Akaba tala bey. Tala Bay Hotels in Aqaba, Jordan

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If the Dead Sea is both here and there, and Eilat and Aqaba are located opposite each other, then what is the difference between a vacation in Israel and a vacation in Jordan? Well, first of all, the number of rooms in hotels. And also some nuances related to nature, the organization of recreation and slight differences in the atmosphere of these places. In this material you can read reviews about hotels in Jordan, which I wrote based on personal impressions. A group of colleagues and I visited this country in mid-December 2017 and inspected hotels from south to north.

Aqaba Hotel Review

Guests of this hotel can enjoy two advantages at once: firstly, it is located in the city center, and secondly, on the seashore, so all the infrastructure necessary for tourists is located within walking distance.

As an experienced tourism manager, I highly appreciate the local beach and the animation program at the hotel. Every evening on the beach, an artist juggles fire sticks, girls dance Arabic dances. Guests enjoy the lively local music.

The rooms have recently been renovated, the rooms look clean and well-maintained, and the windows offer a beautiful view of the sea. There is a good children's club for kids, which even accepts infants.

Located on the central beach of Aqaba, on the first line, the beach with soft clean sand delights guests. It is clear that with such a favorable location, the hotel area itself is small. As always, at Kempinski, the service here is at the highest level. The rooms have a comfortable environment, the food is delicious, and there is a large swimming pool with a jacuzzi on site.

This is a city hotel without its own territory, but there are many cozy restaurants and cafes nearby. All rooms have good furniture and the rooms themselves are quite spacious. Recently, all Hilton hotels have hired Russian-speaking staff, which naturally increases the level of service. The beach is 16 km from the hotel, but there is a free shuttle to get there. The beach shore is not completely sandy, but mixed with small pebbles and corals.

This hotel is also located in the center of Aqaba, its advantage is that its windows offer stunning panoramas of the Red Sea and colorful mountains. The hotel also boasts direct access to a private beach next to the archaeological site of the ancient settlement of Aylay.

The fact is that when they started building this hotel, they came across an ancient city, so its main buildings were moved to the second line, i.e. across the road from the beach. Therefore, the hotel is divided into 2 parts, the hotel itself is located on the 2nd line, but thanks to the overpass you don’t notice how you find yourself on the beach. The hotel's apartments are located on the 1st line, and guests with large families can stay in the apartments. The area is very well-groomed and green, surrounded by flowers, and there are artificial waterfalls.

Hotels in the resort area of Tala Bay

A tourist resort on the Red Sea coast, located 14 km south of Aqaba - Tala Bay Resort resort village. The beach consists of sand, shells, and small pebbles. Relative to the sea itself, the entrance to the sea is quite flat.

In Tala Bay, there is no entertainment, no shops like in Aqaba, here tourists will enjoy their holiday, away from the noise of the city. Only the chosen hotel, the beach and the beautiful sea await them.

Grand Swiss-Belresort Tala Bay 5* - it used to be called. Swiss Belresort is located at the entrance to the village of Tala Bay, from it to the center of Aqaba it takes about 10 minutes. Pros: there are many pools and a large area. Cons: small rooms with shabby furniture. The lobbies are a bit dirty and dusty. To be honest, the hotel does not qualify for the declared 5*, but as the owners say, if they establish 4*, fewer people will come to them.

Marina Plaza Hotel by Swiss-Belhotel 4*. From this complex you can walk to the beach in just 3 minutes. Small area. Weak animation, small selection of dishes in the restaurant. The hotel does not qualify for 4*. Another feature: the hotel does not have its own beach area and vacationers have to go to the neighboring beach to relax.

The best hotel I have seen in Tala Bay. Suitable for both adults and children. There are many swimming pools throughout the territory, 1 of which is heated, and with a water slide, which is very rare for Jordan.

Holidays at the Dead Sea from the Jordanian side

The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth - 400 meters below the level of the world's oceans, due to which the sea has healing properties. It was here that 5 biblical cities once rustled and bloomed: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim and Zohar.

If you choose to relax on the saltiest lake on the planet on the Jordanian side, then be prepared for silence. This area is not only a natural health resort, but also a sparsely populated place.

Climatotherapy – this is how one word can describe holidays in these places. This desert area has Martian landscapes and always light, warm weather. Due to the fact that the water of this unique lake contains chemical elements such as bromine and chlorine, and rare metals, swimming here is recognized as beneficial for the treatment of many diseases, especially diseases of the joints and skin.

Holidays at the Dead Sea in Israel differ from holidays at the Dead Sea in Jordan in that in the northern part of the sea the density of salt is less than in the southern part. Therefore, swimming in the waters on the northern coast is much easier and more enjoyable. And, just the same, Jordanian hotels are located on the northern side of the sea, and Israeli hotels are located on the southern side.

Moevenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea 5* is a hotel decorated in the style of an Arabian village. For children there is an interesting swimming pool with loose sand and a small beach. The hotel has several pools with different salinities, there is a heated pool. Good and quality food. Alcohol in Jordan is of very high quality, and this hotel has bars that offer a variety of cocktails and wine.

Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa 5*. This is a modern hotel that opened recently. Its construction began back in 2014, and it proceeded slowly, because craftswomen from the city of Madaba laid out the hotel’s floors with mosaics. The complex is located on the shores of the Dead Sea next to the King Hussein Convention Center.

The hotel management hired 30 Russian-speaking staff. Descent to the sea by elevator or stairs. Pleasant hall with salt lamps hanging in it. The rooms are of high quality and also have salt lamps. All rooms in the hotel either have a side view or a direct view. The hotel has a beautiful infinity pool.

You can enter the sea from a pontoon or from the shore. The hotel is built in a modern Arabic style. Left a positive impression. But the area is small and not green. In the evening you can listen to live music and guitar at the bar.

