Robinson Club Soma Bay

A German club since 1998

Robinson, a holiday-club brand founded in 1970 and a subsidiary of the German TUI group, has run this club since 1998. It covers about 120,000 m², or 12 hectares, between the desert and the Red Sea. The 348 rooms are spread across four-storey buildings, each with a lift; the double and family rooms were fully renovated in 2016.

The club's concept, which Robinson calls "FOR ALL", puts adults' interests first while welcoming children. Kids' clubs and entertainment run in German and English: worth knowing for families who speak neither.

In front of the club, a broad sandy beach of about 500 m slopes gently into the sea; loungers and parasols are free. Off the bay, the reef forms a drop-off that falls to about 100 m.

A family's day

Morning. Breakfast in the main restaurant from 7 to 10 am, or late breakfast until 11 am. Children then head to their club, organised by age:

• ROBY Baby, from birth: baby equipment and babysitting at €17 per child per hour, in German, subject to availability;
• ROBY CLUB, ages 3 to 6: hourly programme from 10 am to 9 pm, six days a week;
• R.O.B.Y., ages 7 to 12, in two age groups: same hours, during the main school holidays;
• ROBS, ages 13 to 17, in two groups: programme six days a week during the main school holidays.

Lunch. Buffet at the beach restaurant from 12.30 to 2.30 pm, then snacks from 3 to 5.30 pm.

Afternoon. Three freshwater pools that can be heated: the main pool of 600 m² (0.50 to 1.35 m deep), a 60 m² relaxation pool and a 52 m² children's pool, 40 cm deep.

Evening. Buffet dinner from 7.30 to 9.30 pm. The 450-seat theatre puts on three to four shows a week and a live concert; add themed evenings, a beach party, an oriental night, a street-food evening every two weeks and a quiz by the pool. The NITE CLUB takes over for older guests. All times are local.

What full board includes

The club runs on full board. At breakfast, coffee, tea, water and juices are included; at lunch and dinner, water, beer, house wine and a selection of soft drinks. For a change from the buffet, two restaurants are charged: one serving local cuisine, the other a speciality restaurant open on certain evenings. Six bars, from the beach bar to the sundowner bar, complete the picture; alcohol is served from age 18.

Under and on the water, from childhood

The dive centre, run by an outside operator, is affiliated with SSI (Scuba Schools International, an international dive-training organisation). Children can try diving from age 8, Junior Open Water starts at 12 and Open Water Diver at 15. Twice a week, a free pool session lets you try it out. The club calls its panoramic house reef legendary, with a drop-off falling to 100 m.

Kitesurfing is handled by the 7 Bft KiteHouse school, reached by free shuttle; lessons and rental are charged. The spot suits beginners and experienced riders alike. On the club's beach, a fleet of about 70 windsurf boards, catamarans and wing foiling round out the offer.

On land: four floodlit tennis courts on sand-filled artificial turf, a padel court, group classes (Pilates and yoga from 14, indoor cycling from 16) and beach sports. The Gary Player course and its 9-hole academy course are about five minutes away by car.

The adults' corner

The WellFit spa and the gym are for guests aged 16 and over. The spa has two Finnish saunas, one with a panoramic view, a textile sauna, a bio sauna at a gentler temperature, a steam bath, massage and beauty rooms, a hairdresser, and a rest terrace with daybeds and a relaxation pool. Treatments are charged.

Which room to choose

A couple or three adults will fit in a double room. A family of four should take the Family Room Classic, two rooms linked by a corridor on the ground floor, with two bathrooms; with a teenager, a suite separates its two rooms with a sliding door, and the Suite Comfort Sea View, the largest, faces the sea. Economy rooms, less well located, and Roomhopper rooms, allocated by the club with up to four room changes, are offered in small numbers.

Sabaro's view

Who it suits: active families, from toddlers to teenagers; active couples who enjoy a club atmosphere.

Strengths: kids' clubs from birth; diving from age 8; kitesurfing, windsurfing and tennis on site; a gently sloping sandy beach; a score of 8.4/10 on Booking.com from 112 reviews.

Good to know: clubs and entertainment are in German and English; programmes for ages 7 to 17 run in full during the main school holidays; the nearest decompression chamber is in Safaga, about 26 km away.