Santana Hotel, Qawra, Malta
Hotel Information
Recent Price: £43
Hotel Class:
Hotel Description:
Hotel Santana is located in the Northern part of the island, on the Qawra peninsula, at the St. Pauls Bay seaside resort, two minutes walk from a 2.5 km stretch of promenade. Qawra hosts a number of shops, supermarkets, restaurants, bars, a cinema and a casino as well as a vast array of water sport facilities. This popular resort offers easy access to the rest of the island, with a bus terminus situated just 5 minutes walk from the Hotel offering direct bus rides to all parts of the island. loading...
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Santana Hotel Reviews
" satisfactory "
Submitted By: Mikexyz
I found the hotel to be clean if a little tired. The room I had suited me because I had a (small) balcony which received sunshine in the afternoon. The rooms at the back of the hotel didn't get any,were very dark and looked out on what is well on the way to being a rubbish dump (old mattress,chair,weeds etc). The staff were excellent and very friendly and the meals were quite good if a little bit repetitious but I suppose you must expect that if you stay for a month as I did.
The entertainment left a lot to be desired in the evenings except for Wednesdays and Fridays when Tony and Miriam ran their Karaoke. They were a really friendly couple who managed to get people up to sing who had never done it before (myself included).
The entertainment left a lot to be desired in the evenings except for Wednesdays and Fridays when Tony and Miriam ran their Karaoke. They were a really friendly couple who managed to get people up to sing who had never done it before (myself included).
Advice: Liked Qawra Plenty of shops without being busy
Activities:
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- Date of Holiday:Feb 2009
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:chevron
" santana hotel malta "
Submitted By: glensyl
we stayed at the santana in february this year we found the staff very friendly and helpfull nothing was to much trouble for them we stayed in room number 245 it was very clean but one of the beds was very squeaky i went down to the reception to report it and before i got back to the room they had changed it there is no problem if you report it instead of moaning about it we found the food in the resturant very good if you want a evening dinner you can buy a ticket at reception it is cheaper to buy four meals at once which you can use any time you want, the carpets in the passages made it quieter in the rooms you could not hear people walking past,we really enjoyed or stay at the santana and would go there again,we also made a lot of new friends there the indoor pool and jacuzzi were nice but a little bit cold at times
Advice: it is easy to get a bus to anywhere on the island.
Activities: we visited the mosta dome it was very interesting to hear the history about it
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- Date of Holiday:Feb 2009
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" Not 4* hotel "
Submitted By: abigailsnan
We have just returned from spending the new year in the Santana hotel, it was a last minute booking as we just wanted to escape the cold british weather.
We stayed for a week on half board, the hotel is well situtated, a few minutes from the bus terminus, from which you can travel all over Malta. There are quite a few local bars to drink in, we mainly went to Diana's.
The food was very good on new years eve/day, great choice plus there was a carvery, the hotel was packed due to local people staying.
On the 2nd Jan, the food went down hill, on our last morning there was chips for breakfast as well as the normal menu. I did miss fresh veg, the latter part of week was soggy frozen veg.
We were on the 4th floor 437, this room needed decoating, one of the ceiling tiles was damaged above the bed, the carpet was badly stained also the bathroom albeit huge, it was cold and above the toilet on the ceiling mould was growing, also bath badly stained.
My husband did'nt want to change rooms, so we stayed. But I have been to Malta 4 times and have stayed in The Coastline and The Pergola, they are what you call 4*, but we choose this hotel as it was central as I can'nt walk very far.
In all I suppose the hotel was very clean, staff very friendly, but would'nt stay again.
Tip: Book a 5* to get a 4* in Malta
We stayed for a week on half board, the hotel is well situtated, a few minutes from the bus terminus, from which you can travel all over Malta. There are quite a few local bars to drink in, we mainly went to Diana's.
The food was very good on new years eve/day, great choice plus there was a carvery, the hotel was packed due to local people staying.
On the 2nd Jan, the food went down hill, on our last morning there was chips for breakfast as well as the normal menu. I did miss fresh veg, the latter part of week was soggy frozen veg.