*. Stylish, cool hotel that left me with a pleasant impression. It is worth a stop for those tourists who want to visit the Place of the Baptism of Jesus Christ on an excursion, because it is only a 20-minute drive from here.

The guests have their own embankment along the unique salt lake, this is their specialty. You can go down to the beach by stairs or elevator. Here, as in all hotels of this category, umbrellas, sun loungers, mattresses, and beach towels are provided free of charge.

Hotel in the mountains Evason Ma’In Hot Springs

The Evason Ma'In Hot Springs 5* hotel is located high in the Hammamat Main mountains, where mineral springs gush out of the ground, which fall like hot streams in waterfalls to the ground and turn into thermal baths. Near this hotel there are 5 waterfalls, each with its own temperature, from +25°C to +95°C. The water in these thermal springs is very unique; it has anti-allergic properties, treats joint diseases, the vascular-circulatory system, sinusitis, arthritis, and rheumatism.

An excellent option to come for a few days to recuperate or undergo a course of treatment. The rooms are large. And all rooms have a balcony with mountain or valley views and an iPod docking station. I found the rooms to be a little dark due to the dark furniture and dark beams on the ceiling.

There is a gym, which is equipped with both strength training and cardio equipment. The spa center has its own “homey” natural waterfall with a thermal pool; there, after your steamed body has been in hot mineral water, you can get a Thai massage.

I would also like to note that there is a panoramic restaurant called Panorama; it is built on a mountain, and its terraces offer a beautiful view of the Dead Sea. This hotel is an excellent and original accommodation option for those tourists who want to take care of their health and enjoy the colorful nature and climate.

Jordan is an interesting, inexpensive and pleasant country for a holiday, which is not yet so popular among our tourists. There is no “Tagil” way of relaxation here; Jordanians do not yet know the true face of some Russian guests and treat our compatriots with respect and hospitality. I hope this is a review of hotels in Jordan and my reviews will be useful to every future traveler.

Tala Bay - Tala Bay is the most popular and well-equipped place, a resort place in Jordan, on the shores of the Red Sea. Indeed, quite a tourist place. But at the moment, Tala Bay, of course, does not live up to the best Egyptian or Turkish resorts. In general, the Red Sea strip in Jordan is not at all large, and both Eilat in Israel and Aqaba in Jordan are port cities, so the resort village of Tala Bay, located 15 km from Aqaba, and together with the nearby Coral Bay, in fact, constitute all coastal resort areas of Jordan. At the same time, it develops vigorously. All three hotels on the territory of Tala Bay belong to the same Egyptian billionaire.

The closed resort village of Tala Bay Resort consists of quite large three Reddison 5-star hotels, next to it is the second line Marina Plaza 4 stars, Movenpick also with 5 stars and the same high prices. As well as private apartments (Tala Bay Apartment) for wealthy Jordanians and foreigners.

A little further about 70 meters, also on the left side, there will be a souvenir shop with magnets for 1 dinar.
A little further, about 350 meters if you walk along the yacht parking lot.
A little further along the diagonal corner of the bay, relative to the Marina Hotel, there will be a good Marina Market supermarket, with a wide selection of everything you need and don’t need (prices are absolutely average Russian ones, clearly multiplied by 2 times, if not for fluctuations in the ruble exchange rate...).
A little to the right of Marina, according to reviews from vacationers, the restaurant will be good (we had enough).

We were told that they are not allowed on the Movenpik beach, but access to the territory of Radisson and Marina is free for a person with a European appearance. But we went around the yacht parking bay and walked along the beach to Movenpik, where. This may be due to different security changes or to the too arrogant behavior of vacationers.

On weekdays, except for landscapers, janitors, gardeners and tourists, no one walks the streets of Tala Bay. A typical resort, fairly secluded place. That is, walking in the morning in the center of Tala Bay along the yachts in the bay, you may not meet a single person. and the territories of the hotels themselves - there are a lot of people in hotels.

On one side of the Marina Plaza hotel is the sea, and on the other side is the highway from Jordan towards Saudi Arabia, which runs along the entire coast, beyond the highway is the typically Jordanian desert.

Since this part of Jordan is in fact a desert area, it is true that from time to time there are terrible downpours that not only wash out the roads, but even flood the rooms, especially on the first floors. Before our arrival, there was such a downpour that even on the second floors, under the closed windows, there was so much water that it was possible to simply bail it out.
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We will talk about all the hotels in detail in separate articles, fortunately everyone was allowed into the territory without restrictions, although they said that it seemed like someone was not allowed into Movenpick.

Among the peculiarities: on weekends, from Friday evening to Sunday evening, a lot of local vacationers come to Tala Bay, including Marina, as a result, according to vacationers, there is no crowd at the restaurant and at the pool. On our weekend we did not observe such problems; there were 7-10 Arabs, children, wives. They didn't interfere much.

Bay - boat parking in Tala Bay

At the entrance - on the ring (next to Marina)

Note: A hotel-resort (resort, resort) is a hotel-resort with a coastal developed area, which combines the functions of a sanatorium and a hotel with a park (resort, resort, coastal holiday resort).
All inclusive in Marina - Marina Plaza Hotel 4 (Tala Bay Resort) Red Sea Jordan Prices for main excursions in Jordan and options to save up to 50% on them!

