Dolmen Resort Hotel, Qawra, Malta

Hotel Information

Recent Price: £57
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User Rating:
7.5 / 10
(27 User Reviews)
Hotel Class: Dolmen Resort Hotel Studios ReviewsDolmen Resort Hotel Studios ReviewsDolmen Resort Hotel Studios ReviewsDolmen Resort Hotel Studios Reviews

Hotel Description:

The Dolmen Resort Hotel is situated in the northern part of the island overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The hotel offers stunning views of St. Paul's Bay and St. Paul's Islands and is close to many shops, bars and restaurants. The hotel consists of 380 bedrooms which are all tastefully furnished and well equipped with modern amenities. The New Dolmen Hotel's restaurants offer a selection of both local and international cuisine.
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Dolmen Resort Hotel Reviews

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" oh dear!!!! "

First time in Malta.... Was'nt impressed.... Country lovely, People lovely, Hotel! Well what can I say. Was'nt given the room i had paid for, felt as though i could'nt complain because of the rude and unhelpful staff on the reception desk. Don't accept room 204... Worst room in the building. Toilet broke twice, then continued to fill the tank for what seemed like hours on end sounding like a strangled cat. The food was good but not to my taste. On a good note though the spa was excellent. Never had such a great massage and facial. Wow could have spent hours in there.

Advice: Don't expect too much

Activities:

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  • User Rating:
    6 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:Nov 2009
  • Board Basis:Half Board
  • Tour Operator:chevron

" 4star dolmen!!?? not "

unfortunately, i have a very disappointing complaint to make. i did not spend one night at the Dolmen hotel out of our 5 night stay. upon checking in and getting the keys to our room, we found we had been given a dark and rather miserable room, not like the pictures shown on the internet, on the ground floor. i had, on booking the hotel with travel republic, specifically asked for a room on the 3rd floor and above as i was travelling with another female and ground floor rooms do not make us feel at ease. this ground floor room literally was on the ground- facing the tennis courts, which was our only view! and people could literally walk past us on our balcony and taken our towels etc if they had wished. as we stepped out on the balcony, 2 men walked past us and said something, im guessing, in maltese to us which made us feel quite intimidated. if we had stayed in that room, we would have had to have kept the curtains closed whilst we got dressed or spent any time in the room as any passer by could have had a view of us in our room. i immediately went to reception to ask for another room and to explain that as 2 female travellers we did not feel safe being so literally on the ground floor- hence asking for a room on the 3rd floor and above. i had even previously e-mailed travel republic to ask if there was any chance we could upgrade to a suite room to ensure we had a happy and relaxed holiday- to which i was informed that none were available.
i was told by the receptionist to come back the follwing day to see what they had available as there was nothing available. i was not expecting to be given another room the next day as i had previously e-mailed travel republic and asked to be upgraded and was told that the hotel had no rooms free to do this.
as there was no other option at this point, we went out. we got chatting to a member of staff in an apartment hotel up the road and asked them- in jest if they had any vacancies. They told us they did- to which they were very hospitable and showed us a vacant room on the 4th floor. they even offered us a discounted price to book the room- saving us 50 euros. After debating about what to do, we decided to pay and check into in order for us to feel secure, relaxed and able to enjoy our holiday.
on returning to the dolmen to check out- we informed the same receptionist of our intentions. she proceeded to speak to another member of staff who asked me what the problem was. i explained our situation and he asked me if we wanted him to check the availability of any rooms!! i explained that we were told earlier that there was no availability until the following day possibly and we had been told to come back then. he again asked if we wanted him to check for us and i explained that it was too late and we had decided to check into somewhere else- where we felt relaxed and safe in. he explained to me that i had already paid for the room-which i was aware of but i explained that i would rather pay somewhere else and feel safe than stay in the room we had been allocated. he could not say anymore really and at this point, we were given our key and checked out immediately.
i am extremely annoyed at having to do this but safety and welfare is of great paramount whilst holidaying in another country and especially for 2 females travelling together.i am also annoyed at the lack of concern from the female receptionist who simply told us to come back the following day and see if another room was available. We had saved for this holiday and we simply wanted to chill out and relax on our holiday. this was something we could not do at the dolmen and i am very annoyed at having to pay for the time that we did pay for. i expect that the hotel may not be too concerned about us checking out on the same day that we checked in and they may have got the room booked again( gaining more money).
we are now out of pocket for having to check into another hotel to feel safe there- something we did not feel in the dolmen. i am not they type of person to kick off and make a huge fuss anywhere- instead i prefer to try to make the situation better- even if it has to cost me financially. i would rather have the financial cost than feel uneasy in any situation.
i booked the dolmen hotel because of the pictures i have seen, compliments written about it and the fact that it was a 4 star hotel, which looked very appealing on its website. unfortunately, we do not feel that we received very good customer service and when a glimmer of it was shown, it was too late. i am looking for some kind of compensation for this inconvenience and the fact that i needed to check into another hotel to feel safe. i feel that it is very unfair that we were fobbed off at the dolmen as if our concerns, safety and welfare did not matter.
i am happy with the service i received from travel republic and have no complaints about booking another holiday with them. i will be e-mailing the hotel about this situation and hope that they understand and appreciate our concerns and annoyance at feeling that we had to move due to circumstances beyond our control

