InterContinental Hotel

We stayed in Intercontinental Malta for a week in the beginning of August and except the hotel we enjoyed everything in Malta. We got really disappointed by Intercontinental, basically it's a wannabee 5 star hotel with 1 star rooms. We had different problems with our room. Carpet was always heavily wet at the entrance, so it was a great joy to walk through our own stinking marsh every day. Later air condition started to "rain", it was trickling from the top. In the bathroom water temperature was constantly changing from normal to hot, so we had to look everytime having a shower to not get burned. Not to forget our little ants, appearing time to time. Damn, even in a stable we would have got better conditions. On the top of these things we had to report our problems about 4-5 times, then they "managed" to solve something, basically they only stopped the trickling and that's all. And some other minor things: they put the welcome wine in the room without an opener ( we got it 1 day before our last day :) ), the inside swimming pool's water was pretty dirty..etc We asked for another room, but they said to be 100% booked. Most probably all reviewers had no problems with their rooms, we were just "lucky" to get a jolly joker room for 270 EUR a day (it was a club room, nice club, eh ?). I believe they simply have very low or no maintenance in their hotel, so 1 room out of 10 is a latrine. Staff was very kind, nice and understanding about our problems, but in the end they got solved almost nothing. I was really pissed off by this hotel, next time I'd rather set up a hut at St George's bay. I stayed in several 5 star hotels in the World during my business trips, and never had any problems, but this was one was a big flop.

Have just returned from a two week's holiday at the Intercontinental and had a very enjoyable stay. The hotel was extremely comforable and we liked the modern spacious surroundings. Hotel staff were very courteus and helpful. However, we did have a couple of niggles.We hired a car and found that there is nowhere to park on the streets outside or anywhere near the hotel. There is a multistory carpark next door which the hotel tried to charge us for which would have cost arround £70 for two weeks. After words with our travel agent and hotel management they agreed to give us complimentary parking. Our argument was that our travel agent should have warned us about this when we booked our hire car and when you stay at a five star hotel you expect to be able to park your car. Driving in Malta is an intersting experience. The local drivers don't use indicators and they don't bother stopping at junctions they pull out in front with millimeters to spare. The road surfaces are riddled with pot holes and the surfaces are uneven. It is very easy to get lost as the signposting is very poor. Major routes are not indcated at all of the relevant junctions. The other complaint about the hotel is that it advertises that it has a squash court which is the major reason I booked this particular hotel for our 15 year old twins. It failed to mention that it doesn't allow under 16 year olds to use it because their insurance would not cover children. Despite the critisisms we loved the hotel and would stay there again. The interconnecting rooms worked very well for us and the breakfasts were wonderful.

