TUI MAGIC LIFE Fuerteventura

Here’s a longer version that includes the points about German guests, but keeps it detailed and balanced enough to be taken seriously. **Beautiful hotel, but we felt very unwelcome as a British family** We are currently staying at TUI Magic Life in Fuerteventura and, sadly, our experience has been really mixed. There are lots of positives about the hotel itself, but the overall atmosphere has left us feeling very uncomfortable and unwelcome as a British family. To be fair, the hotel is beautiful. The grounds are lovely, the sea views are stunning, and the setting is exactly what you would hope for from a holiday in Fuerteventura. The food has also been excellent. There is plenty of choice, the quality is very good, and we have been impressed with the restaurants and the overall standard of catering. The kids’ club is good, and there does seem to be a lot going on around the hotel in terms of activities and entertainment. Our room is nice, although quite basic. We paid extra for a sea view room and I am glad we did, because the view definitely makes a difference. Without the sea view, I think we would have been disappointed with the room itself. I was also surprised that there are no tea and coffee making facilities in the room and no iron, as these are things I would normally expect to be standard in a hotel like this. Unfortunately, despite the hotel being lovely in many ways, the holiday has been spoiled by how unwelcome we have felt. As a British family, we have felt very much in the minority. The hotel appears to cater mainly for German and Dutch guests, and while there is nothing wrong with that, the problem is that we have not felt included or valued in the same way. I have to be honest and say that our experience with some of the German guests has been very unpleasant. We have found some guests to be rude, unfriendly and quick to judge. On our very first day, we were confronted by a German family for apparently playing music too loudly. It was upsetting and embarrassing, and it immediately made us feel uncomfortable. Since then, we have felt like we are constantly being stared at and watched. I understand cultural differences exist, but the staring and looks have made it very hard to relax and enjoy ourselves. It has also affected our six-year-old child, which is one of the saddest parts of the holiday. She has struggled to make friends, and we felt that some of the other children were not welcoming or interested in playing with her. A family holiday should feel fun and relaxed for children, but instead she has felt left out at times. As a parent, that is horrible to watch. We also felt that staff did not make much effort to include us in activities. We were not really encouraged to join in, and at times it felt as though the activities and general atmosphere were aimed much more towards German-speaking guests. Even some of the staff came across as a little judgemental, which added to the feeling that we did not quite belong here. This is not about expecting everything to be British or expecting a hotel abroad to revolve around UK guests. We fully understand that hotels welcome people from all different countries, and that is usually one of the nice things about travelling. But this has felt different. We have never stayed in a hotel where we have felt so excluded from the culture of the place. We felt ostracised rather than welcomed. We complained to the TUI rep because the situation was upsetting enough that we felt we needed to raise it formally. Unfortunately, nothing has really been done so far, and we are still waiting for a proper response. That has made the experience feel even worse, because we came here wanting to enjoy our holiday and instead we have felt unsupported. We have also spoken to other people from the UK who feel the same, so this does not seem to be just us being sensitive or having one bad interaction. Other British guests have also commented that they feel out of place here. The frustrating thing is that the hotel itself has so much potential. If the atmosphere had been more welcoming and inclusive, this could have been an amazing holiday. The food, facilities, location and general standard of the hotel are all very good. But a hotel is not just about buildings and food — it is about how you are made to feel while you are there. Sadly, we have spent a lot of this holiday feeling judged, stared at and uncomfortable. We wanted so much to enjoy it, but instead we have reached the point where we feel like we want to leave. Based on this experience, we would not return to this hotel. It has also put us off booking a TUI-run hotel again. We usually travel with Jet2, and after this, we will be going back to them. This may be a great hotel for German or Dutch guests, but as a British family, we did not feel welcome here.

Absolutely terrible food not hot lots if steps cleaner took my perfume will not return

We didn't get off to the best off start to our holiday, as we arrived after 14 hours of travelling with two weary children in the night,to be given a map and sent off to find our block. We wandered around disorientated carrying cases and bags and eventually found the room but it was not easy and other arrivals were saying exactly the same. The room was lovely, a great sea view. Spotlessly clean, well appointed(except no full length mirror a minor quibble) My bed was so uncomfortable and past its best days but my husband loved his mattress so he was fine. The food in the buffet is very good. Great choice, lots of options and nicely presented. On the 3rd day my daughter was so ill we had to have a doctor and she was placed on a drip. Doctor told us gastro enteristis common in holiday spots. The following day my husband got so poorly he too was subject to the bug, and then finally it got me spending 2 days in the room The man who stands at the entrance of restaurant (maybe Marton?) Was so kind and helpful giving me water, melon, ice etc to bring back. Very thoughtful and helpful. The location of the resort is stunning. Beautifully clean,pretty, and set out so nicely. The wind was a big problem and one evening it was cold and relentless. The windows and front door was rattling loudly. We went to the Green Curry but was most disappointed , the "naan" bread was foccacia, the curry tasteless,but the service was good. At night we all went to the room to watch world cup on ITV and BBC as it was out of the wind and we could never get a seat in the bar(I think there is so much room to put in more chairs, but it was great reception on the tvs in our room so that was fine) The wine on offer was cheap and bitter, from dispensers so I stayed on water all holiday. I noticed many females leave the toilets without hand washing, and could see no antibacterial dispensers in public areas. I would think the restaurant at least should have these at the entrance. We haven't had a bad holiday, and I will say the pool, the staff the location of the beautiful beach, the food,the gym (my husband says a big thank you to Cari*ceri? In the spin class who was amazingly good. The illness that swept through our family was dreadful and cost us 1000 euros for meds and a doctor( he was wonderful) but once we all recovered we enjoyed the break. The holiday was not the best we have had. We all agreed on that, but there were positives.

Horrific experience having money stolen. Reception staff did not help at all and were very rude. I left the money in my bag zipped up. Just because something isn’t locked up does not give a reason to take it. Disgusted.

This peaceful getaway is the ultimate find if you want to stay active but still return home feeling completely refreshed. This was my 5th visit to TML Fuerteventura and certainly not the last. This time I travelled with my mother as she was in need of some chill time. I thoroughly enjoy the fitness and activity programme and would love to say a special thank you to Mario (who was great fun and took time to sit and chat with us.). To Lauren /Ioana and Joanna for their high energy and making us smile and to Emely and Lauren (gym) for enduring me in every class of the week lol. The whole team work so hard and are so welcoming and friendly. I must not also forget to say thanks to the remaining hotel staff, again all pleasant and friendly. David in the plaza bar is amazing and so attentive. I always find the hotel clean and nothing is too much trouble for the staff The surrounding views are incredible. I never need to venture out of the hotel much as it ticks all my boxes. I enjoy the food and that is rare (being the picky vegetarian that I am lol). I will return again later in the year, likely with my husband; as he loves the mountain biking activities at this hotel. See you guys soon.