We have just returned from 14 days of absolute hell at the Crown Hotel in Bugibba!
There is so much wrong with the place I scarcely know where to begin, but if I tell you that it is known throughout the resort as ‘Fawlty Towers’ you’ll get the general idea.

The temperature was in the high 90's for the duration of our stay and there was no air conditioning in the entire hotel for the 14 days. We chose The Crown over slightly less expensive establishments because it was 4 Star and we were assured by the travel agent that it was fully air-conditioned throughout.

The problem is the air conditioning doesn’t work! Well actually that’s not true; a former employee of the hotel we met in town confided to us that although the system functions well enough, management simply won’t pay for the required gas coolant. Consequently all the air-conditioning unit can do is fan hot air around the building.

The air conditioner in our room was as noisy as a cement mixer, but nothing cool blew out of it. The temperature in our room at night measured 30 degrees C.
That’s not an exaggeration - my husband’s a scuba diver and therefore had a digital thermometer in his kit bag. We actually took a photo of the thermometer reading alongside the switched-on air-conditioner just to prove it. We called our room ‘the oven’ and actually dreaded going back to it each night.

Guests improvised various ways of trying to make it bearable enough to sleep, and exchanged tips next day. We soaked the sheets and lay on a sopping wet bed, some couples got up regularly through the night to stand in a cold shower, one man took to sleeping in a chair outside on the balcony. The people we felt most sorry for were the couple who arrived with a five month old baby. After pleading in vain with the hotel for a fan in order to keep their fractious baby’s temperature down, the desperate father went into town and bought one.

The temperature in the public area is no better than in the bedrooms. Nobody ever sat in the lobby, it was cooler to go outside the building and sit on the steps.
As for the restaurant - there are 3 tables situated by the one open window, and guests actually queue for I them - ignoring other vacant tables. Waiting staff set and re-set these same 3 tables constantly. We went for breakfast at 7.30am, when the temperature in the restaurant was just about bearable. In the evening though it’s intolerable; a wave of heat almost knocks you over as you open the door. Ladies forget about putting on cosmetics and smartening-up for dinner – make up just slides off your face and you’re drenched in perspiration. It was so hot that many guests simply felt ill and couldn’t face food. Local restaurants (with air conditioning) must be doing a roaring trade.

Don’t think that nobody complained in resort because they did – in droves.
The manager was besieged daily by guests and the guy on reception couldn’t hand out complaint forms quick enough to meet demand. Everyone was assured that the air conditioning would be “repaired next week”. However, according to someone I talked to, that’s what they tell guests every week to fob them off. Staff just say ‘next week’ confident that by the time next week arrives, these particular guests will be safely out of the hotel and on their way home.

Don’t think you can relax at the roof top pool either, cause that’s a joke. The hotel cuts off the water to the pool area during the day – and that includes the loos. All day long people are going in and out of the toilets with no means of washing their hands. It’s disgusting .
There is a notice asking guests to shower-off any sun creams/oils before swimming in the pool, but of course cause they cut the water off the shower doesn’t work. Consequently the pool water is murky and cloudy with a vile greasy film of scum floating on top.

The place is advertised as having a pool bar, but it’s closed. If during the day you want a drink or an ice cream or something to eat you have to go to the shop down the street and buy it there.

There are only three parasols for the entire hotel, two of which are broken, and there is no shade whatsoever by the pool.

There are plenty of sunbeds and chairs, which are falling apart and filthy in keeping with the rest of the pool area. The area is not cleaned. When we arrived there was a pile of cigarette ends, a crisp bag and a paper cup lying by the unopened Pool Bar – which were still in situ when we left a fortnight later.

The LIFTS are absolutely terrifying! As you step into them they actually drop. Then when once going they judder and shudder all the time. Reaching your destination the lift goes boing-boing-boing 6 of 7 times before the door opens to let you out. Anyone remotely nervous of lifts would have a heart attack.

Our room had a lamp hanging off the wall. We couldn’t sit out on the balcony because the plastic patio furniture was covered in rust stains which marked our clothing.
The hairdryer in the bathroom was filthy. The grouting in our shower was filthy. The tiles on the bathroom floor were broken and had filthy grouting.

There is no entertainment on offer at the hotel but it does advertise having Satellite TV in all the rooms. The set in our room was ancient and the one we had was broken at the front. As for channels, there are only two - an English news channel and a wildlife channel in Italian, riveting stuff. Also - every time you switch on the TV set, you have to re-tune the channels.

On check out day you usually find at hotel lobby full of glum people with suitcases looking sad that their holiday has ended and they’re going home. It’s not like that at the Crown Hotel. The ones checking out are congratulated by the ones condemned to stay.

We paid £1,200 for our fortnight at this (supposedly) Four Star Hotel and I’ve written this review in the hope that nobody else will get ripped-off in the same way.

Staff is gentle in all cases, absolutely perfect.

Food varies from good cantine (rare) to excellent (Maltese specialties: really fine! Try it). Breakfast could be improved: industrial jam, bacon of poor quality, scrambled eggs too pale, honey to be asked for).

Situation is perfect: 5 mins from the sea (no beaches but places to swim; ideal to walk a little after the evening meal). Some retailer

hotel was clean, food was of excelent quality.
staff were plesant from begining till end!
location was just a small walk from the sea and not to near the hustle and busle of any late night noise!
hotel entertainment at the evening was a quiet modest afair and would suit the middle age group/
but lots of outside entertainment available localy to suit all tastes!

Arrived at The Crown, and made our way to the room. Upon entering the room, there was avery strong smell of cigarette smoke. The toilet seat was broken and hanging off. The beds were so hard and full of springs, my girlfriend and I had to both sleep in 1 single bed, on our sides.

There was no draws in the room either, so unpacking was not an option. 3 coat hangers in the wardrobe. The washing line was broken, the shower was very flimsy. We went for a walk and got caught in a thunder storm, and came back to the hotel.

The only wasy to dry our clothes was to place them on top of the mini bar - so the heat expelled from the fridge would dry them! Don't knock it.... It worked!

Oh... I forgot to mention - there was no view of daylight. The room that our travel company had booked for us was an 'internal room.' Yes, no view of the outside world at all! We looked on to a dark corridor - so narrow that we could only just wheel our cases through.

When we questioned this with the holiday rep., we were told that although The Crown is a 4* hotel, apparantly there are different kinds of 4* hotels!

Sadly, we wont be returning to this hotel ever again.

On entering hotel looks quite beautiful.

Rooms are adequate - however views are limited as the hotel seems to be built in a residential area.

Food was very repetitive and to be honest not that good we found we had to go out for meals even though this is an all inclusive hotel.

Pool is on roof which translates to there is no land surrounding hotel therefore you cannot sit outside and relax.

Bars - pool bar closed at 6.00 p.m. the only other choices were to sit in the lobby and this closed when the entertainment was on!!! You therefore went down to the cellar where the was a small bar and the room smelled damp.

The entertainment at the hotel is very limited.

The worst part about this holiday was you constantly chased bars and you were unable to sit outside and the warm evenings - you were not allowed upstairs by the pool only on the nights for BBQ (one per week)and the first one was cancelled due to high winds (it is on top of a building) and the second time this was held the lights went off at exactly 11.00 p.m.

The food served in particular the fish was served ice-cold.

I would not recommend this hotel and it is certainly not a 4 star all inclusive.

Would only recommend self catering.