Reviews of Palm Court Hotel, Qawra, Malta

Do not come to this hell hole!...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Submitted By:

Ms OMD Diss

Comments:

Do not come to this hell hole! It was the worst experience of my long life.



Our shower was broken and the water was yellow. Also the television was broken and the balcony railings were falling off. Mould was growing in our room and our friends had to move rooms because there room smelt of fumes.



I’d never tasted food so bad and didn’t eat there again after the first meal.



The pool I didn’t dare enter the water wasn’t clean.



I spent as long as I could away from the hotel and only time I spent there was sleeping. Shut it down!!

My family and I have been to...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Mrs S Tomlinson

Comments:

My family and I have been to this hotel twice now and have enjoyed our holiday both times. I even took my friend and her children with us this year.



The hotel is basic and you get what you have paid for. I paid a lot more money last year when we went to Bulgaria and the Palm Court hotel was like a five star in comparison.



On both of our visits we have had nice clean rooms with working air conditioning and a fan, which was a good thing as we had really good weather. The food was very nice and we managed to have something nice to eat every meal.



The only thing that I did not like this year was the fact that you had to order and pay for your drinks at the main reception and then go and collect them at the bar, but at the same time you had to collect your room keys from the reception, so there were often a queue there, but if that is the only thing I am not going to complain about it.



Some people are much happier if they have something to complain about so let them get on with it. Any holiday is what you make it yourself, so if you are a bit of a moaner anyway you will be quite happy going to the Palm Court, if you are like me and my family who like to have a good time this is also for you. Cheers!

Having read some of the previous...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

mick1836

Comments:

Having read some of the previous reviews we visited this hotel expecting the worse.



I believe the biggest problem is that by providing a very cheap holiday Malta Bargains leave no profit to improve this very tired hotel.



Our immediate observations were, reception furniture tired filling coming out of the cushions, pool sun loungers very tired coverings saggy. The hotel appeared to lack of staff to keep pool and bar areas clean, room towels clean but tatty.



Our room was clean but general decor very tired, curtains nearly hanging off, shower curtain rings very rusty, broken and badly repaired tiles in bathroom, ceiling half painted.



Silly things where money wasted was that EVERY room had air con that could be left on 24/7, when the reception and dining rooms were either on timer or manual control.



Food in general was good ALL being the buffet style, breakfast consisted of cereal,toast,bacon,sausage,fried, & scrambled egg, baked beans, fruit juice, tea, or coffee.



Lunches or evening meals were from one of 14 menus.



Crazy idea to buy drinks from bar, one first had to pay at reception then take till receipt to bar? Don't think they trusted their staff?



So there you have it.



You cannot pay 1 Star Hotel price and expect to get 5 Star Quality.

After reading the watchdog...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

British jet

Submitted By:

Mrs S Silvester

Comments:

After reading the watchdog reviews before I went, we wondered what I had let ourselves in for. When we arrived we checked the beds and these were fine, although we had taken our own sheets, we didn't have to use them.



Considering what we paid for the whole holiday the food was edible. If you go on a very cheap package holiday you shouldn't expect 4 star accommodation or food, which is what a few people were obviously expecting. I on the other hand went with an open mind.



I am going to give a few ratings of my own -



CLEANLINESS OF ROOMS AND HOTEL - 3 (our friends had 2 cockroaches in the room)



FOOD - 4 (not enough veg)



FRIENDLINESS OF STAFF - 1 (some of the most miserable young people I have ever encountered anywhere in the world)



If you want a cheap holiday with lovely weather and crystal waters then go for it and don't think about the down sides. Enjoy!!

Well where do you start, it was...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Dec 2006

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Mrs J Ronan

Comments:

Well where do you start, it was the holiday from hell. My husband 2 children myself went for Christmas.



We arrived and had to changed rooms the balcony was loose and we were on top floor, other room was not bad, but the smell was rank. Also the bathroom was nonexistent mirror and light was hanging off the wall.



