Fortina Hotel

35 readers found this review helpful

Just got back today (19th May) from Fortina, and had a great holiday.
Here are my views on some of the repetitive "failings" some report on this hotel.
1) The free harbour cruise is just a sales gimmick, they claim. WRONG! We got two free tickets for a Captain Morgan harbour trip. I think the tickets cost 10 - 15 euro on the harbour side. It is run by an independant company, and is totally free of any promotion for time share etc. At the same time as you pick up these tickets you are asked if you would like a 2 hour Spa session free. IF you take that, you do have to have an one hour (plus) tour of the hotel, and when I asked if that was selling timeshare the rep said yes. I said I was not interested. End of discussion, no pestering, and we got our 20 - 30 euro worth of free harbour cruise. No hassle.
2) Lots of people come on here complaining about the food not being four star in the "standard" restaurant. We have been in several 3 star hotels, and a few four star. This restaurant is deffo 4*. Every day we were there the lunch time choice was always lots of quality salad ; one or two paste choices ; and 5 - 6 choices of other main's plus soup * desserts. All quality food, with a choice of "English" dishes, and always 2 or 3
"foriegn" or Maltese choices. In the evening same level of choice, and always a "roast" at the cavery, either beef / pork / turkey etc.
3) Even more complain about the confusion over being charged extra for use of the 6 "extra" restaurants in the hotel. All you need to do is ask your tour operator which restaurants you can use, before you book. EASY! We went with Thomas Cook, and got the "Dine Around" option, which means you can use the Thai / Indian / Italian / Brasserie places. You do need to book for these, you can book for a week / 2 weeks in advance to get best choice of dining times. The Japanese & Vietnamese restaurants cost extra if you are on this package. But with the choice of these 4 restaurants, and the "standard" one we were spoilt for choice, and in a week it is difficult to get them all in and go back to favourites. Most of these places are open for lunch too, with no booking required. In all but the Italian you get a restrcited choice for the basic "Dine Around" package, but there are 2 - 3 choices of starter / main and dessert, which should be enough for all. All this is explained to you when you arrive.
Basically, if you look at the price you are paying on booking, you should be able to hazard a guess as to whether you will be restricted to the "standard" buffet restaurant, the Dine Around package or better. We paid £530 in mid May with Thomas Cook, got the dine around optiona and found it excellant value.
Generally we found this hotel top class, possibly influenced by being upgraded from a "standard" room to a family room - which gave us two bathrooms ; two bedrooms and a TV lounge, all with an excellant harbour view to boot!
The hotel consists of the 4* Fortina and 5* Fortina Spa. We used the facilities from either as we pleased, and no one complained to us. Going through the 5* hotel, you can enter a virtually enclosed garden area, with a long pool. This is cleverly designed to give sun exposure all day. The only thing to be aware of, if you are in the 4* Fortina, is that you have to pay for drinks in the 5* Spa hotel - including the pool side bar in the garden area. Although you can take bottled water from the 4*, and no one complains.
In the 5* a coke and a lager runs to 6 euro's, as a guide.
Having been around Selima several times by coach on the various trip pick up's the Fortina is deffinately the best location wise of all the hotels we saw. That included the 5* radison / Intercontinental etc. They are way out and a taxi / bus ride from any sort of night life or attactions. The Fortina. is 5 mins walk from the busy harbour area and all the bus stops. The bus network is so cheap is is ridiculouis. The most we paid - including a 25 minute bus journey was 47 cents each! You can get any where on the island for next to nothing by regular bus from virtually the hotel front door.
Two things I would knock Fortina for are the Reception and entertainment.
6 parties arrived at reception from our bus, and the reception was staffed by one lady. Despite het best efforts it took about 45 minutes to sort everyone out.
If you are going on holiday for entertainment inclusive - DO NOT go to the Fortina. There is no entertainment all day, and in the evening there is a lounge in the 5* section with a man on a piano. The 4* section has various duo's playing what they claim is 60's to 90's music! Most of it came from the war years and 50's -= which largely suits the people in the bar where they sing. This is very poor in my experience of 3 / 4* entertainment. We have no kids, but there is simply nothing to entertain them, day or night. This is NOT a hotel for those with kids seeking entertainment from the "animation team" as they are usually called.
If you have a query on the real life at Fortina, feel free to mail me at chrisyorkshire@hotmail.com

11 readers found this review helpful

Delighted to say my holiday at the 4 star fortina hotel was excellent. Was at first a little worried when i read some of the other reviews,me and my family had a fab time the kids pretty much had the pool to themselves, the staff were all realy freindly, the food in the main restaurant was fantastic, unfortunatly due to this i never got to try the other restaurants.Even the location was perfect a short walk to the shops, ferrys and bus stop. the evening entertainment was also good with a few different singers playing various music.never before had complimentary drinks fridge, safe deposit box, robes and toiletries in bathroom. no complaints at all from all our family.
We will definatly return to this hotel again.

