Magic Games

"⭐☆☆☆☆ We booked flights home after SEVEN HOURS. Avoid the disappointment. Honestly, where do I even begin? This was supposed to be a holiday where we could relax, enjoy ourselves and make happy memories as a family. Instead, our experience was so disappointing that we booked flights home after just SEVEN HOURS at the resort. Seven hours. We had barely arrived before we wanted to leave. Nobody spends their hard-earned money booking a holiday with the intention of paying even more money to escape it, but that is exactly where this experience left us. There were so many issues that, looking back, one star feels generous. THE LIFEGUARD — ABSOLUTELY APPALLING BEHAVIOUR This is something I cannot leave out of my review because, as a parent, I found it absolutely unacceptable. The lifeguard made a comment to me about my son, saying words to the effect of: “I think he should get out of the pool, as it would be unnecessary for me to jump in and get wet if he drowns.” Excuse me?! First of all, my child can swim. Secondly, what sort of comment is that to make to a parent? A lifeguard’s job is to help keep swimmers safe and respond appropriately if somebody gets into difficulty. Suggesting that jumping into the pool to rescue a child would be an inconvenience because he would get wet is an absolutely shocking thing to say. If a lifeguard has genuine concerns about a child’s safety, those concerns should be communicated professionally and respectfully, not through a comment like this. I was left completely disgusted by the attitude shown towards me when it came to my son. It was not the reassurance or professionalism you would expect from somebody responsible for pool safety. THE FOOD — COLD AND APPEARING UNDERCOOKED The food was another massive disappointment. We encountered food that was cold or appeared undercooked, which is not what you expect when paying for an all-inclusive holiday. You should not have to question whether your food has been cooked properly or whether it is worth eating. Food should be one of the enjoyable parts of a holiday, not another reason to feel disappointed. THE FLIES — EVERYWHERE The sheer number of flies was ridiculous. Trying to enjoy a meal while dealing with flies constantly was unpleasant and put us off eating. When you combine the flies with our concerns about the food, the whole dining experience becomes even more disappointing. Cleanliness and hygiene should be priorities at a resort, particularly in areas where food is prepared and served. ROOM CLEANLINESS The cleanliness of the room was also below what we expected. When you pay to stay in a hotel, you expect your accommodation to be clean, presentable and ready for guests. Basic cleanliness should be a given, not another concern to add to an already disappointing experience. THE TREATMENT OF BRITISH GUESTS We also felt that British guests were not given the same time, attention or consideration as other holidaymakers. We paid for our holiday just like everyone else, yet we were left feeling overlooked and unwelcome. Every guest should receive the same courtesy and standard of service, regardless of nationality. Nobody should feel like a second-class guest at a resort they have paid to stay at. ULTRA ALL-INCLUSIVE — ANOTHER EXPENSE?! We were also unhappy to discover that you need to pay for the Ultra All-Inclusive package if you want access to more than five facilities. When booking a resort, you naturally look at the facilities advertised and consider what you are paying for. Having access to more facilities tied to an additional package is something potential guests need to be aware of before booking. If you want guests to pay extra to enjoy more of what the resort offers, make those limitations and additional costs absolutely clear from the beginning. Nobody wants unexpected restrictions or additional expenses when they have already paid for their holiday. WHY WE LEFT AFTER JUST SEVEN HOURS Put all of these issues together and you might understand why we decided that enough was enough. We had concerns about the food, the flies, the cleanliness, the treatment we experienced and, most importantly, the lifeguard’s comment about our son. We had gone away expecting a family holiday, but within seven hours we had booked flights home. Think about that for a moment. We were prepared to abandon our holiday rather than stay and endure an experience that had already left us this disappointed. This was not the holiday we had looked forward to, and it certainly was not the experience we felt we had paid for. WOULD WE RETURN? Absolutely not. WOULD WE RECOMMEND THIS RESORT? Not based on our experience. Between the issues with the food, the flies, the room cleanliness, the lifeguard’s attitude towards me when discussing my son, the way we felt British guests were treated and the restrictions surrounding the Ultra All-Inclusive package, this resort fell far short of our expectations. We did not go away looking for problems. We went away wanting to enjoy ourselves as a family. Instead, we ended up arranging to leave after seven hours. That says everything about how badly this holiday went for us. Please research this resort carefully before booking and make sure you fully understand what is and is not included in your package. One star is generous. We only wish we had known what to expect before we arrived."

"It’s just ok. Not the worst place we’ve stayed but really not great either. For the positives: the room we had was lovely, clean, cool decorations, two double beds. I saw some reviews about staff being rude to english people but I did not think that was the case. They were very nice to us and even if we tried to speak in broken Spanish most knew English which is very helpful. Cocktails were excellent and they put on some cute parades too. Food was hit and miss, a coeliac and a vegetarian could eat here so decent options, though unsure if it’s 4* worthy - a lot of hot food was quite lukewarm! It’s worth noting the pictures of the pool on the advert are NOT at this hotel, it is across the road and shared with other hotels. There is a small pool at this hotel, but I do mean quite small, in a very shaded area. I’m really suprised the location has a high rating, as it takes 2-3 hours from valencia airport via train. You could get a taxi, but it’ll set you back £150~. In terms of the local area, there is unfortunately not a lot to do. We walked to the closest train station (30 minute walk) every other day to travel to other towns for things to do. We could not find any excursions that would pick us up from here. If you are not on ultra all inclusive, you will have to pay for activities other than the water park. On our “off” days we were quite bored. Xbox in the room was cool (though the controller was a bit tempremental). I don’t know if it was forgotten or if the hotel is stingy, but they rarely filled up our tea/coffee station. We ended up leaving a day early to book the cheapest hostel in Valencia as we would not be able to catch our flight on time. I could only recommend this place to families for 3-4 days MAX. If this isn’t your criteria, please look elsewhere."

"Delighted with everything. Everything clean and super good, my children were delighted, we were in the games and it was a wise choice, it is the first year we go and for the next one we will repeat, the ultra all inclusive is perfect. Until next year. Thank you"