Topaz Hotel

With a five-floor, plain white exterior and green balconies, the Hotel Topaz resembles a residential apartment building. The mid-range hotel is made up of three buildings, two of which are linked by a passageway (which can sometimes be difficult for first-time guests to navigate). Affordable prices, kid-friendly facilities, and apartments with kitchenettes attract mostly budget-conscious couples and travelers with children. With six elevators, the hotel is large and comes with most of the expected amenities for a small resort -- pools, children’s activities, and casual dining -- but some dated furniture feels like it hasn't been updated since the hotel's opening in 1987. The large marble entrance is decorated in stained-glass ceilings. Lounges -- including a sitting area at the entrance with a grand piano, bistro tables by vending machines, and a library -- are roomy and comfy but they’re not particularly stylish or inviting places to pass the time. 

With light street traffic, this sleepy location in a residential area of Bugibba is not the most coveted tourist destination in Malta, but it’s a good base to explore the island and a 10-minute walk downhill to the sea, where there are Segway tours on the waterfront promenade and rocky beaches. Few restaurants are in the immediate area, but there's a movie theater nearby that shows new releases. And guests can reach Bugibba Square in 10 minutes, which is surrounded by clubs, pubs, and restaurants. Qawra is a 20-minute walk away. The Mwiezeb bus stop, two blocks away, goes to the Malta National Aquarium in 10 minutes and St. Julian’s in 30 minutes. Golden Bay is a 45-minute bus trip. Three blocks away is the Pijunieri bus stop that goes to Valletta in a little over an hour. Driving to Malta International Airport takes 30 minutes.

With comfortable -- and sometimes dated -- decor, rooms are clean and functional. They have homey furnishings including tile or parquet floors, light wooden furniture, and floral, checkered, and/or striped textiles. One-bedroom apartments have kitchenettes with microwaves, four-burner stovetops, sinks, and dining tables beside extra beds. All rooms have air-conditioning, writing desks, flat-screen TVs, hairdryers, mini-fridges, and safes (for a nominal fee). Some hairdryers hang by TVs. There is a pesky fee for Wi-Fi access in the rooms. Sea views aren’t offered, but some rooms have balconies with pool views and others, which can be noisy, face streets. Small bathrooms have shower/tub combos and wall-mounted toiletries. 

Shaped like a fish, the outdoor pool’s deck is dotted with sunbathers on lounge chairs in the warmer months while children play in the kids' section. Egyptian murals and fountains in the indoor pool create a peaceful feeling. A soccer court beside the pool and an arcade room -- with a pool table, ping pong table, and foosball -- are geared toward kids.Restaurants here are casual and unpretentious, but hours vary. The Beryl Pool Bar is open in the summer and offers snacks. La Perla Pizzeria --  closed from early in the year -- has live entertainment. The Peacock Lounge offers cocktails and is otherwise used as a library. Emerald restaurant serves Maltese and European fare in a 320-seat dining room. With a fireplace and wooden paneled walls, the Royal Oak Pub feels like an authentic English pub. The hotel doesn’t have a full-service spa, but massage services, a hair salon, and fish spa treatments are available. Wi-Fi is only free in the lower lobby areas, library, and west building’s lounge; there is a fee for access in the rooms. Two meeting spaces and a banquet hall, which seats up to 280 people, can be rented out, and three computers with Internet are accessible in the lobby.