Reviews of Palm Court Hotel, Qawra, Malta

We stayed here for a one week...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2005

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Mrs N Humphreys

Comments:

We stayed here for a one week holiday, I booked through Teletext and paid a total of 800 for two adults all inclusive. One word describes it awful where do I start.



Room was the best thing about it and that was grim, fan falling off ceiling, greeted to room when found it by cockroach. The place was noisy ,pool was disgusting, staff rude and unhelpful, I was scared to use the lift but had no choice as the stairs came out well don’t know where we were.



Food was so bad wouldn’t feed it too a dog. We ate breakfast once on first day my husband ate the bacon (I didn’t) and within one hour was very ill really thought he would have to go to hospital. Never ate there again. Some of the guests there were terrible rowdy we literally just slept there.



Malta was lovely though people very friendly and all locals know about the palm court they have their own name for it (Beirut). I would say to anyone going to Malta please don’t stay there.

Well here we go, we went Malta...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Mr T Craven

Comments:

Well here we go, we went Malta Bargains site to find a holiday. Then phone them they said that the Palm Court was there best hotel. So I booked two weeks all inclusive for £750.



Well that was a joke when we got there they had booked us as half board but they change that there and then. The smell as we went a long the corridor was of the toilets and sick this was very over powering. The lift said it was for 6 people but with just two cases and two people the lift just went (the lift did not work or was broken for up to six days). The room was dirty (this room was not swept for three days). The bathroom well if you can call it that.



The wc leaked the whole two weeks I did tell them over four times about this but just gave up because the staff were just not that concerned. I did report that the wc did not work again there was no speed in getting it to work (I did get it to work once my self ). The bath had rust all around it and had filler in the bottom to fill the holes. The door to the room had a hole in it and this was not filled in just painted over



The food was the same every day with just a small change and I mean a small change the staff in the canteen (that’s what it looked like) were so rude they did not speak to you and would take your plate before you had finished your meal. The canteen manager was the rudest of all the canteen staff. The food was not of a high standard. The type of food you would get in H.M.P



The all inclusive drinks is a joke you go to the reception they swipe your card (there is always a queue) you then go to the bar (the pool bar was closed and the roof in the day time) and you would then have a queue again. For the two weeks the roof bar was not open you could only get one drink at a time and you could not take a drink to your room.



The pool looked so bad that we did not go in it for the two weeks we stayed. The managers in the hotel were rude to guests.



If this stops one person booking then writing this will be worth it.

When we arrived at Palm Court...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Miss M McCreery

Comments:

When we arrived at Palm Court the smell hit us straight away but whilst waiting at reception to check in I convinced myself that it would be alright. Check in was quite straight forward but when we got to our room the air con was rotten, the fan did not work and there were no lights working so I went straight to reception to tell them about this (this was not fixed until the following day so my two young children had to go to bed in a pitch black room). The room was very basic and having four people in such a small room in that heat was a nightmare. It was not very clean and the bath was covered in disgusting yellow stains and all rusty round the shower.



The following morning we went to the pool. The pool is so cloudy that you can't see the bottom and it has nothing to do with the salt water as the splash park pools are all salt water but you can see the bottom in them. Round the pool is not very clean either. I am not a very fussy person and I have stayed in some very basic places but I do expect general hygiene and cleanliness.



The foods was ok but take your own drinks for breakfast as they offered orange juice, water and pineapple juice which were all disgusting. Do not have the omelette for dinner.



We arranged to stay at Palm Court due to a mix up with our original hotel, however we soon resolved that so we only spent one night in Palm Court before moving.



Although I will mention that the flights were very good and I had no problems with that and I would use the flights again, but only the flights not the accommodation.



However, do not let Palm Court put you off Malta as it is a beautiful Island with lots to see and the people are great. This was my second visit to Malta and I would go back again, just not to Palm Court. Once we had moved we had a great time but wear lots of sun cream as it is very hot



Some Tips:



Use Freeways tours instead of booking with the reps as they are so much cheaper and very well organised.



Be aware of the reps outside Palm Court trying to capture you for the timeshares as they are very persuasive.



Eat out as much as you can



If you want to go swimming go to the beach or down to the rocky sea front behind Palm Court as it is lovely there.



Try to go on some tours as they are very good, especially the Blue Grotto.



We had to return to Palm Court to speak to the reps on a few occasions as we were still booked through them and I have to say the smell as you walked in every time was disgusting (maybe people just got use to it after a while) but after being some where else I noticed it every time which I think sums it up pretty much.

