JAZ Oriental, Almaza Bay

The hotel’s facilities, food, beach, and sea are truly amazing, and the hotel itself and its services were wonderful. But the atmosphere was spoiled by the Italian Veraclub animation program. The beach music rumbled for almost the whole day and was particularly irritating. I expected the calm setting appropriate to a five-star hotel, but the constant noise made that impossible. The management made a serious mistake allowing a program more suited to a children’s camp in such a beautiful hotel. The website didn’t mention it, and Veraclub showed no regard for guests trying to get away from everyday work noise and simply rest.

The food selection is very good, and the staff and service are good too. But the house music blasts across the whole resort all day, from morning to evening. Even in the room it sounds like a plane taking off outside the window, and wherever you go, it follows you. They wouldn’t be embarrassed by that volume even on Ibiza. This is no idea of a relaxing holiday, so I’d give it 5 stars otherwise, but I wouldn’t come back because of the noise.

Very tasty food, clean rooms, and friendly staff. The hotel and staff are very good. If I visit this place again, I’ll definitely stay at Jazz Tamerina again.

The beach was packed, partly because guests from cheaper hotels could use it too. People saved places with towels early in the morning, so finding a spot was a struggle, with other people’s feet practically next to your head. There was just one beach bar, no bottled water, and constant long queues. Italian animators shouted into microphones with blaring music every day. Staff around the resort kept hinting for tips, the furniture was dated, and the hotel smelled strongly of cigarettes, which didn’t feel suitable for families or non-smokers. Our eight days at Jaz Oriental in Marsa Matrouh were among the worst hotel stays we’ve had, and it wasn’t worth the price or five-star rating. Check-in was painfully slow, and it seemed you’d be ignored or kept waiting unless you gave baksheesh. We booked a family room but got an ordinary room with one regular bed and a sofa bed that was unusable for sleeping. When we asked to move, we were repeatedly told there were no rooms, which we later learned wasn’t true. The food was terrible throughout. Meat was burnt or so dry it couldn’t be eaten, fruit was old or rock hard, vegetables were poor quality, and everything was overloaded with salt or strange spices. The coffee didn’t taste like coffee. We couldn’t eat properly for the whole trip. The dining areas were chaotic; we saw people fighting over pasta in the buffet line. Waitstaff openly held tables for tipping guests, marking them with juice glasses and getting upset when someone else sat down. We’d previously stayed at Rixos in Alamein, which showed us what a real five-star experience should be. Jaz Oriental seems suited to people who don’t mind cheap food, noisy crowds, and outdated facilities. If you want relaxation, decent food, or quality service, this isn’t the place. Never again.