Magaluf is certainly renowned for it's party atmosphere - sun, sea...and plenty of cheap booze! With so many brides and grooms wanting to take their final send off abroad, often the wedding party are on the hunt for something affordable for everyone, and if you can brave the sticky atmosphere and wild parties, Magaluf could be the spot for you. We took a trip to the Spanish island in early May for a four day hen-do, and we've got the low down on how to make the most of your time (and money) during your stay.
Booking your trip
Often chaos organising, but our top tip number 1; allocate one person to organise the hotel, flights, transfers etc. Too many cooks can make things very complicated, and you have to remember that not everyone has tons of cash lying around for holidays galore. Be considerate, find out what people's budgets are and most importantly, find out what the bride or groom wants!  On our trip to Magaluf, one of the brides found us a good hotel and the flights we'd be going on and asked us all to book separately so no one would be out of pocket. Some of our wedding party then booked the flights and hotel through Expedia on a deal for £125, whilst others booked them separately for a very similar price.
If you want to keep costs down, book flights at less sociable hours. Go for a late night or early morning flight with a cheaper airline (we flew Easyjet - no complaints!) for as little as £34 return into Palma de Majorca. If you go for the 'rush hour' times you'll find the prices increase. The bride booked us a minibus transfer separately and we just split the cost between us, which worked out at £15 return for 6 of us - there was still space on the bus as well so had others joined us it would have been even cheaper.
Where to stay
If you're heading to Magaluf to really soak up the party atmosphere (why else would you be going?) you should almost certainly stay near the strip. The hotels are cheap and there are plenty to choose from. We bunked up in the Universal Florida Hotel - a simple 3 star that is well equipped for the huge number of stag and hen dos that come to stay. We would completely recommend paying the teeny bit extra to go all-inclusive wherever possible. Not only does this save you SO much money on food and drink (particularly as you can pre-drink in the bar at the hotel before you go out onto The Strip), the food at the Universal Florida Hotel was AMAZING! It's simply an all-you-can-eat buffet with a delicious variety of dishes - challenge accepted! Get accustomed to having 4 plates for breakfast, lunch and dinner people.
As with any hotel in Magaluf, do not go with high expectations of luxury bedding and a peaceful nights sleep. The hotels are cheap for a reason, and in high season (especially May-August) it gets very busy with visiting parties who like to tap dance at 5am. That being said, we would never expect anything else from this destination, and at least the hotel is clean!
What to do
Aside from your standard hen and stag do games (Mr and Mrs, pin the thing on the whatsit...) Magaluf has lots to offer, whether you're awake during the day or night. Most hotels have pools to lounge around, there's a lovely beach (the sea is wonderful to swim in - just don't let go of your rubber rings!) and plenty of tat in the shops to pass off as gifts for your other halves when you get home. Of course there are boat parties, jet-skiing, and our personal favourite, cocktail making. We booked this through a random website we found with only a mobile number as the way to book - we agree, it looked dodgy - but it turned out to be the BEST night.Â
We were escorted to a bar and popped in a VIP area before we were let loose behind the bar. Cocktail making in Magaluf is not like cocktail making in England. Don't expect a lesson in the art of the perfect mojito. The idea is to pour as much alcohol in as possible. We got 3 cocktails that we got to make, plus regular shots between every drink, and because we have 'brides-to-be' with us, somehow we ended up with even more free drinks (plus the random stripper...but we don't talk about that!) The bar staff LOVE hen and stag parties. They will offer you anything to get you into their bar, and quite often you can get anything you want from them. The hen or stag tend to get free drinks all night and the wedding party get the first drink free. The trick is to take the free drink then move on to the next bar.Â
Plus you can finish the night with a plate of chips. Standard.
The club and bar sellers can come across as a little over-bearing, just to warn you, but their job is to make sales, so don't be too mean to them.
During the entire trip I managed to spend only €10 - that's the entire trip people! I spent more in the airport on the way home. All-inclusive was the winning choice, and telling people you're a wedding party gets you so many freebies, it's almost worth pretending every time you go.
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