One Brand, Two Coasts, One Uncompromising Standard

When a brand has spent over a decade earning its reputation on one coast, expanding to a second is either the natural evolution of something that works or the dilution of something that should have stayed where it was. Travco Properties made a deliberate choice about which of those it would be when they announced the rebrand of their Red Sea project in 2026.

The project, launched officially in May 2026 as Almaza Bay Ras Soma, is the Almaza Bay name arriving on the Red Sea for the first time. What was previously known as Ras Soma, Travco Properties’ Red Sea coastal destination, has been rebranded under the Almaza Bay umbrella. The logic is explicit: Travco Properties is no longer a developer with one flagship project and a second separate one. It is a multi-coastal lifestyle brand with a consistent identity across both of Egypt’s Mediterranean and Red Sea shores.

For buyers who know what Almaza Bay North Coast delivers, the rebrand carries a direct commitment. The Almaza Bay name at KM 247 Sidi Heneish means seven hotels, a 5.5 km beach, European summer occupancy at 90 percent, Pier 88 Italian dining, and 11 years of consistent operational standards. Travco Properties is attaching that track record to what was Ras Soma on the Red Sea. The rebrand is the promise that the same standards, the same operator, and the same Travco hospitality DNA that built the North Coast destination will now define a Red Sea one.

Almaza Bay North Coast, the flagship behind the name

Where Is Almaza Bay Ras Soma Located?

The project is located on the bay of Ras Abu Soma on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, between Hurghada and Safaga, approximately 35 minutes from Hurghada International Airport and 60 km from Hurghada City. The bay itself provides the project with a natural protected cove setting, with Red Sea mountains rising directly behind and turquoise coral reef waters in front.

The adjacency to Soma Bay is part of the location’s appeal. Soma Bay is one of the most internationally established resort clusters on the Egyptian Red Sea, home to the Kempinski, Sheraton, Robinson Club, and the Gary Player-designed championship golf course. The position next to Soma Bay means it benefits from the established resort corridor while introducing the Almaza Bay brand as its premium residential counterpart.

One clarification worth having, because the market muddles it. Ras Abu Soma is a headland on the Soma Bay peninsula, and it is also the name Travco gave this project further south along the same road. Property portals often place Emaar’s Marassi Red Sea “at Ras Soma” as a result. Emaar does not describe its project that way. The two sit on the same coastal corridor and are separate destinations by different developers.

Nearby Landmarks and Distances

The year-round European connectivity to Hurghada Airport is one of the key structural differences between the Red Sea investment case and the Almaza Bay North Coast one. On the North Coast, the summer season is roughly June to September, and the European hotel visitor base concentrates in those months. On the Red Sea, the year-round climate, warm water, and world-class diving conditions mean European visitors arrive from October through April as the primary season, complementing Egyptian summer use rather than competing with it. 

Key Advantages and Selling Points of Almaza Bay Ras Soma

The Almaza Bay brand carries a proven operational track record directly into the Red Sea market. Every buyer here can point to Almaza Bay North Coast and see what this developer and operator delivers over more than a decade: seven hotels, consistent European occupancy, a maintained 5.5 km beach, and dining standards that have no direct comparable on the western North Coast. 

A five-star hotel is already open and trading on site. The Steigenberger Resort Ras Soma opened on 1 April 2021 with 409 rooms and suites, three royal suites and four beachfront villas. Guest scores sit at 9.4 on Hotels.com and 8.7 on Booking.com, the gap being sample size rather than disagreement. An operating hotel is a meaningfully different entry point from a development with a hospitality partnership still in planning. 

The WATG masterplan brings international resort planning credibility. Wimberly Allison Tong and Goo is the globally respected firm behind landmark resort destinations across Asia, the Caribbean and the Middle East, including Silver Sands ORA on the Egyptian North Coast. The masterplan for Ras Abu Soma is built around low density, with the developer marketing a built footprint in the mid-teens to twenty per cent of the land area. 

Year-round climate removes the seasonal concentration risk that affects every North Coast investment. Red Sea water temperature stays warm and comfortable in January as in July. Diving on world-class house reefs is excellent in February. Kite-surfing conditions are strong across multiple months. The beach club, water sports and dive centre are designed and staffed for twelve months of operation, not four. 

Phase 2, Marina Gate, introduces the most significant amenity expansion. It sits on the waterfront side of the masterplan nearest the marina, and contains The Village, a food, retail and nightlife hub. Marina Gate is the phase. The Village is the destination inside it, and the two are often quoted as if they were the same thing. 

Travco Group’s 46 years of tourism and hospitality expertise, and its portfolio of European charter and tour operator relationships, give the project access to an international visitor pipeline built over decades. The same European guests from Italy, Germany and Central Europe who book Jaz Hotels at Almaza Bay North Coast are already familiar to the Travco booking infrastructure.

