"We have just returned from an 11-night stay at TUI Magic Life Redsina as a family of four (2 adults and 2 young children).
We've holidayed at several TUI Magic Life resorts over the past few summers because we're a very active, sports-focused family, and that's always been one of the main reasons we've chosen the brand. Previous resorts have consistently delivered excellent sports facilities, classes and activities that have kept us all engaged. Unfortunately, Redsina fell well below the standard we've come to expect.
The sports programme was probably our biggest disappointment. The fitness classes lacked the variety and quality we've experienced elsewhere, and this was the first Magic Life we've stayed at that didn't offer any spin classes, which was a real surprise. The gym itself was also missing some key equipment, most notably a squat rack. Overall, it just lacked many of the features and atmosphere we've enjoyed at other Magic Life resorts.
For comparison, we've previously stayed at Magic Life Jacaranda and Magic Life Masmavi in Turkey, both of which were officially rated as 4-star resorts. In our opinion, both offered a significantly better sports programme, better-equipped gyms and a much more complete Magic Life experience. I genuinely can't fathom how Redsina is marketed as a 5-star resort when, from our experience, both Jacaranda and Masmavi surpassed it in almost every aspect that makes Magic Life unique. We're unsure whether this is because Redsina is still a relatively new Magic Life resort, but from a sports perspective it definitely has some catching up to do.
That said, there are plenty of positives. The hotel itself is immaculate, and the housekeeping team deserve a lot of credit. Everywhere was kept spotlessly clean throughout our stay, and the grounds are beautifully maintained.
One area that was frustrating, however, was the inconsistency in enforcing rules. We completely understand why the swim-up bar is closed due to health and safety concerns and the risk of slips in the restaurant. However, considering drinks are served in plastic cups, I simply cannot fathom why guests aren't allowed to sit on the edge of the pool with a drink. On one occasion, a lifeguard very aggressively shouted at several guests for doing exactly that. What made this even more frustrating was seeing returning Russian and Polish guests drinking around the pool and even in the pool without being challenged. Rules should apply equally to everyone regardless of nationality, and that inconsistency was disappointing to witness.
The staff, on the whole, were friendly, hardworking and attentive, although we did have a handful of encounters with staff members who were surprisingly rude. Thankfully, these were very much the exception rather than the rule, and there were several members of staff who genuinely made our holiday memorable.
A huge thank you to Sayed, affectionately known as "Kiwi Man" 😂, who, after witnessing a member of staff being quite rude to me one morning, made a point of bringing me freshly peeled and sliced kiwi every breakfast for the rest of our holiday. Such a simple gesture, but one that showed genuine kindness and completely turned that experience around. He was wonderful and also worked in the Egyptian restaurant alongside Ahmed, who was equally fantastic. Ahmed made such an effort with both of our children every time we visited and always greeted us with a smile.
We'd also like to mention Mohamed, better known as "SpongeBob", in the main restaurant, who looked after us brilliantly throughout our stay, and Refai at the pool bar, who was always friendly, welcoming and worked incredibly hard.
Overall, we still had a lovely family holiday, and the hotel itself is beautiful, modern and exceptionally clean. However, as loyal Magic Life guests who specifically book these holidays because of the sports and fitness offering, we left feeling disappointed. Redsina simply doesn't yet offer the same standard that we've experienced at Magic Life Jacaranda and Magic Life Masmavi in Turkey. We really hope TUI invests more into the sports programme because the resort has enormous potential. Until then, if you're booking Magic Life primarily for its renowned sports facilities, you may find Redsina falls short of expectations."