We were on the 4th floor 437, this room needed decoating, one of the ceiling tiles was damaged above the bed, the carpet was badly stained also the bathroom albeit huge, it was cold and above the toilet on the ceiling mould was growing, also bath badly stained.
My husband did'nt want to change rooms, so we stayed. But I have been to Malta 4 times and have stayed in The Coastline and The Pergola, they are what you call 4*, but we choose this hotel as it was central as I can'nt walk very far.
In all I suppose the hotel was very clean, staff very friendly, but would'nt stay again.
Tip: Book a 5* to get a 4* in Malta
Advice: Plenty of bars, lovely walk along the sea front, would stay in Qawra again
Activities: Valetta and Midina
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- Date of Holiday:Dec 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" Were we just unlucky? "
Submitted By: mervwadding
We arrived at 5am in the morning and were given room 031,we were pleased that there was a 24 hour bar available, so we just dropped our things and had a nightcap before we crashed out. We planned to miss breakfast but with the help from the lift next to the room going bing bong every couple of minutes, the noise from the clattering of plates in the dining room below and the people traffic passing in the corridor, we actually made it. It was by far the noisiest room I have ever stayed in, we were able to move rooms a couple of day's later. We stayed for two weeks and to be perfectly honest the food was average, warm at times, they had the same weekly menu for the two weeks. This may have been down to the fact that it was October and that the room rates are slightly lower.
We had a bulb blow in the bathroom which I reported, it was eventually replaced on the third day when I unscrewed the bulb and took it to reception. that was the downside of things on the upside the staff were very nice,the standard of cleaning good and linen clean.
Beware of the Holiday Club touts they strike with guile and deception, Quote:
"I can't believe it you have won a dream holiday and this only happens every couple of month's" There are now 365 months in a day.
We had some great evening's out, get to Simon's bar for Elvis night, but you have to book also there is the Rose in Crown (although the sign looks more like Rose in Grown), which has just been taken over by the brothers Massimo and Jonathan, this is a great value, clean and friendly place. They have a very good karaoke set-up every day of the week, a quiz on a Wednesday and another very good Elvis show on the Friday. If you are lucky enough to have a meal cooked for you by Jonathan, you will be in for a truly wonderful experience(Tell him Merv sent me)and they are open later than most of the other bars.
Have a good one
We had a bulb blow in the bathroom which I reported, it was eventually replaced on the third day when I unscrewed the bulb and took it to reception. that was the downside of things on the upside the staff were very nice,the standard of cleaning good and linen clean.
Beware of the Holiday Club touts they strike with guile and deception, Quote:
"I can't believe it you have won a dream holiday and this only happens every couple of month's" There are now 365 months in a day.
We had some great evening's out, get to Simon's bar for Elvis night, but you have to book also there is the Rose in Crown (although the sign looks more like Rose in Grown), which has just been taken over by the brothers Massimo and Jonathan, this is a great value, clean and friendly place. They have a very good karaoke set-up every day of the week, a quiz on a Wednesday and another very good Elvis show on the Friday. If you are lucky enough to have a meal cooked for you by Jonathan, you will be in for a truly wonderful experience(Tell him Merv sent me)and they are open later than most of the other bars.
Have a good one
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- Date of Holiday:Oct 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Other - Please Specify
" Me and my girlfriend visited the... "
Submitted By: Mr M TAYLOR
Me and my girlfriend visited the Santana on 2nd July 08. This was our first visit to Malta and we enjoyed it. Although we're in our mid 20's and early 30's we were looking for a chilled wekk and weren't dissapointed. It cost us £560 for a week's b&b, flights from Gatwick and transfer from the airport which was outstanding value.
If you haven't been before you will be very impressed with how quickly it takes to get out of the airport once you arrive. No messing around, straight into a big, aircoditioned taxi. The Santana is around 30 min drive from the airport.
Once arriving at the hotel I was impressed with the general look of the place. A lot of the buildings in Malta look very shabby and unstable. Breakfeast was FANTASTIC! I'm a veggie and to have fried potatoes and baked beans is not somethig i'm used to having abroad so i was a happy bunny. The selection available was fantastic.