I am a seasoned traveller to Malta, being part Maltese by birth. I travel to the island on average at least once per year and for the last 10 years have tended to stay in hotels rather than make my own arrangements with family or rent apartments. The island has undergone radical change over the past few years and many new (or completely refurbished) hotels have appeared. There is a cluster of 5 star hotels in the St Julian’s area and I have stayed in the Hilton and Dragonara (Westin) recently. Both are great hotels in their own right, but now that I have two children over the age of 2, these resorts insisted that I book 2 rooms for a family of 4, with one child and 1 adult in each. Both also seemed to have an issue with guaranteeing interconnecting rooms, but putting this to one side for a moment, the cost of 2 rooms (each with a supplement as there was only 1 adult) was horrendous. I could have obtained a suite for less! I shopped around and the Intercontinental were fabulous from the start. They were the ONLY company to reply to emails by next working day. They were happy to accommodate all 4 of us in a twin room, promised a free cot and offered a SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper room rate. They were happy to organise an early check-in to coincide with a 9.00am flight and also offered very flexible terms on half board - let them know each morning if required and it was added to the bill for that day. I booked an Executive Club room with panoramic view and stayed for a week at the end of May/beginning of June. The hotel is located in the very centre of the Paceville district, almost directly opposite the bowling alley and the Bay Street shopping centre. There are a considerable number of bars/clubs/discos in the area, which operate right through the night. At weekends, the road outside the hotel is closed to traffic as there are that many people milling about. Knowing this in advance, I was a little concerned that it might be noisy, but the location is very convenient for all of the local attractions. First impressions of the hotel were reasonable, although it lacks the impact of the landscaped gardens at the front of the Dragonara, or the magnificent marina flats by the Hilton. However, once inside, the design of the building is extremely modern, with large open atriums, floating walkways, great walls of glass etc. It feels very spacious, is spotlessly clean and the design is a million miles away from the far more traditional Hilton. The InterContinental’s main garden and landscaped grounds lie in the centre of the development and feature mature palm trees, a cascading river with live turtles and fish and (in summer) an alfresco restaurant. There are modern chrome and glass elevators to all floors, each of which is fitted with a TV, for reasons that escape me entirely. Lobbies and hallways are simple and functional, but fully carpeted and air-conditioned. The hotel's main pool is located on the roof of the front building, above the reception area. The pool is reasonably large and of a lagoon design - it is 1/2 inch deep at one end, getting gradually deeper towards the other. An adult would be able to touch the bottom at all points, so not suitable for diving, but well suited to kids. There is a very large pool terrace, with toilets/changing rooms, palm trees, ample sun loungers and parasols. There is also a pool bar serving drinks, snacks and ice creams. There are views from the pool area over the bay, although you also get to see the roofs of the adjoining buildings, which are flat and a little messy. There is a small bay a hundred yards or so from the Hotel, which has been covered in imported sand - most of the island is rocky and almost all of the sandy beaches are man made. The hotel has about half of the bay to itself, sperated from the remainder by a rope barrier. There is hotel security on duty at all times to keep out the great unwashed. There are also a couple of staff to hand out towels (free) and set up sun loungers and parasols (also free). I suspect the beach gets busy in summer, but at the time I went it was very relaxed with plenty of room. The sand is a little more gritty than a natural sandy beach, but just fine for sandcastles! You do have to walk out of the hotel lobby and down the main road to get to the beach, but it really isn't a big deal. In fact, the beach is probably closer to the accomodation that many of the beaches (usually rocky) used by the other 5 star resorts. There is an indoor pool located adjacent to the gym. This is heated and has changing rooms, but is small in comparison to the pool at the Hilton. However, it was never crowded during my stay, despite a few brief periods of rain and fairly strong winds. Hotel guests have the use of the adjoining gym free of charge. This facility is privately run, but is probably one of the biggest on the island. There are a reasonable range of cardio machines (mostly lower spec'd Life Fitness, but with a few others) including treadmills, x-trainers and cycles. There is a full range of resistance machines and a fairly good free-weight section. Gym staff were happy to spend a few minutes showing me the basics and there are info cards on most stations for general guidance. They have an interesting motorized climbing wall, which can be seen on-line, but I ran out of time before being able to try this. My only gripe was the lack of a water fountain; the gym expect you to buy water from their juice bar, or bring your own. The room I stayed in was well decorated in neutral shades, with twin queen sized beds. The fittings were clean and in good condition. TV worked fine and carried the usual range of local and international stations. It also acts as an internet terminal and billing system. The charges for internet use were (in my opinion) high, but if you have a laptop with you, there is a wired access gizmo in the room, or wireless throughout the hotel. Wireless access is chargeable, but wired access was free and high speed. There are also room safes large enough for a laptop and a generic power cable to suit most laptop power supplies. The Executive Club rooms are on the upper 3 floors at the back of the hotel. From what I can make out, the top (15th) floor is suites, 14th floor double rooms and 13th floor twins. All have amazing balcony views and as they are located well away from both the pool are and the main road outside the hotel, are blissfully quiet. Club rooms also have access to the Club lounge on the 15th floor, with a huge terrace, free full breakfast (buffet style with every possible option) free afternoon tea & pastries and free pre-dinner drinks/canapés. Non alcoholic drinks and beer are limitless and free all day. The relatively small supplement for a Club room is undoubtedly well worth the price and should not be missed. All the usual 5 star equipment is present – iron/board, wardrobes, hotel laundry etc. each room also has a balcony and mine had 2 easy chairs and a small table. There is a minibar, but this does relentlessly bill each time you remove an item for more than 15 seconds. I used mine to store food and drink for my 2 year old, keeping the original stock safe for return. The system did bill me, but reception refunded the charges without question on checking out – they did tell me when checking in that it was ok to remove non perishable items. En-suite bathroom was a good size and had a full shower in addition to a tub, which is a little unusual for Malta. Again they were spotlessly clean and, as one would expect, cleaned each day with new supplies of towels, soap, shampoo etc. We had a few niggles with the room on arrival and were initially shown to a room with a single king sized bed, despite having specifically booked a twin room with a baby cot. This was sorted out with a few minutes. There were a few further issues with maintenance matters – defective lock on balcony door, light bulb blowing and tripping circuit breaker – which were again all fixed within a matter of minutes. I guess we were a little unlucky, as the hotel is generally very well maintained. I am a Chartered Surveyor and notice these things! Even though I didn’t complain formally, I did receive a personal apology from the general manager, who as genuinely pleased to receive constructive feedback. There are a wide range of restaurants offering everything from a simple pasta dish (loved by my kids) to eastern fusion (loved by me). The Eastern breeze restaurant has a children’s menu, making it accessible to families, which is a nice touch and the staff there were some of the most attentive I have seen on the island, without being intrusive. The facilities and rooms offered here are, in my opinion, at least comparable to other 5 star hotels on the island, but what sets this hotel apart from the others is the staff, who were universally friendly, helpful and seemed genuinely concerned to ensure we were all enjoying our stay. 5 star hotels routinely instruct their staff to acknowledge guests when passing in corridors, but staff here went much further, engaging us in meaningful conversation, offering tips on days out and going out of their way to show us everything the hotel had to offer. When walking through the town I happened to pass an off duty receptionist, who took the time to stop and talk to me, offering suggestions on places to visit and eat. There are staff from may different nationalities, speaking most European languages, with all speaking fluent English. The staff made a fuss of my kids, bringing them sweets, offering special breakfasts and generally making them feel at home. This gives the hotel a relaxed, informal atmosphere, with none of the stuffiness I have come across at certain other resorts. The concierge knew his stuff and was very pleased to assist. Check out was straight forward, with no nasty surprises or spurious items. It was also nice (and remember I say this as someone who is part Maltese) to see good security in place and use of facilities limited to guests only. I’m afraid to say that at some other hotels, the locals have out-numbered the guests in the swimming pools on occasion. This was, without doubt, the most enjoyable stay I’ve had on the island. This is a great hotel for families and couples, as well as those wanting a hign quality but relaxed holiday. We are already planning a return trip to the Intercontinental next year.

