TUI MAGIC LIFE Cala Pada

From the minute we arrived the staff couldn't do enough to help, after a quick check in with a complementary drink we were offered assistance with our bags to our room. Our room was a one bed apartment and was perfect for us. Plenty of room in the living area, with a fridge, sink and microwave. A bottle of water was left there daily by the cleaners. The terrace was enclosed even on the ground floor so we didn't have to worry about our daughter wondering off into the complex while the door was open, and had space to hang any wet towels etc. Bedroom was large, with plenty of room for the travel cot, which was a particularly big one - our daughter doesn't fit in ours anymore, but easily fitted in this one. Bathroom was clean, modern and the shower had a nice power to it. Room was cleaned daily to a good standard. The pools were lovely, plenty of sunbeds around each area, either in shade or sun. Beach/Pool Towels are provided and you can change them as often as you wish. The water in the main pool and kids pool is a little colder (not heated so maybe warmer in higher season) but fine once you are in. The length pool is heated if you want a warmer swim. The children's play area and sand pit is well thought out - nice play equipment and shaded. Food was fantastic, offering was typical of buffet at an AI, but to a good standard at all meals. Nice touch is the children's food being at lower counters so they can pick and even help themselves. Recommend getting to dinner as it opens to bag a seat outside at the main restaurant and also booking the beach restaurant for the tapas food, the food just didn't stop coming and had a nice outlook to the sunset over the sea. The children's entertainment is all German, however our 2 year old was happy to dance and sing along to anything. Drinks were all great, and even serve yourself options for beer and wine in the entertainment and restaurant areas. We had grand ideas of getting out and seeing Ibiza but were all so happy in the complex that we never got past the beach!

Stayed for a week with my teenage daughter. We chose this resort because of the wide range of activities provided and the teen club. What we didn't realise from the TUI website was that most of the activities cannot be enjoyed by parents and children in the same session. We also knew from other reviews that there is a strong German presence but didn't feel it would be a problem - if we wanted to holiday in England we'd have gone to Torquay! However, after four days being the only Brit in the teen club and ending with a disastrous archery session where a safety briefing wasn't given in English resulting in tears we gave up. We don't holiday to be upset and this was a definite low point. Maybe during the broader UK school break it would be better? Also we had to enquire at reception who then referred us to the entertainment team, but the teen club only goes ahead if there is prior registration/interest. Again, this was something not conveyed to us by TUI and at the beginning we were showing up to teen advertised events which weren't happening. The activities are a real selling point here although I hoped to do nordic walking but the smartphone app you use to see the schedule never had it listed. Seb is a fantastic archery instructor. Clear direction in several languages, always a smile and a warm welcome. The aqua aerobics at the beginning of the holiday were fab but later a new instructor appeared to have arrived who was being assessed and his classes were more aqua yoga. The aerobic element was missing and I gave up trying to stand on one leg in a busy pool. Such a shame and I hope they revert to the girl who took the classes originally. We visited the beach a few times and once you are past the smelly drain at the entrance it is a lovely cove with gorgeous coastal walks. On a Wednesday you can walk 25 mins along to the Hippy Market, just take a left as you're looking out to sea and follow the crowds. Worth a look and bought some nice souvenirs. Also the diving school is there and we had a brilliant scuba experience with them off shore from Es Canar by the island. They have English speaking instructors and the experience was worth every penny. The gardens at Magic Life are beautiful and perfectly kept with lots of flowers and precious shade. I walked down to the local supermarket twice and coming back through reception to the gardens was like walking into paradise! By the way, the supermarket is called Eroski and is a half hour down the road back to Ibiza Town and Santa Eulalia. It smells dreadful but actually seemed clean and has a good range of products and a cash machine. There are bus stops outside the hotel and one day we waited for ages and ended up flagging down a taxi which didn't cost much less for two people than the bus would have done. A couple times the main pool was shut as kids had been in without swim nappies. Not sure what measures can be put in place to prevent this but two afternoons out of seven isn't a good track record, especially when there is a toddler pool nearby. I do have a gripe that the night before I left I called reception to ask for someone to help with our baggage next morning as we were on the second floor, a woman and female child and no lifts. They weren't interested in offering help, said it would depend whether anyone from reception could be freed in the morning and to call back after 7am, but as our transfer was 7.30 am this wasn't acceptable and I nearly broke my back getting the cases down the stairs only to see half way up the resort a man with a golf buggy collecting other guests luggage. I was pretty cross and felt let down. Food and drink here is fabulous and there is always something nice. The roast beef was a high point as were the tiny chocolate fondants served from the hot plate near the ice cream station. Speaking of the ice cream station, it's a victim of it's own success and the queues get ridiculously long. They could use a second. I love that drinks are freely available although found the service at Wunderbar a bit hostile at times. That's an exception to the rule as the staff are generally friendly and our cleaner was a lovely woman keeping our space immaculate. The bathroom was gorgeous, very modern and just right, and I like the light airy decor. The bedclothes are sadly made of what the Americans call 'microfibre' and are dreadful for warm weather - reminded me of the nylon of childhood. Please think again, Magic Life, and give us cotton. 36 hours before our holiday ended we were cut off from the wifi and then our room was locked. The cleaner couldn't even get us in and called for help but half an hour standing in the blazing sun needing the loo and I finally had to ring reception myself who then sent men with a computer to hack us in. No apologies though but we made sure the cleaner knew we were thankful for her efforts. Reception issued new wifi codes but no explanation. Wifi is a good free feature and enough for keeping in touch with friends and family at home or reading the news. It wouldn't stand streaming but I was grateful for it. Entertainment does need to bring in something for adults, a singer perhaps up by Wunderbar, as we ended up early to bed every night instead. The children's disco is charming but one night they departed from the usual playlist and I have to say there were no English songs. It didn't bother us, of course, but proves some commenters right. That stage and area are wasted in the later evening and could be a great asset. I hope some of what I have written will be useful to other travellers. We did enjoy our stay in this lovely part of the island and I would particularly recommend it to anyone with busy children. What they do well is excellent and hopefully my comments will see improvements in the areas where they fell down.

We have recently returned from TUI Magic Life Cala Pada, Ibiza having been here for a short break towards the end of June 2018. My wife and I along with our 1 year old son stayed in Block B room 9, which was a 2 bedroom ground floor apartment room. In a nutshell, this a great family resort, perfect for children and is typically what you would expect from a 4star place. Plenty to do and lots of activities always going on (I recommend archery with Seb, he’s a good guy and fantastic teacher!). The grounds are very well maintained, it is by no means a small resort! We were lucky that our room was very near the reception, restaurantso and entertainment areas. But to get to the beach was a bit of a walk, with a young child it used to take us up to 20mins. Our room was very clean, we had no issues others have mentioned regarding damp smells. The main restaurant was very good, any place that has a dedicated pizza and pasta bar is a hit in my books! We loved the food and couldn’t fault it in anyway. Plenty of vegetarian options for us too. The pool area is a lot of fun, my child really enjoyed it there and the lunch bar nearby was a hit. I think the staff really do deserve a lot of praise. Everybody was kind and polite and always ready to help with a smile on their face! Can’t really find a fault with the resort in anyway. The beach area is a nice small quaint area, beautiful waters and a lovely path with some great views along the coast. Only thing I would add is that, I have been to some beaches in the past and every other night a team of workers in the evening go around picking even the slightest bit of litter (with reference to the number of cigarette butt ends lying about), if something like this was introduced here, it would make the beach perfect. But guess this is an area for the local council to do and not the resort. All in all, we had a great family break here, this is most definitely catered and geared towards young families in a quieter part of the island.