The rooms were clean and sufficient. Our balcony was facing the back but the view isn't as bad as some make out on this web-site (what do people expect??) Roof top swimming pool was excellent. I strongly recommend going up there in the evening with a (hidden) bottle of wine to watch the sun go down!
The only complaint I would have with the hotel is that u cannot leave your electricity on when leaving the room whch means water (and more importantly wine!) dones t get time to cool. One way round this is to go to the Supermarket (opposite and to the left) of the Santana, pick up a 1.5 liter of wine (about £2) and hide it under the frozen food. Return 30 imns later and purchase. Classic.
The bars around Qwara are ok. Karioki a bit too much every night though! We founds Diana's bar to be very friendly.
All and all good value, would defo recommend.
If you haven't been before you will be very impressed with how quickly it takes to get out of the airport once you arrive. No messing around, straight into a big, aircoditioned taxi. The Santana is around 30 min drive from the airport.
Once arriving at the hotel I was impressed with the general look of the place. A lot of the buildings in Malta look very shabby and unstable. Breakfeast was FANTASTIC! I'm a veggie and to have fried potatoes and baked beans is not somethig i'm used to having abroad so i was a happy bunny. The selection available was fantastic.
The rooms were clean and sufficient. Our balcony was facing the back but the view isn't as bad as some make out on this web-site (what do people expect??) Roof top swimming pool was excellent. I strongly recommend going up there in the evening with a (hidden) bottle of wine to watch the sun go down!
The only complaint I would have with the hotel is that u cannot leave your electricity on when leaving the room whch means water (and more importantly wine!) dones t get time to cool. One way round this is to go to the Supermarket (opposite and to the left) of the Santana, pick up a 1.5 liter of wine (about £2) and hide it under the frozen food. Return 30 imns later and purchase. Classic.
The bars around Qwara are ok. Karioki a bit too much every night though! We founds Diana's bar to be very friendly.
All and all good value, would defo recommend.
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2008
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:Teletext
" arrived at the palm court knew it was... "
Submitted By: Mrs M Downer
arrived at the palm court knew it was going to be basic but thats being nice moved to santana GREAT it was everything palm court wasnt!!!!
food was nice,room clean,pool clean. overall had a great time would stay there again!!!
food was nice,room clean,pool clean. overall had a great time would stay there again!!!
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Malta Bargains
" We spent a week in Santana hotel. Our... "
Submitted By: Mrs B Howes
We spent a week in Santana hotel. Our first three days were not great as it was windy, and as the pool is 6 floors up it can be a bit cold! However when the weather was good the pool was fine.
There are quite a few restaurants around, some on the same road as the hotel and others about 10/15 mins away. Although its not really really busy.
The room was fairly small but nice, the beds were made daily. The shower was brilliant, hot and powerful for a change! We had breakfast which was ok, there was a big selection. But cereals and toast was best.
The nearest beach is just rocks and not very nice. We went to mellieha bay one day but it did not live up to the hype. There was a lot of water sports going on and so we had to keep moving to avoid things coming to close! The rest of our time we spent at golden bay, which is lovely. You can hire chairs and umbrellas there too. Its only about 15 mins on the bus.
The bus terminal is at the end of the road from the hotel. It is best to buy a weekly ticket if you are getting buses daily. It saves on hassle and works out cheaper.
Overall Santana Hotel was nice and comfortable, no real complaints.
There are quite a few restaurants around, some on the same road as the hotel and others about 10/15 mins away. Although its not really really busy.
The room was fairly small but nice, the beds were made daily. The shower was brilliant, hot and powerful for a change! We had breakfast which was ok, there was a big selection. But cereals and toast was best.
The nearest beach is just rocks and not very nice. We went to mellieha bay one day but it did not live up to the hype. There was a lot of water sports going on and so we had to keep moving to avoid things coming to close! The rest of our time we spent at golden bay, which is lovely. You can hire chairs and umbrellas there too. Its only about 15 mins on the bus.
The bus terminal is at the end of the road from the hotel. It is best to buy a weekly ticket if you are getting buses daily. It saves on hassle and works out cheaper.
Overall Santana Hotel was nice and comfortable, no real complaints.
