Jaz Fanara Resort and Residence

This was my third time to Egypt, first time to Sharm and the Jaz Fanara. I picked this hotel based on its location and the reviews previously made about snorkelling from the beach- needless to say I was not disappointed.

The hotel itself was very well presented, a mix of modern touches with traditional Egyptian style decor. The pool area, bars and restaurants were all as you would expect from the rating given. It's worth noting, that whilst some of these areas of the hotel are air conditioned, that trying to keep them as cool as your room is a challenge when the weather is 35 degrees plus and the doors are constantly opening and closing. That being said, the indoor environment was pleasant and a welcome escape from the searing Egyptian heat.

Our room, 4328, was well presented and with insanely cold AC- so much so we had to turn it off most nights and use a blanket on occasions. It had a fridge to keep your own drinks cool, and on request you could have an iron sent up too! Again, a twist of modern and traditional decor throughout. Downside, our room faced the adjacent hotel who were very noisy until 11:30 each night. Other than that, a great room, short walk to the poolside. No complaints.

Worried about getting a sunbed? No need. At no point during our stay did we have to worry about finding a sun bed at either the poolside or the beach (we'll come to that) Plenty of beds throughout the day. The immediate. three pools were a nice touch, with a main entertainment pool for things like aqua gym, water polo and inflatables and then presumably the other two were more relaxed- less children jumping in and having fun. Poolside food and shaded area was great, the bar served drinks all day, free ice cream and lollies and plenty going on throughout the day. The constant music might have been a bit much at times, and the repetitive nature of the songs was a lot after 7 days- maybe get a new playlist! :) Again, nothing to complain about though! Great!

The beach, the main reason we chose this hotel. Photos make it looked packed and busy, but once again, finding a sun bed was never an issue, no matter what time of day we went down. Beds are close together, but at no point was this a bother to us. The walk down and back is a bit of jaunt, but you get used to it- we found the ramp access a more enjoyable route. Once you've politely told the people selling the excursions and massages you aren't interested they leave you alone- unless you are, in which case I'm sure you'll love it!

Snorkelling... why we went. Having snorkelled in some of the best places in the world, there was a lot to live up too. The beach and sea was generally really busy, which for someone who loves snorkelling was a bit irritating, but understandable. That being said, once you get past the bathers and the water is a bit calmer the sea life is fantastic! We saw rays, puffers, clown fish, eels, lion fish and more. Here's a top tip: The left hand side of the bay where the coned markers are you may come across the clown fish coral- it had two clown fish protecting their coral, clearly waiting for their babies to hatch. The right hand side of the bay where the marker buoys are you will find the best sea life from our experience as the bathers don't go there due to the coral and rocky floor. It was disappointing to see so many people standing on the coral and having little regard for it. Also the amount of rubbish and plastic in the sea was disappointing - not overwhelming, but people just leaving it to float around. So if you love snorkelling, this is the hotel for you- No need. for a boat trip, which we also did.

Finally, the food and staff. Everyone always worries about this. I don't eat fish. This did make some evenings more tricky than others and the selection was a challenge. That being said, they did a good job of giving variety to the menu most nights. Breakfast was standard with the addition of beef bacon some mornings, lunch was often different to the evening menu also. We didn't go for the food, but didn't find any real issues with any of it. Service in the restaurant was good, they leave you to it really, can clear your plates before you've finished your last mouthful too! The drinks situation is the only thing we'd change, having your own access to soft drinks and water would be beneficial, as on occasions you have queue for a short time.

Staff. Animation team were lively and happy. They quickly get to know whether you want to get involved or not and generally you get out what you put in with them! Restaurant staff we have mentioned, friendly and efficient and let you just get on and eat. A special mention to Abdallah Zayed who greeted us on our arrival, very professional and went about his business brilliantly. He remembered little details about our routine which made a huge difference to our dining experience- we didn't get chance to tip him on the last day because he wasn't working- we are soo sorry! Someone tip him for us! Rooms were cleaned and decorated by the man Eslam Ashour who was incredibly friendly and polite and sorted any issues we had- thank you! Reception staff were the only ones where we felt that was a lack of courtesy sometimes, taking a while to respond or engage in our requests when we went to see them.

It's just a shame we got 'Pharaoh's revenge' on the last day! Luckily, there was a pharmacy just 5 minutes walk out of the hotel which supplied us with some meds to get us through the flight back!

Finally, take dollars or Egyptian pounds. Everything seems to be in $. And you don't need to pay a Visa also. TAKE 5 PENS with you also! You'll understand when you get there!

Would we change anything? No. Would we go back? If I needed my fix of snorkelling, maybe. For a first timer, 100% recommend this hotel.

Eslam was very friendly with us, satisfied 100%

Eslam clean our room, every day it was perfectly clean, and he made funny towel creatures.