Paradise Bay Hotel

We have just come back from a week at the pardise bay hotel and had a fantastic time, true there is nothing else around there but my children(6 & 4) were so tired by the evening after a day on the private beach jumping off the jetty and digging that it didn't matter. The beach was safe, small so they couldn't get lost, you can see them the all the time as its a private beach all the friends they made were there everyday. We didn't encounter any problems with the locals. The pools were never crowded and even if you arrived at pool mid afternoon you could get a lounger. The room did need updating but we only slept in it! food was fine and had no complaints from the kids . I am ashamed to say that we didn't see that much of Malta as kids happy on beach, if their happy, lifes a lot easier! We did go speed boat trip from the beach which was great and to Gozo, beware of gozoian(?) taxi drivers offering to take you to the capital for a £1 they WILL try and take you on a tour, catch the bus. Would remomend the hotel for a relaxing chill out holiday which was just what we wanted after a weeks camping in the rain in Norfolk!

Our 10th wedding anniversary for the first time without the kids. Firstly, depending on what you expect from a holiday, The rooms are NOT 4 star according to our standards or British standards. This is more like a 2* BUT JUST THE ROOM. In 1974 when this hotel opened Im sure it was 4* standard but 30 years later the rooms are dated and dreary. If all you want is a base to explore the wonderfull Island of malta Fine, because the rooms are cleaned daily,spacious and good view overlooking paradise bay ( Dont forget to find paradise beach which is behind the hotel across the bay) NOT in front the underpass belonging to the hotel.That is a beach must to go!. The resturant was well decorated and to 4* standard lots of variety and fruit when we went. The food was excellent! I would recommend this hotel for couples who want an unique expierience. Hire a viechle, use the ferry visit Gozo, travel around Malta to expeirience this unbelievable historic expierience. The Malteese are the warmest friendliest people you could ever wish to meet. If you make the time to chat to a local in the bar, they will tell you their history, where to go what to see, the best restaurants they all speak english and are all approchable. Beware of the roads, the memorials at the road sides says it all all. They are a deeply religious and modest country with morals and cathedarals chapels etc NOT TO BE MISSED I wouldnt personally take my young children there but will definatly return in 10 years to celebrate our 20th as we like to travel all over but this is an Island we will return to with our kids when they are teenagers for the history and culture I hope by then it doesn't change. This was a wonderfull second honeymoon.

My wife & I have just returned home & cannot speak highly enough of this hotel. We had a superior bay view room & spent 2 glorious weeks waking each morning looking out at the sea & the beautiful views over the bay. The food cannot be faulted with a wide choice catering for all tastes be it roast duck or beef to vegetarian or pasta or burger & chips for the kids & as for the sweets, well they have to be tasted to be believed. The staff are friendly & helpful & the atmosphere is relaxed & welcoming. True there is little or no nightlife but if thats what you want there are plenty of other places on Malta that cater for the more noctrnal. If you are looking for a fornight of relaxation with that little extra then this is the place to go. We will certainly be going back next year & hopefully for many more years to come.

We booked the holiday expecting a 4 star hotel. Unfortunately the Paradise Bay does not live up to this, 2 star possibly. The rooms although large are very shabby - whats the phrase tired! The bathrooms were also tired. Facilities in the hotel were more like the end of season at Scarborough. The pools although sea water were good but are spoiled by the large number of locals who use the pool and restaurant facilities each day. The restaurant standard was Ok but the food was once again not four star standard. Staff were friendly and helpful, but the one request we made for ajoining rooms (when we booked the holiday in Feb 2005) was ignored, in fact the first night we had rooms at opposite ends of the hotel, distressing for the whole family. There was little else at paradise bay except the Gozo ferry. This made a nice trip out, but Gozo is shut on a Sunday - the day we choose to go! The island of Malta has huge potential but I think the whole family agree that everything we went to although fair was hugely over rated in its advertisements.

My 2 boys and I have just come back from a wonderful two weeks staying at this hotel. It is iscolated, but that is just what we wanted. If you want to be surrounded by night life you would book somewhere in a village. The staff were lovely, very friendly and helpful and give us directions etc if we wanted them when we went out. (very helpful Malta's road signs are not the easiest in the world to follow). All the guests were very friendly, which was lovely as my children made so many friends I would have been on my own each evening. The boys loved the games room and if any machines swallowed there money the staff on reception would always assist them. The shop, (which might as one report said be more expensive than in other parts of malta was great, (i find you always pay more at a local shop than in a town and it would cost in petrol to go an get it anyway) and had a supply of biscuits etc to keep my children going between meals and very reasonable prices. The pools were lovely and never over crowded we always managed to get three sunbeds together, even when the hotel was full of locals. The room was lovely, if english terms the bathroom could have been updated in colour but we were not in england. and from the pictures on this site I would have expected the hotel to be a dump. The picture of the wall is at the far end of the hotel and taken from a place that no one goes to. I had to go looking for it. The food was good. I would have liked to see more fruit and salad but that is personal choice. All in all a lovely hotel, I cant see us going back as we have seen a lot of Malta and want to explore elsewhere, but I would recommend it to friends

