Solymar Naama Bay

I went here with my parents from the 23rd of June, to the 7th of July and I wish I was still there. When I first got to the hotel at a very late time at night (11pm due to delays on the flight), in our room they’d brought us snacks as we’d missed dinner the first night, giving us a welcoming impression. Over the next 2 weeks we came to realise how friendly and welcome the staff were in all aspects of the hotel: the bar staff, the entertainment team, the restaurant staff and the front desk, including the cleaners and gardeners too. Everyone was so nice, everyone was so sweet, so funny. The entertainment team were genuinely amazing: chloe, meemo (apologies for the spelling), Allisia, karina, and Julia were so incredible. Chloe was amazing, chatting and laughing with us for ages each day, making us feel like we were on a personal level with her, rather than just a guest.

The bar staff were just as amazing, they were so playful. Ahmed and Fares, they were some of the funniest, nicest, gentlest people I’ve ever met. Ahmed would say things like ‘hunkydory’ (that’s good) and you’d just laugh by how random it was, always asking how you are and how Your day was, what you wanted to drink and More. Every drink order was done correctly, and by a few days in he’d already figured out what we wanted before we got to the swim-up-bar. Fares, where do I start with him? That man was, and probably will forever be my best friend in my heart: he was gentle, he was funny, he was playful, and he was sassy. I personally do this thing where I stick my tongue out at people, by the 2nd day he was doing it back, pulling faces with me when I pulled them first, or when I was around really, I didn’t even have to initiate it. When I had one semi-negative interaction with another guest (easily preventable), he sorted it without any hesitation, protective as anything because he saw how stressed I was getting (a mixture of heat exhaustion and Exasperation). When you were hot or least expecting it, you’d get freezing water chucked at you, and you’d just laugh out of how incredulous it was. God forbid my Dad was ask for an ice cream, he’d playfully not give it too him, but if I asked, he’d do it (I was the boss of him 😛) Everyday he’d ask how I was, if I was okay, knew my drink order by heart, and would laugh with me over the stupidest things. I loved going ‘pspspspsps’ like you would a cat, and he’d come straight over when I did it, it was so cute. I definitely didn’t whine to his manager one night in the upstairs bar that I wanted to take him home (definitely nottttt). If I could go back tomorrow I would, mostly for the staff, and mostly for those two.

The hotel itself, the food was good, with always a variety of things to choose from, with The restaurant staff just as willing and kind as everyone else. The server we personally had was a man called Ahmed: soft spoken, gentle, and Knowing. Every morning he’d have our drinks ready, an orange juice, a pineapple juice and a flat white, and seemed to always know instantly when we wanted a refill, he was so gentle bless him, so sweet and so respectful. The manager was So attentive and sweet, a Genuine guy that anyone and everyone could talk too. Breakfast, lunch, snack bar and dinner, all of the food there was a good choice, and always had something for everyone.

The atmosphere was calm, it was Inviting, it was relaxing; but it wasn’t boring. You’d be surprised how Lively it could get without being overwhelming with things such as Morning dancing from the entertainment team, water polo in the afternoons, stretching, darts, Arabic lessons, the lot. It was fun, it was good, but it wasn’t Too much.

At every hotel I’ve been too, you’ve had people trying to seek you things you didn’t want even after you’d said no, that wasn’t the case here. First there was Toni, your excursion friend. Me and my mum went parasailing as it was the one thing we hadn’t done when being in Egypt for the 8th time, nothing more, nothing less, just parasailing. We didn’t want a boat trip, we didn’t want an entire day at sea, just parasailing and back; and that’s what he delivered. We had an amazing time for a reasonable price, and every day after that he’d just come talk about football to my dad, and ask how our days were. The same with rose, she was very.. concerned about my dad’s toes (gross), and desperately wanted to fix them. My dad’s a stubborn man, saying no, and rose would come playfully ask every few days, but never pushed. She was a gem bless her.

The rooms themselves were comfortable, clean, and had all the amenities you could think off. The cleaning staff did such a good job each time, and respected our wishes when we’d put a ‘do not disturb’ sign on our door, signalling we didn’t want our room cleaned. When we did want it cleaned, it was thorough, organised, and pretty, with clear creativity and thought put into the funny towel designs.

I’ve been home 2 days, and I already want to come back. If I had the money I’d be back tomorrow, god I want too. I’ve already looked at flights back, accommodation prices, etc, and wish to do it again sometime in the near future just for how calm I felt, the peace that I got there that I don’t get at home. I did in fact cry when I got on the coach to leave: I’m not someone who does emotions, I don’t cry, I don’t get upset, I don’t get angry, yet when I knew I was leaving I did infact sob, just for the fact I knew I had to go.

To anyone thinking of coming to this hotel, please do.

I want to thank everyone working there especially Mr Emad supervisor for restaurant and all his staff and Chef Mohamed for best food tasting and service he is so friendly and Mr Rezk supervisor for par and House keeper Alaa and Ahmed he is working on swimming pool and Mahmoud also I need to thank everyone by his name but really really I love this place for service and this fourth time for me there

I recently stayed at this lovely small hotel and had a fantastic experience overall. DONT PANIC when you turn off the immaculate boulevard down a badly paved side street the hotel and its grounds are pristine. Just the road leading to it is a bit neglected. The small size (for sharm) gives it a really welcoming feel, and the service throughout my stay was excellent. The staff genuinely couldn’t have been better — friendly, attentive, and always willing to help.

A special mention goes to the restaurant manager, who went above and beyond to make sure every meal was the best it could be. The food was consistently good quality, with plenty of variety and always something new to try. Although they frequently mislabel the foods country of origin(chilli con carne credited as Chinese cuisine and lasagne labelled as Egyptian cuisine did make me giggle. Drinks at both bars were great as well, with fantastic cocktails at the main bar the sekhmet fire was spicy fruity and very strong. No tiny measures here — just properly made, generous drinks.

The pool area is the one part that feels a bit limited. The pool itself is quite small and shallow, and in July it gets very hot. The sunbeds are packed in tightly, which can make the space feel a little crowded. That said, it’s still a nice spot to relax if you don’t mind a busier poolside.

Rooms were comfortable with very comfy beds, though the décor does feel a little dated. Nothing that put me off, but worth noting if you prefer a more modern style.

One of the highlights was the free shuttle to the private beach area. It’s a lovely spot with a small coral reef that’s perfect for snorkelling. Tony, the excursion guy, is brilliant — friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what he does. I highly recommend both the scuba and snorkelling trips he offers.

Oh and make sure to download InDrive app. Think Egyptian uber. It suggests the rate to where you want to go and drivers bid to take you and its tracked and you can see their reviews and journeys etc so no awkward haggling. So sharks bay beach was 200 Egyptian pounds rather than the hotel taxi at 4x the price and so was soho square.

Oh i nearly forgot. The gardens. Really well kept and they have their own veg garden growing all the herbs and chillies etc. Nice for a wander after dinner once the sun has finally gone.

Overall, this hotel delivers great service, great food, and a genuinely enjoyable stay. A few areas could be improved, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. I’d happily return.