I got back from my weeks stay in...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Miss S Hammerton

Comments:

I got back from my weeks stay in Malta at the Palm Court, and just wanted to say I had a fantastic time. The hotel itself is exactly what we paid for. A cheap and cheerful place, no frills, but clean and friendly.



The room was simple but clean, air conditioned, and at the front of the hotel, which was surprisingly quiet at night. No traffic noise, and only a couple of cheers from drunk teens one or two nights out of the seven we were there (and those were the nights that the world cup matches were on!).



We were on a half board basis, and the food was absolutely fine. At breakfast you could have cereal or toast, or go with the full blown full English, and at dinner there was a good choice of salad bar stuff, and also lots of hot choices, at least 4 different meat dishes, in addition there was also chicken and omlette options too.



The pool was nice, a bit cloudy but it was a salt water pool, and that is why. Lots of room round the pool for sunbathing, or lying in the shade. Bar prices were ok - on par with UK prices really.



My overall view of this holiday was good value for the money we paid (£200 each week HB), and we had a very enjoyable time).



A few tips:



1) If you go across the street to get bottled water, its half price from the hotel price - both the little shop, and the vending machine sell it for 25c a 500ml bottle (about 50p), but in the hotel its 50c a 500ml bottle (about £1).



2) All 4 of the bars/restaurants within 20 yards of the hotel are nice, but the best one is 'We 5', drinks standard prices, and food is good - especially the local rabbit stew).



3) The buses are very fun to ride - very cheap too. My tip is to try and get on the really old buses, rather than the newer ones. The old ones can open their windows, and its quite cool on them, whereas the new ones don't open their windows and don't have air conditioning.

Our holiday did not start with...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Mr A Thompson

Comments:

Our holiday did not start with the best of omens, the taxi taking us to the airport had a flat tyre and we had to swap it for the spare.



Then the hotel, looked, felt and smelled like an Insane Asylum, the food was inedible and raw, it was a farce to get our all inclusive drinks (queue at reception to order, then queue again at the bar), the pool was dirty (where's the bottom?) and was kept clean with a bucket of salt rather than chlorine. How this place was awarded 3 stars is beyond me.



None of this faired us well after the "hairy" flight (it turns out the same guy who owns the hotel also owns the airline) and so we moved to St Paul’s bay which was 100% better.



However, Malta is a lovely place, the people are very friendly and will do what they can to help you. We purposefully booked during the World Cup to be sure to see at least one England game in Bugibba square, and as the Maltese support England the atmosphere was fantastic!



I had read bad comments from others, and dismissed them as moaners, but having experienced this first hand, I can safely say that I won’t be going with either the Tour Operator, or the Airline again.

I have just returned from a...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Miss S Byrne

Comments:

I have just returned from a weeks stay at palm court. My Mum and Dad have stayed there previous and told me not to expect the Ritz but for £160 a week including in flight meals and transfers I decided before I went as long as the room was clean and the pool had plenty of sun beds I would not mind.



When we arrived at 3am in the morning the first room we were given was nice but the balcony door would not shut I called reception and we were moved to another room straight away.



The location is really good with the bus station a couple of streets away and the rocks to sunbathe on only 5 mins away. The bus is really cheap and cost about 23cents to Valetta, I would not hire a car unless you are planning to look around the whole island and even then you can do it by bus with a day ticket costing 1 Lira 50.



I found the hotel to be clean, comfortable beds, lovely food with loads of choice, and pleasant staff. The main feelings of all guests we spoke to were that you get what you pay for and if you want luxury then pay for it.



The bad reviews are just beyond me as I could not find one problem with the hotel. I would go again and would urge you not to worry if you have booked to go and go in confidence.

I like others, read the reviews...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Miss B Arbers

Comments:

I like others, read the reviews and was very worried. however after the most amazing flight with British jet (leather seats and the best pilot who told us when to look out the window and what country we were flying over) we found our friendly rep at a very organised airport and boarded our coach (which must be the best on the island well the newest anyway) we arrived at our hotel expecting the worst and after a quick check in we quickly found our room.



The room was very clean with new furniture, beds, sheets and the room had a safe in and plenty of wardrobe space and drawers. The air con worked brilliantly, so well we had to turn it down as we were cold! The food was varied, hot and had a large selection. you could have soup, pasta, salads, curries, chicken, omlette, chips, mash, veg, carvery, meats, different breads, cheese + crackers, fruit, cakes, ice cream and a different children’s menu, it was different every night so we never had the same meals throughout the holiday.



