Gardaland Magic Hotel

The family room for four was spacious and looked wonderful for the kids, with enough room to relax. We also slept well thanks to the good soundproofing, and breakfast was excellent. The hotel staff were courteous and polite. The one thing that needs work is the shuttle. Its service doesn’t match the rest of the resort: the drivers were rude and unhelpful, and didn’t stick to the schedule. The resort should improve that, because everything else was A+.

It’s a good spot for children, with a playground outside and plenty of car-free room for them to run around. The rooms themselves are nicely decorated, clean, and comfortable, though the soundproofing could be better. Getting to Gardaland takes some planning. The shuttle comes less often than advertised, so driving is the other option. Food at the property is limited and rather low quality, and reaching a better restaurant in town on foot is awkward since you may have to walk along a busy road without a sidewalk.

The rooms were clean and worked well for children, but several parts of the stay were frustrating. We got there at 15:20 and couldn’t enter our room until 15:40. We’d wanted to drop our bags and freshen up before heading into town, so the delay was inconvenient. Arriving hungry with kids was worse. Restaurants in the hotel and nearby seemed closed until 18:30, and after trying to find somewhere open, we gave up and got sandwiches at the hotel bar before going to the pool. The pool water was really cold because it isn’t heated. They also require caps, which seemed like a way to add a charge. Reception said Italian hotels all require them, but that isn’t true. These caps are swimsuit material rather than proper swimming caps, and they kept coming off anyway. Breakfast costs extra and was medium to low quality. The outside of the hotel needs maintenance too, with visible holes in the facade. If you’d rather not wait for the park shuttle, parking costs 7 eur.

The rooms are lovely and thoughtfully designed, and the kids enjoyed staying here. Reception staff were nice, but the restaurant team seemed unhappy. The food was plentiful rather than good, and while it was okay, we wouldn’t book half board again. We also had a few practical problems. The bathroom soap we asked reception for was never replenished, and the mattress was much too firm for me. Pool caps are required. The shuttle drivers often sat in the shade looking at their phones while guests waited in the hot bus. They only left once it was crowded, with the information saying a minimum of 20 people. If you have a stroller, getting on is difficult: the bus stops about 30-50cm from the platform, leaving a gap, so you have to rely on other guests to help you board.