Tui Magic Life Penelope Beach

The staff were friendly and attentive, and the beach is lovely, with white sand and nice water. It's a gorgeous private stretch, with security so the people offering horse and camel rides along the front don't pester you. The hotel is down a long road, though still close to restaurants and bars. I liked the coffee and tea at the morish cafe. Most of the food was good, but a lot of dishes had no labels or the wrong ones. The all-inclusive alcohol wasn't great, though I expected that. Pools and facilities were good, but the indoor pool and jacuzzi looked a bit grubby. Our room had what we needed, but there was a charge for a kettle. During our week there, the bins were emptied, towels changed, and floor brushed, but the bathroom wasn't cleaned at all. It was a nice hotel, though I've stayed at better Magic Life locations.

The beach is beautiful, and the pools, food, facilities, and our spacious bungalow were all great. The entertainment and activities staff were exceptional, especially Willy, Mehdi, and Hannah. Thanks to the entertainment, activities, bar, and restaurant teams for working so hard to make our stay special. What brought this down from five stars was the way some other staff handled things. Guest services and reception showed very little care when we raised small but concerning issues. It was also clear that managers shouted at staff and oppressed them instead of coaching and helping them improve. Some people were visibly downtrodden, even though they were working their socks off. It was sad to see and made for a horrible atmosphere, despite the frontline staff doing their best. I've spent much of my working life in management, and someone needs to have a serious word with the managers here. They should relax and let the staff do their jobs. Do better.

We had a lovely week here for my wife's birthday. The hotel and beach area were kept clean, the staff were polite and helpful, and the food was good. Some dishes were a little too spicy for me, but when the chef makes food at the station, they'll leave the spice out if you ask. A couple of things cost it a star. The pillows in our room were lumpy and had holes. Reception said replacements would be sent up, but they never arrived. At lunch, our waiter was about to pour water into a glass with a large crack. He apologized and changed it. Later that day, I got coffee from the Wonderbar in a chipped glass, and the saltshaker was chipped too. They should check these items regularly. Even with those minor problems, we had a lovely holiday.

I came in off the street with my 7 year old son during the off season to ask about a room. They had one, but wanted me to wait outside in the sun for customer services. I went to reception instead because I didn't want to stand outside, and the hotel advertised aqua zooms. They couldn't show us the pool, which was our main concern, especially since the aqua zooms weren't running off season. They also couldn't get customer service to come over or tell us a price. Crazy.