We took it as an eat as much as you want, and so the many dirty plates were taken away very quickly. We found the hotel to be very clean and the facilities were excellent. The pool is large, clean and there is always a sun lounger, which were comfy and the outside bar was convenient. The location was great, close to the bus station and a 5 minute walk to the better nightlife in Bugibba (try Fat Harry’s and the karaoke bars and there is even an English pub, pizza hut and maccys- you cant escape it can you?!)



Although the best club in the area is close to the hotel I would say a 4 min stumble home! The staff were friendly and helpful, and the only smell I smelled was of paint and disinfectant. As for Malta, it was beautiful, I recommend either hiring a car (if your brave enough they drive like mad over there) or using the infamous buses, which are cheap and an experience on their own right! We went to the blue lagoon where the water is is so clear and blue, you can see it from the aeroplane.



All in all the holiday was great, Malta Bargains reps were helpful, the hotel is great and the journey was great- the airport was so, so much more organised than Gatwick! Don’t be worried you’ll have a great time here-happy holidays! X

Having been to Palm Court 4...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2005

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Miss AV Llewelyn

Comments:

Having been to Palm Court 4 times before, I've always known what to expect. My sister and a friend even managed to stay 6 weeks there! I am planning to go back for the 5th time in about 4 weeks.



Palm Court is the equivalent, or nearly, to Fawlty Towers, but seeing as for this years 2 week holiday I am only paying £220 (half board, flights included), it really doesn't bother me. The staff are extremely friendly, they even recognise myself and my friends each time we go there. Being only 19, I can't really afford too much in the way of holidays so Palm Court is ideal.



I don't disagree that the place could be spruced up quite a bit, but for the price you pay, what do you expect? The rooms are habitable and the beds are comfortable, albeit not luxurious! The food can leave something to the imagination, but it's always well cooked and there's always a variety.



I go to Malta every year, and even if I could afford a 4 star, I would still stick to Palm Court!

My friend and I stayed in the...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2005

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Miss C. Jones

Comments:

My friend and I stayed in the palm court last year in October, we had a good time and are going back later this year. My friend had already stayed at the palm court and recommended that we return.



Even though the season had finished we still found things 2do as there was a late bar just around the corner from the hotel and through the day we went on a boat trip and there are loads of places to visit etc.



I’m a very fussy eater and found there was a good variety of food each night. The staff were very pleasant and helpful. There is someone always at the reception for any requirements and to exchange money. It was cheap and cheerful and we had a really good.



The hotel is in need of decoration but for what you pay its excellent value. We also found the beauty salon situated inside the hotel was great value for money and the staff there are again very friendly and polite who spoke good English.

Having just returned from one...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

May 2006

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Mrs M Minshall

Comments:

Having just returned from one weeks all inclusive at the Palm Court - and its true the hotel needs a coat of paint and some new carpets (although none are thread bare).



But for the price we paid (£201) what can you except. This also included flights meal on the plane and transfers. The staff at the Palm Court we found very helpful and friendly the food was well cooked and plenty of it.



The entertainment was varied (i.e. Bingo on the top floor and cabaret in the lounge bar). as a final note YES we would go back, as many people who we spoke to do.

We actually went on this holiday...

Overall Rating:

3/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2004

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Miss R Cooke

Comments:

We actually went on this holiday in 2003, but this was not an option on the form - when looking for holidays for this summer, found this site and read all the reviews for palm court, and it reminded my and my boyfriend of our first holiday together. as we went to palm court 3 years ago, I would have expected that things would have changed by now, and seeing as these other reviews are quite resent, I wanted to leave my own review as I really think it needs to be sorted out - being advertised as a 3* is a lie!



Although we enjoyed the stay overall as the island and the locals are beautiful, the hotel wasn’t. It was a last minute holiday found on the Teletext, so to be fair we did get a really cheap deal. The air con didn’t work and we had about 2 channels on the telly, a German film channel and BBC Europe but to be honest you don’t go on holiday to watch the telly anyway. The staff were all very nice, and I enjoyed 1 or 2 evening cocktails in the bar (although these weren’t included in the price). However, we only went into the pool once, as the murky water did not look to appealing, and thinking about it now, the fact that there was no lifeguard on watch by a pool full of kids is terrible. Not being a parent, I didn’t really think about it at the time. Also, you could hardly move without getting smacked by an inflatable!



We spent most of the time on trips... the best by far was the trip to the blue lagoon! there is so much to see and do in Malta and we are really considering going back this year.