Total Project Area and Masterplan

Almaza Bay Ras Soma covers a total land area of approximately 2,656,562 square metres (approximately 633 feddans, or 600 acres) on the bay of Ras Abu Soma. The beach frontage is 1,300 metres of direct Red Sea coastline. The WATG masterplan allocates approximately 80 percent of the land to green space, landscaping, lagoons, and open areas, with only 20 percent built upon.

The masterplan organises the development into residential communities, the two operating hotels, the marina, and Phase 2’s Marina Gate with The Village. This is a genuine integrated resort design rather than a residential compound with a hotel attached. The residential units, hotel infrastructure, marina, beach club, dive centre, and commercial areas form a cohesive whole rather than separate zones operating independently of each other.

Unit Types and Sizes at Almaza Bay Ras Soma

The project offers residential units across standalone villas, quad chalets and apartments designed for the Red Sea resort living profile. The range covers investor-grade apartments through to premium villa configurations, with all units oriented to take advantage of the natural bay setting.

All units are delivered fully finished with luxury materials. Hotel management services are available through Travco Group for owners who want rental income without self-managing the letting and maintenance process. That managed rental model is a direct application of the same operational infrastructure that runs the Steigenberger on site.

Latest Project Updates: 2027 Delivery and Construction Progress 

Travco Properties reports that Almaza Bay Ras Soma is delivering in 2027. Its own third quarter 2026 update on the Ras Soma Residences puts the work at:

Read those two lines together rather than separately. Structure at 85 per cent is genuinely advanced for a project handing over next year. Infrastructure at 15 per cent is the part that decides whether the date holds, because a finished building with no road, water or power connection cannot be handed over. Infrastructure is where coastal handovers usually slip. 

None of that makes 2027 unrealistic. Roads and utilities move quickly once the heavy building work clears the site. It does mean the sensible question at the sales office is about the infrastructure programme rather than the building programme, and that the handover date you care about is the one written into your own contract. 

The other significant update of 2026 is the rebrand itself. In May 2026 Travco Properties officially renamed and relaunched Ras Soma as Almaza Bay Ras Soma, marking the evolution of the Almaza Bay identity from a single North Coast destination into a multi-coastal lifestyle brand. The rollout is still in progress, so the hotel continues to trade as Steigenberger Resort Ras Soma and some listings still carry the old project name. 

Phase 2, Marina Gate, is the current active development phase. It will introduce The Village, a waterfront commercial and hospitality hub with international operators, enhanced dining and retail, extending the offering beyond the operational Phase 1 infrastructure. 

Facilities and Amenities 

Hotels and Hospitality 

Steigenberger Resort Ras Soma, a five-star international hotel with 409 rooms and suites, open since April 2021 and rated 9.4 on Hotels.com and 8.7 on Booking.com. Operational now. 

Jaz Soma Beach, Travco’s four-star Jaz property, operates nearby at kilometre 49 on the same coastal road, connecting the destination to the Jaz network that runs across Almaza Bay North Coast. 

Hotel management rental programme through Travco Group for residential unit owners. 

Beach and Water 

More than 1,300 metres of private Red Sea beachfront on the natural Ras Abu Soma bay. Beach Club with full beach services, food and beverage and sun lounger access. Kite surfing and dive centre with access to world-class Red Sea house reefs and consistent wind conditions. 

Marina and Sports 

Marina with water sports access and boat facilities. Sports club for fitness, court sports and recreational activities. 

Phase 2, Coming 

Marina Gate, the waterfront second phase, containing The Village: international hospitality operators, retail and dining as a lifestyle destination within the resort. 

Infrastructure 

24-hour gated security with controlled access. Full property management and maintenance through Travco Group.

Developer: Travco Properties, the Same Name and the Same Standards 

Travco Properties is the real estate arm of Travco Group International, founded in 1979 by Hamed El Chiaty. With 46 years of tourism, hospitality, aviation and transportation experience, Travco Group runs more than 60 hotels and cruises across Egypt, Tunisia, Greece, Zanzibar and the UAE, and operates the largest fleet of Nile cruise ships. The Group holds a strategic land bank of 16 million square metres in Egypt. 

Travco Properties was established in 2014 with the deliberate concept of integrating hospitality management expertise into real estate development. Almaza Bay North Coast was the first result. The Red Sea destination is the second. 

The detail most buyers miss: Travco is the majority shareholder of Steigenberger Hotels and the owner of the Jaz Hotel Group. The hotel brands on this coast are not partners brought in to lend a name. They are in-house. The developer, the operator and the hotel owner are the same group, which is the closest thing to continuity that an Egyptian coastal project can offer. 

Ras Soma by Travco Properties

Almaza Bay Ras Soma Unit Prices 

These are listing prices as carried by Egyptian platforms in May 2026, not a Travco price list. Travco does not publish prices. Get the live list from the sales office before you budget. 

