Qawra Palace Hotel

wel there is a mixture of opinions regarding the qawra palace on this website but i think that it was a fabulous hotel which suited my families requirements perfectly. the sea was onli 1 min away- it was down a couple of steps which was extremely convenient to stay cool, i would advise people to use the sea as the pool looked dingy and had an array of rubbish in it. the staff were friendly as most maltese people are and another good point is that they all speak english. they had a large choice of food and excellent puddings. although we wnt half board, on our final day, we were able to have a lunch meal instead of dinner and that was delicious so if we were to return we would go all inclusive. the bar was often crowded but offered a selection of ice creams and lollies- not only maltese specials but also mars,bountys etc. there was internet access for people missing home and a lovely coffee shop in the lobby which served until midnight, coffee, toasted sandwiches and gr8 ice cream sundaes. DO NOT LISTEN TO THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS ON HERE IT ISA GR8 HOTEL one bad thing was lack of light in the restaurent and slippery floors throughout the hotel. i would definatley return to this hotel and after 4 times in malta, this was my favourite.

... you want to feel like living inside a generator ... you want to get up at 7 to put your towel on one of the limited sunbeds ... you're happy with very average food and drink (AI) ... you really want a 2* hotel Then it's great - otherwise stay away.

Having read the previous reviews about this hotel, I decided to write my own. I've personally been to Malta many times over the years. Its one of my favourite places. Another reviewer wrote " you either love it or hate it " and thats very true. And the only way to find out which, is to go. This was the 2nd time i'd stayed at the Qawra Palace and this time it was my honeymoon!!! The 1st time I stayed was with my husband(who was my friend and work mate at the time) and another friend. We had one of the rooms that faced the inner courtyard. It was ok, just ideal for what we all needed. Always clean, always hot water and we brought a travel kettle. We booked a sea view, higher floor room for the 2nd trip and got exactly that. This room, again, always clean, lots of hot water and the maids are the greatest. Food was lovely, lots of options, the chefs will make you something special if you treat them with respect, the waiters are a laugh and all inclusive is the way to go with this holiday. The pool is salt water and a bit cool but refreshing. It gets busy during the day obviously and you do get the odd family or two doing the "reserve the sunbed" thing, which always makes me giggle, buts there's plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas for shade. One word of warning! Areas around pool and inside hotel do get a bit slippy sometimes. Just take care with that. Bar and cafe at the pool are basic but no problems. And again, treat the staff with common decency and they'll go the extra mile for you every time. The location is lovely. When booking a trip to Malta and you are a beach lover, go to Mellheia Bay areas. Malta is not a beach holiday. These things are always good to find out about BEFORE you book. A short walk takes you into Bugibba. From there you can get a bus to just about anywhere on the island very cheaply. A word about the buses. They are a tourist attraction in themselves. They are gradually being replaced by boring new buses that just aren't the same as the old ones. But i'm biased as my Grandad designed and was involved in building the Leyland Tiger Cub bus in the 1950's. So I love them. The entertainment is ok. Don't expect a top show. It is aimed at members of the older generation but after quite a few all inclusive drinks, who cares???? There are loads of pubs in Bugibba anyway and a great cinema. The staff are absolutely superb. They do everything they can when a problem occurs. We did have a complete evacuation of the hotel on our last week due to a possible health scare. We were all shipped out in the middle of the night to hotels all over the island. It was a bit scary at first but the staff and reps where amazing. Everything got sorted quickly. The hotel we ended up in wasn't as good as Qawra Palace but we claimed some money back and received it very quickly. We will go back there. Possibly next year. If you are going, please also remember that Malta is a small island that was almost completely trashed in the War and they are always building. But I think thats part of its charm. I love this place and would live there tomorrow if possible and i've lived in St Tropez!!! Hope you have a great time.

Stayed here for a week HB, with my teenage daughter on a cheap getaway. Was pleasantly surprised. The staff were polite, room spotless and the meals were of a very high standard with a decent selection. Indoor pool was very disappointing, we didn't try it as it looked a bit dirty and was very small, obviously as it was February we didn't try the outdoor pool either, however it was cleaned and checked daily. It was out of season and the average age of the guest must have been around 75, all entertainment was geared towards them, with bingo, quizes tea dances etc which was understandable, however we struggled to occupy ourselves during the evening as the bar area is very small. You would struggle during the summer although there is ample outdoor seating and outdoor bar, which again was cleaned daily when we were there. We had a couple of nice days and managed to sit outside which was very pleasant. If you plan on hiring a car see the chap under the hotel as it was very reasonable. We dropped off various people on the way from the airport and I breathed a sigh of relief when we arrived at the Qwara Palace, if you can up grade to this hotel I would recommend it. Nice little coffee house and restaurant in the reception area, lovely pastries!!!!

we where in malta this october, the hotel itself was nice but needed some light work, the location is excellent right on the waterfront,the meals you cant fault, we hired a car from laurence next door to the hotel his firm is kwl rent a car, the price was right so as the price he charged us, we discovered all of malta, overall the holiday was to our expectationes and looking foward to go back in febuary 05