13 readers found this review helpful

Overall we had a very enjoyable week at the Fortina Hotel, although the different grades of all inclusive are a real pain & very confusing and the rooms are in need of updating as they are tired and a bit tatty if you look closely.
I took the time to read the smallprint before I travelled, and found that Mercury Direct were not selling quite what the advert in the paper suggested at first glance. After phoning to find out exactly what I was getting, I was told that the rooms were bog standard (possibly even Internal with no window or balcony, according to the lady I spoke to on the phone), and to get a seating area & minibar (which are meant to be standard according to the Fortina website) you had to upgrade your room.
We upgraded to a deluxe garden view room, and although it was very large it really was in need of refurbishment. The sliding wardrobe door was broken (my husband fixed it in 5 minutes, why couldn't maintenace have done it?) the patio door was also jammed so that it couldn't be locked (again, my husband played around with it until he managed to un-jam it), and the shower screen had no seal so every time you showered the bathroom was completely flooded. Housekeeping provided us with untold amounts of towels to mop up each day, but not really a good solution in my opinion. Also, this had obviously been a long standing problem, as the carpet had completely disintergrated where it joined the bathroom, exposing a very sharp carpet gripper that could have caused a lot of pain if troden on barefoot.
Also, the hotel boasts 5 restaurants on 4* package, but you have to upgrade your AI dining package to "Dine Around" to use the 4 a la carte restaurants for £99 a week (or EUR 15 a day in resort). These used to be included as standard in the price. We actually chose to stick to the basic package, and upgraded when we fancied a change. In hindsight, we should have upgraded, as although the buffet restaurant was okay, it was NOT 4* quality food, and the choice was minimal. I would recomend paying the extra, as the quality in the other restaurants was outstanding. The food in the chinese/Thai restaurant was out of this world - the best Chinese meal we've ever had!!
Also, on the basic AI package you are supposed to pay for the mini bar although we complained to our rep as our paperwork said we had mini bar & she sorted it out for us with the reception staff, and you are not meant to use the adults only garden pool (despite that fact that our room overlooked it???) or the garden bar. However, we did use the pool & nobody said anything - we just had to take our drinks with us (water from the mini bar!!).
The lido pool is better if you like the sun, and although it is salt water it is very clean, and there are also steps down into the sea which was beautifully warm with lots of little fish swimming around you. There are plenty of sunbeds & parasols and pool towels are provided free of charge. The view over to Valletta from the Lido is stunning, especially as the sun is setting - really breathtaking!
The free Thalasso therapy treatments were different - we went most days, and they were really relaxing!
A big plus is that all international branded spitits are included in the AI package, and also a long list of cocktails, so you can have your favourite tipple after a hard day sunbathing!
The free harbour tour was reallt great - ideal for topping up the tan, although a HUGE NEGATIVE is the fact that it is a cover to sell timeshares. When you go to collect your voucher, you will be asked to book in for a "Tour" of the complex in return for a spa treatment or glass bottom boat trip. THIS IS A TIMESHARE SCHEME, and after an hour looking around the 5* rooms the hard sell commences. We'd been warned, and didn't turn up, but the person issuing the harbour cruise tickets sits outside the buffet restaurant at meal times to collar you. If you are assertive though she will leave you alone.
Despite a few negative points, all in all, I'd still recomend the Fortina, as it is a really nice, relaxing place to stay & the staff are all very nice & helpful. Just check so that you know what you are getting before you travel so that you are not dissapointed when you get there if you have a lower package than expected.

