Tui Magic Life Jacaranda

=== Overall impression We had a very good stay at Jacaranda and overall I would definitely recommend this resort, especially for families and for people who like large, green hotel complexes. In terms of value for money, this was definitely one of the best hotels we have visited in Turkey. === Resort, gardens and atmosphere The biggest highlight of the hotel is definitely the resort itself. The gardens are beautiful, very well maintained, and full of trees, palms and different plants. You can see that the staff really take care of the greenery every day, trimming, watering and maintaining the whole area. The gardens, trees and palms are basically the symbol of this resort.There are even signs with the names of many plants and trees. If you are looking for a green, relaxing resort with a lot of shade and atmosphere, this is a great choice. The hotel is big and there are many guests, so you need to expect a lot of people. However, because the resort is spacious, people spread out quite well and it usually does not feel overcrowded. === Rooms and cleanliness The rooms are large, even above average, renovated, clean and with plenty of storage space. Housekeeping was very good and the rooms were cleaned every day. In terms of accommodation and cleanliness, there is really nothing major to complain about. The only small negatives were the missing ventilation in the toilet and the air conditioning system. When you open the balcony door, the AC switches off and then you have to manually turn it back on in both rooms, which can be quite annoying, especially if you forget and the room temperature goes up quickly. === Food and main restaurant Food was one of the strongest parts of the hotel. The main restaurant changes the menu every day and has themed dinners. The selection is large enough, but more importantly, the food was really tasty — probably among the best we have had in Turkey. Of course, many flavours are Turkish or Mediterranean, so it helps if you are open to trying new tastes and do not expect to eat only fries, nuggets, burgers or baguettes every day. If you are open to the local style of food, the quality is excellent and you can eat very well without waiting too long. We were also always able to find a place to sit. === Bars and drinks The bars were good and the bartenders were friendly, but the queues were often quite long. Sometimes the situation became worse when a waiter on skates came to order many drinks at once, while a large queue of guests was waiting behind. Another small disappointment is that many classic cocktails are on the premium list and not included in the all-inclusive package. The all-inclusive offer includes mainly basic drinks and house cocktails. Still, there are enough options to choose from and you can definitely find something you like. === Pools and sunbeds The main pool area is the busiest. Sunbeds there are often reserved very early in the morning, so if you want a good place, you really need to get up early. The hotel has a 45-minute rule for unattended towels, but in reality this rule was never enforced. I saw sunbeds where nobody showed up until noon, and even some where nobody appeared until around 3 p.m. Around the smaller pools it was much easier to find free sunbeds during the day. Those areas are quieter and offer more privacy, but they also have less of the classic holiday atmosphere. The sunbeds themselves are very comfortable and solid, and the umbrellas are good quality and resistant even in wind. === Beach and sea The beach is a little further away, but the walk is very pleasant, through the palms and greenery. At the end there are 42 steps down to the beach. If you do not want to walk, there is also a golf cart that takes guests down to the beach bar. There are many sunbeds and good shade from large canvas covers rather than small umbrellas. The sea was generally nice and quite clean, but because the hotel beach is not very wide for such a large resort, there are many people in the shallow area. This means the water can sometimes be stirred up, visibility is lower, and from time to time you may see small pieces of paper or similar waste in the sea. === Water slides and children’s facilities The water slides are not huge, but they are fun and usually not too crowded. The only real downside is the sharp, uncomfortable plastic mat you have to walk on around the slide area, which can actually hurt your feet. Maybe that is also one of the reasons why this area is not busier. === Animation and entertainment The animation and evening programme were standard for a large resort. There are many daytime sports activities, several bars, an amphitheatre and different shows in the evening. Nothing extraordinary, but definitely enough to keep people entertained. === Gym The gym is not very big and does not have many machines, but it is usable and usually not too crowded after lunch. The funny downside is that some teenagers use it mainly because the Wi-Fi signal is good there. They sit on the machines for a long time using their phones instead of exercising, which can be a bit annoying if you actually want to train. === Wi-Fi Wi-Fi was good in the rooms, but around the busy pool areas it was sometimes almost completely unusable. At other times it worked more or less fine, but the hotel should definitely improve the Wi-Fi capacity near the pools. === Shops in the resort There are also a few shops inside the resort where you can buy useful things such as flip-flops, sunscreen and other holiday items. As expected, prices are much higher than outside the hotel, roughly double in some cases. === Transfer The transfer was mostly well organised. It went directly to this hotel area and did not stop everywhere on the way, so the journey took only about one hour. On the other hand, we had to sit in a hot bus for more than 20 minutes before departure while waiting for other guests. === Sustainability and staff The hotel has an eco-conscious approach. There is a visible focus on greenery, waste separation and even paper straws. At the same time, the staff were pleasant, friendly and smiling towards guests, which helped create a nice holiday atmosphere.

