The 91-room four-pearl Pergola Club Hotel & Spa, is a low-key property that's a good value for families and travelers on a budget. On a hillside overlooking the Parish Church of Mellieha and the Mediterranean Sea, the hotel offers simple, Mediterranean-style rooms with flat-screen TVs and mini-fridges, but the air-conditioning is underwhelming and only some have sea views from balconies. The hotel also has apartments with kitchenettes that are convenient for longer stays even if they are outdated. There is a small outdoor pool with a bar and children's pool as well as a clean and modern spa and fitness center. Ghadira Bay beach isn't within walking distance, though.
The large Ramla Bay Resort is a competitively-priced resort with four-pearl features on Malta’s northernmost coast, including a private beach, a water-sports center, and views of Gozo and Comino Islands. Many of the 281 homey rooms and stylish suites have sea-facing balconies, and all feature flat-screen TVs and heat or air-conditioning. The location is great for outdoor activities and the resort includes with three saltwater pools, poolside and beachside dining, and a private sandy beach, though several features need a fresh coat of paint or an overhaul.
The 152-room Park Hotel is an upper-middle-range, affordable property that provides good value in Sliema, near the promenade and beach. Restaurants, cafes, and shopping are all within easy walking distance. Highlights include a rooftop pool and bar, indoor pool with a hot tub, massage parlor, and fitness center. There's also a casual restaurant and lobby bar. Rooms are cozy and simple with small flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, and partial sea views from some balconies, though some decor is dated. Apartments complete with kitchenettes are available.
Simple, clean and affordable, the 192-room Soreda Hotel is in walking distance to the Qawra’s waterfront. It has a summertime bar by the rooftop pool and kids' pool, all of which can have a crowded scene during the typical morning rush for lounge chairs. There’s also a ground-floor pool, indoor pool, and a well-equipped gym. Dining on-site is buffet-style and there are two bars, a TV lounge, and a game room. Comfy, spacious rooms and suites are a bit of a letdown with plain furnishings, but they do have kettles, mini-fridges, and balconies or terraces. Apartments have kitchenettes. Wi-Fi runs slow and some rooms charge for safes.
The Solana Hotel is an upper-middle-range property with 100 comfortable, yet dated, rooms including Studios and Apartments with kitchenettes and balconies. In the center of Mellieha, on Malta's north coast, restaurants, shops, and the Parish Church are all within walking distance, but the town's famous beach requires a short car or bus ride. The hotel's rooftop terrace, pool, and Vista de Mar cafe and bar have town views with the Mediterranean Sea in the distance, and the SPA Harmonique spa, indoor pool with hot tub, and fitness center are well-maintained, if not utterly contemporary. The hotel’s four drinking and dining destinations serve good, casual fare. The hotel is mostly quiet and suits couples and other travelers who want a good value, low-key vacation.
115 The Strand Aparthotel is a mid-range, inexpensive property on the teeming Sliema waterfront, surrounded by shops, restaurants, and bars, and near the Valletta ferry. There are 83 modern and homey rooms, some with balconies facing the harbor, and apartments with kitchenettes. Use of perks in rooms -- Wi-Fi, safes, kettles -- require an extra fee and a refundable deposit is necessary for a TV remote. A bookshop cafe, market, and lobby bar can be found on the first floor. On the rooftop are beautiful Marsamxett Harbour views from a hot tub and restaurant terrace.
The 108-room Sunflower Hotel is a fresh and affordable mid-range property in Qawra, a 10-minute walk to Bugibba Square and the waterfront promenade. The hotel has a 24-hour bar, a restaurant, and a swim-up bar at its modern rooftop pool with a hot tub and kids' pool that are open seasonally. And for the winter, there is an indoor heated pool. Clean, no-frills room have traditional decor, tile floors, wood furniture, balconies, and old-fashioned tube TVs. There’s a fee for safes and sometimes electric kettles, depending on the room type.
The 326-room Hotel Topaz is a mid-range, quiet, affordable property within walking distance to a rocky beach and Bugibba main square. The on-site amenities are quite extensive, including a big outdoor fish-shaped pool with a kids' section, a game room, a soccer field, an indoor pool, and a hair salon. Casual dining and drinks are available on-site, including a cozy wood-lined pub. Rooms are basic and on the dated side, with patterned bedspreads, flat-screen TVs, and balconies with pool views, in some. One-bedroom apartments with kitchenettes and dining space appeal to families. Select common areas offer free Wi-Fi, but a fee applies for in-room Internet.
