Hi there im going to malta in the easter half term and staying at the qawra palace hotel,has anybody stayed,or visited this hotel? i have heard that it was being refurbished but not sure,any feedback would be great!,
chris

Hi Chris

If you click on the following links you'll find a little info on the hotel...

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=17542

click here

Philippa

My parents (aged 68 and 70) will be staying at the Qawara palace hotel in May. I have been informed that it has been refurbished - has it?

They have booked a sea view room but any suggestions for floor number and room number as I gather lower rooms are noisy and the top floor has generator noise.

Any comments on level of entertainment etc would be welcome

D M

Hi, I am pleased that your parents have booked a seaview room. You will not get the noise of the generator, that only applies to the courtyard rooms. The seaview rooms are the best. I donot know about general noise with regard to the seaview rooms but when we were there in January/February the lifts kept breaking down so ideally your parents do not want to be on the top floor (8th). Entertainment was laid on during the day i.e. walks, bowls, bingo, etc. There is an English couple who run these activities. Every evening there was entertainment and dancing of a sort. Apart from the Hotel there is not much around unless you walk around the bay or up hills to the Town. Hope this information helps.

Thanks for the reply.

Have the rooms been re-furbished do you know and what is the quality of food like?

Having never been to Malta before can you recommend some good excursions?

Thanks

D M

Hi, The Seaview rooms have been refurbished, the hotel was refurbishing one side of the courtyard rooms when we were there but I would imagine they have been completed now.
The coffee shop attached to the Hotel is excellent value for snacks, sandwiches and cakes, coffee and tea etc. The hotel food was bearable but dont expect dinner plates for dinner. I think thats their way of cutting your portions down. The restuarant is buffet style for all meals which for breakfast is good but we would have preferred waiter service for evening meals. When you arrive you are given a section to sit in but you can sit at any table within that section.
One recommendation for dinner is La Scalla. They do pizza or ordinary dishes such as steak, chicken etc. This is situated beyond the bus station in Buggiba/Qawra. Go pass the bus station on your right keep walking straight and you will come to La Scalla on your right. Excellent.
Excursions. It is cheaper and very easy to go to all places on local buses and you can get a weekly ticket to take you anywhere on the Island. The staff at the bus garage are very helpful. We did the whole Island this way.
Be careful if your parents have trouble walking or are in a wheelchair, some of the buses are quite high and have two/three steps to go up.
Valletta, Silent City, Mdina Dome are all worth going to. Providing your parents can manage they are better going to these places on the buses and it is much more interesting. The only organised trip I would suggest is Gozo because you get to see the whole island and the tour reps are very good with information, or at least ours was. The buses on Gozo donot cover the whole Island like they do on Malta. Hope all this helps.

That's great

Thanks for the advice

D M

Already booked for long stay Jan 06. Will be watching this forum constantly!
Still slightly concerned at the comments & reports that come out about Maltese hotels. I know its a bit late to worry, after you've booked, but do I read the wrong threads/reports/reviews or have I come across some English people who think differantly to me?
Don't think I want the UK in Malta. I'd like to meet the people, sample the food & hospitality but I draw the line at "filthy & I'll never go back here on holiday again"
Any normal peeps out there with an unbaised, honest opinion?

I stayed there some years back so my views would not be relevant however it would be best to have an "outside" view aka either the sea or the street in any direction as the hotel has a hollow middle with internal room views which depending on how low your floor is can get noisy from Kitchen air con fans etc I only state this as that wont have changed, service food ect might but 6 years ago it was all good accept for the lifts breaking down alot

I was there with my family over Christmas and found this to be a wonderful hotel. The facilities were everything we could ask for. Guests were treated with the utmost courtesy by staff. Qawra Palace would be my first choice on a return visit.

I stayed at the Qawra Palace over the Christmas holiday and can say, without any reservation, that it is a superb hotel; excellent facilities, courteous staff, rooms kept to a very high standard, excellent food and very comfortable lounge facilities should you choose to stay in. Go there and enjoy.

