Jaz Solaya

JAZ Solaya is a beachfront resort in Coraya Bay, built around the practical pleasures of a Red Sea stay: somewhere to eat, a private beach for an unhurried hour, pools for cooling off and enough facilities to keep non-divers occupied. You can spend the day moving between sea, shade and supper without turning the evening into an expedition.

The resort also suits mixed groups. Families have dedicated room categories, a kids' club and children's play areas, while couples can choose a sea-view room and settle into a more straightforward rhythm. There is a gym, tennis, live music and evening entertainment when doing absolutely nothing loses its charm.

You are in Coraya Bay, Egypt, on the Red Sea coast, within the Madinat Coraya resort area of the Marsa Alam region. The hotel is directly on the beachfront and has its own private beach area, so the sea is part of the daily layout rather than a destination requiring transport.

The setting is useful for a few practical reasons. Marsa Alam International Airport is 2.4 miles away in a straight-line measurement, with a road journey of about 4.7 miles and roughly 12 minutes by car. Two restaurants in the surrounding area, Sofra and Ninos Italian Cuisine, are about 350 and 450 metres away respectively if you want to eat beyond the resort.

For two people, the choice is mainly about what you want to look at when the curtains open. Garden-view, pool-view and sea-view rooms are available, with twin-bed options in the Superior Deluxe categories and double beds in the Superior rooms. A sea view gives the room a more direct connection with the bay; a garden view keeps the choice simpler and may suit you if the room is chiefly somewhere to sleep between dives.

Families need to select a family room: these are the categories that accommodate children, with a king-size bed and sofa bed arrangements. Children of any age are welcome, and cots for very young children can be requested. There are no extra beds, so the sleeping arrangement matters more than usual when you are travelling with a full family crew.

In the room, air conditioning is the useful bit after a hot, salty day, while the minibar and electric kettle cover the basic return-to-room routine. You also have a wardrobe, television with satellite channels, telephone, shower, toiletries and hairdryer. Housekeeping is daily. Wi-Fi is free in the rooms and public areas, but the connection is limited to basic browsing and messaging rather than ambitious evening streaming.

There are two restaurants, along with a bar, a snack bar and minibars in the rooms. Breakfast is served as a continental, halal buffet, which gives you the useful early-day basics before heading out rather than asking you to make a culinary project of it. Children's meals and a child-friendly buffet are available, and special-diet menus can be requested.

An all-inclusive arrangement is available, but the à-la-carte restaurants are outside those inclusions. That is the small sentence worth remembering before you sit down with a menu and discover that the word all has done some careful work. Wine and champagne are also available, and the resort has a smart-casual dress code in its restaurants.

If you want to change the scenery, Sofra is about 350 metres away and Ninos Italian Cuisine about 450 metres away. The nearer options keep the decision mercifully simple: stay in for the evening, or take a short walk and eat elsewhere.

The private beach comes with sun loungers, beach chairs, umbrellas and pool or beach towels, while the resort's swimming pools provide another place to cool down. There is a children's pool and a water slide, with the latter available at an additional charge. If your legs still have an opinion after diving, tennis, table tennis and darts offer varying degrees of commitment.

The wellness facilities cover the more sensible post-dive options: fitness centre, sauna, steam room, hot tub or Jacuzzi, massage and relaxation programmes. Beauty services are available too. Some wellness services, including massage, sauna, Jacuzzi and spa access, carry an additional charge, so you can choose between recovery and simply finding a lounger and refusing to move.

Evenings bring live music or performances and a night show. Families also have a kids' club, indoor and outdoor play equipment, and board games. For a quieter couple of hours, the garden, terrace and private beach give you places to sit without needing to schedule an activity merely because one exists.

Check-in starts at 14:00 and check-out is by 12:00. You need photo identification and the payment card used for the booking at arrival, and the resort asks you to share your expected arrival time in advance. A 24-hour reception, private check-in and check-out, luggage storage and a wake-up service cover the less glamorous parts of travel.

An airport shuttle is available and can be arranged with the hotel. Free private parking is available on site without reservation. Wi-Fi is free, though limited to browsing and messaging in rooms and public areas. Laundry, dry cleaning and ironing services are also available for an additional charge.

Children of any age are welcome, but only family rooms can accommodate children. Cots are available on request and depend on the room selected; no extra beds are available. Pets are not allowed, and the resort accepts cash. Swimming requires suitable swimwear in both the pool and the sea, so leave the loose cotton clothing for the journey rather than the water.