Advice: i love malta but wud not go back to the dolmen

Activities: the great wall of china- chinese restaurant/ smallts cafe-bar

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  • User Rating:
    4 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:Oct 2009
  • Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
  • Tour Operator:Booked Independently

" As expected For Malta "

This is a simple honest review of this Hotel. This is Malta and not the UK.
I am well travelled throughout the world with both work and pleasure and fed up with out of context reviews.
Having been to Malta several times 27 years ago we knew where the Dolmen was and probably what to expect. We were spot on.
We got a hotel that is typical of Malta. The attention to detail of the building and general standard of accomadation is lacking although exceptable. The same goes for virtually everything else. Quality of food was very good ( Wife in in the catering business). Presentation was good but not exceptional, food type was varied with 4 alternatives of malteses style. Not to everyones taste but your in Malta so eat Maltese food!!. Always found something we liked. Drink prices were reasonable for hotel of this type. Facilities were fine. Staff were exceptional in there helpfulness and presentation. Talk to the Maltese in the right way and they are among the friendliest in the world.
I do however agrre with one reviewer, If you arrive on a early flight your room will not be ready, this is not unusual. However no attempt to look after you is made. I have complained to both Thomas Cook and the Dolmen. I would normally expect free drinks and a room to change.
Basically if you want a well situated good value hotel and are prepared to be a bit Maltese in your food etc. This is for you. Swimming pools not good for non swimmers.
Suitable for:-
Couples who want a relaxed holiday in a good resort.
Not suitable for:-
Groups of teenagers after a wild time. ( But Malta isn't generally)
I intend to use this hotel again.

Advice: Not for 18-30 yearolds but nor any part of Malta

Activities: Comino, Midina, Gozo Fiestas

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  • User Rating:
    9 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:Aug 2009
  • Board Basis:Half Board
  • Tour Operator:Thomas Cook

" Dolmen Resort - NOT a 4 star "

Just returned from a holiday in Malta.Malta was beautiful, but unfortunately we cannot say the same about the Dolmen Resort Hotel.
When we arrived at 10.30 am very tired wanting to freshen up etc to be told our rooms were not ready until 14.00hr. This was the first of many disappointments.After waiting we returned to be told only 1 room was ready. After another hour wait we then went to our room, NO BALCONY, I requested we be moved immediately. The new room was, badly furnished, badly decorated, old and shabby (not what they advertise in the brochure as a standard room). There was no shower curtain in the bathroom. After 5 calls to reception, 3 visits from different maintainence workers we eventually got our shower curtain, which was old and torn. Here is a list of everything wrong with the Dolmen.
1. No porter service.
2. Ants in the bathroom.
3. Stained bedding.
4. Safe was not working.
5. Pool bar ran out of certain drinks.
6. Air conditioning very poor.
7. Ran out of internet cards(much to my daughters disappointment).
8. You were kicked off the pool area at 5.30pm due to a private function.This happended 3 times, 2 nights were consequetive.
9. Tables not set at breakfast, you had to do this yourself.
10. Reception toilets are disgusting, smelly, never any toilet role, paper towels all over floor.
11. Pool toilets disgusting, unclean and smelly.
12. Carpets in hallway old and torn.
13.Food was not good when there was a private function/BBQ.
Maid service is very good.
Malta is a beautiful place and should be visited, but please do not stay at the DOLMEN. You will be paying a lot of money to stay in a place that just does not live up to the star rating. We have stayed in better 2 star plus accommodation.

