Hôtels Jaz Collection à Qesm Safaga

The Solymar beach resort is not the most expensive resort in the Hurghada/Safaga area, but it’s also not the cheapest. Because of this, we were expecting it to be quite middle-of-the-range in terms of quality. At every turn, we were pleasantly surprised and delighted. The staff were friendly and courteous - whether at the reception, in the restaurant, or walking past someone watering the grass, you are guaranteed a friendly greeting. Everyone is quick to know their customers - after just a day in our usual spot on the beach, Ahmed knew our usual order. The hyper-energetic Magic Entertainment team members were also quick to build rapport and make us feel included in the resort vibes. We plunged immediately into extreme relaxation with a “honeymoon massage” at the spa, which included time in the dry and steam saunas, a special hammam exfoliation ritual on a heated marble slab, a full-body Dead Sea mud wrap, and an oil massage. The masseuses were talkative and playful - possibly not to everyone’s taste, but this seems to be the Egyptian way and certainly got me smiling and giggling along. There is not a moment of the day when you might be at risk of going hungry. From the early breakfast in the main restaurant, to the late breakfast at the beach, to the drinks and snacks on offer throughout the day at the pool bar and restaurant, there is always a wide array of quality F&B choices. There is some variation from day -to-day options, and it’s always worth checking out the “fresh-from-the-grill” area to see what the day’s speciality may be. Part of the stay includes one complementary meal at one of the two a la carte restaurants (Italian/Egyptian) where the food is a level or two up from what’s served in the buffets. Go hungry - the Egyptian meal included a starter of hot and cold mezze, a soup, a main course and a dessert (with alternative plant-based and kiddies’ menus). The resort has done a lot to ensure that it is eco friendly. Apart from the usual request to hang up towels to save water on unnecessary cleaning, they also purify their own water, which is left in your room in chilled glass bottles (it tastes a little weird, but it’s good for the planet). Overall, highly recommend the Solymar resort.