Jana Sipolina
Overall, I would give this hotel 3 stars, mainly because of the wonderful staff who truly earned those stars.
I would especially like to highlight the curly-haired animator, who is absolutely fantastic. He is very dedicated to his job, brings great energy, and manages to make both children and adults laugh and enjoy themselves. He was definitely one of the highlights of our stay.
I would also like to mention the pool bartender. His cocktails were 10/10, and his communication and friendly attitude were excellent. The restaurant staff worked very efficiently and always did their job well, and the food was tasty too.
On the downside, the pool rules felt a bit too strict. Even small soft balls were not allowed, and the lifeguard was constantly blowing the whistle for various things. The male lifeguard seemed a little more relaxed and understanding 😅.
Unfortunately, during our stay a pipe burst in our room, causing water to flood the area. The plumber arrived very quickly and fixed the issue, which we appreciated. However, the cleanup was not done properly, and we had to reorganize many of our belongings ourselves as everything was wet and messy. Unfortunately, some of my cosmetics and medication were also damaged during the flooding, which caused additional inconvenience.
The next day, when we spoke to the reception staff, nobody apologized for the inconvenience. The manager did apologize later, and we appreciate that. However, when we returned to our room the following day, it had still not been cleaned properly. The blankets were left in a pile, the beds were not made, and the room generally looked untidy.
As for the entertainment program, it is mostly designed for younger children. Families with teenagers may find that there are not many activities aimed at that age group.
Despite these issues, the staff members mentioned above made a very positive impression and were the main reason our stay was still enjoyable. With a few improvements in maintenance, housekeeping, and guest communication, this hotel could provide a much better overall experience.
Charlotte Morris
A Mixed Bag: Fantastic Entertainment and Lovely Staff, but Cramped Rooms and THAT Hill!
Rating: 3/5
We’ve just leaving from a family stay at the Magic Aqua Rock Garden Hotel. Overall, we had a pleasant trip, largely thanks to the incredible staff and entertainment, but there were a few drawbacks that mean we’ll probably look for alternative accommodation the next time we visit Benidorm (which we absolutely love!).
Here is our honest breakdown of the good, the bad, and the slightly quirky:
🛏️ The Room
The Good: The air conditioning is absolutely fantastic, the TV worked perfectly, and the rooms were kept very clean.
The Bad: The rooms are very small and completely engulfed by the beds. Because the beds are pushed so close together, we were essentially sleeping right next to our kids. It would be much better to have a larger main bed with two smaller beds on the opposite side of the room. The decor is also quite dated—it’s not desperate, but it could definitely use a refresh.
The Missing Balcony: We knew when booking that we wouldn't have a balcony, but we really didn't realize just how much we would miss having that outdoor space until we were there.
🚿 Bathroom Quirks
The bathroom had a mind of its own. When you turn on the bath tap, the shower runs at the same time, and there was no way to stop it. Not a huge deal, just annoying. However, the shower temperature was a bigger issue. It fluctuated wildly from freezing cold to piping hot, which meant the kids couldn't comfortably (or safely) shower in it.
🏊♀️ Pool & Facilities
The Pool: Honestly, it was just too cold to use for any real length of time. The pool area itself is also showing its age and could do with a good refurbishment, and unfortunately, the hot tubs didn't work at all during our stay.
The Entertainment (The Highlight!): The entertainment team here is absolutely top-tier. A special shoutout to the kids' entertainers, who were phenomenal. I have a child with additional needs, and the staff were incredibly inclusive, patient, and always made my children feel valued. This alone made a huge difference to our holiday.
Lack of an On-Site Shop: One thing that would massively improve the quality and convenience of the hotel is adding an on-site shop. Having somewhere to just quickly grab a few essentials (or water/snacks) without having to leave the resort would be a game-changer.
🍽️ Food & Drink
The Food: The presentation was always beautiful and the food tasted fresh, but the menu was very average and repetitive—it got a little boring day to day. That said, the kids absolutely loved the massive selection of desserts (they practically lived on pudding!).