The post turned out to be an appeal to tourists :-)
This part is informal, as it does not contain any beauties, but simply the technical part, a description of the hotel and other “package” boring things.
I’ll tell you about Petra and the Wadi Rum desert in separate posts. There will already be beautiful pictures there.
So!
Colleagues, tourists! Let's first decide why you are going to Jordan in general, and to Aqaba in particular.
If you suffer from chronic malnutrition at home and plan to gorge yourself on the variety of local cuisine on vacation, then Aqaba is not for you and, apparently, not for Jordan at all. Direct your gaze to the closer Antalya or Kemer coast of Turkey to 5* hotels using the All and UltraAll system.
If you want to sunbathe on excellent beaches and watch through the glass of a mask the diversity of marine life of the Red Sea, then Aqaba is also not for you. Yes, here is the Red Sea, there is some wildlife, but it is incomparable even with the underwater diversity of Hurghada, not to mention, say, the Safaga reefs. In addition, going into the water without coral slippers is practically impossible unless you are a masochist, and the beaches are far from ideal cleanliness, and the texture of the sand leaves much to be desired. And if your travel agent sells you Aqaba as a full-fledged replacement for Egypt, then kick this liar and never do business with him again.

But if you dream of seeing one of "new seven wonders of the world"- famous Petra, visit the desert Wadi Rum, where more than one feature film was shot, and at the same time you can dip your bodies in the warm sea, then a few hotels in the city of Aqaba are waiting for you!
Now I’ll tell you how I came to live this way, namely, how and why I decided to use a ready-made tour, and even with a charter flight, and even from Moscow, despite the fact that we live in St. Petersburg and using the services of travel agencies is not at all in our practice.
The logic of my thoughts was as follows: The main purpose of the trip was to see Petra and the Wadi Rum desert, which would take two leisurely days. Somehow nothing else from Jordanian reality attracted me. It’s clear that it makes sense to fly for a week, no less. Therefore, an associated goal emerges by itself - it would be a sin to refuse the warm sea coast in a gloomy St. Petersburg autumn. How to get to all this happiness from St. Petersburg? There are no direct flights from St. Petersburg to Jordan and, apparently, there never will be (hello, hello, wretched Pulkovo!). There are direct flights from Moscow by airline Royal Jordanian, but to the capital of the country - Amman, from where you either have to fly or drive 335 kilometers along the highway to Aqaba. And the cost of these direct flights is not encouraging; I have not found prices below 25 thousand rubles Moscow-Amman for a round trip. There are options with transfers, for example, in Istanbul, including from St. Petersburg, but again to Amman. Although Turkish airlines It does fly from Istanbul to Aqaba, but not every day. And again: the prices do not look friendly and are in the same region of 25 thousand rubles for a round trip. And I was very limited in dates: the second half of October.
In addition, you need to understand that when you fly to Amman, you automatically get a visa, which is $56 (40 JD) per person. Not a penny either. And in Aqaba there is a free economic zone and visa-free entry in case of arrival at the local airport and subsequent departure from it.
It was then that my gaze turned towards charter programs. A ticket for a Moscow-Aqaba-Moscow charter with departure and return to Sheremetyevo cost 23,500 rubles per person. And the tour Pegas Touristik for a week 16-23.10.16 with hotel accommodation Marina Plaza Tala Bay 4* with breakfasts and dinners - 30,100 rubles. Agree that the choice seems obvious. “We’ll get to Moscow and back,” I thought, “luckily there are 60 thousand unnecessary Aeroflot miles available.” Moreover, we flew with Pegas a year and a half ago to Hurghada (the only time we used the “package” in almost seven years of independent travel) and everything was very good.
Great! It’s the end of July, I’m buying a tour for three (me, my wife and my adult daughter), buying tickets for miles from St. Petersburg to Moscow and back (plus an additional “fee” of 3,000 rubles per person), and on the way “there” I’m allowing four hours for transfers before the charter, and on the way “back” I spend a whole night with a hotel near Sheremetyevo, since the charter is supposed to arrive at 23:50 and... I sleep peacefully.
But no matter how it is! Less than three days before departure, news comes: the flight has been rescheduled from 13:30 on 10/16/16 to... 01:30 on 10/16/16 from Sheremetyevo to Vnukovo, that is, half a day earlier and from another airport! And it’s not Pegasus flying Nord Wind, and the airline iFly with absolutely garbage reviews! The return flight has not yet been rescheduled. Oops! Our happiness is that Russia airline tickets from St. Petersburg to Vnukovo are available for the evening of 15.10 “only” for 2,500 rubles per person. And we immediately forget about the previously purchased tickets and the 9,000 rubles spent on them.
We arrive in Vnukovo in the evening, sit for six hours, and at the same time observe the troubles of other “package passengers” of the same ill-fated Pegasus: the flight to Tunisia was delayed for a day (!), the flight to Antalya was delayed for 12 hours. We begin to slowly become hysterical, but suddenly we leave on time on a beat-up Airbus 330 and iFly turns out to be quite a decent airline, they even feed us sausage and pasta along the way. At six in the morning we land at the tiny airport in the Jordanian city of Aqaba ( Akaba). In an hour, four border guards “stamp” our flight. It's getting light outside and +25 C. Hello, Jordan! We are loaded onto a bus and taken to the hotel.
I will focus on choosing a hotel, because reading reviews about Aqaba hotels on the same tophotels, for example, is incredibly satisfying. I had a very clear idea of where we were going and did not expect any super service, all-inclusive food and other delights of “package” tourism. According to my observations, 80 percent of the Russians staying at the hotel with us also understood everything, which is very pleasing. The remaining 20%, apparently, were stupidly deceived by their travel agents, promising the same notorious “all inclusive”, the magical Red Sea and “in general, Egypt is opposite and everything is the same here.” No guys, not the same.
Let's start with the fact that all hotels in Aqaba are divided into city hotels and hotels in the resort area Tala Bay.
City hotels are captivating with their price (the price of a 3* tour with breakfast was almost equal to just the charter price), the presence of a large selection of adequate (this is important!) food places and other public institutions (such as exchange offices) in the area. But there is no beach at all. Theoretically (!), there are city beaches in Aqaba at some distance from the center (you still need to get to them by taxi), but they are not equipped in any way and are quite littered. There is a private beach Berenice Beach Club, where umbrellas, sun loungers, toilets and even towels are available, but entry costs 15 JD ($21) per day per person! Those. The travel budget is not just suffering, but screaming! What else to do for a week in hot Aqaba, which has not a single attraction, but go to the beach? Consequently, the hotel in the city itself is in flight.
Let's turn to the Tala Bay resort area. It is located 15 km south of Aqaba proper and consists of only three hotels: Radisson Blu 5*, Marina Plaza 4*, Movenpiсk 5*. After reading reviews about them, I realized that radish horseradish is not sweeter, it doesn’t smell like any stars, and I chose something simpler: Marina Plaza Tala Bay 4*
There are three more beach hotels in the northern part of the city: another Movenpick 5*, InterContinental 5* and with the most decent reviews Kempinski 5*, but somehow I didn’t really find out anything about them, since Pegasus didn’t offer them.
So, what is Tala Bay? As I already said: three hotels, a small marina (i.e. bay) with a yacht parking, a beach, actually common to all three hotels, about five or six restaurants, a couple of travel agencies, a few souvenir shops, a grocery store of a fairly decent size (you can I can’t even call it a supermarket), a duty free store (for some reason I never happened to look into it) and a liquor store (it also didn’t attract our attention). There is one bank with a 24-hour ATM. The bank is almost always closed, but the ATM is facing the street. That's basically it.

