Hotel Club Magic Life Bodrum Imperial

With stunning views of the Aegean Sea, Club Magic Life Bodrum Imperial is in the small, sheltered bay of Bagla on the south-western tip of the Bodrum peninsula. The resort is 13 miles west of Bodrum and 34 miles from the Milas-Bodrum international airport. The nearest 'large' town is Turgetreis, seven miles away.

This is a resort geared towards families so if you're in search of a romantic or peaceful break away with your other half, look elsewhere. However if you're after an all inclusive resort where everything is taken care of, you could do a lot worse than the Club Magic Life Bodrum Imperial. Also bear in mind that the predominant language spoken is German, as the resort is a hit with German and Austrian families but this doesn't mean that staff members don't speak English.

Where do we start? Club Magic Life boasts many services and facilities you'd find it difficult to get bored. Built in 1998, the hotel was last renovated in 2009/2010 and occupies a huge area in the small town of Bagla. The clean and spacious lobby opens up to a terrace from where you get a glimpse of the rest of the resort. Nine attractive brick and stone buildings are scattered throughout the grounds, divided only by neatly landscaped gardens and paved walkways. There really is a feeling of space and the large gardens make pleasant play areas for children. Staff members, instantly recognisable in their canary yellow polo shirts, are kept busy and it's not difficult to see that everything here operates like a well-oiled machine.

Down at the main pool (only open from 10:00am until 6:00pm) there is a water polo net, lap lanes and a child's amusement area including a fun water slide. The animation and entertainment is split between the poolside stage and the resort's amphitheatre. The kid's club and teen's club are open all day, with bright and clean areas to keep children of all ages occupied.

To work off the buffet lunches and dinners, guests may play a spot of tennis (of the six courts, four of those are by the sea), take part in aerobics or dance classes or go surfing or mountain biking. The resort also offers scuba diving lessons, boat trips and fishing excursions although these come at an extra charge. To relax and unwind there is a pretty standard health and wellbeing centre and a 'relax pool' (no children and no music allowed) but its badly planned location between the kid's pool, the main pool, sports terrains and the Mediterranean restaurant defeats its good intentions! Near reception there is a brand new fitness centre and an indoor disco.

On a very positive note, Club Magic Life management is environmentally aware and the Bodrum property in particular boasts eco resort certification. A special mention also goes to the resort's animation team, each member enthusiastic and clearly passionate about their work.

The resort has a maximum capacity of some 1,200 guests across its 377 rooms that include standard, family and suite rooms. The rooms (each with a small balcony) are found in the three-storey buildings that look on to an inner courtyard. Some rooms enjoy sea views, and others garden views but what is great is that all rooms are spotless, spacious and tastefully decorated. However, the distance of some rooms to the common areas may be inconvenient for those who don't like the stroll. Also, we found the mattress slightly hard, the air con out of order so when forced to use the fan option, it was too noisy to sleep peacefully.

The main restaurant is, like the rest of the hotel, enormous with plenty of indoor and outdoor dining options. The large buffet combines a wide and more importantly fresh variety of dishes. In addition there are three à la carte restaurants throughout the resort (Turkish, Mediterranean and fish) plus six different bars (pool bar, wine bar, lobby bar etc). The beach bar is housed under a gazebo that during the day is also a 'sandwich corner.' The Austrian patisserie attempts to emulate a cosy café with its comfy couches and reading areas. However, at the pool bar the strawberry caipirinha tasted more like an ice lolly but if you don't go expecting Tom Cruise 'Cocktail' skills you won't be disappointed!

The beach at Club Magic Life Bodrum Imperial is a certified 'blue flag' beach meaning it is has met stringent standards regarding water quality and safety etc. The beach is of brown sands rather than the golden variety but at least it is real sand as opposed to the usual pebble and gravel mix you find elsewhere on the peninsula. The beach bar (under the gazebo) can't be missed, while there are also many water sports facilities, most of them free of charge - even some of the motorised options. In the evenings, guests can wander down to the beach parties and night movie screenings. What really stands out about the private beach is the fact that the resort has not been built right up until the water, meaning the large, grassy area creates a wonderful feeling of space not often seen at the other resorts in the area.