Difficult to really recommend a particular resort. Buggiba/Qawra, Sliema and Mellieha. I would look up and see which of these suits you best. All have decent hotels.

Hello tony, I have just come back from Malta (July 06) and stayed in a hotel I have stayed in before in Sliema, the first time was only a few years ago over the New Year and was very happy with the hotel. This summer we went there again as we thought it would be alright again, but I can only say it was a right let down.
This hotel is said to be a 4* but is need of a refurbishment as it was to my mind, not of a 4* standard any more. It has been said on this site before that Malta hotels are not to the standard of other countries e;g Spain/Portugal so if you do go to Malta for a holiday, for your own sake take a good look at what you are picking. The Hotel Guide for Malta is a good place to start and pay as much as you can afford for your hotel, as we payed 3* price for a 4* hotel and got a 2* if you see what I mean.

As for places to stay Buggiba is ok but you do get the younger set with bars akin to say Palma Nova, Sliema is good for getting to see all of the sites of which there so many, you will just have to go back again like most other people who like there history do, but has not got much of a night life. As I have put before get a good guide book and take it from there.
I find the Cadogan, Malta Gozo & Comino guide book very good.

By the way the hotel I stayed in this year was the Kennedy Nova and one more I would never go to again is the Park hotel both in Sliema and both run time share from them.
Hope this is a small help.

Dave

Yep i agree with Dave stay well clear of the Park Hotel in Sliema as it not a nice hotel at all.One i can recommend is the Victoria Hotel in Sliema,we had a wonderful stay there 2 years ago.

http://www.victoriahotel.com/

Hi there. For a 'childless' hotel I would reccomend the Gulieru Hotel in St Pauls Bay. They don't tend to do special child prices so there are very few children It is in a nice location actually on the sea front and just far enough out of Buggiba so as not to get the hustle and bustle. As previously mentioned I would check out the recent reports on this hotel as we have been a few times were it has been fantastic and other times not so good

http://www.melliehabayhotel.com/

http://www.pergolahotel.com.mt/

http://www.solanahotel.com/

http://www.maritim.de/typo3/english/hotels/hotels/antonine-hotel-spa-malta.html

Not that I'm biased towards Mellieha

Victoria Hotel reviews HERE, Mellieha Bay reviews HERE, Pergola reviews HERE, Maritime Antonine reviews HERE.

If anyone would like to post a review for the Solana Hotel, please do so HERE.

Thanks.

Pippy

Hi Dave,

We stayed at the Kennedy Court in 1987 and thought what a poor hotel it was then. It was after its refurb some years ago that it was renamed the Kennedy Nova and I always thought that it must have got better but alas after your report, not so. Thanks for this info we will avoid staying there (and the Park), in the future.

Tony & Sandy, what has been said about the standard of hotels in Malta is true. There is quite a lot of price variation between different 4star hotels and I feel that this reflects their standard. I know from my experiences of Majorca a 4star hotel is generally of a specific standard but not so in Malta. What I suggest you do, is decide on which hotels you might consider then ask folks who post on this forum, their opinion. Generally I reckon you will get what you pay for.

This time last week we'd just come back from the Coastline Hotel after a great couple of weeks. We enjoyed staying there but there were some students in the hotel, and although not children, you might not like that situation. If you are planning to go off season and you did consider the Coastline (please read what folks say about this hotel first), I'd check the student situation.

Another important thing you ought to know about Malta is that it is thankfully totally unlike Spain and its Islands. It also has few sandy beaches, which tend to be small but varied so if you are beach people this needs to be taken into consideration! The St Paul's bay area I feel tends to be very 'touristy'. Also have you considered Gozo? - much quieter!

Hope this helps,

Trev

Hi Trev and Dave, personally I think the standard of hotels in Malta is fine, to name but a few we have stayed in The Imperial , Plaza Regency, New Tower, The Galaxy, The Patricia, Sliema Chalet, Preluna, The Victoria there are others that escape me now but I really feel the way forward for Malta is diy in private accomodation which we have tended to do these past few years and booking ones own flights, the exception to this rule is the Victoria which is fantastic so much so we are going back in November, but most of the time we do the diy thing with private accomodation and it's great.