Pool was minging cats were urinating in it, food was basic we ate out every day.



Management were not very helpful. You had to have plenty of alcohol to see the funny side of things and I mean a lot. There were even old people fighting with each other wigs falling off, teeth flying out. It was the best entertainment ever ha ha, so be warned, its a hazard to your health don’t go to faulty towers (old pensioners home).

We stayed at the Palm Court...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Mr M Merry

Comments:

We stayed at the Palm Court Hotel in June. We booked for one week through Maltabragains.com.



Like many people, I had read the reviews & reports beforehand and was to say a little ‘concerned’ and ‘dubious’ at what to expect.



However, I can say that we had a brilliant time! The flight was great-infact I’ve travelled with many airlines (including British Airways) and I must say that Britishjet.com they were just as good!



The Palm Court Hotel - OK it’s not exactly 5star-but we paid £200 for the week and we thought it was great value for money!



Our rooms were cleaned every day, the staff were pleasant, the swimming pool was great (we noticed that the area was washed down each morning & evening).



The buffet style food excellent (both breakfast & evening meal). It was cooked well and there was a good selection. The hotel is well situated & centrally located and has good amenities for a 3 star hotel.



Infact, we enjoyed it that much we are in the process of booking up to go back! We also talked to several people during the week and who had been there several times.



OK- there are some ‘tatty’ parts of the hotel, and yes the carpets in some of the corridors are a bit grubby in areas…but we never experienced any of the ‘foul smells’ ‘loose taps’, ‘poor food’ , ‘dirty pool’ etc etc that people are writing about!



Basically, let’s put it in perspective… If you are using the Palm Court Hotel as a good base and going out to enjoy Malta most of the day, with somewhere central to stay, sleep, & eat etc then its ideal.



If the you spend most of the day at the hotel and like a bit of luxury then it’s not for you… firstly there are other more luxurious ‘5star’ hotels on the island to stay in. There’s more to do in Malta than sitting in the hotel room all day!



The Palm Court Hotel is excellent value for money! If you want extra- then like everything in life it comes at a cost!

My family and I all went to Palm...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Full Board

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2006

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Miss M Taylor

Comments:

My family and I all went to Palm Court with my new partner last year. At first when I walked in I did feel let down, but never judge a book by its cover I always say.



My partner and I went full board and the rest of the family went half board. I found the hotel staff very polite and very friendly, our rooms were very basic but clean.



The food from morning to night was lovely. My eldest daughter never eats anything apart from her Nan’s cooking and she loved there food ,so for me that say a lot and a thumbs up.



In fact Palm Court was the best Holiday every it was in our price range and the whole family had fun at the pool and bars around the hotel especially the Wasta bar where we all song our hearts out.



We had so much fun we are going again in July 2007 and we are all going full board this time all 16 of us. We cannot wait roll on holiday.



If you do book this as Holiday, just remember, rooms are basic but are clean, the staff are lovely and the food was lovely. What more can you ask for and at such a lovely price.

Don’t go! Cheap nasty rotten...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Dec 2006

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Mrs Ji Mcintosh

Comments:

Don’t go! Cheap nasty rotten hotel that should be bulldozed! Dirty linen, filthy pool strong smell of damp in every corridor and room.



Stayed for a few hours then booked in to a lovely hotel just next door. The manager was unhelpful we were not offered any other accommodation. It does live up to what the locals call it! Alcatraz or Fawlty Towers!

Reading through previous reviews...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Mrs J Lampard

Comments:

Reading through previous reviews I am so pleased to learn that the negative, intolerant, and judgemental people have no intention of returning to the Palm Court, as they were the only thing that spoiled the holiday.



I have just returned from a week with my 10 yr old granddaughter and what a great week it was.



Yes the hotel is tired and shabby but has lots of character. Yes the indoor pool is awful but who needs it with the temperature in the 30's and a great outdoor pool.



Yes the rooms are basic but we had comfortable beds a great shower with hot water at any time, and the best air conditioning I have had in any hotel in the world.