Wow wow wow ! Excellent job to Tina and the crew beside the pool and surrounding area. Made me and my family feel special, making us laugh everyday! Alena, leni, and mustafa was just too funny with the games. Highly recommend going here, loads to do or simply do nothing ( if ya can) food was great, loads to choose from, evenings was just as good. We loved it and would easily go back for some more fun!!! Thanks guys. 👏🏼

We stayed here recently for a familymoon for 2 weeks. We had a 5 year and 18 month old with us. We stayed at TUI ML Belek hotel last year and so expected the same high standards but unfortunately this hotel don’t come close to that. The service and overall holiday definitely doesn’t compare & there are small things that could be done to improve. Check in was smooth but we arrived 11pm so no one about. We had asked for a pool view prior to arrival but we were given a view of the road. Had also requested milk for the baby in our fridge but there wasn’t any, thankfully we were able to get it at the Bar. Room was big and had everything u could need. Cleaner was good when we needed her and left towel art. The Wunderbar is always busy as expected but there is a lack of organisation as there is never set ques & people would just push Infront and the servers would serve them Infront of those waiting. It needs a system especially at busy times! Drinks were inconsistent with measurements etc. Most staff are friendly and they work super hard but it’s a little chaotic. Meal times was manic, that’s due to the guests of the hotel though. Lots of choices for food, various cakes and breads on offer. We found something every day & it was always hot/fresh. The servers in the restaurants work very hard and was always clearing up/tending to guests. The children’s pools are perfect for little ones. We spent most of our time there as could usually get a sun bed around 9am and there wasn’t any anywhere else. There was a handful of times the slide pool was shut off due to children pooping in the pool - which honestly isn’t a surprise seeing as half the parents aren’t even watching their children. The main pool was huge so ideal for older kids and floats etc - they have music round that which is nice. If you don’t put towels down by 6am though u won’t get a bed!! It’s honestly shocking the amount of towels out and yet no one comes to use the beds till 2/3pm which we witnessed multiple times. There is a pool/foam party in there. The beach is down a steep hill which can be accessed either via steps or a curved path for prams. It’s got a lovely big bar & restaurant there. There is also an ice lolly freezer which u can help yourself to- It’s a shame they don’t offer lollies up near the pools as well. Theres plenty of sunbeds and shade. Sea was a perfect temp. Evening entertainment was a let down for us, they need some music playing in the background at the bar as most shows are performed in the theatre but u cannot access this with a pram so we couldn’t attend any of them! Most of the kids disco happened there to which meant my little ones didn’t get to join in. The one night they held it at the bar they spoke in German and so little one didn’t understand anything - we found this to be the case everywhere on site, unfortunately they cater to the Germans over everyone else. There is also a problem with seating at the Wunderbar as all the low tables & chairs are at the back so when they held their festival night/star night we couldn’t see anything as we was behind all the high stalls & tables. If you was to put some low chairs & tables on one side and high stalls & tables on other u give people options to choose. All the families were stuck at the back next to the bar with their prams which doesn’t make sense! The kids discos could also be done here so then everyone can attend them. We had consistently good drinks service from Elvin of an evening who worked very hard! Overall hotel has plenty to offer families but nothing is aimed at the English which is a real shame. The service and standards aren’t quite as high as their sister hotels which would be why we wouldn’t return. Side note- shop on site is ridiculously priced and wants £25 for a suncream!. There is a supermarket opposite the hotel which is 5 mins walk away, cheap and friendly staff. They sell floaties.