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- Date of Holiday:May 2008
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" Anyone who expects a four star hotel... "
Submitted By: Mrs H Dunkerley
Anyone who expects a four star hotel will be disappointed! This is certainly not four star - we had a look round the Qawra Palace further down the road, which is also four star, and there is no comparison! On arrival we were given a standard double room on the fourth floor at the back of the hotel - our view was a dilapidated building on one side and waste ground down below (on which had been dumped various items of rubbish). The room was adequate, if a little cramped, for two people but there were a number of small things which you do not expect to see in a four star hotel - the white curtains leading on to the balcony were dirty, a light fitting was missing in the passageway leading to the front door, plastic stool in bathroom was stained, handle on the hairdryer was dirty and sticky - all these make for a bad impression. The balcony of our room did not see any sun all week due to where we were situated - as the weather was pretty miserable it was a bit gloomy! On the plus side the restaurant is nice and the food is good - there is plenty of variety. The staff on the whole are pleasant and friendly and the hotel is in a good position - just around the corner from the bus station and plenty of good restaurants and pubs in the vicinity. We would recommend the Overflow restaurant just a few blocks down - the food and service there are excellent! We have stayed in other four star accommodation in various resorts and the Santana is by far the worst!
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- Date of Holiday:May 2008
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" My husband and I have just returned... "
Submitted By: Mrs M White
My husband and I have just returned from a 10 night holiday in this hotel.and would recommend it to any one wanting a great value for money holiday in Malta,The hotel is very well placed for the buses and shops. Is very clean and the food and service of the staff was exceptional.
Close by are a number of pubs offering different types of entertainment.
We have been to Malta many times and found this hotel one of the best we have stayed in .We would certainly go again.
We are in our sixties and would love to live in this area od Malta
Mr and Mrs L.E @ M White
Close by are a number of pubs offering different types of entertainment.
We have been to Malta many times and found this hotel one of the best we have stayed in .We would certainly go again.
We are in our sixties and would love to live in this area od Malta
Mr and Mrs L.E @ M White
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- Date of Holiday:May 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Sheveron
" Spent a week with my 10 year old... "
Submitted By: Mrs S Jacks
Spent a week with my 10 year old daughter here. Returned yesterday. Found the hotel very clean, comfortable and welcoming. Our room (227) was one of the largest we saw. It was a Superior room with a functional kitchenette (including fridge ,small oven, sink, 2-ring stove and utensils). The room was very large and airy, with a large sofa bed as well as 2 beds and a dining area. The balcony overlooked the town and car park, but it was quite entertaining watching the world go by. The TV also gets a couple of English channels (inc. BBC Prime), but you can pay to have a number of other channels. We didn't bother as we were out and about most of the time.
We ate in the Hotel trattoria (La Mentha) one night, and had a 30% discount off our meal. it was very good value. My daughter loved the meal in the Great Wall Of China (just down the road on the left), it was tasty and only 8euros for a choice of 3 courses.
The bus terminal is literally a minute down the road. Turn right out of the hotel and walk down the road. As we used buses more than once a day it was worth buying the weekly ticket (13euros). Single fares for all journeys are 1.16euros, as they are direct routes. There is no need to use the official tourist bus (opposite the Hotel), as it is easy to read the timetable and get around on the buses yourself. We have visited Malta twice before and I noticed that there were a lot of quite new buses around - but there were still plenty of old classics to give us a bumpy ride!
We went out to all the main attractions, but my favourite was Rabat/Mdina and a trip down into the catacombs of St Agatha. It was full of interesting artefacts and some great skeletons and assorted bones. Great for a child that does not scare easily.
Plenty of small supermarkets (2 next door to the hotel), but the only supermarket we found open on a Sunday was in the Mellieha Bay Holiday complex. The bus goes to Mellieha Bay (beach is quite nice, and snack bars are good for lunch) and the holiday village is on the left. We bought our provisions and had a swim in their very nice outdoor pool.
The facilities at the hotel are fine - the indoor pool is quite small but was warm and we found it was not very busy in the mornings. The rooftop pool opened on the day before we came home (18th April). This was lovely, as there were a number of sun loungers around the sun deck too. Some are a bit creaky, but it is surprising how much weight they can hold!