We had no complaints regarding the food. The choice was amazing and for those complaining the dining room was hot and stuffy sit near the air conditioning not the hot plate. Problem solved. The staff were always pleasant and helpful despite some very rude guests that tried MY patience.



Each day we went out to discover the beauty of Malta and spent evenings at the hotel with great people, from all countries, that we met there.



My only moan was that the evening meal was served too early so on the last evening we had a late dinner at the Overflow restaurant down the road, where the service was great and the food excellent.



Anyone considering staying at the Palm Court go with an open mind and positive attitude and you will meet some nice people in a lovely country.

My partner and myself and our 2...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2006

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Miss W Morton

Comments:

My partner and myself and our 2 kids went to Malta. My kids are aged 7 and 3 years old. All of us had a great time.



If you like laid back and chilled out you will love Malta. I have to say the hotel was clean, food was okay, but for the star rating the hotel is basic. But if you are anything like me while on holiday, your hotel is just somewhere to put your head down at night.



Which to me if it is clean that is the main thing, oh and air conditioning is a big bonus.



Myself and my family enjoyed Malta so much last year we are going back again this year. While we are out on holiday we are going to be looking at the possibility of relocating our lives to Malta.



So I have to say some of the reviews, I don't quite agree with. But who am I to say, everybody expects something different from there holidays. I think you get what you pay for, nothing in life is free.



If you are looking for a cheap holiday Malta is the place to go, as it is reasonable to get to and cheap while there.

I arrived at the Palm Court on...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

The Jezza

Comments:

I arrived at the Palm Court on 16th June 2007. On arrival I was quite impressed, after reading reports, with the accommodation. The only problem I encountered was a funny smell which permeated the room.



This I later found to be from the toilet; room 402. When I reported this to the reception desk there was no argument they just gave us a new room; 302 (one storey below). On arrival at this room I also found a funny smell, this time due to water condensation inside the walls of the room. A musty, stale smell which was much more bearable than the sewage smell.



As for the cleanliness of the rooms; I was impressed. Both rooms were squeaky clean, with perfect bed coverings and towels. The TVs in the hotel only show Channel 4 and Sky News (other channels are available if you speak other languages).



There are no remote controls for the TV’s in the room as they insist that you leave a 10Lm (Maltese Lira) deposit for a remote. This problem can easily be rectified by visiting the local 1Lm store (right out of the hotel, first right, right at the end of the road (by the sea) walk for about 5 minutes and it’s on your Right) they sell an all in one remote control for 1Lm.



The rooms are cleaned every day. I saw only one cockroach; but I heard another holidaymaker mention six. Cockroaches are common and native Malta. The rooms all have air conditioning, TV, Balcony and en-suite.



The cost of drinks, cigarettes, and food in the hotel are about 25% above local shop prices. The bar in the hotel closes at 1am. The hotel ha evening entertainment o bingo Karaoke to order drinks you must pay at reception then hand in your receipt at the bar (damn annoying).



As for the restaurant; the food in the hotel was OK lots of food was filled with salt, to make it have a taste, the favourite part for me was the soup (Asparagus) and the bread rolls. Please don’t take that as in insult to the food. The food was sufficiently tasty (it’s a buffet) fine for vegetarians.



As for the swimming pools; the swimming pools are cleaned every day. There are two; one outside and one inside (just through the laundry room). The hotel was cheap and so were the flights (£250 for both of us; HB).



The hotel is wheelchair friendly and most of Malta is too although there are some very high curbs. If you need refreshments in your room; bring a KETTLE and tea coffee as the charge per day at the hotel is 2.5Lm. In general the electrical system is the same as British 3 pin sockets (you should not have a no problem using your electrical equipment in Malta (it’s all British).



For your foreign exchange you should seriously consider changing your £’s into Lira Euro’s in Malta. I brought our foreign currency at Lloyds’s with no commission at a rate of 0.603. In Malta (Local to the hotel) there are shops who offer an exchange rate of .625 (at the time) with no commission.