How obvious minuses residence in Tala Bay:
- prices in restaurants are twice as high as in the city itself. Moreover, Jordan is an extremely expensive country. The prices in souvenir shops are the same. Therefore, take a hotel with at least breakfast and dinner, otherwise you will go broke.
- currency exchange is a small problem: the bank is almost always closed, the exchange rate at the hotel reception is bad, you can try to change it in shops, but it probably won’t be very good there either. However, more about currency below.
- you can get to Aqaba and back by a free bus from the hotel, but it is not rubber and you need to sign up in advance. A taxi will be unreasonably expensive.
Now about pros of Tala Bay:
- there is at least some kind of equipped beach where there are no local residents;
- once again: you will be spared, in principle, from the increased attention of the local population, since Tala Bay is a closed area and locals do not live in it. The attention of Jordanian men (and even more so Bedouins) to the female sex is not as intrusive as in Egypt or, especially, in India, but a daughter, for example, when walking around Aqaba, already habitually pulled a scarf over her head to hide from the ardent gaze of baboons, although she was dressed more than modestly. Well, Arab women are scary, what can you do? And there are zero blondes among them.
So, we sorted out the place of residence. Now let's get down to specifics.
Currency. Jordanian dinar – JD, JOD. Banknotes in denominations of 50, 20, 10 and 5 dinars. We haven't come across anything larger. Small change in the form of coins of 5, 10 piastres and angular quarts - quarters of a dinar, 25 piastres. The banknotes have both the usual numbers (on one side) and the Indo-Arabic version.
Dinar has a fixed well: 0.7 dinars per USD. Those. One dinar in October 2016 was approximately equal to 90 Russian rubles. At this rate, it is possible to exchange US dollars in any bank in Aqaba or in the same one in Tala Bay, if you are lucky and it is open. In theory, banks are closed on Friday and Saturday - this is a local day off, on Thursday only until lunch, and on other weekdays (including Sunday) - from 10:00 to 16:30 and always with a break in the middle of the day. But this is a theory; in practice, the bank in Tala Bay worked as it wanted, or rather, almost didn’t work. In addition to banks, in Aqaba itself there are many exchangers with more reasonable opening hours. Upon arrival at the airport, it is worth exchanging some currency. The rate here is 0.69, you won’t lose that much. There are no commissions anywhere. At the hotel the rate is 0.67. In stores you can negotiate and buy something for dollars and maybe even at the normal exchange rate, but it’s not a fact that it’s always the case. Well, that is. They will always take dollars, but at what exchange rate it will make the seller’s or the owner’s left heel itch. Please note: when flying back from Aqaba airport, after passing the border guards, there is no bank! There are only a couple of sluggish dealers with high prices who are happy to make money from the leftover dinars that tourists pour into them. However, they are happy to take dollars and even rubles at the rate of 100 to the dinar. The entire airport there is a small enclosure, from which there are 3-4 flights per day.
Weather. During the day in Aqaba the heat was up to +40 C, at least +35 C. At night it “got cold” to +25 C. In Petra, fortunately, it is much colder, since it is higher in the mountains. There during the day it was no more than +28 C, and before noon even less, which makes the visit very comfortable. In Wadi Rum the temperature is the same as in Aqaba, only after sunset it drops more rapidly.
Language. Jordanians speak English practically as a second language, so there are no problems with communication. To my surprise, there are a number of citizens who speak Russian quite fluently. Apparently, they studied in Russia.
More by hotel. Don't think it's 4 stars. These are solid two stars with a claim to three in some places. When you perceive reality from this position, everything falls into place. Although, if you book a hotel through booking.com, a double room will cost $80 per night “with breakfast.” The hotel is definitely not worth this money, and it’s not for nothing that the rating is only 6 out of 10. And if you think that it cost us three for seven nights with breakfast and dinner for $300, what’s the difference between the cost of a charter and a tour, but everything is just super duper ! What captivates you about the hotel staff: sincere hospitality. Yes, they are stupid and slow, but I have never heard or seen a relationship “through the lip”, as happens in “fed” countries like Turkey or Egypt. Well, in general, a week of vacation with a flight from Moscow costs less than $500 per person. What do you want for that kind of money?
Number. The rooms are all standard size (except for the suites, but that's a whole different price). It is clear that the third bed will be a folding bed. And a very decent folding bed. She will fit into the room with difficulty, but she will fit. For some reason, for the majority who ordered a room for three, this fact became a revelation.
Check-in starts at three o'clock in the afternoon. Normal practice. The guide clearly says this right away and there is no need to try to check in earlier. We dropped our things, had breakfast, changed clothes in the toilet, and went to the sea. Why waste a day? The only inconvenience: I had to carry money with me.
At check-in(we lived in a room 5108 , first floor, not far from the reception, window to the pool): the folding bed was brought only at seven in the evening (however, they immediately said that not earlier). The safe doesn't work. We called the reception. They came and fixed it within half an hour. There are no towels, not a single one. They immediately caught the “room boy” in the corridor and requisitioned the required amount from him, despite the screams. The staff tries, they really do. But they are very slow.
IN number there is a fairly large closet, in which there is the same safe, a long table, one ottoman stool, a couple of bedside tables, a TV that only takes up space on the table, beds with very decent mattresses. There is a refrigerator-minibar. Upon arrival there are two free half liters of water. Sometimes they are reported during cleaning, although according to policy they are not required to do so. The floor in the room is tiled (which is strange for a hotel that has labeled itself 4*, but absolutely normal for a 2*). The plumbing works fine, there were no problems with water, the towels are of decent quality. The shower room is made into a separate room and, in theory, water should not flow from it into the bathroom. But it hits. From soap and soap accessories: bar soap, one bottle each of shampoo - shower gel - hair conditioner - lotion. One not per person, per room. The quality of the corresponding 2*, i.e. below the average. It’s clear that you need to take your own or buy it in the market. There is a hairdryer in the bathroom. The condo worked great and this is a huge plus; without it at plus 40 it would have been extremely difficult to live.
Bring a mini electric kettle or boiler with you in case you want tea in the evening. Disposable paper cups are available in the market if you are too lazy to take them with you.
There is a balcony with two tired plastic chairs and the same table. Valuable because you need somewhere to dry your swimming clothes.
In general, the hotel is old and the invasion of Russian tourists came as a surprise to it. The local infrastructure is not ready for such volumes and it does not appear that the situation will improve much.
During the operation of the room per week:
- the safe broke again: they called, half an hour later, they fixed it;
- the air conditioner broke down: they called, one came, a second came, they called a third, had a meeting, and an hour later they fixed it;
- cleaning every day, but needs stimulation. On the first day, they left one towel instead of seven (one shared for the feet, two per guest: large and small), they fished him out and forced him to bring him. There are not enough towels and they are trying to save money. The next day I left the dinar on the bed. All towels are available, two bottles of water in the refrigerator, they even supplied local shampoo and shower gel. But one bottle at a time. But we had our own, so it doesn’t matter. Bed linen was changed twice during the week. Three days later, the dinar repeated, as the zeal began to weaken (again I had to search, catch up and demand towels). The result even exceeded expectations: they tried to create some figures from towels

