Corinthia Marina Hotel, St Julians, Malta
Hotel Information
Recent Price: £135
Hotel Class:
Hotel Description:
Perfectly situated at the waters edge the five star Corinthia Marina Hotel provides guests a first class vacation. The hotel is a short walk from the lively entertainment hub of Paceville and the Casino. Maltas International Airport is 12 km away. loading...
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Corinthia Marina Hotel Reviews
We first stayed at the Marina in October 2007, again in May 2008, and are shortly (October 2008) going there again.
We stay with the Corinthia group when possible because they are a professional outfit. This doesn't mean that things won't go wrong - nothing is perfect, but things don't go wrong often, and are quickly put right when they do.
The biggest problem that holidaymakers have is expectation. If you have it in your mind that a hotel is going to be perfect for what you want, and then it isn't, you will be upset, even though the hotel may be blameless. If you want scuba diving and you're in a desert, you have a problem!
So I'll try to tell you what to expect so you can judge.
First, contrary to all the advertising you see, it is not a 5 star hotel, but a 4 star, so don't expect 5 star service. It was originally built with the intention of being 5 star, but then the group built a real 5 star literally next to it, and so downgraded the Marina. Guests of the Marina have the use of all the facilities at the San Gorg. But the San Gorg is a business hotel, so families may not find much for them in the evenings - except for the US style burger bar.
Situation
The Marina is built east - west along one side of St Georges bay. It's a nice little bay, with boats always in and out, the Dragonara Casino opposite, and a busy public sandy beach at the head. So there's always something to see.
Because of this orientation, the bay side (back of hotel) is in sun all day, and has terraces all along, with a couple of pools. Also, these blend into the terraces of the San Gorg, and there are large pools and outdoor bars, so sun worshippers are well catered for.
The front of the hotel is in permanent shade. Along the front is an arcade, housing several little bars, each with a different style. It's quite nice to sit there and watch the world go by while planning your activities.
Rooms
Because it was intended to be a 5 star, the rooms are bigger than one would normally find in a 4 star. They are clean and tidy, well appointed. There is a separate large glass table in the room for meals if you want to eat in your room, and a writing desk, as well as another table and chairs out on the reasonably sized balcony (all rooms have sea view). I have always found the bathrooms to be spotless. In fact if there is a criticism to be made here, it's that the maids have a habit of really tidying up the room, so that you have to go hunting in drawers to find where they have stashed things! There are no drink making facilities in the room, but you can press your trousers, so that's alright. There is also wifi available throughout the hotel, which you access by purchasing a voucher at reception. It is extremely fast, and I could use it happily out on the terrace in the sun. There is also an off site laundry service. Leave your stuff in the bags provided, and back it comes next day.
Dining
Apart from the bars already mentioned, the only other thing apart from Reception on the ground floor is the dining room. This is not very big, but since there are only 200 rooms it's perfectly adequate, and when the weather is good there is an outdoor section overlooking the bay available. The service is buffet, and the range of food available is generally good. Fruit and sweets / cakes, etc are always good. The main courses vary from ok to very good in terms of preparation, and there are usually enough choices to suit everyone. Likewise, breakfast is the whole range of English / Continental.
Entertainment
On various nights there are musicians on the arcade, and there is also a nightclub style piano bar on the first floor. I have never been to this, but I think it's the only place where a biggish group of people could congregate. Again, there is also access to the hotel next door.
Disabled Access
Once you are at the hotel itself, wheechair access is no problem. Trust me, I know about this from the pushing point of view! The Marina is, however, on a slope, and the pavements aren't great, so if you want to take out someone in a wheelchair to go around the bay, for example, you'll have a job on your hands. They do have a very good courtesy bus though, so you can go to Valletta, for example, and all the main tourist attractions have access, so you should find no more problems than you would at home. Just remember that with a wheelchair, you would need a vehicle to get from the hotel to anywhere else because pushing it locally is not really an option.
If you are able bodied, then Paceville is just across the bay. This is the 24 hour nightlife capital of Malta. There is the odd newsagent, a Burger King, but other than that it's just cheap hotels, resaurants and bars. At night it's loud.Very loud. But the Marina has double glazed patio doors, so it's not really a problem. Teenagers will like it there, older people won't. But just a few more minutes walk and you are in the next bay, St Julians. There you'll find a vast number of good shops and restaurants, and the front is very good to stroll along in the evening. It's quite posh round there, so there will be some nice boats to look at as well.
Staff
Always polite and helpful. Be nice to them and they will be nice to you. If you're new to Malta, it's as well to know that the Maltese sometimes have a tone of voice that sounds like they are arguing even when they aren't. Be sure to make friends with the chambermaids. Always a good idea.
Who's it for?
If you are a family with little kids who want to do the traditional bucket and spade stuff, then this is probably not for you, although I have seen many such families there. If you are a bit older and / or your kids are, then this will serve as a good base from which to do your daily explorations because there is a bus stop literally in front of the hotel. If you are a sun worshipper then it's good too. If you are a sunworshipper who likes company then you can always go to the little beach. For business users, it's cheaper than the San Gorg, but you still have wifi access, and it does have conference facilities if needed. If you just want somewhere to sleep and then rush off to do other things, then the rooms are certainly good enough for that.
One tip for an evening out; if you do nothing else, go to The Waterfront area in Valletta, preferably on a weekend evening. Nothing but good restaurants, sit indoors or out, watch the people promenading, or the ships. Good night out.
Hope all this helps someone!