By buying you foreign exchange in Malta they will give you the full amount in sterling value; the banks in England will not. They (the UK banks and travel agents) only deal with notes; not coins. So you will be ripped off by banks and travel agents in the UK. The only Banks on Malta are the Bank of Valletta and HSBC.



Malta is currently in the process of introducing the Euro; all prices are quoted in both Lira Euro and the shops should accept both currencies. The Euro changeover is expected to be sometime in 2008.



Now for the price of the essentials, in the shops you may pay between 30-45c (cents) for a soft drink. Water can cost from 1Lm for 6 x 2l bottles (I would not advise drinking the tap water in Malta). You should expect to pay between 40-75c per pint (Cisk, Pronounced Chisk is the local larger beer it’s tasty and cheap).



As for beer in cans 4x 440500ml should cost you between 1.5-2Lm. Wine can cost from .50c to 7Lm a bottle (the cheapest from the hotel was 2.10Lm) Cigarettes never cost me more than 1.5Lm.



If you decide to explore Valletta then you should remember:



Haggle with the horse drawn taxies I had it down to 4Lm per person (there were 2 of us). For normal taxies you should make sure you agree a price before entering the taxi as the taxi drivers sometimes change their minds at the final destination. The best way to rectify this situation is to either record the conversation or video the conversation in renegade style. Don’t be ripped off.



Make sure you can prove your price; your phone may be able to do this (the police are very reasonable).



As for the area, lovely. Buggiba has some lovely beaches but they are rocky. The seas are perfectly seen through. Places to visit are Mosta, Mdina (Silent City), St. Paul’s Bay, Valletta, Dingli Cliffs, Golden Bay (sand beach), Gozo (2Lm return), Freeport, and Rabat.



There are some lovely public ornaments in Malta; they believe strongly beautiful public art. The most amazing public art is in Buggiba (the planets of the Solar System) you should really have a walk around the coast of Malta & Gozo and you will see the true beauty of Malta.



Tickets for busses vary; 25-50c per journey. Bus passes are available. 1-day = 1.5Lm 3-day = 4Lm 7-day = 6Lm. The bus station in Buggiba is a 5-10 minute walk away. The busses can sometimes get extremely hot. They can also become extremely busy. Bus maps are readily available at any bus station.



Malta is not for you if you want somewhere completely different to England; they drive on the same side, they have exactly the same signs, it’s all in English (although they speak Maltese too), it’s beautiful, it’s small, and they love the English.



When you apply your sun-tan lotion make sure you use lots during the summer period!

Worst ever hotel I have ever...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Miss W Henderson

Comments:

Worst ever hotel I have ever stayed in. I heard the rumours about it. And thought long and hard about it.



I went as I wanted a holiday but didn't have enough money for a good hotel. It isn't worth it. I should off rented a car and slept in it. It was awful, food was slimly.



Toilet looked like bleach hasn't ever touched it in its life time. My three kids didn't even go into the pool, as all you could see was dark water. No fresh water. My balcony was collapsing.



The next day I went to stay in a 3 star hotel. Even though the price was slightly higher. It was so worth it. You should have seen the smile on my three children's faces. It was like Christmas came early.



I wouldn’t go to this hotel. I rather spend the night at an English Rubbish Tip.

My family and I visited this...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2005

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Mr Don't Go There

Comments:

My family and I visited this grot hole in 2002 and I was visiting this website out of curiosity to see if it had change, obviously not.



To give it a 1/10 rating is giving future holiday makers hope, this so called hotel should be closed down or even pulled down.



We arrived early hours of the morning and were forced to stay the night due to the rep not arriving until the morning. In that time we inspected 'the room' dirty floors, holes in the sheets, grey grubby towels, cockroaches in the bathroom, dangerous balcony I could go on.



The 'restaurant' was smelly and dirty and the cutlery dirty. The 'pool' was a health hazard as they don't seem to have a filter system but skim it with a pool net each night, wonderful.



