"We’ve just returned from a wonderful family holiday at Jaz Elite Asteria in Hurghada, travelling with our two children, aged 5 and 11, and overall we had a fantastic stay.
From the moment we arrived, the service was exceptional. The porter who met us was absolutely delightful. He immediately made us feel welcome, brought us drinks and cool towels, arranged our check-in and took care of our luggage before personally escorting us to our swim-up suite. It was such a lovely and relaxing way to arrive after travelling.
Our swim-up suite
The room was fantastic and was one of the highlights of our stay. It was essentially a two-bedroom suite, with the bathroom and wardrobes centrally positioned between the bedrooms, opening out onto our own swim-up area.
Having the private pool was particularly brilliant for us as a family. Our children absolutely loved it, and it also worked really well for me as I have some health issues which meant I needed to rest during the afternoons. Having our own pool meant that my husband and the children could still enjoy themselves while I rested, without anyone feeling that we were missing out on family time.
The waiters would come up to our swim-up area and bring drinks, although understandably it wasn’t quite as frequent as when sitting directly around the main pool. My husband went down a couple of times to get drinks and the staff were so attentive that they insisted on bringing them back for us. Whenever they saw us around the pool, they would also come over and take our orders. Nothing ever felt like too much trouble.
Food and restaurants
The food was probably the one area where, for me personally, the hotel could improve. I would describe it as good rather than excellent. There was plenty of choice, but I felt that some dishes could have had a little more flavour and seasoning.
The croissants, however, were absolutely lovely!
Unfortunately, I became ill towards the end of our holiday, so we didn’t get the opportunity to try as many of the à la carte restaurants as we had planned. We did manage to eat at the Italian restaurant for lunch and I would definitely recommend it — we had a lovely meal there.
We also tried White Sands for à la carte lunch. Our first visit wasn’t particularly impressive, but we decided to give it another try and the second experience was much better.
I think if the hotel could take the food from “good” to “excellent”, it would genuinely be an outstanding resort.
Bars and service
The service throughout the hotel was exceptional. The staff really couldn’t do enough for us.
We particularly enjoyed the lobby bar in the evenings. The cocktails were lovely and there were snacks such as crisps and nuts available, which made it a great place to relax. We spent quite a few evenings up there playing cards and enjoying a drink.
The attention to detail from the staff was noticeable everywhere. One day we went down to the beach and before I had even properly sat down, one of the gentlemen had come over, moved the windbreaks into position and put towels on the chairs for us. The beach team were incredibly attentive.
There were also members of the guest services/reception team regularly walking around the pool and beach areas checking that everything was okay and asking whether we needed anything.
We asked for some additional water for our room one day and, within a few hours, it had been delivered. We even received a follow-up call from reception to make sure everything had arrived as requested. That level of service really stood out.
The beach and snorkelling
The beach was lovely, particularly for us with a five-year-old. The water is very shallow as you walk out, which meant our youngest could play in the sea without us worrying quite so much.
We also walked out along the pier a couple of times to snorkel and saw a variety of fish. I would recommend doing this at a quieter time if possible, as it could get quite busy and therefore felt a little more touristy than we personally prefer. That’s just personal preference though, and it certainly didn’t spoil our experience.
One thing I particularly appreciated was the proper, wide steps down into the sea. They aren’t narrow little ladders; they’re proper steps, which made getting in and out of the water much easier for me.
When I became ill
Unfortunately, I became quite poorly towards the end of our holiday, but the hotel staff were incredibly kind and accommodating.
Reception allowed us to remain in our room until we were collected, which made a huge difference and meant I could rest comfortably rather than having to wait elsewhere in the hotel.
One of the waiters even brought breakfast to me on one of the days, which was such a thoughtful gesture and something I really appreciated.
One small niggle – the minibar
The only thing I found frustrating was the minibar. The standard tea and coffee are included, but the coffee pods aren’t, and there’s nothing in the fridge apart from the large glass bottles of water that is included.
As a family travelling with young children, this can be a little frustrating because children are used to being able to open the fridge and have a drink or snack, and obviously they don’t understand the concept of what is and isn’t included in a hotel minibar!
It’s a small thing, but including a few basic soft drinks or juices would make the family experience even better.
Overall
Overall, we had a lovely holiday and would definitely recommend Jaz Elite Asteria.
The hotel itself is beautiful, our swim-up suite was fantastic, the beach was lovely and, above all, the service was exceptional. The staff genuinely seemed to care about making sure guests were looked after, and there were so many little examples of this throughout our stay.
For us, the swim-up suite was particularly perfect as it gave our children something they absolutely loved while also allowing me to rest when I needed to, without separating us as a family.
If the hotel could improve the food and take it from good to excellent, I think this would be an absolutely outstanding resort.
A big thank you to all the staff for making our family holiday so enjoyable — you really did look after us."
