Soma Towers

I moved in 2014 August. I like the location and my unit a lot (the 08 studios). I get that they are brand new and need to work out kinks in their management. But the place just doesn’t seem that sophisticated in the resident experience… I had higher expectations for the price.
The staff has a lot of turnover… it seems there is no concierge for a few months and a new one comes in for a month or two and then leaves.
I really liked Alyssa, the property manager– but even she quit after a year.
The Pros:
1) The Design of the build is pretty cool. I live in an 08 and I really love my view and that there are no concrete pillar in my studio. In most of the other apartments though there are, and it is really annoying.
2) The location doesn’t get better than this!
3) the VIEW!
4) There are quite a bit of in unit storage!
5) When it works– the AC
6) in unit washer dryer are brand new I love it!
7)The modern design
The Cons:
1) The concierge service is reachable 25% of the time.
2) Mail gets lost sometimes. One of my rent check was lost in the mail 4 months ago, and no one bothered to contact me about it! After I gave them my proof, they never returned my late fee.
2) The call box/​elevator is down a lot– I forgot my access card once, and figured I could just buzz myself in. But the call box was broken… I called the emergency line. They never called me back.
3) They really cheaped out on the carpet– I don’t get why there are nails with sharp end up on the ground!!! OUCH!
4) The construction crew left a lot of marks on the cabinetry and walls… unprofessional
5) They designed one unit’s bedroom next to another unit’s bathroom. ANNOYING! Beware!
6) The TV systems is complicated :(and there is never anyone here to help when I want to use it!
7) Amenity so far ok, a small gym, a tiny library, golf that you have to pay for, tv room that no one knows how to use… let’s see when second tower completes with a pool in sep 2016…
If you are young and single, I’d say this is a good place. Make sure you are okay with non-​square rooms. MAKE SURE you tour before signing.

We have lived here since August of 2014 and absolutely love it! We were one of the first families to move in since they opened.
I love the modern look and architecture. I constantly get compliments from anyone that walks into my place. They also have all the amenities you could ask for and the management team (especially Alyssa) are awesome and always helpful.
Things have not always been perfect… we have been though the ups and downs of a new building… chaotic package system, a bad concierge representative, safety concerns, and other minor issues… but the best thing is that Alyssa the manager and Su Development really take the residents concerns seriously and improve constantly. If there’s an issue it’s dealt with appropriately and all the kinks of being a new building have been resolved over the last two years. They now have an awesome package system, a new concierge, great security, etc etc.
We love living here. The location is prime, the building is beautiful, and the management is great! I would recommend this place to anyone that wants a taste of the downtown life!

I’ve been living at Soma Towers for a year now, loved every moment of it, and had no hesitation extending my lease for another year. I love the building and its many great amenities (gym with yoga studio, library, movie theatre, lounge with TV, billiard, tennis table … to name a few, all included), plus a performing arts center and a restaurant both available at discounted prices to us residents. At the same time, it’s in the heart of Bellevue, just minutes walk from the Old Bellevue which I personally find quite charming, with a pretty good choice of restaurants and bars. Essentially, everything one might need on daily basis is within walking distance.
It’s hard to imagine how anyone would rate Soma Towers only one star. I read some of the comments below and find them a bit unfair, if not odd. For example, you likely have seen the floor plan of your apt., or noticed the construction around, before you signed the lease. Why complain? I personally like the floor plan of my apt., it allowed me to be creative with furnishing and decorating. I work from home 80% of the time and am facing the construction of the new Soma Tower. While I can hear it in the background, it hasn’t really been terribly bothersome. I turn on the music and that’s all I hear.
I also give 5 stars to the management team. I have nothing but great experience. First of, I like the fact that the core management team hasn’t changed from day one. I believe the quality of services comes (also) from the continuity, apart from the professionalism, and this is what I get here. I have never had a negative experience with the staff; quite opposite, they are kind, helpful, responsive, personal, pleasant, professional. Their effort to keep the Soma Towers residents community informed, alive and active is applaudable.
If all stays as enjoyable as it is right now, I’m hopefully looking at year #3. :-)

I’ve lived at ST a month now & I love it! Perfect view, perfect location, lovely staff (super friendly & helpful, I looked at many apartments before choosing this one & some of those people were simply vile!!).
I love the fact they aren’t just square boxes, the unusual shape is interesting & so all in all, I can’t fault it & wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it!

