Hotel Magic Games

We have recently returned from a week’s stay at the Hotel Magic Games in Oropesa Del Mar. As the resort has been recently rebranded and upgraded, there aren’t many reviews, so I will write as much as I can. We booked very last minute and had never heard of the resort before. I usually do lots of research before travelling so was unsure of what to expect. I think the hotel is mostly used by Spanish people looking for a fun break with their kids, we were pretty much the only English speaking guests, but the staff were very attentive and helpful- and most spoke some English which helped us get by. This hotel is one of a number of facilities on the resort, some are still being developed but there is still lots to do. As per the name, this one is games themed and even had an Xbox gaming station in the room! We opted for the Rookie Level Room with All Inclusive, it wasn’t very clear what that included when we booked the package deal, but we discovered on arrival that it didn’t include much, just the hotel, Splash Water park and nearby Beach Club. We were gutted as we’d chosen the hotel because of the photos of the other facilities, which we didn’t realise weren’t part of this hotel, and didn’t think we’d be able to access any! I think better research and marketing by LoveHolidays would really help here, as it is very deceiving! However, after initially being told we could not upgrade to Ultra All Inclusive, the next morning we found out we could. It cost about €220 for the remaining 6 days, but it was well worth it and this made our holiday so much fun! If you can, opt for a higher level room and always with Ultra All Inclusive- or upgrade on arrival. The Rookie Level Room has a pull out sofa bed for the two kids (Good quality and comfy) a double bed, an x-box and a balcony. It’s quite small so we put the table and chairs out on the balcony and it did us fine. The bathroom was outdated and had some mould in the shower, but it wasn’t a big issue for us. The beds were comfy but the pillows weren’t great, I should have remembered to ask for more! On arrival the kids beds weren’t made up, but the maids came up quickly and sorted that out. The mini bar has beer and a bottle of cava and soft drinks that are topped up daily- the water was a blessing in the heat! The Ultra Inclusive offers access to a number of different hotels and facilities. We visited the Splash Waterpark daily (Directly across the road with open access for Magic Games Guests), the Thalasso Spa, Polynesia Waterpark, Hotel Magic Sports Waterpark, Hotel Magic Fantasy/Rooftop Terrace, Magic Land Theme Park, the Magic Game Zone, Italian and American restaurants, the 2D Cafe and the Irish Bar. There were a number of other things you could book too, especially for younger children. You can reserve a certain number of visits to all the facilities on the Magic World app after checking in- it’s very easy to navigate and I used it a lot! Staff at reception are super helpful if you have any issues or want to book other things too. I’d recommend booking everything as soon as you arrive as places book up very fast. Within an hour of upgrading we pretty much had our whole week of fun sorted! We barely spent anything when we were there either, as the Ultra All Inclusive covered it all! The hotel itself is nice, the Games theme is brilliant for the kids, all the signage and lights are games themed, and there is a wee display of old games memorabilia on Floor 2. The restaurants and communal areas are games themed too, our boys played the Xbox in the room (Ask reception for the pin) but LOVED the retro gaming stations in the lobby, and had fun playing the Xbox on the huge screen! As they are older, they often went to the lobby to play the games, giving us peace to get ready or sunbathe some more! The food in the buffet was very good, considering it is the only restaurant in the hotel, so it does get quite busy. It was one of the smaller buffets we’ve seen on an All Inclusive, but there was always something nice and it always tasted fresh- the staff work so hard to constantly replenish dishes and clear tables. Self serve juice, beer and wine from the bottle is always available, with fizzy wine at dinner too. One of my children eats anything and was in his element trying different dishes here- the other is ridiculously fussy and never went hungry. As the clientele are mostly Spanish, don’t expect English style foods, especially at breakfast, but there is still plenty of choice! I’d have liked more fresh fruit at breakfast instead of tinned, but there was some fresh fruit available at every meal. There is a snack bar in the hotel and two at the Splash Waterpark across the road, which are all included- in fact the bars at every facility are all included. The cocktails were nice and not too strong and they have juice, ice-cream and slushies for the kids too. The food options are very limited at the snack bars though, mainly ice-cream, pastries, crisps and a small selection of pre-made sandwiches. The Splash also had burgers and hot dogs. I’d have rather gone to a snack bar for a lighter lunch (Paninis, wraps, salads etc) and not used the main restaurant all the time, but that wasn’t an option. Some facilities, e.g., The Beach Club, Playzone Cafe and Polynesian Waterpark do advertise lovely snack menus, but they are not serving food yet. We loved the Italian and American ‘A La Carte’ restaurants but could only book into these once each, and not into the grill at all. There is also a sushi and a rice/paella restaurant in the package. We did look to eat out a couple of times, there are a few bars nearby and along by the beach, but most didn’t seem to be open when we looked- possibly too early in the evening. We heard that the pizza restaurant just up the road beside the Sports Hotel was amazing though. The Irish pub is excellent, we absolutely loved it and wish we’d gone a few times- again it’s all included in the UAI Package, which is hard to believe! I had a couple of lovely gins in a proper glass! It felt like being at home (Scottish Highlanders) and the music and pub games were fun! The barmaid was so lovely too. All the facilities I mentioned were worth a visit and kept the kids very entertained. We adored the Spa experience, it was fun and so refreshing in the heat and just across the road. We also enjoyed the Polynesian Waterpark and Magic Land, both were entertaining with a range of varied rides and experiences- we accessed both a few times. You can get the train that goes round the resort to all of the facilities, but they’re only a few minutes away on foot too. The Hotel Sports was too busy when we went, and we could barely get a seat/drink and queues were very long for the slides- but the surf simulator was great! We enjoyed walking along the beach in the morning and evenings, it’s lovely, but there doesn’t appear to be a lot there during the day (In terms of cafes, water sports etc) and it gets very busy, so we stuck to the pool mostly. The gardens at the beach looked lovely but were closed off when we visited. Beware that, as there has been so much redevelopment recently, the photos (At least on the Love Holidays listing) don’t match the experience and facilities very well- but it didn’t affect our stay. A few suggestions would be: -Develop a more substantial menu at the snack bar/s so people can eat here for lunch -A nice hotel bar where people can meet and enjoy drinks in the evenings -More availability at the other restaurants (We would have paid a fee to revisit or access the grill) -Create an area the kids can play football/outdoor games at the hotel (Developing the currently disused park area at the back of the hotel?) -Upgrade the snack bar decor (Probably already planned) -Someone to welcome guests on arrival and offer information/ arrange excursions etc. -More information (Possibly a more detailed timetable with an English version) about the animation team events- we weren’t really sure what entertainment was on, where and when, so didn’t really go to anything- but we were quite happy playing cards and going for walks in the evenings. There is an information desk but we didn’t see anyone at it and there was no welcome reps meeting to help you get to know the resort. However, we figured things out and had no real issues after upgrading. This does feel like a new venture with some development work still going on in the area and changes still to be made, but nevertheless we had a thoroughly lovely time and would highly recommend this resort if you’re looking for a fun filled, action packed yet still relaxing break with the kids. Thank you very much to all the lovely staff for always being so kind, friendly and patient with us and our lack of Spanish- we had a very relaxing and enjoyable stay!