Regards
Sliema2

recommendations for Gozo - so you want non-family,sea-view and no need to drive - best time is Sept/Oct - no kids, sea still warm -

The Grand, Mgarr
St Patricks, Xlendi
Hotel Calypso, Marsalforn

do you want quiet or lively ?

if quiet, also consider Comino Htel on the small island of Comino

all about Gozo can be found here http://www.gozo.gov.mt/pages.aspx?page=En, and the hotels are http://www.gozo.gov.mt/pages.aspx?page=57

Hey Sliema2,

You're right about doing your own thing and yes that's what we'd like to do BUT there's just one very important thing I need to know about!

During the 80's we went self catering and all was great until we realised that we had to carry our passports and other important documents with us since we didn't trust leaving them behind in the apartment. Hotels as you know, offer safety deposit boxes.

When you do your own thing what do you do about making sure that any important documents are secure without the need to carry them about with you? Do local banks offer a service of any kind??

Trev

Hi Trev, great question mate and one I will answer by PM once I get a mo.

Regards
Sliema2

If you want to be sure about the quaity of the place you're staying in then you should consider the 5* hotels, particularly if you're travelling 'out of season' in September/October. They are probably offering good prices if you check with them directly.

Le Meridien, Westin Dragonara, Hilton, Radisson, Corinthia San Gorg are all top class hotels with reliable service and quality accommodation. The Corinthia Group also has several other hotels in Malta. All of these have a sea view and are in locations that make public transport use easy. There are others but I can't remember them atm.

I would recommend the Victoria Hotel in Sliema as well.

I would also agree that the general standard of hotel in Malta is poorer than elsewhere, I did a lot of research last June when my father wanted to come and stay. Between June and Sept there are hundreds of foreign students learning English between the ages of 11 and 25, the beaches/pools are crowded and they hang around the streets in the evening because they don't have much money to spend. They also take over quite a few hotels.

I am back in Malta now for the next 4 months and can confirm that it is warm and sunny, all the foreign students seem to have gone home (hurray) and all the kids go back to school on Monday 4th September. Ideal.

Flew back on an empty flight from Bristol airport with British Jet. No entertainment, barely edible food but lots of space and a cheap price.

Ciao
Susan

Hello Susan,

I've stopped looking at BritishJet because I've found them to be too expensive. They advertise £24.00 one way but they then charge £39.00 pp booking fee and extra £££ for the return flight if your wanting to stay longer then a week.

Well, I know what you mean about the 'hidden' costs. We were just so stuck for a flight back to Malta on the weekend of the 1st and the usual candidates were an horrendous price as well. This time BJ were cheaper so I guess it's worth keeping an eye on them.

Ciao

Susan

Hi Tony,
We have just come back from Malta and stayed at the Coastline Hotel in Salina Bay. I can recommend this hotel 100% . Food, rooms , staff, pool, ,view all fantastic. We had children with us and there were others but I wouldn't say it was really geared towards them at all. If you have none with you I would say it would be fine. Only downside is there is nowhere to 'walk' to on an evening, but there is a free bus service from hotel into Bugibba which runs regularly. Also regular bus service during day, but sometimes it's easier to get a taxi and not always much more than the bus! Hope this has been of some help.

Hi pondskater,

Well although we were at the Coastline the same time as you our paths never crossed - or did they? Guess we'll never know!

I agree with all you say about the Coastline and I have to certainly agree with your comments about going for a stroll of an evening. This is what we particularly miss about not staying in the Sliema area. Mind you as I said before, I reckon the evening entertainment at the Coastline was probably the best we've ever had in Malta,

Trev

can I just say a very big thank you to every single one of you who has taken the time to reply to me. The info is very well received and I will do some investigating at the hotels you have mentioned. It has definately whetted our appetite for our first visit to Malta, so once again thank you all very much.

Tony & Sandy

Hi Tony, hope you both have a great time if you need any other info just ask.

Regards
Sliema2

I have looked at some of the hotels and I must say I was impressed with the Victoria also the Waterfront looks good, not many recent reviews for this one but good ones all the same. Sliema sounds more like the resort for us even though the other resorts seems to have some lovely hotels! Have requested brochures from Chevron and Malta Direct also looking at belleair, the only thing not so good are the flight times, we prefer daytime and usually pay a high supplement but at the moment all the flights are night ones!!! Thanks again for all the info.

Tony & sandy