Magic Pirates Island Resort

I took my 16-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter for four nights in May. It was my first time going abroad with them on my own, and we had an amazing time. There was always something my fussy son would eat, more than my daughter and I found! We enjoyed the zoo and waterpark, and the Italian restaurant, pizza deliveries, pool-bar kebabs and cocktails were all great. We’ve been home nearly four weeks and already want to return. We’ve booked a week for next April and hope we can get back again this October too.

Unlimited entry to the zoo and waterpark next door is included, and both are only about five minutes away. The waterpark was excellent, with food and drinks covered by the all-inclusive plan. The Robin Hood medieval evening show, including food and drinks, was included too, as was a shuttle into Benidorm and dining at two seafront bars. We found it impressive value. The hotel is fairly new, open for around a year, and looks well kept and very clean. Rooms are cleaned and made up daily, with fresh towels if needed, and the pools are tidy as well. The Italian and Flames Grill were excellent; the main buffet had a good, wide choice. The pool-bar queues could be slow, and letting guests serve their own soft drinks might help.

The evening theatre shows were great, though a 10pm start felt late. During the day, entertainment was repetitive, with little variety or effort to involve guests. Most staff also seemed unfriendly and hard to approach, so the place felt less welcoming than it should. Drinks were good, but the swim-up bar only opened for up to two hours a day, and sometimes didn’t open at all. Food was a major letdown, with very little variety and poor quality for a resort of this standard. The resort itself is beautiful, though. The theme is well done, and the pool areas are clean, spacious and lovely for relaxing. I came away with mixed feelings because the food, service and entertainment didn’t live up to the setting.

Yoshua at the premium bar was brilliant at making cocktails. His service was outstanding, and nobody makes them like he does. The food was great too, especially the tacos, and we thought the Italian and Flames restaurants were out of this world. Our rooms were clean and had exactly what we needed. We loved our stay at Pirate Island.