Breakfast was varied and plentiful - the hot buffet was actually hot(not lukewarm!) and I loved the porridge! Everywhere we went was clean and all the staff were friendly. Absolutely no complaints at all. My hairdryer was broken, but was fixed within ten minutes.
If you fancy a pamper there are lots of beauty treatments available - I had a very good facial and it was much cheaper than in England. In the Canoa bar there was entertainment (of sorts!), but I must say we played bingo and won 3 times! I would recommend borrowing the Lonely Planet guide from the library(or buying it if you are visiting again!). It was full of very useful info.
If you are travelling with children it is worth noting that everywhere (inc buses) charge full price for children aged 10 and over. Many of the signs say that a child is aged 3-10 but if you admit to having a ten year old then you will be charged in full!
If you have not been to Malta before, be prepared to find it quite shabby and run down in places - it is not a typical Med. island. However there are many beautiful places, and the people are very friendly. The weather was warm (up to 28 degrees), but take a jacket as there is often a breeze even in Summer.
On the whole I was very pleased with this Hotel, and would definitely stay here again.
We ate in the Hotel trattoria (La Mentha) one night, and had a 30% discount off our meal. it was very good value. My daughter loved the meal in the Great Wall Of China (just down the road on the left), it was tasty and only 8euros for a choice of 3 courses.
The bus terminal is literally a minute down the road. Turn right out of the hotel and walk down the road. As we used buses more than once a day it was worth buying the weekly ticket (13euros). Single fares for all journeys are 1.16euros, as they are direct routes. There is no need to use the official tourist bus (opposite the Hotel), as it is easy to read the timetable and get around on the buses yourself. We have visited Malta twice before and I noticed that there were a lot of quite new buses around - but there were still plenty of old classics to give us a bumpy ride!
We went out to all the main attractions, but my favourite was Rabat/Mdina and a trip down into the catacombs of St Agatha. It was full of interesting artefacts and some great skeletons and assorted bones. Great for a child that does not scare easily.
Plenty of small supermarkets (2 next door to the hotel), but the only supermarket we found open on a Sunday was in the Mellieha Bay Holiday complex. The bus goes to Mellieha Bay (beach is quite nice, and snack bars are good for lunch) and the holiday village is on the left. We bought our provisions and had a swim in their very nice outdoor pool.
The facilities at the hotel are fine - the indoor pool is quite small but was warm and we found it was not very busy in the mornings. The rooftop pool opened on the day before we came home (18th April). This was lovely, as there were a number of sun loungers around the sun deck too. Some are a bit creaky, but it is surprising how much weight they can hold!
Breakfast was varied and plentiful - the hot buffet was actually hot(not lukewarm!) and I loved the porridge! Everywhere we went was clean and all the staff were friendly. Absolutely no complaints at all. My hairdryer was broken, but was fixed within ten minutes.
If you fancy a pamper there are lots of beauty treatments available - I had a very good facial and it was much cheaper than in England. In the Canoa bar there was entertainment (of sorts!), but I must say we played bingo and won 3 times! I would recommend borrowing the Lonely Planet guide from the library(or buying it if you are visiting again!). It was full of very useful info.
If you are travelling with children it is worth noting that everywhere (inc buses) charge full price for children aged 10 and over. Many of the signs say that a child is aged 3-10 but if you admit to having a ten year old then you will be charged in full!
If you have not been to Malta before, be prepared to find it quite shabby and run down in places - it is not a typical Med. island. However there are many beautiful places, and the people are very friendly. The weather was warm (up to 28 degrees), but take a jacket as there is often a breeze even in Summer.
On the whole I was very pleased with this Hotel, and would definitely stay here again.
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- Date of Holiday:Apr 2008
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" fantastic hotel,( moved here from the... "
Submitted By: Ms J Reid
fantastic hotel,( moved here from the nightmare palm court)the santana could not be faulted, friendly staff, clean warm rooms, lovely pool,spa treatments brilliant and the food was lovely! great variety, lots to do and see around malta only problem was the weather rained most of the week, will be back when it is nice and sunny.
went here with my grandaughters aged10 and 12 who greatly enjoyed the indoor and outdoor pools, first time in malta for them popeyes village was great place to visit along with marine land which is just along the road, bus drivers a bit crazy but were all very helpful and went out of their way to ensure we got off nearest to where we were going even turnig back one day when we missed our stop. Day out at the Mdina and the dungeons was very educational, second visit for myself and will not be the last.
went here with my grandaughters aged10 and 12 who greatly enjoyed the indoor and outdoor pools, first time in malta for them popeyes village was great place to visit along with marine land which is just along the road, bus drivers a bit crazy but were all very helpful and went out of their way to ensure we got off nearest to where we were going even turnig back one day when we missed our stop. Day out at the Mdina and the dungeons was very educational, second visit for myself and will not be the last.
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- Date of Holiday:Oct 2007
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Malta Bargains
" We moved to the Santana from the Palm... "
Submitted By: Mr D Jarvis
We moved to the Santana from the Palm Court, what a lovely hotel. It was like going from a Charles Dickens novel into a swish palace.
The rooms were bright and clean, the food and restaurant was first rate, the staff were most helpful and the week was in general a first rate experience.
The hotel is well located being close to the local bus station, handy for both bays and convenient for the local shops. The walk along the new promenade is really a delight.
The room was cleaned everyday and we would return tomorrow without any worries.
The rooms were bright and clean, the food and restaurant was first rate, the staff were most helpful and the week was in general a first rate experience.
The hotel is well located being close to the local bus station, handy for both bays and convenient for the local shops. The walk along the new promenade is really a delight.
The room was cleaned everyday and we would return tomorrow without any worries.
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- Date of Holiday:Oct 2007
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Select
" Very good value hotel, pleasant... "
Submitted By: Mrs A Johnson
Very good value hotel, pleasant colonial feel, absolutely spotless.
Dining room very nice, tastefully decorated, food excellent great choice well cooked. Everywhere was serviced well by very nice helpful staff.
Roof pool could have been better serviced and sunbeds updated, although still September a lot of the bars were closed within the hotel itself.
Bathrooms could have a better shower system, but quite usable. Rooms kept very clean, towels replaced everyday.
All in all very impressed for the money and would book again, but not late September. Found the whole resort had stopped a lot of the evening entertainment and switched to TV football as a substitute, most disappointing.
First visit to Malta and will not hopefully be our last.
Dining room very nice, tastefully decorated, food excellent great choice well cooked. Everywhere was serviced well by very nice helpful staff.
Roof pool could have been better serviced and sunbeds updated, although still September a lot of the bars were closed within the hotel itself.
Bathrooms could have a better shower system, but quite usable. Rooms kept very clean, towels replaced everyday.
All in all very impressed for the money and would book again, but not late September. Found the whole resort had stopped a lot of the evening entertainment and switched to TV football as a substitute, most disappointing.
First visit to Malta and will not hopefully be our last.
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- Date of Holiday:Sep 2007
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Malta Bargains
" I read the comments on this website... "
Submitted By: Mrs O Nicholson
I read the comments on this website before booking our hotels in Malta and we weren't disappointed. The room was clean and the staff extremely pleasant and helpful.
We asked for a quiet room and that's exactly what we got. I would definitely stay at the Santana again. It is very close to the bus station which suited us as we wanted to explore the island.
The breakfast was good with plenty of choice. We chose to eat out of the hotel in the evening, but usually ended the evening back at the hotel for a last drink (or two).
We asked for a quiet room and that's exactly what we got. I would definitely stay at the Santana again. It is very close to the bus station which suited us as we wanted to explore the island.
The breakfast was good with plenty of choice. We chose to eat out of the hotel in the evening, but usually ended the evening back at the hotel for a last drink (or two).
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- Date of Holiday:Sep 2007
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:Travel Republic
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I cannot wait to go back and celebrate my first year of wedded bliss next year!!!
Thanks for making it such a memorable time for us.
Advice: Yes the shops are nearby and lots of bars to hand
Activities: The splash and fun is a good place to go, and go the Karoke bar next to hotel its good fun.
Good for: Beach