Sitting on lively waterfront in Sliema, the 137-room Bayview Hotel & Apartments is a simple budget-friendly property with beautiful harbor views from a rooftop pool and bar. There’s also an indoor pool, gym, privately run spa, and multiple restaurants and bars, including private eateries. A playroom in the game lounge and a rooftop kids' pool appeal to families. Comfortable (if bland) rooms and apartments have flat-screen TVs and kitchenettes, and some have waterfront balconies, but fees are required for extras and interiors are sometimes poorly maintained.
The Plevna is a mid-range hotel offering good value in the Sliema Ferry area, near restaurants, shops, bars, and ferries to Valletta. Rooms are simple but clean and comfortable, and have solid amenities such as free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, electric kettles, and air-conditioning. The seasonal beach club is a highlight here, compete with a pool, a kiddy section, and a restaurant. Although the hotel lacks a fitness center and a spa, it offers discounted rates at the Preluna Hotel & Spa’s gym and wellness center, located just a few blocks away. There is a nice restaurant serving a varied breakfast buffet and an international dinner menu, and the bar offers cocktails and snacks.
The mid-range Porto Azzurro is an affordable, homey apartment hotel with 110 One- and Two-Bedroom or Studio units located in a quiet spot overlooking Xemxija Bay. Rooms vary between plain, basic decor and upgraded, modern furnishings with a sleeker style; all have kitchens, living rooms, and a fee for Wi-Fi. Penthouses overlook Xemxija Bay from nice terraces. The quiet location is slightly isolated with few dining options -- aside from the hotel’s cozy English pub, restaurant, and bar at the outdoor pool, where there’s also a hot tub and kids' pool. The hotel also has an indoor pool, fitness center, and dive center that offers guided trips.
Low rates and a central location a block from Sliema’s main drag make the Windsor Hotel a good pick for travelers on a budget, but those expecting the advertised four-star quality may be disappointed. Only one-third of the hotel’s 92 rooms have been renovated, and non-renovated units are well past their prime, with maintenance issues, dated decor, and basic amenities. Renovated units are nicer, with purple and mustard accents, flat-screen TVs, and more modern bathrooms. The rooftop deck has a lovely outdoor pool and a small but well-kept indoor one, and the lobby lounge serves coffee, cocktails and snacks in a stylish contemporary room. There is also a restaurant, but better options are available within a couple of blocks.
Located right on Sliema’s lively promenade, the 279-room Plaza Hotels is a mid-range option offering good value and panoramic sea views from many of its rooms and common spaces. Rooms vary in size and layout, but all are equipped with flat-screen TVs and air-conditioning, and studios feature kitchenettes and living and dining areas. The small rooftop pool is a relaxing spot for swimming and sunbathing, and the indoor pool may come in handy during the colder months. There are three restaurants on-site serving Italian and international menus, and many more dining options can be found within a couple of blocks. But Wi-Fi and safes are only available for a fee, and some rooms are in need of an update.
The Blue Sea San Anton Hotel & Apartments offers a basic, budget-priced vacation in Bugibba near the waterfront promenade, with 262 rooms that are simple, though sometimes outdated and in poor condition; most feature small flat-screen TVs, safes, and balconies or terraces, while apartments have kitchenettes. However, a fee is required for air-conditioning and use of safes. There’s an outdoor pool, kids' pool, and children’s playground with hopscotch for families. An adult-only sun terrace and hot tub suit other guests.
The Coral Hotel is a basic, budget-priced property that’s a five-minute walk to the touristy Bugibba Square. The 40 simply designed rooms have tube TVs, balconies facing the city, and (for a fee) mini-fridges and safes. Facilities are plain and include a buffet restaurant and lounge bar. However, a recreation room with pool tables is modernly decorated. On the rooftop of the hotel is a pool, but views are unremarkable.
The 425-room Blue Sea St George’s Park & La Vallette Resorts is one of the cheapest all-inclusives in Malta. The property has a number of decent amenities, including three outdoor pools, a seasonal entertainment program, and a fitness center. But the low price tag comes with bare-bones rooms with cleanliness and maintenance issues, mediocre food, and several extra fees. The location in the heart of the nightlife area makes the Blue Sea a passable pick for young partiers who just want a place to crash after a night out in Paceville. All other guests may want to look elsewhere.