great staff and excellent service and lifeguard Mariam did a wonderful job

I stayed 10 nights at Magic Life Jacaranda with my 2 adult daughters and we were all really impressed with every aspect of the hotel and the holiday, which I have listed below. The point I would like to stress is how consistently hard-working and professional all the hotel staff were: entertainment, catering, bars, cleaners, everyone. They all clearly took pride in their work and aimed to deliver an excellent service from morning till night. I would particularly like to mention Mustafa and Catherine. Mustafa runs the archery sessions and is a great Beginners coach as well as being very diligent in ensuring that only those who have some level of archery experience attend the Advanced classes. I was astonished by the number of people who turned up to the Advanced sessions without booking, with no prior experience, and one family arriving mid session, allowing their young children to interfere with the equipment without reprimand. Archery is a dangerous sport and Mustafa, quite rightly, took his responsibilities for keeping everyone safe very seriously, and dealt very calmly and professionally with argumentative people, too often. He also made all the sessions fun, with a variety of different games and challenges each day. His command of multiple languages was also impressive. Catherine, who is on the entertainments team, is Danish with excellent spoken English. She was great with my two daughters and always looked out for us, as a minority English group. In summary: Beautiful spacious room with a modern bathroom and lovely shower. Staff worked tirelessly to keep the rooms and ALL the grounds clean and tidy. The food was plentiful, with lots of variety. Very quick access to drinks all day (hardly had to queue). The daytime and evening entertainment was good quality every day. Massive pool. Beautiful beach. We booked a trip to the Green Canyon through the TUI Rep - that was quite good. My only complaint would be about lots of the guests who seemed to have very different manners from our own. Every time I went to exit a lift I was faced with a group of people trying to push past me. The same was true in the restaurants with people pushing and crowding around you. Whilst a frequent irritation, we didn't let that spoil our holiday.

Pros - Clean rooms, daily maintenance - Lovely sandy beach area, quiet mornings, covered sunbeds, beach bar - Two covered playgrounds (one on the beach, one on the grass) - Friendly staff overall, kids’ evening show at 8 p.m. everyday that lasted 25-30 min - Restaurant variety: multiple on-site dining options, including themed restaurants and a beachfront eatery - Wifi in the crowded places (beach, restaurants, pool etc) worked very well) Cons - Wifi in the room was almost non-existing which is a big thumbs down - No indoor playroom available throughout the day - Outdoor kids’ pool: no splash areas or interactive features; only a simple covered structure with four slides and stairs, which can get boring for young children - Double bed was small at 160×200 cm; pillows were hard and uncomfortable - Air conditioning had no remote or timer - Indoor pool for children had cold water, which was uncomfortable - Limited shade or indoor escape from the heat with very small kids - Main restaurant was very crowded, long queues during dinner time at the main stations, with tables placed very close together, a bit uncomfortable since we had a stroller - Significant language barrier (staff more comfortable in German than English, or none at all) Final Impression For families with toddlers, the lack of indoor play areas, the simplicity of the kids’ pool, and the crowded main restaurant make this resort less ideal. It may be better suited for families with older children, but for us, it is not the best fit at this stage.

I genuinely do not understand how TUI Magic Life Jacaranda can market itself as a 5-star ultra all-inclusive resort. In my opinion, this hotel is a 3-star property at best. One of the biggest frustrations throughout our stay was the service. Most evenings we found ourselves practically begging to be served drinks. The waiters seemed far more interested in standing around talking to each other or looking at their phones than attending to guests. Getting a simple drink often felt like a challenge. The food was equally disappointing. The hotel advertises themed nights, but in reality it appeared that much of the food was simply recycled from previous days and presented slightly differently. There was very little variety, and after a few days it became repetitive and uninspiring. I was also shocked by the number of extras that guests are expected to pay for despite the resort claiming to be “ultra all-inclusive.” Want a bed on the beach? Extra charge. Want a smoothie? Extra charge. It felt like the hotel was constantly trying to upsell rather than providing the premium experience it advertises. Even the drinks included in the package were of very poor quality. Many of the spirits tasted harsh and unpleasant, lacking the quality you would expect from a supposedly luxury resort. The most concerning part of our stay was a serious safety issue. While my family and I were sunbathing on our balcony, a large marble slab fell from the third floor above us. Thankfully nobody was injured, but the outcome could have been much worse. When we reported the incident to management, their response was extremely disappointing. Rather than apologising or showing genuine concern, we felt our concerns were dismissed and we were effectively told that these things sometimes happen. We were even told that the balcony roof was there to prevent falling debris from reaching guests below, which only made us more concerned about the safety standards being maintained. What made matters worse was that staff repaired the fallen slab within around 10 minutes, yet sharp marble fragments were left scattered around our balcony floor for more than three hours afterwards. Despite having children with us, we had to request housekeeping four separate times before the area was finally cleaned and made safe. Overall, this hotel failed to meet even basic expectations of a luxury all-inclusive resort. Poor service, repetitive food, low-quality drinks, constant extra charges and a serious safety incident that was handled poorly by management made this a very disappointing holiday. I would not recommend this hotel and certainly would not return.

A very nice hotel — this was already our second stay here. Thank you for the gift from the hotel. We would also like to thank the very kind and helpful waiter on roller skates. Garib, thank you for your friendly service by the pool — you are a great guy!!! See you again 😊