Advice: Not to be missed

Activities: Mosta, Valletta, marine park

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  • User Rating:
    3 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:Aug 2009
  • Board Basis:Half Board
  • Tour Operator:Booked Independently

" Chevron "

food poor,Service poor,Buffet was like a scrum, Beware they reserve tables for large groups 30% of dinning room for the full of service, this upset other guests & caused an argument one night when guests started shouting at the manager & removing the reserved signs we started to go out for dinner as this spolt our holiday.They also have private parties and move the guests from the pools early. sunbeds reserved for kids parties all day & you are told you can not us them by staff who stand on gaurd.Staff unhelp full, managers dont want to know. Rooms not 4 star alot are not refurnished,if you do not pay for sea view you will be on the bus route they start at 6AM & finish at 11PM & you do hear them. I would not recomend this hotel to any one.To expensive.The large groups are basket ball teams & school groups they caused havoc in the hotel & guests complained. We spoke to a maltese guest and he said it was the worst hotel he had ever stopped in but not to let it spoil our holiday it says somthing when even the locals are complaining.

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  • User Rating:
    4 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:Jul 2009
  • Board Basis:Half Board
  • Tour Operator:Booked Independently

" Disappointing "

Just returned from Malta (July) and stayed at the Dolmen. Our room had a restricted sea view and a balcony. The room was very tired and dated on the 3rd floor. Apparently the upper floors are re furbished and much better. I would have paid the extra for the 6th floor had I known this at the time of booking. Our main problem was the food. It was absolutely terribe and I would recommend only staying for bed/breakfast. It is all buffet style every day and not a very good standard at all. It spoilt our holiday as my husband could not eat much of it. Lovely position hotel and pool area very nice. Staff not very helpful at all. I would not recommend this Hoel and would certainly not say it is a four star standard.

Advice: Lovely area

Activities:

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  • User Rating:
    3 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:Jul 2009
  • Board Basis:Half Board
  • Tour Operator:Sunspot

" dolmen resort hotel "

ihaving read reviews about the dolmen resort hotel i wasnt sure what to expect i neednt have worried it deserves all of its 4 star rating plus. the rooms are luxurios room 505 had the most spectacular over the bay of st pauls,flat screen tv,mini fridge,hairdryer and the maid,who was very friendly,was excellent. the staff were effiecent and very welcoming.the swimming pools were cleaned everyday and the choice of food was amazing.the area outside the hotel was clean and well maintained.the hotel is close to beach,shops and bars and round the corner is buggiba bus station.i cannot wait to return to the dolmen hotel.excellent all round

Advice: very safe and welcoming

Activities: visit mdina,valleta and gozo

Good for: Beach 

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  • User Rating:
    10 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:May 2009
  • Board Basis:Half Board
  • Tour Operator:Booked Independently

" disappointment "

Thomas Cook Airline--crowded with little to no legroom. Hotel, particularly Room 591, allocated to us, would not rate even 2 star in Beirut! Furniture old, torn, stained and tired. Bathroom euipment certainly needing upgraded. Restaurant menus unappetising mostly and repetitive. Some rooms have been refurbished obviously but a CRT television of a type I discarded 15 years ago still able to function. although I had to lift it across the room to reach a suitable plug! If you still intend to book this hotel, I recommend only bed and breakfast. The addition cost for half board is high when considered against the really good selection and cheaper prices of small restaurants a few yards from the hotel.

Advice: Untidy, dusty, dangerous footpaths. Even more dangerous inconsiderate road users.