The trajectory is the more useful number. The same 70 sqm one-bedroom was listed at EGP 9.2 million in February 2025 and EGP 12.9 million by May 2026, a rise of roughly 40 per cent in fifteen months. That is asking-price movement rather than recorded resale, and the pound moved over the same period, so read it as direction rather than as a return. 

Payment Plans 

Payment terms come from sales channels rather than from a published Travco schedule, and they differ by phase. Confirm which plan applies to the specific unit before signing anything. 

Honest Disadvantages 

• Infrastructure at 15 per cent is the variable in the 2027 date. Ask for the utilities and roads programme, not the building programme. 

• Cairo is roughly 4.5 hours by road. For regular weekend use from the capital this is a real commitment. Gulf buyers and European visitors flying into Hurghada have the advantage here. 

• The Almaza Bay name arrived on the Red Sea in May 2026. The North Coast track record is real, but the Red Sea service record starts now, and buyers who need that answered should wait for independent reviews across the first seasons. 

• Phase 2, Marina Gate and The Village, is still under development. Buyers entering now are committing to a destination where Phase 1 operates and Phase 2 is still to come. 

• The corridor is filling fast. Emaar is building Marassi Red Sea on the same coast, Somabay is expanding and Makadina is under construction nearby. Evaluate the full Red Sea pipeline before deciding. 

Final Word

Travco Properties built Almaza Bay North Coast from a quiet stretch of Sidi Heneish coastline into the most comprehensively operated summer destination on Egypt’s western North Coast. That took 11 years, eight phases, seven hotels, and the operational infrastructure of a company that has been running tourism and hospitality businesses since 1979.

The Red Sea project is Travco Properties asking whether they can do that again. The Steigenberger is open. JAZ Ras Soma is running. The Almaza Bay name is attached. The question of whether the Red Sea project matches the North Coast flagship over time will be answered by what guests and residents say about it in 2027, 2028, and beyond.

For buyers who trust the Almaza Bay North Coast track record and want the Red Sea’s year-round climate under the same operator, Almaza Bay Ras Soma is the most direct path to that exposure. Contact D5 Realty for current pricing and availability.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Almaza Bay Ras Soma?

Almaza Bay Ras Soma is the official new name for what was previously known as Ras Soma, Travco Properties’ Red Sea coastal destination on the bay of Ras Abu Soma, 35 minutes from Hurghada International Airport. Rebranded in May 2026 as part of Travco Properties’ evolution into a multi-coastal lifestyle brand, Almaza Bay Ras Soma connects the established Almaza Bay North Coast identity to the Red Sea project under one brand name and operating philosophy. It covers approximately 600 acres with 1,300 metres of beach, a WATG-designed masterplan, and two operational five-star hotels: Steigenberger Almaza Bay Ras Soma and JAZ Ras Soma.

• Why was Ras Soma renamed Almaza Bay Ras Soma?

Travco Properties rebranded the project as Almaza Bay Ras Soma in May 2026 to mark the evolution of the Almaza Bay brand from a single North Coast destination into a multi-coastal lifestyle brand. The announcement framed it as Almaza Bay’s legacy evolving, connecting both of Egypt’s coasts under one vision and one operating identity. For buyers, the rebrand carries a direct association: the Almaza Bay name on the Red Sea is backed by 11-plus years of North Coast operational track record.

• What hotels are at Almaza Bay Ras Soma?

Two five-star hotels are already operational at Almaza Bay Ras Soma: the Steigenberger Almaza Bay Ras Soma (rated 9.4 Exceptional on major booking platforms) and JAZ Ras Soma (JAZ Soma Beach). Both operate within Travco Group’s hospitality infrastructure. Phase 2, Marina Gate, will introduce additional international hospitality operators through The Village development.

• How much do units at Almaza Bay Ras Soma cost?

Apartments at Almaza Bay Ras Soma start from EGP 12,900,000 for a 1-bedroom unit of 70 sqm. Ground floor chalets with private gardens start from EGP 22,000,000. Shore villas start from EGP 40,000,000. Beach villas start from EGP 51,000,000. Beachfront villas reach EGP 63,000,000. Payment is 10% down with installments over 6 to 7 years. All units are delivered fully finished.

• How does Almaza Bay Ras Soma compare to Almaza Bay North Coast?

Almaza Bay North Coast (KM 247, Sidi Heneish, launched 2014) covers 6.5 million sqm with a 5.5 km beach and seven JAZ Hotels running at 90 percent summer occupancy with European guests. It is the flagship project and the established benchmark. Almaza Bay Ras Soma (Ras Abu Soma, Red Sea, rebranded 2026) covers approximately 600 acres with 1.3 km of beach and two operational five-star hotels. It is the newer, smaller Red Sea extension of the same brand, with the significant advantage of year-round Red Sea climate versus the North Coast’s four-month summer season.