Last year my husband and I had our first holiday without the kids. As my husband has Maltese relatives, and as it was sometime ago that we visited them we decided to go back to Malta. The holiday was a last minute booking and so we had to take what was available and I can honestly say we were not disappointed. The Intercontinental was very deserving of it 5 star awarding. The buffet breakfast was second to none with a vast variety of food on offer. The staff were very accomodating and curtious and the hotel was very clean. My mother in law, who is Maltese, would certainly be very proud of her people. As we had such a good time last year we are going back this yearand have already booked the Intercontinental, not only for us but for other family members who are returning again.

The Intercontinental in Malta seems to be suffering from plain poor management. Totally inconsistent approaches across the hotel. 1. Different items produced for the bathroom each day. Sometimes no flannels, sometimes a shaving kit, the next day a sewing kit would appear and the shaving kit would disappear. 2. Asked to report if the shower leaks. Report given the shower floods every day - no response so stuck towels and bits of loo paper in the edges to stop the leak. 3. Two ciggie butts lying in the carpetted corridoor for some 24 hours. Told housekeeping at which point one is removed and the other is left. This suggests no one is cleaning the carpets each day. 4. At 10.00 am a pint of beer was left lying by the lift doors in the lobby! This must have been there all night. 5. The swimming pool was dirty and there appeared to be no control over behaviour. Children allowed to jump in on top of swimmers - balls being thrown across swimmers heads and no life guard on duty at all. Further the swimming pool area was cleaned with a power hose at 10.30 in the morning. Not ideal for the sun bathers but hey. 6. The bars and restaurants were never advertised. No special events. No notice of whether they were open or closed and the prices were stupid. 7. A cocktail ordered by the pool should have contained, Amaretto and Vodka but ended up containing Gin, Rum, Vodka, Malibu and a number of other splashes. When asked about the Amaretto the waiter said he could not find it. Clearly could not read as nothing in the drink should have been in it except the Vodka. Malta is fantastic. Valetta and the Silent City amazing. Restaurants in Spinola bay very well run with good food at fair prices. The rooms were good and the pricing was not out of measure but for my money I would probably stay here (discounted prices only) and I would then drink in the badly advertised bar to the right hand side of the front entrance of the hotel as you come out. A fantastic bar with a very wise owner called Adrian who has the best kept wine in town and who can serve cocktails that make the Interconn ashamed. I forget the name but please do go in and visit you will be impressed - better later in the evening than early and few young young people in here.

The Intercontinental is supposed to be a five star hotel but having stayed at other five star hotels in Malta, this certainly is not worthy to be one of them. The rooms themselves are very good - clean,spacious and nicely furnished but none of them have a particularly nice view. We stayed in one of the junior suites which were lovely and had three balconies, however you would only want to sit out on one of them because the other two had views overlooking the roof of the next door building complete with rubbish and ugly vents. The hotels 'private' beach' consists of an area of imported sand on the edge of the bay which has been cordoned off on one end so as to make it 'private' and a few palm trees and sunbeds have been put on them. This is your private beach!! To get there you have to leave the hotel and walk through a dirty, unpleasant part of Paceville and cross a busy road. Not ideal if you have children or are trying to negotiate a pushchair on the rough pavements. The Bay itself is not pleasant and is more suited to fishing than swimming (obviously the local people use it for this purpose as it is strewn with fishing boats). When we were there, several people had been stung by jelly fish in the water and hundreds of the jelly fish had been washed up on the beach. The service at the hotel also leaves alot to be desired. It seems to cater more for conferences and business groups. One of the restaurants had been closed off and was only available to conference delegates. The indoor pool was very dark and the water quite cold. Overall, this hotel is a very large impressive building, but it has no soul and you do not feel as though you are very welcome. It has a very empty and cold feel about it. If you are looking for a large modern hotel with lots of mod cons, this is OK - but if you are looking for friendly, welcoming staff and a five star service, lovely views looking out over this beautiful island, a pleasant location without tacky shops and bars, this is definately not the hotel for you. We love Malta, but next time we will stay at the Corinthia San Gorg or the Hilton.