Activities:

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  • User Rating:
    2 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:May 2009
  • Board Basis:Half Board
  • Tour Operator:Thomas Cook

" Hotel was excellent - food above... "

Hotel was excellent - food above average . Management and staff very helpful . Service again above average . Spa and all pools within hotel grounds clean and well maintained. There is a tennis court which we didnt use . Malta is alittle more expensive since it has joined the E.U. but bus fares remain very cheap and eating out is still good value . Would certainly use this hotel again and would book with Travelrepublic - airport parking prebooked with Travelrepublic was very good value and was a very smooth transaction . Transfers - flights and hotel again all perfect.

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  • User Rating:
    10 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:Sep 2008
  • Board Basis:Half Board
  • Tour Operator:Travelrepublic

" As a middle aged couple, we have just... "

As a middle aged couple, we have just returned from a week at The Dolmen. Prior to going I had read reviews on here and didn't really know what to expect as the reviews were very mixed. We don't usually choose a hotel which is so big but we were very pleased with it.

It is called a Resort Hotel I guess as it is a resort in itself and really does have something for everyone from children straight through to adults.

There is a wonderful cafe bar where you can eat in or out around the pool. There is an upmarket restaurant, a restaurant right besides the sea with the most stunning views, a spa, an indoor pool, numerous outdoor pools, an entertainments room (this was done outside when we went), a wine bar, a nightclub and a casino. I am sure that I have forgotten something, oh yes and an ancient temple in the grounds!!!!!

We did book one of the superior rooms on the 6th floor. It was amazing and we had one of those tempur mattresses which you really did not want to get out of. The size of the room was exceptional and the balcony was almost as big as the room.

We booked this room as we wanted to ensure that we were at the top of the hotel and there are only superior rooms at the top. I do have to agree that some of the rooms on the other floors looked tired in comparison. What we always find is that a four star hotel in Malta is not as smart as one in say, Spain or Portugal.

The room was cleaned daily to a high standard and we could have fresh towels when we liked. There was a small mini bar in the room which was not overpriced but we took out all the hotel stuff and used or own and put our milk in there (and wine!) as we had tea making facilities. The air conditioning was very good, we really needed it as it was 30+ most days. It was also left on for us by the cleaners so that our room was cool when we returned. In many hotels it is switched off when you are not there.

The hotel encourages recycling and there are containers on each floor for bottles and newspapers.

The only downsides we could find is that with late entertainment etc and breakfast going on until late we were needing to sleep. The cleaners would knock on your door to clean your room quite early. Even when we made sure that the "do not disturb" sign was on, they were still very noisy in the corridors. In addition the hotel was full and there were often queues for breakfast.

The resort was heaving and that made hiring a car difficult and parking often a nightmare. The hotel has its own car park but there is a charge. If going in the summer my advice is to book a car before you go.

Qawra is a few minutes walk from the next town which is buzzing at night with lots of bars and restaurants through we didn't find the food, on the whole, very exciting.

I would recommend the hotel and would pay the extra for the superior room as it is well worth it.

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  • User Rating:
    8 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:Aug 2008
  • Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
  • Tour Operator:Malta Direct

" We have just returned from an... "

We have just returned from an excellent 2 week break at this hotel. We stayed in a junior suite, which was extremely spacious and modern in appearance, it had two bathrooms, 1 bedroom and would comfortably sleep 5 (there were 3 of us). The views were fabulous, the hotel facilities brilliant. Our 5 year old son loved the kids club, daily activities etc and so did we. I think the summer programme commences on 1 July (for activities etc). Excellent resort for those with younger families who want a hotel centred holiday. Our son took part in a mini Happy Feet musical staged by the fabulous Animation team, I think the adults enjoyed watching it more than the children who were taking part. Guests were a good mix of British, Irish, French, Scandanavian, Spanish, Italian and German.

Good range of other facilities, sea front bathing area more suited for adults with direct access into sea, beauty spa, Amazonia club etc.

We also visited Gozo (a must, the ink blue sea around the Azure window is very beautiful), and the Popeye Village (I would give the latter a miss next time round!).