4 readers found this review helpful

just got back from a week in malta and i really enjoyed it. overall the rooms are clean the staff is dynamic (except in the restaurant and the bar) and the hotel is very well situated (you got zara;mark and spencer;celio;burger king;mc donalds and pizza hut not far away; you even got levis and diesel for jean lovers).the outdoor pool is good expecially with the bar in front but the water is sea water except in clean but it still is salty.the indoor pool is the best but you need to be 16 to get in.the is even a place to play football but dont kick it to high or else it will go to the sea(it hapened to us plenty of times and we had to go in to the sea and get it with all those fishes;its discusting.)
the vallette restaurant was good except that we had to pay for the water and drinks although we payed for it.i also recommend you to go and visit sicily;its a 1 hour trip by boat and believe me you wont get bored.last thing ;dont believe the reviews from 2006 and 2007 cause lots of things changed.anyways i liked it and will definately come back.

3 readers found this review helpful

Not four star more like two. Rooms cramped and dirty, fungus in shower, lido pool over crowded and dirty. Reception dingy and smelly, lifts tiny and not working properly, in all thoroughly horrible place to stay. Had to pay 400 euros to upgrade to a clean room in the spa section. This also not 5 star prob four star at best with one toilet for both men and women in the garden pool. Dont get what your promised in the adds. Understand this happens all the time. Dont go there !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3 readers found this review helpful

We stayed at this hotel for a week at the end of june.
Overall the hotel is nice but nothing special, the rooms were clean but the furniture does look like it need updating, we also ended up with two single beds that were pushed together. Also unless you put the do not disturb sign up the maids will keep knocking to clean the room. We chose a room with the view of Valletta and its was beautiful I would recommend choosing this view rather than the pool one.
The pools are not as big as they look in the pictures but are clean and the area around the pool was spacious with enough lounges for everyone you can also walk to the harbor from the pool and get in the water as many of the Maltese do. The staff around the pool bar are friendly and helpful. There are also plenty of staff so someone is always around to help. The reception staff are also helpful and approachable.
the buffet food was ok, but we rarely ate there the other restaurants are again ok the Thai being the best, I wouldn't recommend the Italian and the Mediterranean one looks dirty so we chose not to eat there, the area where you eat is pretty and located in the 5 star next door. You can eat in all the restaurants as part of your package apart from the Japanese and Taste restaurant where you pay a supplement.
the harbor cruise that you get for free is good its only for a few hours and you get a nice tan on the boat.
I enjoyed my holiday in Malta it is a beautiful country. I would recommend going on the blue lagoon and Comino cruise however look around at all the offers and don’t get the one with the lunch as there is food though buy in Comino that is much nicer.
Overall the hotel was nice but if you are expecting luxury then you will be disappointed, and I would opt for the 5 star next door.

4 readers found this review helpful

Sad as this may seem i am writing a review before i have even gone on my holiday! My husband and i booked to go to the hotel fortina for our holiday in June 2008 during the month of May 2007! We chose the 4 star Hotel Fortina for the deluxe room, the 4 swimming pools, the 5 restaurants, the free therapy treatments and the free trip. We paid over £1600 for this one weeks all inclusive holiday the most that we have ever paid for 1 week away! Thursday evening, 4 days before we travel we had a phone call from Thomas Cook in Milton Keynes advising us that there is now only 1 restaurant,2 swimming pools, 2 bars, NO free therapy sessions and no trip, but no explanation as to why? We went to see them, extremley upset and angry and they phoned to try and find out why and all they found out was that here is now a big division between the 5 star and 4 star? We was offered a full refund without being charged a admin fee ( wasn't that nice of them) Although they added that they were unable to offer us any other alternative as they had nothing available! We said that as we have been sold a holiday whose facilities do not exsist we should have a refund/compensation all we were offered was a gesture of goodwill of £50 each, which quite frankly we were insulted by. So what do we do? We feel like we have been mugged, we have been told all we can do is write a letter of complaint, how can tour operatours treat customers like this. Reading other reviews on here it would seem these facilities have been like this since last year, why doesn't the brochure state exactly what u are getting? I really don't want to go on this holiday, feel really upset about it. BE WARNED, DO NOT BOOK TO GO TO THE 4 STAR FORTINA UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GETTING.