I have been going to Malta for the last 12 years my husband is Maltese and my mother in law still lives out there. We stay at the Qwara Palace each time we visit as my in laws have only a little flat which will not accomodate all the family. This is our choice of hotel because our kids love it the AI option is without doubt great value for money though the entertainment in latter years has become less eventfull. We would not stay anywhere else there is nothing wrong with the rooms! They are clean and tidy though some may be a bit shabby they are cleaned every day by very helpfull and friendly maids and there is always fresh towls. We have always always found the hotel food to be excellent and plentiful and none of us have ever suffered from a dodgy belly. The swimming pool area gets quite crowded in peak season but only what you would expect from any hotel at that time of year. Every year we ask the kids if they would like to go to a different hotel but no they always insist we go back to the Qwara Palace. But there again you'll always find sombody out there that likes to moan about nothing!! I thouroughly recomend it.

We have just arrived back from our first trip to Malta. The reception area of the Qawra Palace is pleasant as are the staff. Our flight had been delayed by three hours ,so we did not arive untill midnight. Thankfully the Coffee Shop was still open untill 2am. When we checked into our room we were dissapointed how run down it was, we found out on our last Day, when we had to pay for another room because of our late night flight that the Hotel was refurbished from the 8th floor down to the 3rd floor, unfortunatly we had been staying on the second floor. If we had had a better room from the begining it would not have spoiled our holiday, because we started to nit pick. The food was sort of ok, but by the end of the week we decided to eat out even though we went all inclusive .A nice Restaurant up the hill called "The Pear Tree"and one called "The Tavern" both did exellant fresh seafood. We also found a vry good pub called"The Little Waster". Francis the owner was a Maltese Newcastle United fan. We ended up in his place most nights untill the early hours. The guests staying at the Qawra had a average age of about 70, I did see two children but thats all. The entertainment was low key, with nothing through the day. No beach, just very slippery Rocks that my Knees will verify, Water sorts are avaliable. The holiday was overall ok, but Qawra itself is dirty with litter strewn streets. Do go on the Busses,cheap as chips and you can go anywhere on the Island.Take a bus to the ferry for 40c and go to gozo for 2lire return, or a trip to Valleta for 40c, very impressed with Valleta clean,cosmopolitan,street Theater& Market waste off money going on trips just use the Bus.

I have been here every year since 1997 and would not go anywhere else. It is a great hotel.

You get what you pay for! We went to the Qawra Palace in early May 04. We chose the AI option, as the price was very good. Unfortunately we ended up eating out on 3 out of the 7 nights, as the food in the hotel was so repetitive. The wines available on AI were awful, and imported wines are very expensive. The hotel was once perhaps quite grand. But not any more. It is in dire need of a refit. The mini gym was disgusting. The apparatus was so rusty and grotty, and seriously looked dangerous. The shower in the gym looked like something from a horror movie, and the towels provided there were probably about fit to dry your pet dog with. You couldnt see yourself in the mirror for rust, and the sauna had not been used for a long time. The outdoor pool was freezing, although we were there early May, and the weather was very good, the pool had not begun to warm up. Infact there were so many older people in the hotel, we were suprised that no-one had a heart attack on jumping in. The indoor pool was very unappealing. The water was 'thick' the pool very small and the surrounding area was very grotty. The rooms were very basic, although clean. The sheets and towels were very old, grey and threadbare. We didnt pay extra for a seaview, as we were only there for a week. Big mistake. All the 'non sea views' face inwards to a courtyard which houses a crazy golf course, which had not been used since the 1980's. The only other view was what seemed like hundreds of balconies. I would not recommend the hotel, however, we all have different standards, and some holidaymakers actually like this hotel! Having said all that, we paid a total of £900 for 2 adults and 1 child for a week AI - I think that speaks for itself!

The missus and I decided on half board in the Qawra Hotel. Booked through Direct Holidays who give a 3*plus rating. Ha Ha ! Food : Works canteen better, no trays to carry food to tables - very fit now after all the walking. Airconditioning - I always thought this kept the room cool. Corridors : a credit to The Shining. Room door - finally learnt how to wrestle. Hotel Lobby - hottest place on the planet. Lifts - could grow a beard waiting and be quick - they have a mind of their own. Entertainment - might be to some tastes but mostly rubbish. No courtesy kettle/coffee/tea - this is a 3* plus hotel ! Staff : the young and the female staff pleasant and helpful, the older : what can I say ? No room service. Breakfast on morning of return ( 4 am ) - bread & jam, cold ham . Terrible maintenence. Cleanliness - very good. I have stayed in many 3 star hotels, especially in Ireland, and have never experienced anything like this. There is an international standard for hotels and this is, at best , a two star. Many people seem to like the hotel but maybe they have never experienced true 3 star plus quality. I would hate to stay in an ordinary 3 star hotel in Malta.