water conditions.
  -great greenery; grass, palm trees etc – way above the average
  -dinners were also above average. Mexican theme dishes were better than in Mexico 🙂 Also kudos to pastry chef. One of the best sweets selection I have ever experienced. I just missed there was no baklava.
  -large swimming pools, long stretch of beaches.
  -quite „oldy”, but very well equipped gym.
  
  Special shoutout to Ahmed Hakim. This Manager was a bomb! Not only he was able to fix some minor problems, but overdelivered greatly. He was not only fast and up to the point, but also pro-active. One of the best customer-facing managers I met, not only in Egypt but globally. I really felt he wanted to make my stay exceptional!
  
  What could be improved: -some room equipments like cupboards were visibly heavy used.
  -water was only delivered to the room 25% of days. Thats not a problem as bottled water was available during meals, and flavored water in the lobby, but I would expect it comes always with the room cleaning service.
  -there was no „smoking free” outside breakfast area. Of course inside was „no smoking”, but outside was all filled with smokers.

• Valeria from Switzerland – 3 March 2025 (8/10)

  Staff on Reception particularly was extremely friendly and addressed all my extra wishes to my highest satisfaction.
  
  What could be improved: Very broad construction around the pool and main area

• Magdalena from Austria – 3 February 2025 (8/10)

  Nice hotel to relax a week at the Red Sea. Kite/Wind Surfing Station directly next to it, which is awesome. The Buffet is also really good. We will come again 😊

• Kamal from Switzerland – 3 January 2025 (9/10)

  Excellent hotel and very kind staff

• Eric from Czech Republic – 1 December 2024 (9/10)

  Amazing setting, food, our room with seaview had a perfect view and balcony.The service was nice and efficient.

• Alexandra from United Kingdom – 27 November 2024 (9/10)

  The hotel is absolutely stunning and in the best location! The beachfront is beautiful and our hotel room was great! We also loved the foyer and the atrium bar. The staff was also great and so helpful. The water was so clear too it was amazing.
  
  What could be improved: Nothing we had an amazing stay!

• Elena from Italy – 27 November 2024 (9/10)

  Beautiful Place, kind and helpful staff, amazing sea and good food.

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities