Tui Magic Life Calabria - All Inclusive

“Fantastic Italy Trip and Hotel”

Absolutely wonderful holiday. Here’s an honest review based on our experience and I hope to ease any concerns from other negative reviewers. Arrival - we arrived mid afternoon and given our keys and wristbands immediately, the bell boys took our luggage to our room for us which was nice, particula… more

Absolutely wonderful holiday. Here’s an honest review based on our experience and I hope to ease any concerns from other negative reviewers. Arrival - we arrived mid afternoon and given our keys and wristbands immediately, the bell boys took our luggage to our room for us which was nice, particularly in the heat. The room - we had a superior triple. It was nice, clean and beds were reasonably comfortable. We had no issue sleeping, would have liked an additional pillow, but then I didn’t ask either. The air con was just about ok. Kept us cool in the night which was the main thing. I wouldn’t say it was amazing and my guess it was an older system just based on the controls. But it was suffice and the room cleaning service was fantastic. Thank you to the cleaning team. Grounds - just incredible. Everything always clean, well presented and staff were always so attentive to any rubbish, spillage or slight maintenance issue. We were really impressed and noticed just how on top of things they were. Walking to and from our room or sitting in the square and watching people walk by gave off a small old town vibe. The walk to the beach was also beautiful. Longer than I expected but lovely and peaceful and lots of things to see and do. Beach - we didn’t go to the beach as much as we would have liked. Honestly it was too hot. But the day we did go, it was beautiful and the sea clear and warm. Deep though so be careful, Pools - We basically had access to the large main pool which is where the activities took place. As well as the splash park. The splash park was perfect for our 4 year old, but I have no idea why parents couldn’t use the slides. It was frustrating as I would have liked to go down the slide with my boy. But wasn’t allowed yet 15/16 year old boys could fly down with no issue and boys being boys could be boisterous at times. Didn’t bother me at all, just the rule made no sense. The printed restrictions were height, but it seemed age was the only reason the lifeguards would intervene. The lifeguards by the way were brilliant. Always visible and on hand. My only suggestion would be to allow adults down with small children. Activities - a full day and packed with different things to do. For the most part our 4 year old was too young unless he did the kids club which were not keen on. No matter the resort. Nothing against this hotel, it seemed great, just not something we will utilise while he was so young. But for teens the wider programme was fantastic. Sunbeds - plenty around, but unfortunately no matter the rules there are still some selfish and thoughtless people around. We rarely had an issue getting a bed though. Either in the main pool or splash park. The splash park was almost guaranteed a good spot. Great towel service too. Don’t bother taking your own. Bars - the wunderbar was the main bar. It lacked good air con in my opinion, but it was ok. The range of drinks was great and the self serve beer pumps were a great touch. The pool bar was decent, but to be honest we barely used it. For anyone wondering as I did, the beer was Raffo and is part of the Peroni brand. Not premium but very drinkable and one of the better holiday hotel beers I’ve had. Food - this is where I get annoyed by negative reviews. In the main buffet restaurant it was something different and fresh every day. Live Meat, Fish, Pasta and Pizza stations with Chefs cooking fresh ingredients at both Lunch and Dinner. There were also other stations like fresh prawns, mussels, soups and tapas style starters. It really was great. I read one review complaining it was pizza and pasta every day. Well it was and that is part of the Italy appeal right??? But it was different every day. Perfect! We also visited the Trattoria and really enjoyed this, possibly the food highlight for us. It was a simple menu but full of flavour and tradition and just a nice experience away from the hustle and bustle of the main restaurant. Sadly we didn’t get to eat at the Pinseria due to having to cut our trip short and missing out on our planned booking. But we had no issue booking good time slots via the app. Snacks - I feel a bit mixed about this, the day had more structure than other AI’s I’ve been too, breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as very specific snack times including ice cream. The reason for feeling mixed as I do get irritated by kids (and adults) wasting food, drinks and snacks when it’s literally available all day, so I support some restrictions to manage waste, but at the same time, it is slightly frustrating that when you want something picky outside of those times, there was nothing available. Every day at 3-5 it was cake and coffee, followed by a daily cocktail and snacks between around 5-7. This was a nice touch I thought. But if you wanted a small snack instead of lunch there was nothing available. Coffee House - The only misleading bit for me. It is essentially a coffee machine, and while available all day, it was only midway through the holiday did I realise you could get a barista coffee in the wunderbar. So if you want good coffee, go there. The bean to cup espresso machine in the restaurant was also very good. Pizzo - we took the shuttle and it was great for €10pp. The only disappointing service we had was when we wanted to go again, but during the evening on another day, but were told not enough guests had signed up. It apparently had to be 4 minimum so we offered to pay for the additional seat, but we then received a call in our room to say it wasn’t going ahead. Disappointing as we knew the second time we’d have more time in Pizzo having used the first time to find our bearings, So that was my honest review and not biased in anyway, but a comment about the next bit is important… On Day 6 of 10 our lad had an accident and tripped up some steps, cutting his mouth and needing to go to hospital. We first went to reception and were met by one of the Managers. Who was so helpful and arranged a taxi for us, they then called through the night until our return around 3am making sure our boy was ok and we got back to the hotel ok. The following day, we received a call and another follow up by staff who met with us and took some details, they asked if there was anything they could do, and asked if we wanted to visit one of the speciality restaurants again. So arranged another visit to the Trattoria as our lad loved the large bowl of pasta there. On arrival they also arranged a small gift for him. So many staff asked about him and us and this personal support meant so much to us, so I just want to say a really heartfelt thanks to the staff and their aftercare in a difficult moment for us. As a result of this and based on wanting medical advice back home, we cut the trip short and came home a little early. But all in all a very memorable holiday with lots of smiles, fun and an overall very positive impression of the hotel and magic life brand. We will definitely visit Calabria, Italy and another Magic Life hotel in the future. Thank you.

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“An Unforgettable Stay – Highly Recommended! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”

We're currently staying at TUI Magic Life Calabria and are having an amazing holiday! The resort is beautiful, the atmosphere is fantastic, everything is kept so clean, and there's always something to do. The food is excellent with plenty of variety, and all the staff have been welcoming and helpfu… more

We're currently staying at TUI Magic Life Calabria and are having an amazing holiday! The resort is beautiful, the atmosphere is fantastic, everything is kept so clean, and there's always something to do. The food is excellent with plenty of variety, and all the staff have been welcoming and helpful. A special mention has to go to Annamaria at the Private Lodge (Adults). She is absolutely wonderful! She makes the best cocktails in the resort—every one is perfectly mixed and delicious. More importantly, she is so friendly, kind, and genuinely cares about the guests. She always welcomes everyone with a warm smile and goes out of her way to make every visit special. Annamaria is a real credit to TUI Magic Life Calabria, and she has made our stay even more enjoyable. We're still here enjoying our holiday and would highly recommend this resort to anyone looking for a relaxing and fun getaway!

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“Great Hotel in lovely Calabria”

Lovely clean hotel, great food, which was different everyday and hot. Clean pools, with pool towels available. Activities team work hard, although tend to shout all the time even when using a microphone, which at 10.30 at night and you have returned to your room can be a little annoying. Air con i… more

Lovely clean hotel, great food, which was different everyday and hot. Clean pools, with pool towels available. Activities team work hard, although tend to shout all the time even when using a microphone, which at 10.30 at night and you have returned to your room can be a little annoying. Air con in rooms was really good and cleaning crew excellent. My only negative point would be the coach transfer, the driver taking a call and being on the phone for 60% of the journey was a worry when he was responsible for a full coach of adults and children, happened both journeys. Not cool.

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“Family holiday”

We recently stayed here as a family and overall had a lovely holiday, although there were some areas where we felt improvements could be made. The positives: Our room was spacious with plenty of storage space. We reported that our shower head was only partially working through the hotel app, and … more

We recently stayed here as a family and overall had a lovely holiday, although there were some areas where we felt improvements could be made. The positives: Our room was spacious with plenty of storage space. We reported that our shower head was only partially working through the hotel app, and it was replaced the following day. We requested a kettle, cups and a shower mat using the app, and these were all delivered promptly. The shuttle to Pizzo is excellent and the town is well worth visiting. We also enjoyed the tuk tuk tour – quite expensive, but a fun and different way to see the area. The hotel is well located for trips to Reggio Calabria, Scilla and Tropea. The beach is lovely, with free sun loungers, and is around a 10 minute walk through a shaded woodland path. There are lots of activities available including yoga, archery and cycling. The gardens are beautifully maintained with gorgeous flowers throughout the resort. We particularly liked the quieter family pool when we were able to get sunbeds. Areas for improvement: We didn't end up using the kids' club as children seemed able to come and go freely. It felt more like an activity session than a supervised club, so we weren't comfortable leaving our child there. The main pool is all one depth (around neck height for me at 5'8"), which made it difficult for none swimmer children to play for long without flotation aids. It would also benefit from easier access, as entry and exit are only via ladders. The pool towels felt quite worn and could do with replacing. The buffet food was generally good quality but became repetitive over the course of our stay. We waited around an hour for food at the beach pizza restaurant. Before travelling, I requested a booking for my birthday meal and was assured it had been arranged. When we checked on the day, we discovered the restaurant was actually closed, which was disappointing. Mealtimes in the main restaurant can feel very busy and quite noisy, and on several occasions we struggled to find a table. We much preferred sitting outside where the atmosphere was calmer, the staff were friendlier and water was already available on the tables. It was totally different to inside. The biggest disappointment was the inconsistency in customer service. Some staff, particularly on reception, were genuinely helpful and welcoming. However, we experienced a few interactions that felt unnecessarily unfriendly. One example was at the pasta station, where i queued patiently with my young child, behind around 10 people. When we reached the front, the member of staff took her bowl away while speaking to someone else behind us in Italian and ignored us while continuing to serve other guests behind us. It wasn't clear what the issue was, so I collected another bowl and took it back. Eventually he served us, he didn’t seem happy to but the interaction felt abrupt and uncomfortable, particularly towards a child who was simply waiting for her dinner and we’d waited like everyone else. It was very strange. We had a similar experience on the beach when the wind picked up. The lifeguard understandably needed to lower the umbrellas for safety, but simply lowered ours without saying a word before walking away. A brief explanation or friendly "hello" would have made a big difference. There were a few similar interactions during our stay which surprised us at a resort of this size. Small things but they are noticeable across the week. We also experienced uniformed staff pushing in front of us in food queues with no acknowledgement. The transfer from the airport is quick, the air conditioning works very well, and while the hotel can be noisy at times, this largely depends on neighbouring guests. Unfortunately, the family above us played ball games in their room 11pm to midnight shouting and bouncing the ball on the floor above us for several nights, which wasn't ideal, although that's not something the hotel can control. Overall, we had an enjoyable holiday and there are many things this hotel does well. However, a few improvements to the dining experience, pool facilities and, most importantly, consistency in customer service would make a significant difference. We wouldn't rush back, but we certainly don't regret choosing this hotel and had a lovely time exploring this beautiful part of Calabria.

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