On complaining the next day they seemed to take all the complaints well (used to so many judging by the length of the queue) and offered another room which we refused and asked for another hotel, we had to forgo our all inclusive to get into other accommodation but we didn't care it was a relief.



I have been too many countries and have always said that I wasn't much worried about the accommodation as you only sleep there, but I have to say it did matter, maybe because although my other holiday accommodations had been basic they had always been clean which made this place so obviously disgusting.



On a happier note because we complained we met a wonderful family in the complaints queue and proceeded to have a really fun holiday with them.



When I returned I tried to complain, the Palm Court management offered me a return holiday at a discount (what a laugh).



This is a low class accommodation, and all I can say is that after reading the good reviews, I have come to the conclusion that these people have never had anything to compare this hotel with, if you can’t afford a lot, then it will probably be okay, but be warned if you have stayed in a 3+ star this hotel is definitely not that.

I have just returned with my...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Miss D Stewart

Comments:

I have just returned with my daughter from the Palm Court in Qawra, over-all it was a good hotel, especially due to the price we paid. There were a lot of people which commented on it as "fawlty towers", but I did not find that at all!



The rooms were cleaned daily, with fresh towels placed. The staff were extremely helpful although some of the younger ones were a little off!



The area itself is brilliant; there are plenty of bars & restaurants that are not expensive. If like me you have a 4 year old with you, you may find it impossible for them to eat anything from the palm court restaurant, so I would advise going to the little pastitsi (not sure of the spelling) shop around the corner on the way to the bus station..they sell lovely pastry foods, pizza & I definitely recommend their lasagne which is 60c under £1 in our money...my daughter loved the food there.



The bars are welcoming, even with children!



Meliah bay is a wonderful beach... not too long away from Qawra...the bus to get is the 48 from the bus station...it costs 50c for adults and 25c for kids one way...or if you want to do more on the same day they sell day tickets at L1.50 they don’t have day tickets for children.



For a night out if you haven't got kids with you & like the hustle & bustle (Fri & Sat night)...then I recommend Paceville, it has lots of pubs, clubs & is truely thriving at the weekend.



You can get a number 70 or 352(I think), from the bus station, they run a night bus back to Qawra; times are midnight, 1.30 then last one at 3.00am. ask the bus driver where to get on as I had some difficulty in finding the stop, all the buses line up on the road so be sure to get on the right one!



For days out I would say that the blue grotto is worth a visit, Valletta on a Sunday for the markets & to visit the birkarrah (not sure if spelt right) gardens, which looks over grand harbour, lovely views from there.



There's also a craft village where you can dodge the "middle man" when it comes to prices for your souvenirs, there you can watch how they make the glass ornaments & filigree jewellery. Mosta dome is also worth a look, although all the churches in Malta are spectacular!



I also learned that they now have a saint called San Georg Preca, which I was told by an 8 year old Maltese boy...I asked what preca was and he said that it was the saints surname & also that "preca" is pray in Latin! see you learn something new every day.



Not many British 8 year olds could tell you the meaning's of Latin, nor me and I’m 22!



I have given this review a rating of 7 based on the accommodation, for the Island itself I give 10/10

We have just returned from 10...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

may

Comments:

We have just returned from 10 days in Malta staying at Palm Court. We have stayed here before and for the price we paid of £206 each for 9 nights all inclusive, I think we got a bargain.



The hotel is a bit sad and gloomy in the corridors but the room was clean. The maids came in every day to make beds etc and would change your towels every day if you wanted them to.



We found the staff very friendly. The food was quite good better than last year actually, the soups are lovely with a carvery every night.



They have brought in a new system where you order your drinks and pay for them if not A. I at reception then take your receipt to the bar.



The weather was really hot and the free air conditioning was very welcome.



The hotel is situated about 5 min walk from the bus station.



I have read a lot of bad reports on this hotel but for what you pay I think it is great, we have paid a lot more and had worst.



I can’t wait to go back again next year.