JAZ Lamaya Resort

Jaz Lamaya Resort is a large, Moroccan-style base for divers who like their holiday to carry on working once the wetsuit is hung up. You have the Red Sea in front of you, a private beach area below, and enough on site to keep a non-diving companion occupied without turning every afternoon into a taxi project.

The useful part is the mix of proper downtime and practical resort facilities. Air conditioning helps when the day has been hot and salty, while furnished balconies give you somewhere to sit with a drink and review the dive in the traditional manner: mostly by discussing the bits you remember and the bits you probably imagined.

You are in Coraya Bay, Egypt, on a beachfront plateau overlooking Coraya Beach and the sheltered Coraya Bay area. Marsa Alam is used as the wider destination label, but Coraya Bay is the place you will actually be staying in.

The resort has its own beach area and garden, with a sun terrace and outdoor furniture for the business of doing very little. Ninos Italian Cuisine and Sofra are within roughly 0.1 miles, while Divino Restaurant is about 6 miles away by road. The surrounding area is resort-led rather than town-centre based, so the on-site restaurants and facilities matter more than a long evening stroll in search of dinner.

Marsa Alam International Airport is about 4.9 miles away by road, with a driving time of around 13 minutes. That is a welcome transfer after a flight, particularly when your luggage contains enough equipment to qualify as a small expedition.

The room choice is mainly about the view and how much space you want around the sleeping arrangements. Couples can keep things straightforward with a Superior or Deluxe room, while the family categories add room for a third guest and use sofa beds, a bunk bed or a separate double-and-single-bed arrangement depending on the option. For two people who prefer not to negotiate every square inch of floor space, the Junior Suite is the room to look at.

Sea-view categories turn the balcony into part of the holiday rather than a place for drying towels. Garden and pool views keep the emphasis on the resort grounds and swimming area. Every room has a furnished balcony, and the larger rooms are useful when two people return with wet bags, camera cases and the general debris of a day spent underwater.

Air conditioning is provided, along with a wardrobe, flat-screen television, tea and coffee-making facilities, a minibar and a private bathroom with shower, towels, toiletries and a hairdryer. Daily housekeeping keeps the practical side moving. Free WiFi is available in public areas, while the room gives you a desk and a socket near the bed for charging the devices that have spent the day recording depth, time and battery anxiety.

Six restaurants give the resort a fairly broad food set-up, with a buffet breakfast to get you moving before the first dive. There is also a restaurant, a snack bar, a bar and an on-site coffee house, so the gap between meals does not have to become a minor expedition of its own. A minibar and tea and coffee-making facilities are available in the rooms as well.

An all-inclusive option is available. The practical detail worth keeping in view is that à la carte restaurants are outside the all-inclusive benefits, so the board basis does not automatically cover every plate carrying a menu rather than a serving spoon. Special-diet menus can be arranged on request, and the buffet includes child-friendly choices.

The evening has more structure than simply finding the nearest chair. The resort runs themed dinner nights, with live music and evening entertainment also on the programme. Room service gives you another route when your appetite is large but your enthusiasm for changing out of post-dive clothing is not.

The large outdoor swimming pool is the obvious place for a non-diving afternoon, with sun loungers, beach chairs, umbrellas and pool or beach towels available. The private beach area offers a second setting when lying beside a pool feels too much like hard work. A garden and sun terrace add quieter places to sit, although the resort also has live entertainment for evenings when silence has had its turn.

For movement without fins, there is a tennis court with tennis equipment, alongside table tennis, billiards, darts and aerobics. Fitness classes and a fitness centre cover the more deliberate exercise, while the children's club, indoor play area, outdoor play equipment and playground give families their own timetable.

The wellness facilities include a steam and sauna centre, a hot tub, massage, beauty services and relaxation programmes. Spa treatments, massage, the sauna and the hot tub carry an additional charge, and spa access is for guests aged 16 and over. Water sports and snorkelling are also available on site, with an additional charge applying to those activities.

Check-in starts at 14:00 and check-out runs until 12:00. You need photo identification and the card used for the reservation at arrival, and the resort asks for your expected arrival time in advance. Payment before arrival by bank transfer may be required, with instructions sent after booking. The front desk is open around the clock, and the resort also has concierge service, luggage storage, currency exchange, an ATM and a minimarket.

Free private parking is available on site, with no reservation needed. WiFi is free in public areas; high-speed WiFi is chargeable. Laundry, dry cleaning and ironing are available as paid services, which is handy when the dive kit has shared suitcase space with actual clothes.

For stays of five nights or more, the full amount for the stay is charged at check-in, with no refund or credit for an early departure. Access to the aquapark is included for guests staying at the resort, and it is located about 150 metres away. The resort also has free parking, room service and a barber and beauty shop.