Luxury hotel group Kempinski, and local tourism developers Abu Soma Development Company, held an official signing ceremony marking the managerial handover of the new Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay. The agreement heralds Kempinski's first foray into the Egyptian hospitality market, and is likely to be followed in quick succession with a series of upscale resorts in select locations throughout the country.
Juerg Siegenthaler, senior vice president Sales and Marketing for Kempinski, said the group was bullish about prospects in Egypt, "As a rule, Kempinski is very selective about the markets and properties we add to our portfolio and we have identified Egypt as a strong destination with great potential in terms of tourism growth and quality of the offering."
Dr. Farid Saad, part owner of the Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay who has super-headed the development of the peninsula since the early 1990's, believes the relationship with Kempinski produce manifold benefits, saying, "To maintain a standard of unrivalled luxury and service, we aspire to include only the best operators within Soma Bay, and Kempinski is an outstanding example of this. Becoming part of the group's network of distinctive worldwide hotels gives a definite competitive edge to our entire development, and perfectly complements the other existing five star properties within the resort ".
The 324 room Moorish-inspired hotel has a private, natural sandy beach which extends 400m along the sea front, with access to excellent water sports and diving opportunities. Six restaurants and bars overlooking the Marina and Soma Bay, propose an inviting range of cuisines. An impressive landscaping of waterfalls, lagoons and pools complement the resort along with four floodlit tennis courts, two squash courts and a luxuriously appointed Health Club & Spa with a state-of-the-art gymnasium and a full range of wellness treatments.