Don’t overcharge, you definitely don’t need to tip every day. But, alas, stimulation is needed, we have already learned it.
WiFi. He's gone. More precisely, it is only in a certain place outside (!) of the reception building. In the evenings, a couple of dozen sufferers cluster there. On the beach you can catch a certain tala bay network (precisely with a small letter, since Tala Bay requires a login password). At the Susana restaurant they told me that in theory there is Wi-Fi, but now there is not...
Food at the hotel. The most painful topic for Russian tourists. The hotel, by the way, operates on an all-inclusive system, but I would not recommend it. So.
Breakfast. From 6:30 to 10:00. Their sadness is monotony. Within a week you get tired of the same thing. But you won't remain hungry. Scrambled eggs or omelet (fried by the cook), boiled egg, potatoes (always undercooked), beans in tomato sauce, cucumbers, tomatoes, two types of cheese (inedible), feta cheese, sausages and two types of sausage, in the production of which no animals were harmed, bread, rolls (with sesame seeds are very tasty), muffins are often baked in molds, jam of two or three types, honey, butter, olives, black olives. Tea, coffee, milk, three types of cereal, a couple of types of body “juice”. Do we remember that the hotel is 2*? Well, that's normal for him. If it were 3* it should have been better. The food is cheap and unpretentious, but fresh. I have not seen or experienced any cases of poisoning, although my gastrointestinal tract reacts to any garbage.
Dinner. From 19:00 to 21:00. It's more fun here. There are always at least three sets of hot dishes: chicken, fish (tilapia), beef. And often also delicious pilaf with large pieces of beef. Side dishes: rice, pasta, potatoes (always undercooked), stewed vegetables (zucchini, for example, or eggplant). Well, besides: tomatoes, cucumbers, green salad, a couple of types of Olivier-type salad, olives, olives, feta cheese, sour cream, bread, of course, and some other little things.
The reviews are touching: “they only have three types of side dishes for dinner!” How many types of side dishes do you have for dinner at home? What about meat? Make such claims to your wife!
For dessert, five or six types of cupcakes and puddings are baked, a couple of which are necessarily not only edible, but also tasty. Among the fruits there are apples and a few oranges, which the sufferers snatch up at the very beginning. But drinks at dinner are only for holders of all-inclusive bracelets. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. But absolutely no one is stopping you from bringing with you any drinks you like (even a bottle of whiskey) and drinking them at dinner. By the way, how the staff understands which of the guests should only have breakfast, and which with dinner, and which on FB in general (after all, there is lunch too) is unclear. Most likely not at all. Bracelets are available only from “allinclusive”. The restaurant staff, by the way, are generally very loyal: they allow you to carry food into your rooms, which I would categorically prohibit. Well, okay, fruit, but they carry mountains of cupcakes, and then complain about cockroaches in the room! Well, be productive yourself. To be fair, we had no insects in our room at all.
By the way, the hotel chefs cook delicious food. I don’t remember that I didn’t like anything, with the exception of the unfortunate potatoes. But once again: those expecting twenty types of meat for dinner and a sea of delicious alcohol poured out - do not go to Jordan!
Sometimes there is a shortage of cups for tea and for cereals with milk. Although the dishwashers are as fast as blacks on a plantation. It's strange that the hotel saves on dishes. I've seen reviews that the dishes are washed poorly. They wash normally and partially even in dishwashers, and not by hand. Sometimes, especially at dinner, it is difficult to find a free table. The hotel restaurant is not designed for everyone to come at the same time. Well, because of this, at dinner there are often 10-15 people in line for hot food.
Cat problem. There are many of them in the area. The small-minded guests also feed them. And then they write indignantly in reviews: the cat snuck into the restaurant, climbed onto the table and ate from my plate! Yes, such cases do occur. The staff chases the cats, but hunger is not a problem and forces the animals to be resourceful. It is strange that the hotel administration does not get rid of tailed pets. It's not a complicated matter.
Restaurants in Tala Bay. In fact, there was practically enough breakfast and dinner at the hotel. We tried to have lunch (more of a snack) a couple of times in what seemed to be an adequate restaurant, Tala Bay - Susana. Did not like. Very expensive and tasteless. The restaurateur's greed kills. A glass of juice from a 2 JD package. Caesar salad 5 JD, they brought it - and it’s just lettuce leaves sprinkled with sauce from a store-bought sachet, i.e. nothing meat (no chicken, much less shrimp). Tuna pizza - a little canned fish thrown into the middle. Bologneso and fettuccine pasta is a lump of pasta floating in fat. The three of us paid more than 20 JD and left with a slight bewilderment in our stomachs. Brrrrr... no thanks. As a result, for several days we simply made do with yoghurts and sandwiches from the market.
Supermarket. Smaller than the average Pyaterochka size. In principle, there is everything down to disposable tableware. No fruit (except for the already boring apples). Very occasionally bananas. There is generally a problem with fruits in Jordan; apples are brought from Europe, for example. Oranges are local, but apparently there are very few of them. Large selection of alcohol. The prices in the market could not be compared with those in Aqaba. I think it's more expensive, but not critical. Water 1.5 liters - 0.5 JD, natural juice 1 liter - 2 JD, Rani drink - 0.4 JD per 0.235 liter can, produced in the UAE, to which

