Fortina Hotel

Returned to the Fortina Hotel this September to find the staff, though working extremely long hours and food as good as when we were there at least six years ago. Unfortunatly we did not use the outside pool area until late in the afternoon as it is now extremely congested during the day since the new 5star Fortina Spa Hotels guests have the use of the 4star hotels pool as well as outsiders who pay for the privilege. The garden pool and area is beautiful but again the tower which has 17 storeys of the new 5star hotel blocks a great deal of the sun from this area.

1 reader found this review helpful

We booked into the Fortina AAAA+ on the 28th Sept 2010. The reception staff were not very helpful. We were asked if we wanted to upgrade to the Spa (5A)at a cost of an extra £300, we said no thanks. However we were given a sea view room we requsted when booking, however room 116 was small, dull and very much in need of a make-over. In the Garden Room restaurant my wife spoke to the chef about her need for gluten free bread, he said he would arrange for it to be available each morning at breakfast. In 2 weeks she only had her bread twice, the waiter staff would take her request for the bread, look blank say yes and then do nothing about it. She gave up asking in the end. One was made to feel like 2nd class customers compaired to those from the 5A Spa side of the hotel. The one redeeming factor was the service recieved in both the Chinese/Thai restaurant and the Indian this was first class in every way. In general it would seen that the Fortina is trying to sell the Spa side of the business at the expense of the 4A+ side.

1 reader found this review helpful

I returned last week from staying at the Fortina Hotel for 10 days.The view from the room was magnificent but the hotel has several short comings. The staff are not at all friendly and the reception staff in particular at times were evasive and unhelpful.
The meal system was very difficult to understand and was never fully explained despite the number of times I asked for an explanation. The standard of food in the La Valletta 'restaurant' was not what was expected from a 4* hotel.
The hotel needs to decide what type of guests they want. We were constantly asked whether we had 4*,5*, all inclusive,time share or platinum cards.
But I would return again if only for the magnificent view and its location.

1 reader found this review helpful

Just returned from a week half board at Hotel Fortina. (booked last minute to escape the miserable british weather). What a wonderful holiday - wall to wall sunshine. Received a free upgrade to a Wellness Rejuvenation Room - very comfortable and well presented. The tropical garden area and pool was always very popular as it was cooler and more shaded than the lido pool. However it was always full of leaves/flies/debris. The food in the Valletta buffet restaurant was of a good standard but you have to be first in for breakfast to get the best selection of bacon.

2 readers found this review helpful

Just returned from our fith but last stay at the Fortina greeted by very rude reception who stated to all it was not his fault rooms were not ready, although we booked in January we were told we could not have our seaview room as the hotel was full. Service in the lido bar was a disgrace some staff would rather talk to friends than serve you waited 8 tp 12 mins for service I noticed they also reserve sun beds for their favorite guests frequently tying up prime spots that remained unocupied for most of the day sorry I expect better for my money

3 readers found this review helpful

We just came back from a week at Fortina. On the first night of our holiday we had to stay at the 5 star Palace around the corner. It was everthing you would expect from a 5 star hotel. But Fortina is more like a 3 star. The customer service was dreadful. The hotel itself looked extremely dated and tired. Becuase they have put four building around the pool, three quarters of it is always in the shade, hence the water is always freezing. If you are going to Malta, check out the Palace first.

10 readers found this review helpful

Just returned from 7 day break at Fortina Hotel. 4* price for 1* quality. Staff- unhelpful,surly, radiated an air of boredom/resignation.Room-clean but lacked a trouser press ( a 4* requirement in GB) no shaver socket in the bathroom, fridge disconnected, Air-con not working. Booked a sea view. Problem was, you could see the sea for cranes and building works.Beds soft and worn. Towels tatty.One flannel, once unfolded, was filthy and unusable. Despite being left out for replacement, it was duly folded up and put back for use.(yeuck!)One small soap,one tiny shampoo. Luckily, we had brought toiletries with us.Food - Ah..the food.Only of an acceptable grade, if you have known no better.Tinned peas,tinned carrots, tinned fruit cocktail, jelly...four star fayre?? I don't think so!! Veg overcooked. Mediterranean cuisine is meant to be packed with herbs & spices,but, I fear there must be a herb shortage at for Fortina Chefs. Dine Around the World was available. OK if you eat Indian, Chinese and Thai at home , but us country bumpkins do not, and expected better from the Fortina Chefs. Bar prices - ten euros for half a pint of beer! Subsidising the all inclusive folk? Time Share-pressurised continually, a polite "No thankyou" didn't work.Malta is a lovely country,but shan't return to Fortina.

6 readers found this review helpful

I love Malta and had always wanted to stay in the Fortina, after all, the adverts make it seem wonderful. We stayed in the 4 star half which has been very neglected and it certainly shows. The room was a very tired 4 star but was nice and clean. You feel like you are in a cattlemarket in the main dining room and the food was definitely 2 star. Breakfast did taste fine though, but did not vary by one thing during the whole week. Be very aware though that if you do not go all inclusive it is amazing what you get charged for, things that would normally be included in this country.
The thing that I will always remember though is the two choirs that stayed at the Fortina at the same time. Obviously with amazing voices but to have to listen to them at dead on 0710 in the morning starting to go through the scales and warming up their voices right outside your door is a real turn off to your hols. We were not alone in this spoiling our stay. Oh and you can be stood behind them in the queue for the food or on the stairs and they will practice by singing their conversations! A real killer for a relaxing hols. I will be going back to Malta but never again to the Fortina.

15 readers found this review helpful

We have just returned from 2 weeks at the Fortina 4* Hotel on an All Inclusive holiday we had booked to celebrate a special occasion. It was not what we were lead to believe. We were only allowed to use the Buffet resturant not the other resturants unless we upgraded. As we had paid the same price with Cosmos as people who had booked with other tour operators who were entitled to use the other resturants on all Inclusive Basis we chose not to pay any extra to upgrade. It was only after we booked for an Indian meal, in the 5* part of the hotel, that we were told by the waiter that we would be required to pay 15 Euros each for the priviledge of eating there, reception at the hotel who had booked the table for us did not mention that we would be required to pay for the meal. This should have been explained upon booking.
The staff were rude, the reception told us our room was already booked to someone else and then said no it was ready for us, the room was small in comparison to other rooms we have had on previous holidays where we paid less.
At the end of our 1st week we tried to get back into our room only to find that we had been checked out although our belongings were still in the room, reception had to correct this error, they were totally incompetant and very unhelpfull. Certainly not a 4* hotel, needs refurbishment, lifts may or may not work. lots of stairs down to the pool and the buffet resturant.
Our rep, very pleasant was not aware whether we could use the other resturants or not on our Orange All Inclusive card, other people has blue All Inclusive cards which did entitle them to use the 5* resturants. If you are thinking of staying at the 4* please think carefully or you to may be very dissapointed with your stay.

9 readers found this review helpful

Excellent sea view. The building is too old with terrible lifts and a/c with non adjustable temperature that can freeze you to death if you choose to used it! The renovation is not successful as the building still looks miserable. The major problem is the cleanness. The breakfast cultery and dishes are used again if the stain and the bread leftovers can be removed by hand. The pool has turf on the walls and the overflow lath.