I just came back from beautiful Malta yesterday and incidentally stayed at Qawra palace Hotel. I was very apprehensive as I read up most of the reviews for it and most of them were slating the place but all I can say is that those people must have been staying at another hotel on another planet! From start to finish this holiday was very pleasant, the Maltese people were some of the friendliest I have come across travelling abroad, (Londoners, please take note!). As for the hotel it was not the dingy, seedy hovel I was expecting but a very nice establishment. I was on half board and the food that we (I went with my daughter and niece) were given was lovely. I did not have no dodgy stomach upsets, like I normally do if I go to Spain, the customer service was very good overall and the location of the hotel was acceptable. The beaches were lovely and not too far to get to. We went on three excursions which the kids thoroughly enjoyed. So, to anyone planning to travel to Malta and residing in Qawra Palace hotel, I say have nothing to fear, it's alll good.

I have been to Malta twice over the past 5 years staying first at the San Pawl Hotel in Buggiba and then The Qawra Palace and we loved it.
We found the country had a wonderful welcoming charm, the Malteese are among the most friendly people i have ever met.
the food was very good on both occasions but we are a family who like to sample what a country has to offer in the way of quisine i don't go all that way to eat English food, if i want that i can go to Scarborough just up the coast.
Qawra Palace was great we where there last during the football world cup and they went out of thier way too make sure that all who wanted to watch the football could. they are great with Kids, the evening entertainment was good, we went all inclusive and they didnt monitor every little thing we got, unlike other places i could mention.
the rooms where a good size, we where unfortunate to get a room on what everyone was calling the central funnel (the inside courtyard) but we found it to be not as bad as we had been led to think it would be. when we return to Malta next year we will certainly consider this hotel again.

We have booked a week's all inclusive break to the Qawra Palace in September this year. Unfortunately for me we booked it prior to all the comments re the closure/refurbishment of this hotel.

When we booked we were given the option of a "Superior Room", however the travel agent could not advise us what this actually gave us extra from the Standard Room. Unfortunately we did not book a sea view room, so I am now concerned that we may end up with a balcony that faces into the "courtyard" which has been mentioned.

It is confusing as there are good and bad points on this site re this hotel but there seems to be more bad points when you actually "sift through" the forums. If anyone can offer any advice at all (other than to cancel the holiday) it would be much appreciated.

Waiting in anticipation!!!!!

i have been to malta 21 times in the past 5 years. i love it! i stay in either qawra or bugibba and its great. i was 12 when i first went, with my parents and my grand parents, and i thought i would hate it! but i didnt! i loved it and i am now returning out to malta in 3 months for a 6 month stay. i am plannin to move over to malta by the time i'm 25. only 6 years to go but really cant wait just to land back at luqa airport!

We have just spent 10 days at the above hotel, with no complaints with either the room (seaveiw) food entertainment or the hotel in general. We found no problem with the lifts (now only 3, pre renovation there was 4)
Yhe only complaint we have is that when renovating the bathrooms the cistern as been placed on the false wall rather than behind it, this then meant that the tailet had to be moved farward, leaving 3 cms between door and toilet when opening or closing door this made it very tight when trying to get into the shower.
Although we asked on numerous occasions if the rumours regarding legionnaires desease was infact true alas this was neither denied or confirmed. In my way of thinking if this is true and been given a clean bill of health only 6 months ago, it must be a lot safer than most of the other hotels on this wonderful island.
As for the holiday itself what can be said I have been nearly every year since 1967 sometimes twice I could be biased but i doubt it I just love the place the same goes for my wife and son. Anyone who knocks the place must be conparing it to Sgegness or Blackpool, not a small Island between Africa and Italy with its own unique and wonderful culture. Give Malta a chance you will come to like the place or even love it.

My friend is getting married at this hotel has anyone been there? what is it like?

Hi princessnat .... I have merged your enquiry with this existing topic, so you should now find some info in earlier posts.

David

Hi, we have just returned from this hotel and would recommend it. Not sure when your friend is getting married, but during our stay there was a small wedding party who had their wedding reception in the Opal Room, situated in the hotel. I don't think they actually had their wedding vows in the hotel as they were picked up by a stretch limo outside the hotel itself.

There are comments on this site re the rooms facing the courtyard, but to be honest they are not that much of a problem once you get used to remembering to keep your curtains semi-closed so not to shock your neighbours!!!