We've stayed at the Paradise Bay twice, in late Oct./early Nov. 2003 and 2004. The first time we went there on the advice of the tour operator - we told them what we wanted in a hotel (quiet family place, near beach etc), they recommended the Paradise Bay and as far as we were concerned they came up trumps. Some of the rooms are very outdated but they are functional and kept beautifully clean. As another contributor has remarked, the rooms are being updated gradually, and those in the new wing are already modern. Basically all you do is sleep and shower there, the rest of time you're outside sightseeing, swimming or sunbathing. The maids are lovely, as are most of the staff, especially Joseph and his team of chefs, who have been unfailingly helpful where my children's serious food allergy is concerned. Yes, a couple of the staff are rude or snotty - so what? You get that in any hotel. The food is fantastic, a huge choice, always freshly cooked and beautifully prepared. They are also trying to take on board guests' comments - when we went in 2003 a lot of people complained about the lack of fresh fruit; in 2004 it was available much more readily. Previous contributors have complained about the number of locals who use the facilities. This is because the hotel advertises itself as a weekend break hotel for the Maltese. Why not? It's a big hotel and has to keep running during the off-season? The Maltese are paying to use the facilities just as other guests are. We've always found them to be really friendly, always ready for a chat. My children have made friends with the Maltese kids and had a wonderful time playing in the pools. There's just as much chance of meeting unpleasant, unsociable holidaymakers that you wish weren't staying at the same hotel, and at least the Maltese are usually only there for 2-3 days. The pools are kept spotlessly clean. In 2004 the indoor pool was being refurbished during our stay. Luckily it was warm enough to swim outside. The hotel organises children's entertainment during the peak season. I don't know what this is like because it has stopped by October, but the watersports facilities and boat trips that the hotel runs from the beach are great. Also in 2003 people complained the hotel beach was dirty, and I would agree. Again the hotel has acted on this, it was much cleaner in 2004. Yes, the hotel shop is expensive, but if you need to buy much you can always get the bus to Mellieha for a few pence and shop in the Danish supermarket there. People seem to forget that Malta has to import almost everything, especially in the way of foodstuffs. The island is too hot and dry to grow much produce, hence the lack of fruit on the hotel menu. I agree the hotel is somewhat remote, but if you hire a car you can get around easily, and travel by bus is convenient and cheap. If you want exotic nightlife, lots of clubs, bars and restaurants, go to Sliema/Bugibba/St Julians. My kids (4 and 9) love Malta and the Paradise Bay hotel and are devastated we're not going back this year. Make up your own minds, but given what I've heard about some other hotels in Malta (on this forum and from guests at the PB), I'd give the PB a try! Sagittarius

we arrived feb 15,2005 for a one week break,the wife and l,are season travellers.it was our first time to malta.we loved every moment of our stay.as usual we arrived late at night.we were given an excellent room,large room.the hotel staff were very helpful.the food was very good,a good choice of food as well.as this was our first time to malta.we went on trips most days.the nights we spent in the hotel we made a lot of friends,we would recommend this hotel.we liked malta so much we are returning,in april this same year.we are going to sliema,hopefully we will find as good as hotel in sliema as the paradise bay hotel.

we love the hotel, we got married there in 2003, it was beautiful day the people cant help you enough, weve been back since and enjoyed every minute of it, if you like to just sit round and relax all day and night then this hotel is for you. the rooms are of good standard, you get what you pay for, they have there suites which is beautiful room or one that we had last year which was a big room clean and tidy, maid service every day they couldnt be more helpful, i would recommend this hotel to anyone

I went to this hotel last year and I thought it was really nice hotel. The pools were great, you could easily sunbathe . The rooms were good, with beautiful views . There were many activities and visits you could do . The food was quite good, a bit of everything . It´s a quiet and calm hotel . And I mean if you want a really good hotel go to 5* hotels and do not complain if this 4* wasn´t like a 5*!!!

22nd oct 2004 I really cant see what all the fuss is about i had a fantastic time yes the rooms do need updating BUT your only sleeping in them not staying in them all day, and they are in process of updating as we found out through the very helpful and friendly staff. it was nice to be in a quiet place with not much around it gave us more oppertunities to explore the island by the fantastic buses. the trips we went on through the hotel were brilliant.the food was lovely something different each night the waitersetc were a bit hasty in taking the plates but they were all so friendly and by the end of our holiday they know us by our first names and knew what we was having to drink without asking. the indoor pool was out of bounds untill our last day but it was lovely. overall it had its downsides but so do many places i had a great time you just need to be there to have a good time not complain about everything little thing we are not all perfect!!. hopefully next year (2005) they will be refurbed and myself and partner and his grandad will re visit.