VOI Amarina Resort

The staff were fabulous, and we had a fantastic stay. The rooms are spacious and clean, with ocean views, and the low buildings sit nicely among the tropical gardens. We could hear the waves and catch stunning sunsets. Rooms 11-16 are farther from the main restaurant, and their stretch of beach has more leaves than the main area. The beach is cleaned daily, though the tide can make swimming difficult at certain times. The food was delicious with plenty of choice, but the pasta line was always long. The pool is lovely but short on sunbeds. Each room has its own beach loungers; since the shade comes from trees, they can be close to other guests. I wish the beach bar stayed open longer, so we could sit with a drink and just listen to the ocean at sunset. The dive centre is great for snorkeling trips and diving, while drinks outside the all-inclusive package are expensive, at European prices or more. Pillows could be softer, and the shower hook needs to be higher. For an all-inclusive resort, I think bottled water should be put in the rooms daily. Tap water is apparently safe, but we were told to use it only for brushing our teeth. WiFi is available only in the main area. It’s used as an Italian package holiday resort, so reps encourage guests to join activities and cheer them on up the steps to dinner. That felt a little unnecessary.

The restaurant was the best part of our stay, especially the dinner service, and the staff were very helpful and attentive. Still, I wouldn’t recommend this hotel in Nosy Be. We were charged a 5% commission for paying by card, which seemed unreasonable for a place claiming European standards. Water wasn’t provided in the room either. At 1 AM my husband went to reception because we were thirsty, and had to pay €2 for a bottle. I’d also be careful with cash. I’d set aside 120,000 Madagascar Ariary in my bag for the taxi back to the airport and hadn’t put it in the safe. At checkout, 40,000 was missing. At first I thought I’d counted wrong, but then I read reviews from other guests describing the same thing. The hotel asks €60 for an airport taxi, while a local one would cost around €20. Be aware of these issues if you decide to stay.

We stayed at VOI Amarina Resort in Nosy Be, Madagascar, in early October 2023. We didn’t feel unwelcome despite speaking only a little Italian, but Italian was clearly the main language at the resort, including around the buffet, and the language barrier could make communication difficult. The all-inclusive setup fell short for us. The water serving was tiny, 0.15cl, and a bottle for the night cost extra. Even getting an iced coffee meant walking to the main beach bar, which could be inconvenient if your room was far away. The gap between lunch and dinner also felt too long. The beach had algae at first, but the resort removed most of it by morning. At low tide around midday, the sea was very far away. Each room has its own sunbeds near it; with little shade, guests could end up lying close together when the hotel is full. That wasn’t an issue during our stay. We noticed what seemed like hygiene issues among several staff members, with some not looking as though they showered regularly. Keep valuables in the room safe. We didn’t, and some money went missing. Card payments also come with a 5% surcharge, so cash is worth planning for. The value for money just isn’t right, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

I stayed at Amarina around Christmas a few years ago, and the sound of waves against the shore made it easy to drift off at night. The rooms were clean and comfortable, and the scenery and beach were absolutely incredible. The food drew on Malay, African, and French influences. I especially liked a street food snack called Kaka Pizon.