I was one of the first residents to move into this property. I will keep the review crisp and on basis of relevant parameters:
1. Pricing: I would say its too expensive for what it offers. The floor plan is weird and oddly shaped. Bath and kitchen are just Ok. Cheap hardware everywhere, the shelves, closets, the door handles or the window shades. they are too cheap to even last half a year when used regularly. Carpets are cheap and poorly installed.
2. Management: Its the most painful experience in the property. Late fee charge is worse than credit cards, with a $ 25 per notification fee for late payment (which you often never get) along with $ 100 late fee + $ 10 penalty for each passing day after due date. Management is not very good at meeting appointment timmings. I personally found it to be unfriendly and I had to wait 10 – 15 minutes everytime I went to meet someone from management even with an appointment. The bathroom cabinet was not installed and it was never installed throughout my stay.
3. Lights: Its the resident who pays for the bulbs in the apartment. I had 4 halogens out in the kitchen with in 4 months of moving and I was asked to go buy the bulbs and once I buy they can come install it for me! I requested them to buy is and I can pay for it but even that wasn’t an option.
4. Parking: Parking charges are $ 125 (I paid $ 100) per month per car and the basement parking area is one of the worst designs. Its so poorly designed I won’t be surprised if you hit a parked car while trying to drive upto your parking spot. They had no signage what so ever for parking ticket on the basement and I was ticketed inspite of being a resident who pays a rent for the parking area. And when I brought it to the management’s notice that there is no signage or warning, I was told there was an e-​mail that was sent out!
5. Noise: There is construction going on for a second tower right beside this property and its way too noisy duing the day, with one of the elevators often blocked for the construction work etc waiting on an elevator is frustrating.
6. Move out: When I moved out though the day was communicated few weeks prior, there was no one to do a inspection infront of me. They did it after I moved out and charged me little over $ 1000. I was charged for handles and what not. I didn’t even put a hole in the wall to hang a photoframe. Neither I had any kid or ay stain on the wall! They won’t even send e-​mail or a text/​call on phone about how much they wanted me to pay them. They mentioned they had mailed it to my new address but I never received any. And suddenly after a couple of months they sent an e-​mail threatening me of collection department etc. When I enquired why I was never sent an e-​mail or call earlier there was no answer. The whole thing was just painful.
The whole stay was a bad experience along with move out.

I’ve been here for almost a year and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I rate it a 5 star because everything I need is all here. Being an ex military guy, living here exceeds my previous lifestyle. Yes, there are maintenance issues here and there (elevator, A/​C, and constant construction and traffic) but it doesn’t bother me. The unit itself is beautiful and the current staff members are professional and polite. The residents are all friendly and we all enjoy doing community events (Sunday football, monthly luncheon, and holiday events) together in our common area. I do plan on staying here for another few years. I absolutely love it!
Pros — everything is walking distant. I enjoy having fresh fruits everyday because the grocery store is literally a 3 minute walk. I also take advantage of the holidays because I can walk to downtown and avoid traffic and parking at Bellevue Square mall because it’s get messy down there.
Cons — non stop construction construction construction.

I have lived in Soma Towers for nearly 5 months now. I think the management is great. The staff are friendly. I communicate with Alyssa Adams the most out of the staff and she is extremely professional and helpful. She respond to my inquiries almost always within the day and is always willing to help out. The staff organizes lots of building activities and the calendar is always filled with fun stuff that is going on whether it is within the building or around Bellevue or Seattle activities. The other perks of living in Soma Towers is that they have a small area on the 3^rd floor for pets. It comes in handy when you don’t want to go out to the streets to let them do their business. ;) with that said, they are pet friendly unit, thank goodness. The only thing lacking about the building is that it does get pretty hot during summer months (but thankfully the unit has A/​C) I live in the higher level units and haven’t had to use the A/​C much during winter (just a couple small fans running).

I have lived here for a little bit (7 months) and I really don’t understand the one star review before me. It sounds like she couldn’t afford the rent? That being said parking is a struggle unless you spring for the extra $ 150/​month secured parking in the lower parking garage. That aside I really enjoy living here. The view from my apartment is great for the price. My neighbors (that I have met) are outstanding and the staff is great. I have used the golf simulator and theater room both twice and had a great experience. Over all I would rate it 5 stars minus the parking. I think I will be here for a while!

One out of five star. I have lived at Soma Towers since August 2014. I was first really excited to live Downtown Bellevue at a newer high rise. However, since then, my experience has been below average.
First off, once I moved in, I was very disappointed with the overall construction of the units. For as much as I am paying, I was surprised to see that the flooring was incomplete. The carpet wasn’t installed correctly and lifts up off the floor and there are nails that stick out of the ground that I’ve stepped on. In addition, the cabinetry has scratches and paint markings on them. The shelf in the bathroom wasn’t installed properly because the cheap hardware is coming a part from the wall.
Secondly, and the most terrible experience are the hidden fees in parking. I pay an additional $ 100 a month to park in the parking structure at Soma Towers. However, I have gotten multiple parking tickets at $ 40 each for parking during specific hours. The worst part about it, is that management will tell you that because it’s a third party parking company, they have no control over it and can’t do anything about it. They don’t seem to care that this is what their residents are going through and they don’t seem to care that they are losing residents because of this.
Lastly, management is hardly around when you need something. There’s always a sign up that says they’re out for lunch and they take a couple days to get back to you.
I am a young professional who runs a business and have always handled business practices with the highest integrity and ethics, so you can imagine my surprise when dealing with this company. I have never written a negative review but I have to let others know the experiences that they will have if they become a resident of Soma Towers. I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what I’ve gone through. I do not recommend this place of residence to anyone.
Warning: This business is not accredited through the Better Business Bureau.