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  • User Rating:
    9 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:Jul 2008
  • Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
  • Tour Operator:Chevron

" In February I booked a 1 week holiday... "

In February I booked a 1 week holiday at the Dolmen Resort from 11 - 18 June. Having previously had 2 enjoyable stays at this hotel I was really looking forward returning. However, I arrived just after midnight to find that they had given my room to someone else and arranged for me to stay at another hotel for the night. Needless to say this hotel was awful. As a 78 year old woman travelling alone I was really really upset about this treatment. I was not allowed to check into the Dolmen until 2pm the following day and the management were not at all apologetic. This totally ruined my holiday and although I have emailed them twice to see if they would apologise they do not even bother to respond. They really don't seem to value their customers at all.

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  • User Rating:
    5 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:Jun 2008
  • Board Basis:Half Board
  • Tour Operator:Booked Independently

" This has to be the worst hotel by far... "

This has to be the worst hotel by far for choice of food. As a very well travelled person, and well aqauaint with 4 star accommadation, I have to seriously query the standard of this hotel. The rooms are dated, the bathrooms are small, and very outdated and tired looking. The choice of food has to be the worst thing about this hotel. As we were half board, we expected the choice of food to be of an edible standard. There are only 3 choices of main course for evening meal and 2 choices of sweets. If you want soup, then there is the take it or leave it choice! Cheese and biscuits are available, but again, 2 cheeses and only the one kind of biscuit. I would not recommend this hotel on a half board basis, but if you just want somewhere to sleep, and that is central for everything, then this is ideal. It is spacious with plenty of sunbathing places, and plenty of beds...no having to get up and lay your towels to reserve a bed. The entertainment is very limited and not at all like the brochure suggests. On the whole, I would rate this hotel 2 star for food, and 3 star for rooms but 5 star for location. Take a picnic with you if you want to eat at this hotel as the word "diabolical" springs to mind. I write this as a qualified mystery shopper. (23 years experience)

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  • User Rating:
    1 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:Jun 2008
  • Board Basis:Half Board
  • Tour Operator:Thomas Cook

" we have been to malta 5 times but... "

we have been to malta 5 times but last year we stayed at the dolmen in jul we had a nice time the food was a1. The staff was very helpful the adccommodation was very clean allround. Hope to go back soon ie 08. Things to do in the dolmen was loads kids club pools x4 disco bars good entertainment most nights .Out and about loads of bars and food places the weather was very hot 90s most days. The dolmen is a 4 star and should be a 5 star the maltese people are very nice. the veiw from the dolmen is very stunning

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  • User Rating:
    10 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:Jul 2007
  • Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
  • Tour Operator:xl.com

" We arrived excited and hoping for a... "

We arrived excited and hoping for a relaxing Autumn break in Malta. We booked 7 nights B&B at the Dolmen after researching the various hotels on this and other review sites.

We arrived at the hotel at 22:30 at night along with three other couples who were on our flight. On our arrival we were greeted by the hotel staff in what is without a doubt a beautiful hotel - The Dolmen.

We were all told that there had been some overbooking and we were to be moved to the Sunshine Hotel for the first four nights, to return to the Dolmen on the Sunday night for the remaining three nights of our stay. We were all tired and did not put up much of a fight as we were assured that the Sunshine was the same standard as the Dolmen. Needless to say the Sunshine is listed as a four star, but is old, run down and in need of renovation (2-3 Star at best).

I am not a "Holiday Snob" by any means - but I do (like anyone else) expect to get what I have researched and paid for. We returned to the Dolmen the first morning of the holiday and when I explained that we had booked the Dolmen and not the Sunshine - the attitude of the manager and staff was "we are double booked and have placed you in a four star hotel". They would not be budged and we remained at the Sunshine.

When we did get into the Dolmen for the last three nights it was as fantastic as we had researched and I would happily go back there time and again as the location and facilities are great. However given the way we were messed around and relocated I would not risk it again.

I have rated the holiday overall a 2 out of 10 and this is based on our poor experience as stated above - it really did ruin what could have been a perfect holiday. If I had been at the Dolmen for the whole week I have no doubt I would have graded it a 9 out 10.

Please be warned - this is a fantastic hotel and reasonable in price - but you DO run a BIG risk of ending up in the Sunshine that I would rate no more than a 2-3 star hotel at best.

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  • User Rating:
    2 / 10
  • Date of Holiday:Sep 2007
  • Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
  • Tour Operator:Teletext
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