This is what was bought every day in large quantities. I simply don’t remember the prices for the rest; the expenses were insignificant. But it’s definitely twice or even three times more expensive than usual St. Petersburg prices.
Swimming pools. There are small ones. Like there are two or even three of them (one children's paddling pool). Basically, they are cleaned every morning. I would even risk swimming, but I didn’t see the point: it’s much more fun in the sea, and I go to the pool at home.

Beach. Upon check-in, you must issue a card for beach towels. At around 9 a.m. you will receive them at the round window by the pool in exchange for the card. Hand it in in the evening before 6:30 p.m. The quality of the towels is decent. Marina Plaza is a “second line” hotel. There are a lot of complaints about this in the reviews. I wasn’t lazy, I did the math. From the room to the beach - 300 meters and 4 minutes of calm walking. Colleagues, you really want a lot. There are sunbeds and umbrellas. They are few. Very little. If you come at 8 am, you will find a place, if at 9, then with great difficulty and on a broken sunbed. If at 10, then in the flight up to 14 hours, lie on a towel until the people leave. There are no toilets. There are no changing rooms. There are showers with warm fresh water, thank God. There are no hotel bars on the beaches. There are trash cans and there are a lot of them. The beach is cleaned, but without much fanaticism. Surely no one cleans up cigarette butts, but here I would like to say a few kind words to the smoking pigs who are too lazy to take a few steps to the trash can: do you also throw cigarette butts next to the sofa at home?
In general, the beach is a C grade, of course.
Sea. I read a lot in reviews that the bottom is littered. Not certainly in that way. There is garbage, but not a critical amount of it. It’s not Arabs or vacationers who litter on purpose, it’s blown off the beach by the wind. Out of seven days, for example, two had a very decent wind, once we even sunbathed by the pool, it was so uncomfortable by the sea. At the same time, divers are removing debris, I saw it myself. And the sea is so clean. Regarding living creatures: well, it’s not rich, but there is some. Moreover, more often there is very close to the shore at a distance of about five meters, where the depth is “chest-deep”. There are half-living corals and there are quite a lot of fish. We even saw a moray eel and a couple of times schools of squid. Well, that is. There is some snorkeling, so definitely take a mask and snorkel. The best place to be on Radisson Beach is to the right of the pontoon, facing the sea. The entry into the sea is rocky and often unpleasant, but that’s not the point: there are a lot of sea urchins. Don’t even think about walking around without coral slippers, you’ll be left without legs. There are two pontoons: stationary on the Marina Plaza beach

and Radisson floating on the beach.

We didn’t go to the Movenpik beach - it was too lazy, it was a bit far, we had to basically walk around the entire bay. Well, it’s a bit far: a five-minute walk.
There is also diving, they say it’s good, but I can’t speak for it, since we are not divers.
Free bus to Aqaba. Four times a day. The schedule is at the reception, you need to make an appointment in advance (preferably a couple of days in advance). And not only there, but also back. The drive is about 15 minutes one way.
Hotel guides. It's them, the unfortunate ones, who get it in the reviews. I want to say a few words in their defense. There are only three of them in all of Aqaba: Evgeniy, Vadim and Mustafa. Normal guys, adequate, sick of their work. Colleagues! It's not their fault that your expectations from the hotel are not met! There is no need to bully the tour operator guide over trifles! There are no towels, the safe doesn’t work, the key is demagnetized, the cleaning sucks, they didn’t bring anything: everything goes to the reception! It is there that guests' problems related to the hotel should be solved (and are solved!). And finally learn a few words in English and read a little about the country where you are going! Oil painting: a middle-aged lady enters the reception with a brisk step. Then a quick monologue in Russian: “Listen, I lost my scarf somewhere. Didn't you find it? No? It's a pity. Well, if you find it, it’s mine!” Leaves. The guy at the reception remains in the position: his mouth is open, his eyes are wide.
Personally, we have no complaints about the host guides: the transportation from to the airport was organized perfectly, on the way from the airport and at the orientation meeting at the hotel they spoke clearly and loudly about the country and its features. We didn’t need any excursions from them. Why else do you need a hotel guide?
Aqaba. There is absolutely nothing to do in the city. Eat mosque.

