One of the best resort hotels I have visited in recent years. The front desk team under the direction of Mr. Anwar and Mr. Saad was professional, obliging, and friendly. Without exception, all members of the resort team that we came into contact with demonstrated by their attitude that management had invested time and effort in their training and ongoing guest awareness. The initial room we were assigned was not suitable, due to my mobility issues. A big thank you to Mr. Saad for moving us to a poolside room, #2107. The room was well-maintained and the daily service proved by Ali our room attendant was excellent. From the room, we had immediate access to one of the resort's swimming pools, which was most appreciated. The location of the room was also perfect for all the other resort amenities; the front desk, dining room, pool bar, and of course the beach, which is private and a wonderful coral reef with clean and clear water ideal for snorkeling and diving. Management has put much effort into the grounds and gardens, which are a pleasure to wander around and enjoy. This adds to the peaceful environment that prevailed during our six nights stay. The Jaz Fanara Resort is linked to the Jaz Fanara Residence by a walkway allowing guests to stroll around as we did on several occasions after dinner in a pleasant and peaceful environment. While the resort scores a perfect 10 in terms of value for money, hospitality, comfort, and amenities, there are three areas that in my opinion management may wish to focus on.
Although smoking is not allowed in the main building nor some areas of the pool bar, unrestricted smoking in the general pool area and the beach can be disturbing. As a non-smoking, I appreciate that smokers do want to relax and ‘chill out’ with a cigarette and a drink. Hopefully, the management can find a solution to meet all guests' requirements.
Several times we had issues with the electronic room card failing to open the door. Not sure if this was a one-off or if other guests had similar issues. Regardless, the problem was handled quickly with apologies for the inconvenience. I spent all my working life in and around the hospitality, tourism, and catering industries. One of my major gripes, and this applies to both free-standing restaurants and hotel dining rooms, is that with a few exceptions, table knives and fork prongs are no longer sharpened. Two examples: one evening the hotel dining room severed Beef Wellington. The meat was impossible to cut with the table knife which gave the impression that the meat was tough. I had a similar experience with a chicken lunch at the pool bar. Although there are taxis available close to the hotel, we choose to use the resort’s taxi. I did this for two reasons; firstly the haggling with drivers over rates – the taxis do not have meters – and the drivers appear to look upon tourists as an opportunity to quote outrageous rates. Secondly, I don’t mean to appear patronizing, but my one experience of traveling in a taxi was not pleasant. The cab was dirty and foul-smelling, and the driver smelt of cigarettes. The price difference is just a few US dollars for a clean car and a driver who speaks English. Overall we had a wonderful time and I wholeheartedly recommend the Jaz Fanara Resort.