Impressive landscaping including waterfalls, lagoons and pools cover seven hectares of the 17.6 hectare site on the Red Sea.

Kempinski Hotels has been awarded the management agreement for a new five star luxury hotel currently being built on Soma Bay Peninsula on the Egyptian shores of the Red Sea. Part of a master-planned resort which includes a 70-berth marina, the hotel has a private, natural sandy beach which extends 400m along the sea front - ideal for taking advantage of the region's year-round sunshine and excellent water sports and diving opportunities. Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay is set to open mid-2008.

 An 18-hole golf course, four floodlit tennis courts and two squash courts are also planned. A luxuriously appointed Health Club & Spa will offer a state-of-the-art gymnasium and a full range of wellness treatments. Parents will be pleased to discover a Children's Club that is staffed with professional attendants, and which has its own two swimming pools and playground.

Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay's architecture is inspired by Moorish fortresses with oriental interior design accents. The hotel will offer 324 rooms and suites, including two Presidential suites. Ideal for travelling families, most suites can be combined with connecting rooms to form extended suites of up to five bedrooms. Six restaurants and bars, each with views over Soma Bay, will propose an inviting range of cuisines.

Ulrich T. Eckhardt, President of Middle East & Africa for Kempinski, believes the property to be a distinctive new addition to the group's growing portfolio in the region, saying, "With its stunning natural location and exceptional range of leisure options, the Kempinski Hotel in Soma Bay will be one of the finest resorts on the Red Sea. Following in the tradition of Kempinski's innovative five star excellence, guests will enjoy superior levels of service and have privileged access to extensive luxury facilities throughout the resort."

Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay is 45 minutes from Hurghada city and 40 minutes from Hurghada International Airport, with daily inbound flights from Dubai and other Middle Eastern and international destinations. The historical city of Luxor, which hosts one third of the world's ancient monuments and is home to the Pharaonic dynasties' wealth, can be comfortably reached from Soma Bay, making day trips another enticing attraction.

With the addition of the Kempinski Hotel in Soma Bay, the group will soon operate three properties on the Red Sea, including Djibouti Palace Kempinski and Kempinski Hotel Aqaba, which is set to open in spring 2008.