And a huge flag of Palestine (!) on high flagpole– so that it can be seen from Eilat, which is very close across the bay.

In the three hours between hotel bus flights: we agreed with the taxi driver about a trip to Petra, had lunch at a restaurant Al-Shami(GPS 29.5281, 35.003 ), walked around the entire center, bought souvenirs and even some shoes, bought some very tasty local mangoes with us (2 JD for a large fruit), ate ice cream at Mak and still had half an hour left.
Restaurant Al-Shami On Tripadvisor it has the first place in reviews among all restaurants in Aqaba and the surrounding area. Well what can I say? Inexpensive for Jordan, yes. We ordered for three: chicken shish kebab, chicken according to a local recipe, a couple of salads like cucumbers and tomatoes, rice. Everything is spicy, the salads are generously seasoned with vinegar, the kebab is tasty, the chicken is not so much. For everything without tip, 16 dinars plus two were left as “tip.” We were full, but... if this is the best restaurant, then what about the others?

Return trip. Needless to say, Pegasus moved the return flight 12 hours earlier and we took off at 6 am instead of 6 pm. Still the same iFly. Of course, we didn’t get an extra day from the tour operators. We arrived in area 11 in Vnukovo. We looked at Aeroflot flights to St. Petersburg. We realized that there was nothing to catch, the prices were astronomical. Of course, we didn’t take anything in advance - we had already eaten Pegasus until we were full, only the hotel booked at Sheremetyevo was canceled in advance without penalty. It’s good that inexpensive S7 tickets from Domodedovo were available upon arrival: 2,450 rubles per person without luggage and 3,450 rubles with luggage. We bought it using the native S7 smartphone app. We ordered a taxi through the Rutaxi app. From Vnukovo to Domodedovo 1050 rubles and an hour's drive. It’s good to have a smartphone and the Internet at hand. In the evening we were already home.
Which conclusions: Do not fly charters from outside your city of residence! Or if you really can’t bear it, then don’t take return tickets at all, but buy tickets there... well, probably a day before the actual departure.

Here you can not only enjoy the Red Sea and the hot sun, but also get to know the local culture better. This is a real oasis in the middle of a lifeless desert.

Hotel description

Tours to Jordan have become very popular lately. This is a unique kaleidoscope of unusual Arab culture, beautiful traditions, untouched nature and, of course, the warm Red Sea. The hotel itself will delight you with beautiful architecture, cozy rooms, quality service, as well as plenty of opportunities for relaxation and wellness.

The history of the Marina Plaza Hotel Tala Bay 4* dates back to 2008. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2013. After this, the hotel was brought up to modern standards, but did not lose its charm. On a small area of 14,000 sq. m. there are 6 residential buildings, in which 260 comfortable rooms are equipped. The central place in this ensemble is occupied by a luxurious swimming pool.

Location

Marina Plaza Hotel Tala Bay 4* boasts a fairly convenient location. It is located 250 meters from its own well-kept beach. It is 15 km from Aqaba and also 25 km from the nearest international airport. About an hour's drive from here is Petra and Wadi Rum.

Where to go? What to see?

It is popular due to the fact that this land is rich in attractions. While staying at this hotel, be sure to visit the following sites:

Tala Bay (1 km);
Aqaba seaport (3 km);
underwater observatory (7 km);
coral beach (12 km);
defensive fortress of Aqaba (13 km);
dolphin reef (14 km);
promenade (16 km).

Description of rooms

Comfortable and cozy rooms await travelers at the Marina Plaza Hotel Tala Bay 4*. The following categories are available to you for placement:

Standard rooms They are distinguished by their compact size and cozy home environment. Two single beds can be moved together if necessary. Opposite there is also a bedside table with a TV. It is also worth noting the presence of a private balcony with a table. One of the rooms in this category is equipped specifically for comfortable accommodation for guests with disabilities.
Junior- these are huge apartments, which in size and functionality can be compared with a full-fledged city apartment. The bedroom has a large bed and a folding chair. As for the living room, it is also equipped with upholstered furniture, which can serve to accommodate additional guests. There is a kitchen area with cooking utensils and a dining table.
Suite- This is a spacious studio room. A large double bed and a soft seating area create an atmosphere of comfort. And original decorative elements are responsible for the special mood, homely warmth and comfort.

As for the interior solution, it will appeal to lovers of authenticity. Some may find the design too clumsy and pretentious. Nevertheless, true connoisseurs will see an element of Eastern tradition in this brightness.

Room amenities

The apartments of the Marina Plaza Hotel Tala Bay 4* provide a wide range of amenities to ensure a comfortable stay and relaxation. we are talking about the following:

TV with a large package of satellite or cable channels; wireless Internet;
minibar, which also functions as a refrigerator;
centrally controlled air conditioning system;
safe with a secure combination lock;
landline telephone providing communication with the administration and restaurant (international line access is provided for an additional fee);
bathroom with the necessary plumbing, bath and hygiene items, as well as a hairdryer);
private balcony with plastic furniture and towel dryer.

As part of room service, daily cleaning is performed. Maids change bath towels and bed linen every 3 days.

