TUI MAGIC LIFE Calabria

On transfer everyone was offered a bottle of water and snack and on arrival you were greeted with the choice of a glass of fizz or orange juice which was lovely. However there were big queues to check in. We were staying in the adults only private lodges and there was a separate check in desk which was pointless - very slow. The private lodges were situated together and enclosed by gates that required key card access. The room was spacious and clean with a reasonably sized balcony. As a private lodge guest we had access to a private lodge only pool, main restaurant and reservation only a la carte that non private lodge guests did not have access too. At time of booking it was only £30 per room to upgrade to private lodge - well worth the money!! The private lodge area carried a relaxed and quiet atmosphere. My only negative with the private lodge area was that out of season (we stayed in October) there is no bar open during the evening and therefore we had to go to the main bar which was OK but would have been really nice to stay in the private lodge area, especially as there was a separate wine list offered at the private lodge bar and restaurant. Be prepared for long queues in the main bar - sometimes up to 4 staff serving on the bar however it's such a big complex there was always a big queue - also struggled to find seats in the main bar on a few occasions. We had breakfast in the private lodge restaurant and mostly our evening meals too - lovely atmosphere and plenty of choice for food every night. At lunch the private lodge restaurant only catered pizza or pasta - a relative of ours was gluten free and unfortunately with no gluten free option we had to go to the main restaurant which also had no gluten free option however more choice e.g. salads. One of the chefs at the main restaurant did offer to make a gluten free pizza on the first day however this was not offered again . As part of your stay you can visit each of the a la carte restaurants once for each restaurant which is included in the all inclusive package. This was a nice change and I would recommend trying each of them. The beach was a 10 minute walk down a lovely path through the woods - really nice walk. The beach bar / a la carte restaurant had a thatched roof and when it rained and everyone took cover in the bar you were covered in debris from the roof. The ground were well kept and had lots of lovely colourful flowers all over. The hotel offers absolutely loads of activities during the day ranging from canoeing to tennis to mountain biking, with majority of the activities free of charge. I would recommend downloading the app - you can view all the activities on there and book a la carte reservations - which I would recommend doing before you arrive to guarantee a reservation. We attended the welcome meeting where excursions were advertised - we were only staying for a week but wanted to do the volcano execration and the excursion to the three well known places in Calabria (Pizzo, Tropea, Capo Vaticano) but these trips were on the same day. We decided to go on the Calabria tour - I would not recommend! We had a Italian tour guide who could speak OK english but could not understand her through the microphone. Our first stop was to Capo Vaticano in the early morning to supposedly see the view of the sunrise - we were we dropped off at the top of a cliff for 20 minutes with one restaurant which you had to pay to use the toilet - this was a very random stop ? were they on commission. We got back on the bus to be informed that was Capo Vaticano... The next stop was Tropea where we were shown every single church and different types of doors.. believe me there was loads! Final stop was Pizzo where we had very little time. I wouldn't recommend the trip, I would recommend getting a taxi to Tropea and Pizzo - however the trip seemed worth it at the time due to taxi fees being very pricey. Only 20 minute transfer to the hotel, however it's in a very remote area - no strip or shops nearby. There was a market held within the hotel grounds whilst we were there however it was very poor with only a few stalls - no souvenir stalls. Overall a fantastic hotel - it's just a shame it's in a remote area.

We loved this place and aren't ones to return to same hotel or resort but definitely considering this year as so good for our son! He loved the splash park which was a decent size where he played most of the day; in addition to the family pool (had to drag him out). The food was amazing, such a variety. Staff lovely. Entertainment fun. Visited the old town 15 mins drive by bus and got the tuk tuk back which was the highlight for our son! Loved it! Beaches there were beautiful too and got some amazing photos. Highly recommend this place! First time we've done a Magic life and will definitely do again as if the son is happy = easy life for us!

We traveled in October to this hotel. First time we have been in a TUI Magic hotel and it is very different to general hotel experiences. When you first arrive you wonder where the hotel is? The cases are dropped at the reception, you are greeted with a drink of bubbly or orange juice. Lots of lovely smiley people to greet you in reception. Once given your room number it is explained which block you will be in and where all the amenities are. We were in Block 5 which is quite a walk away from the amenities but that was fine for us. The rooms were ready so we took our cases and went straight there. Both rooms were lovely and clean and spacious. Excellent shower room and plenty of toiletries. There was a balcony but it was not really appropriate to sit on as there were lots of foliage climbing up the wall. Our room maid was lovely and again smiley. All the staff were brilliant, so helpful and smiley, even the gardners said good morning as you passed them. There were fabulous amenities and if you wanted a sporting holiday then this is definitely the place for you! There is everything you could wish for, boules, archery, tennis, table tennis, canoeing, wind surfing, bike riding. The private beach area - amazing - lovely sunbeds and plenty of them. Plenty of sunbeds around the lovely pools as well. Food was absolutely amazing - so much choice. If you didnt find anything there is definitely something wrong! There are 2 other restaurants which I would suggest you go to. You can go once to each themed restaurant but book very early on when you arrive - or if you get the app you can can book before you arrive. Again lovely service and beautiful food. The drink is a different thing. The lager is okay and so is the prosecco. Wine is okay but the shorts are really poor. I don't moan but I didnt enjoy the drinks at all. You can buy shorts and bottles of lager from another bar - but they are not cheap - 7 euros for a 40ml shot of bacardi or vodka plus mixer or go and get a mixer at the free bar?! If you were drinking shorts for the week you would be better taking your own in your case! or if you went out on a day trip buy a bottle then! The entertainment was okay - not great which was disappointing as you could not go anywhere in the evening as nothing else at all around the complex. The team did do a Lion King evening and that was great - the best night - shame not more nights like that one. The entertainment team were great and tried really hard during the day and evening and if you didnt want to join in they didnt pester too much!. All in all a lovely holiday - but I wouldnt go back only because there literally is nothing around the place and we like to walk to other bars in an evening and have a change of scenery. If you want a very relaxed or even a hectic holiday this is the place to go.