TUI MAGIC LIFE Cala Pada

Ibiza wasn't our first choice of holiday destination, but our original booking was cancelled due to COVID and as we wanted to celebrate a milestone birthday we chose to change our trip to Ibiza as opposed to postpone it. We have to mention TUI at this point who were exceptional in dealing with us, changing our trip last-minute and confirming all of the details that were likely to be different due to COVID and social-distancings rules. But there was still very much an element of the unknown, but we were not to be concerned as everything was impeccably followed, both by staff and other holiday-makers of all nationalities. Our accommodation was well located within the resort, which is large and spread out giving a nice feeling of spaciousness without being too much of a slog to get from A to B. We were in the block next to the quieter pool where the swimming lessons took place. The rooms were large, spacious and the balcony was huge. Rooms were cleaned on a daily basis. We had three children travelling with us, each able to take part in each of the three kids clubs, 3-6s, 7-12's and Teens. The two younger ones had a great time, but the eldest one was the only english teen in the group so found it difficult to communicate with everyone, but enjoyed all of the activities nonetheless. A special mention must go to all of the animation team who were all incredibly friendly, helpful and cannot work any harder. One of the COVID related changes we were unsure how would work in practice was the food changing from self-service. As the hotel was evidently under capacity and the food delivery process changed we assumed that the range and choice of food had diminished as a result. What was available was plentiful and served to you by a member of kitchen staff who all seemed to be having to work twice as hard as a result of the changes. Food was okay, some items were hit and miss, but this is the nature of a buffet where you will get somethings that weren't quite what you were expecting. As we were there to celebrate a milestone birthday, we'd like to thank Violeta who was our Guest Services manager for arranging some local Cava to be sent to our room with a birthday card. It was a lovely touch. Violeta was always available to us for assistance, providing advice and help in hiring a car, or booking a speciality restaurant. She is a real credit to the hotel and to TUI. Another review mentioned Gloria, the waitress at the Bodega which is one of the two speciality restaurants. We ate at the Bodega twice and the food was wonderful, with a selection of tapas. But Gloria helped made the evening with her larger than life personality and attentive service. We bumped into her around the resort in various places and she was always ready to stop for a chat - a wonderful lady. We would almost certainly return back to the hotel should the opportunity present itself. But we do like to try new places rather than return back to ones we've been before so we will definitely try to visit another Magic Life complex as the mixture of sun, fun and activities is one that we all enjoyed as a family. We will certainly try to get back to Ibiza again as although we spent two days travelling the island we do feel like we've only really scratched the surface of what is a fabulous island.

We weren't sure what to expect during these difficult times but we were pleasantly surprised. The steps the hotel took to ensure guests safety were second to none. Despite the need to self isolate when returning back home we felt much safer at this hotel. The rooms were a good size - we stayed in a one bedroom apartment - and they were cleaned thoroughly on a daily basis. Make sure you keep the windows closed to keep out those mosquitos and bring plenty of anti mosquito spray with you at this time of year. All the pools were lovely although our favourite, as a couple, was the lap pool which was much quieter than the others. It was good to see small adult only sections although they are quite a way from amenities. The adult only section of the main restaurant was closed at this time. The hotel was only running at around 50% occupancy due to the current health situation although that worked well for us. We suspect 100% occupancy would make for a very different holiday experience. Food choice was good at the main restaurant but patience required with food being served rather than buffet style but this was well worth compromising on to ensure everyone's health and safety. We went to Bodega speciality Spanish restaurant on the beach which really was fantastic. A big thank you to Violeta for arranging the booking and for Gloria who was a great host with a massive personality. A great way to spend our anniversary. We would say though that the booking system needs to be reviewed as we were only there a week and both speciality restaurants were fully booked for the whole week by the time we arrived (we were on the waiting list for a cancellation). On balance this may have been as a result of the need to reduce the numbers to maintain social distancing. We must also mention the Animation Team who worked tirelessly. Overall a wonderful stay and we would highly recommend this hotel.