Guest service

All services necessary for a quality holiday will be provided to you at the Marina Plaza Hotel Tala Bay 4*. Thus, you will be provided with access to the following services:

providing transfer to the airport;
calling a taxi;
use of laundry and dry cleaning services;
copying and scanning documents, as well as using fax;
calling a doctor to the hotel premises;
use of sun loungers and umbrellas on the beach and by the pool;
shoe cleaning;
assistance in organizing business meetings and festive events;
currency exchange;
24-hour reception, where you can get advice at any time and solve problems regarding accommodation and recreation;
delivery of orders from the restaurant to your room.

All inclusive concept

Many hotels operate on an all-inclusive basis, but each establishment has its own characteristics. If we talk about Marina Plaza Hotel Tala Bay 4* (Jordan), then the list of services provided can be seen in the table below.

More information about the all-inclusive system

There are a few other significant points worth noting regarding this concept:

on the day of departure, the guest can only use the all-inclusive program until noon;
drinks are served exclusively in plastic glasses;
after 23:00 food and drinks are available for a fee;
If you do not consume any of the products included in the all-inclusive program, you will not receive any compensation.

Infrastructure facilities

A hotel on the Red Sea shore should provide not only beautiful views, but also a developed tourist infrastructure. In this context, the hotel can offer the following:

a restaurant where you can try dishes from different nations of the world;
bars with a huge selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks;
free wireless Internet in public areas;
an ATM, thanks to which you can withdraw cash from a plastic card without leaving the hotel;
free access to private parking;
a storage room where guests can leave their luggage while waiting for check-in or for a while before checking out;
2 conference rooms equipped with the latest technology;
24-hour mini market;
banquet halls;
special smoking areas (indoors and outdoors);
shared lounge with comfortable furniture and plasma TV;
souvenir shop.

Entertainment options

If you like to spend time actively and fun, Marina Plaza Hotel Tala Bay Aqaba 4* will provide you with this opportunity. So, you can organize your leisure time as follows:

swimming in an outdoor or indoor pool;
visiting a gym with modern exercise equipment;
canoeing;
diving training and exciting diving;
windsurfing (subject to an international license);
water skiing;
gymnastics in the pool;
playing volleyball on the beach;
table tennis;
relaxation on a private beach;
a visit to the steam sauna, which will lift your spirits and significantly improve your well-being.

Spa services

More recently, the spa was considered something outlandish and was surrounded by an aura of luxury. Today, almost any resort hotel provides such services. The SPA center at Marina Plaza provides a lot of opportunities. The hotel invites you to the following treatments.

Massage	Gifts of the Dead Sea	For body	For legs
shiatsu; with aromatic oils; Thai; Swedish; with hot stones; lymphatic drainage; against osteochondrosis; relaxing; with menthol oil; anti-cellulite; canned.	peeling with salt from the Dead Sea; Dead Sea mud wrap; medicinal baths; improvement of hair and scalp; salt inhalations.	body peeling with sea salt and algae; nutritious yogurt wraps; polishing leather with honey; milk-coffee bath.	peeling of rough skin; foot massage; pedicure; paraffin wraps; baths.

Marina Plaza Hotel Tala Bay: positive reviews

When going on vacation, every traveler dreams of pleasant impressions and vivid memories. You will get what you want when you go to Marina Plaza Hotel Tala Bay. Reviews speak of the following advantages of the hotel:

Negative reviews

Aqaba is a destination that has not yet been fully explored. Marina Plaza Hotel Tala Bay, like any other resort establishment, has its drawbacks. From traveler reviews you can find out the following:

the staff is extremely slow, and comments or requests have to be repeated several times;
the Internet is almost completely absent (there is a signal, but not a single site loads);
For some reason, there are old mattresses and dishes in the corridors;
the interior decoration is outdated and needs updating;
room cleaning leaves much to be desired;
the restaurant menu almost completely lacks dietary dishes for children;
very modest breakfasts;
the hotel is located a bit far from the sea;
inflated prices for accommodation, food and other services;
there are no electric kettles or dishes in the rooms (all of this can be rented for an additional fee);
frequent interruptions in water supply;
poor quality plumbing in the bathroom;
rocky entry into the sea;
clogged shower drain;
There is a lot of noise from the road nearby.

General impression

As mentioned above, Jordan is a rather specific tourist destination that has not yet been fully explored by domestic travelers. Of great interest is the historical and cultural heritage, as well as natural and recreational resources. As for the service, it remains a little in the shadows. Although, prices for accommodation and recreation are much higher than in Egypt and Turkey. This direction is chosen by real travelers who strive to learn something new, and the hotel for them is a secondary factor.

The first thing that catches your eye upon arrival is the architecture and luxurious grounds with a lush green garden. However, the euphoria wears off almost immediately after you step inside. Here you will be greeted by shabby walls, outdated furniture, and so on. However, the impression levels off a bit once you get into the room. The “tired” interior and equipment are more than compensated for by the design solutions and bright decorative elements. In addition, the rooms have everything you need for life.

Jordan is a fairly expensive resort. This hotel is located far from the city infrastructure, and therefore prices for accommodation and recreation here are even higher. One might say, unreasonably high, because neither the quality of service, nor the range and taste of food, nor the entertainment are impressive. Perhaps the only thing worthy of attention is the beach (which, by the way, is located quite far from the hotel). As for excursions, they are several times more expensive with a hotel guide than with local travel companies.

Given the tense situation in the region, resort hotels are heavily guarded. No strangers are allowed on the premises. And even hotel residents are searched every time they return to the hotel after a walk, excursion or visit to the beach. Upon arrival, your luggage is scanned using an X-ray machine. Despite the fact that these events are not the most pleasant, they can be considered a kind of payment for safety and a relaxing holiday.