A Note on Food Safety: One lunchtime, some turkey skewers were served very undercooked. To the hotel's credit, as soon as it was brought to their attention, they immediately took the entire batch away and cooked a fresh one. They handled it swiftly, but if anyone did get a bad stomach that week, that was likely the culprit.
Drinks: The drinks selection was "good enough" and did the job!
🏔️ Location... THAT HILL
Be warned: the hotel is situated at the top of a massive hill! Especially without an on-site shop, if you are walking down into town or to the beach for essentials, you have to walk back up it. It is an absolute killer on the calves, especially after a long day in the sun or wrangling kids.
Overall Verdict: The staff were lovely and the entertainment team completely saved the day, but between the cramped sleeping arrangements, the freezing pool, the missing shop, and the daily trek up the mountain, it wasn't the perfect fit for us. We will absolutely be back to Benidorm, but we'll be looking to stay somewhere else next time!
Louise Reid
It was fine for a first holiday.. not really the best for teens but we got sick 3 days in and couldn't get a room for my mum to help protect her from the sickness the food tongs are never cleaned while the buffets opened it's not higenic at all that way and food is undercooked the chicken is pink
Charlie Craig
Stayed at the Magic Aqua Rock Gardens hotel in Benidorm this last week. The first thing to note is that a transfer coach won't drop you off or pick you up from the hotel due to the tightness of the access road. The drop off point is about 300 yards away and if you're not fully mobile it's a tricky, relatively steep ascent to the hotel. Had I known this at booking I may have invested in a private taxi transfer. Once you're in the hotel there's lifts everywhere so not so bad...as long as you can work out which lift takes you where. We met many people in lifts and nearly all of us still couldn't work out which lift to get in to get to different amenities...even after 5 days I was still getting out and then finding I needed to walk down/up stairs or get back in the lift and try again. Got quite funny in the end. The positives for this hotel are that the food is actually quite good for mass catering. I think most people are on all-inclusive as we were and there were plenty of options in the main restaurant and a daytime snack bar serving burgers and chips and salads. During our visit one of the restaurants was closed...but it is November. Sometimes I found the food wasn't as hot as it could be but microwaves were on hand if you wished to heat it up a bit. The staff throughout the hotel were all friendly and polite and plentiful meaning your plates were cleared very quickly and the wait at the bar was never that long. The catering staff were regularly refreshing salads, cakes etc...so nothing was left out too long. Bedroom was fine although the bathroom was quite tired with missing grout from tiles and a couple of chips in the toilet. Housekeeping starts quite early so unless you want disturbing at 8am you better leave your do not disturb sign out. The amenities - bar - well stocked and serving a couple of lagers and all manner of spirits and wine. Entertainment - non existent for adults whilst we were there. There appeared to be some mini-club activity going on but our children are long past that so your pool is your friend in this respect. The pool area. Lots of sun beds but all arranged in 3 ranks - straight lines - but quite cramped together. It has several water slides which seemed to be in use intermittently. They are old and the lack of use by those adventurous enough perhaps suggests they aren't the best. The BIGGEST downside of the place is that it is surrounded by other high rise buildings which means catching the rays meant a game of chase the sun...so if you want all day sun you'd need to use 3 different sun beds...along with everyone else. Of course, in the summer this may not be such an issue. All in all, we enjoyed our time here in Benidorm but with the combination of the climb to the hotel, lack of hotel entertainment and sun chasing shennanigans means we wouldn't return to this particular place.
Bethan Thomas
I came In august with my 3 children, we thoroughly enjoyed. The food was okay, the facilities were kept clean and the room was great. However, on our final day someone let themselves into the room and took around 400 euros from my purse. I’ve reported it to the hotel only to be ignored! I have since seen other posts about the same thing happening to them. Avoid taking cash with you or leaving valuables in the room as there is a thief within the staff of this hotel
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