Making Dreams for a Living

Coastal destinations naturally boast picturesque scenery, laid-back vibes and all the cliches the word ‘retreat’ brings to mind. But for somebody wanting to push this envelope beyond touristic attractions, envisioning a sustainable, environmentally conscious world-class town is no small feat. I chatted up chief of hospitality Ashraf El Siessy to learn more about Somabay’s unique canvas, and the team powerhousing this visionary Red Sea town to life:

Guiding a dedicated team working to develop top quality standards in hospitality must mean that you are passionate about the destination itself. Tell us about your favourite spot in Somabay and why you love it.

My favourite spot is incredibly serene. Where exactly? I’ll keep that a personally treasured secret. This town is so remarkable-there are many places that take very little time to tug at your heart. I’m very connected to Somabay because of the various elements you can utilise. As a swimmer at heart, the sea and its blues never cease to amaze me. Here I can swim, dive, freedive, kitesurf, I’m also learning and growing deeply fond of sailing and boating.

As a visitor, it feels easy to fall in love with the destination. In hospitality it’s become an excessive trend to attempt new ideas just for the sake of novelty. So instead of asking the cliché question what does hospitality mean to you, what we’d actually like to know is how important is it for you to implement the ‘new’? What approaches do you have in mind when doing things ‘differently’?

Evolution. Evolving concepts and ideas is the definition of what ‘new’ means to me. Nothing should remain static. There should always be something happening, a constant growth and change. And this growth should move in the direction of development and improvement. Where hospitality is concerned, we’re in a transformational stage; we’re growing from 1500 keys across 5 hotels to a sensational dining destination with over 3000 keys occupancy; we’re also growing the existing marina to a capacity of 180 boats. It’s a remarkable expansion of facilities and potential that’s been coming from a very long time but now it is happening.

Expansion and construction easily jeopardises coastal pristineness and neighbouring aquatic life. The sea- what does it mean to you, Ashraf and how are you managing hospitality with an eco-preservation ethos?

That’s exactly the key challenge that remains at the forefront of our priorities. Somabay is not a tourist destination, it’s a unique natural asset. One way to support expansion while respecting nature’s space and pace is to encourage mini-communities and bring like-minded travellers together. You’ll find that each hospitality asset addresses a niche market. There’s the family friendly Sheraton, Robinson is popular amongst young German visitors, the Kempinski is big on lifestyle travellers and Cascades promotes wellness whilst catering particularly well to golf aficionados. Somabay doesn’t just add hotels as cookie cutters. It’s important to be mindful as we continue to develop, so we’re currently focusing even more on the lifestyles and sports. Choosing a solid team is the biggest game changer. We have so many people working with such love for what they do. They’re constantly thinking about how to develop the new hotels, creating opportunities to educate, supporting the existing practices that are already in the operational hotels. Somabay is indigenous to a multitude of wildlife. We have foxes, osprey eagles, green and hawksbill turtles. Not to mention the species of fish and reef inhabitants. We’re developing the ecolodge now with its own marine conservation centre, whilst exploring collaborations with government and multiple organizations. The very existence of Somabay necessitates supporting nature as the town grows.

It's clear that sustainability is at the heart of your operations. Could you tell us more about how Somabay handles water and waste management?

We use construction and excavation waste in shaping the golf asset, salinated water to irrigate the golf field, and the solar farm supplies up to 80% of our power requirements. We’ve brought in special types of grass developed in California that is resilient to sea water and constantly ensuring we follow international standards through research. Removing plastic from the destination was a must, so we’ve partnered with various parties to eliminate plastic waste such as introducing Brita filtered watered.

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