3 readers found this review helpful

Having just found this website, and read some of the comments with regard to the Fortina, I thought that I would add my 'twopenn'orth'.
My wife and I have stayed at the Fortina (4 Star) once a year for seven years now, and will be returning for Christmas this year (2008). Our experiences have generally been favourable, but one can find the room allocation a little hit and miss with regard to size, etc. I think we have always been lucky ! The La Vallette buffet restaurant has always been satisfactory in the past, and we saw no point in paying a supplement to 'dine around' in the other restaurants available in the hotel, which used to be free, but are no longer.
It is true the hotel is getting a little tired now, and in need of refurbishment. Having stayed recently in 4 Star All Inclusive hotels in Limassol and Benidorm, the difference in standards with the Fortina was very marked. The Fortina needs to pull its socks up. Many people suspect that the 5 star Spa which is part of the complex is being heavily subsidised by we punters in 'poorer end' !
The main problem we had on our most recent holiday was that the non smoking bar each evening had little in the way of quality entertainment, and on weekends, the locals troop in for free dance music - taking the comfortable seating whilst the guests, paying an arm and a leg for the 'privilege' of staying there, are in the restaurant having dinner. Appealing to the front desk for fair play produces absolutely nothing, even though the locals even take their own drinks in, or just purchase water at the bar. This was over a year ago now - maybe the hotel has done something about it.
So why are we going back? The island has a charm of its own - the view from a seaview room across the creek to Valletta at night is magical. The people are friendly, as the island has a history closely linked to the British. It might be the last time at the Fortina for us - watch this space - we will report back next January !

3 readers found this review helpful

If you are considering going to this resort , please, please think again. I urge you to read reviews by Mrs T, Mrs Ball, Rick 1803 and Mrs Karen Angliss who all echo my sentiments exactly.
If you have high standards like my husband and I and expect you will get them at a 4* star resort you wont find them here. Dirty rooms, shabby furnture - not even a chair in our room, just a stool! Timeshare selling INSIDE the hotel, I hoped at these prices at this 4* level we would be exempt from this kind of hassle on holiday - after all isn't a holiday meant to be hassle free?
All inclusive IS NOT what you will think, having paid extra to eat in one of the five restaurants each evening, but having to book 3 days in advance or pay again doesnt make any sense. Uninspiring warm buffet food, no cups at the lukewarm tea and instant coffee urn in the afternoon but lots of wooden stirrers if you are lucky enough to find a cup of something worth drinking.
BUT worst of all was the terrible and serious food poisoning my husband suffered after eating in their Indian restaurant which ruined our holiday completely, he still suffered for a week after our return. When we told the hotel they just said "Indian food doesn't agree with everyone". A doctor came to visit us, called by the hotel and charged us 65 Euros for the pleasure! I have spent 6 lira on a previous Malta holiday with another doctor.
We have been regular visitors to Malta over the last 10years but this was the only time I have bitterly regretted my choice of over priced - under par accommodation.
I felt that the overall attitude of the hotel staff toward the guests were that they were sick of the sight of holiday makers (except for the night manager who was very pleasant). In all this hotel does not seem overly concerned about its guests pleasure knowing that if they dont come back again, there will always be more gullible visitors paying a high price for being mis-sold what they consider a 4* hotel - to me its a 4* waste of my hard earned money.

3 readers found this review helpful

The worst hotel we have ever stayed in! We were supposedly in the 4 star section but I have stayed in superior 2 stars. The room was exceptionally small and limited in facilities with no comfortable sitting area. The bed was actually hit by the bathroom door. The bathroom would have been unusable if we had been slightly larger. As it was you had to stand sideways onto the sink as the toilet was in front of it. I had to go sideways into the small shower cubicle as the door was so small. I am of average weight. Towels were unavailable for a whole day. The facilities for 4 star guests did not include some of the swimming pools.
Try to avoid the time share touts who are keen to show you the 5 Star hotel and sell you weeks there.
The dining room was also not a particularly pleasant experience and we ate off the hotel complex on several occassions as we did not wish to book 3 days in advance to access the other restaurants 'available'.
The staff throughout the hotel were always friendly and polite.
Be aware that if you book trips via the reps they will only offer you Captain Morgan - which I believe is a subsidiary of the hotel. There are other equally good but cheaper trips available
The lifts rarely worked which caused difficulties to the elderly and those with push chairs.
The hotel offered no entertainments suitable to children.
Nearby building work was much in evidence.
I would not recommend that you book here unless you intend to pay for the 5 star section and check that the building work is completed.