Arrived for one weeks stay at the Intercontinental. Taxi was arranged to collect us at the airport then on to the hotel. Everyting about it was 5*. We had a King club suite which gave us access to the Club lounge and we never paid for one drink. Champagne for breakfast every day, what more could you want! It was our sons 13th birthday when we were there and they organised a cake with sparklers on and a bottle of champagne and it was complimentary. Nothing was too much trouble. Room spacious and very clean with 3 balconies and a very large bathroom with white fluffy bathrobes. As for Malta we will not rush back but a Intercontinental hotel we will stay in anywhere in the world if that is the quality to expect. 100% satisfied.

My boyfriend and I stayed at the hotel for one week at the end of May. We were incredibly impressed with the hotel, its facilities and staff. Our room faced the street that ran behind the hotel and although I believe some guests were unhappy about such a view, we found it entertaining. Yes it was a little noisy on a Friday and Saturday night, but it appeared to be in good humour, nothing like you would see in the UK on a typical weekend thankfully. The room itself was clean and modern, with plenty of space in the bathroom. Unlike a previous post we had absolutely no trouble at all with the maid service. The pool on the 10th floor was lovely, plenty of sunloungers and towels were provided. Although we did seem to notice that the pool bar closed at 5pm, perhaps it stays open later in the height of summer. We booked a room only option, although we had heard that the hotels breakfasts were very good. However we ventured out to different cafes for breakfast, there was one near the Westin that was lovely, I cant remember the name but it is right on the street corner if you are walking toward St Julian’s with the Westin on your left. It also seemed very popular at night for light snacks and drinks. The restaurant at the Intercontinental Beach Club was very good, the food and setting were both lovely. One gem that we discovered was a wine bar , Vino Mio virtually next door to the hotel. If you exit the hotel main entrance and turn right it is the third or fourth building along. The owner Adrian was incredibly attentive and we had a couple of fantastic nights in here, the wine and the company of those that we met were a perfect combination. All together a perfect holiday and we hope to return soon!

Stayed here for 13 nights in August on our honeymoon, and the stay was absoultely amazing! As we arrived there was champagne and fruit salad waiting in our room with a note of congrulations from the manager, and the stay jsut got better from there on in. Staff were lovely and friendly. Pool was well kept with very nice touches, e.g. waitors coming around in the afternoon with complementary water melon for the sun loungers. Additionally, it's own private beach a short stroll away with waiter service included in the price. This is great as it's the nice sandy end of the very popular beach, and having the private section makes all the difference. The TV displayed the price of your tab in the various bars, so you can keep an eye on things, which was a nice touch. Plenty of restaurants and bars near by for evening, and there's some clubs a small walk if you're into that (we weren't). Lots of bars and restaurants inside the complex excellent standard of food. Despite comments below, have little complaints about the maid service at the hotel - clean towels every day and lots of miniatures left even when they weren't empty. That being said some days the maid was very late on some days. When we mentioned this to receiption that, the receiption asked us what arrangements would suit us. We would prefer it cleaned before 12, which was done from then on in the stay, (including the days we slept in and didn't go to breakfast to late, which was most impressive!) If I *had* to leave some negatives, they would be : - there's no Jacuzzi - when we stayed DJ Paul Oakenfold played a gig in the attached conference centre. This went on to about 3 or 4am with the bass beat just about audible in the room (but it was quiet enough I slept through most of it...) However, every other night this was silent and I believe it was the first time the event was held, so they may have sorted it now. Overall, my wife & I couldn't reccommend this hotel highly enough, everything you'd expect from a 5* and we hope to be back!

Overall this is a pretty good hotel, the restaurant and bars services were great, the breakfast was also. The main issue I had with this hotel was the maid service. I believe the maid service here is the worst of any hotel I have ever stayed. They didnt leave towels, there were days they didnt clean the room. They never left coffee for the in room coffee maker. They seldom left wash cloths or shampoo. It was pretty awful. Nice hotel with a nice location, great amenities, absolutely lousy maid service.