Overall we did have a really good holiday, however it was ruined in the end when we both got upset stomachs - although we were all inclusive, we ventured out one night to see if the food was any better outside the hotel (which it wasn’t in the place we went to), so I’m not sure where we could have picked the bug up from.



Although we would love to go to Malta again, we will probably stay clear of Qawra, and more importantly, palm court - unless they were to sort things out there, or if we were looking to stay in a 1* hotel, where the corridor ceiling falls down, its dirty and the food is pretty much inedible. I think the fact that the locals wouldn’t stay there and call it Fawlty Towers is a clear sign that something isn’t quite right at Palm Court.

Yes there were few faults, but...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2005

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Mrs J McGuinness

Comments:

Yes there were few faults, but which hotel does not? I have been in far worse. Booking for the first time with Malta Bargains and first time to Malta, the service from the airport at Manchester from the Malta Bargains operators-not a hitch.



Arriving at Malta everything from Malta Bargains was there on time efficiently and prompt and pleasant. Arrived at Palm Court , was a little disappointed on first reaction to room -but remember the price you are paying, you cannot expect wall to wall carpeting at this price.



We had a balcony view over the pool and the entertainment put on by the hotel was excellent value for the money paid. The choice on the buffet menu daily was excellent value for money, and the cleanliness and hygiene of the pool area and rooms were continually being cleaned. To some people there are no pleasing. If you want wall to wall carpeting and luxury finishings do pay for what you are asking for, therefore consider what you have paid for your holiday.



I have and I will therefore travel with Malta Bargains again and I am at present trying to book another holiday with them only at a different resort in order to see a bit more of this beautiful island.

I’m sorry but would somebody...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2005

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Miss M Comiskey

Comments:

I’m sorry but would somebody like to explain to me why this hotel has had such bad reviews. Yes it is not the best hotel but how could it be as it is only a 3 star.



The hotel may be in need of a lick of paint but other than that I found the hotel very nice. I went to Malta with my partner and four children. We stayed at the Palm Court on a half board basis. The food was of a good standard and there was always something for everyone. The breakfast was of a good size as was the dinner. The dining room itself was very bright, airy and clean. No problems there. The rooms were clean, and the beds were very comfortable. The maids came almost every morning to clean the rooms. The staff were so friendly and helpful. If you needed something they would try and get it for you.



Malta itself is a wonderful place to stay. Everyone is so friendly. The scenery is amazing. You can visit the set of the film Popeye that starred Robin Williams. That was a lot of fun for my children who are aged between 9 and 14. If you want to book any excursions book them with Freeways as you save a lot of money with them and if you want to hire a car hire it with Freeways as well.



So all in all my rating for the hotel is 8 as I thought it was very good and the staff could never do enough for us.

I have been going to Malta for 6...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2004

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Mrs S Caruso

Comments:

I have been going to Malta for 6 years now, and have always stayed at Palm Court. I am going again in April of 2006 for 2 weeks. I just can’t get enough.



The last time I went, I stayed for 6 weeks. The hotel is absolutely great. You get EXACTLY what you pay for. I went for 6 weeks all inclusive, with everything included, flights, transfer etc I paid £889.



The staff there are extremely friendly, the food is great (basic) but great, cooked properly with a lot of variety. The entertainment isn’t fantastic but that’s not what I paid for. I paid for somewhere to sleep, wash, sunbathe, swim and relax and that’s what I got. As I said earlier, I have stayed at the Palm Court 6 times and I have never ever changed rooms. The only problem I have had was that the air conditioning was leaking on our arrival, but someone came and fixed it first thing the next morning. If that’s not good service I don’t know what is.



The rooms are cleaned daily, and you get clean towels everyday too.

All in all I think it’s a great place if you want a cheap holiday in a wonderful country. I think that people are just too stuck up. They expect to pay low prices and get the Hilton. Ridiculous in my opinion.



Must be tried for yourselves.

I booked this holiday before I...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2006

Tour Operator:

Malta Bargains

Submitted By:

Mrs D Mattison

Comments:

I booked this holiday before I found this ratings site, and once I’d seen the comments I was worried, but I decided to go with an open mind with the view that if it was as bad as some have suggested I would transfer to another hotel. After all I paid £127 for a weeks half board, some flights cost that much.



Now then for my comments on the palm court, on entering reception it looked ok, however the carpets along the corridors looked like they hadn’t seen a vacuum for months, in fact a line of dust was visible either side of the corridors, and they looked filthy. Our room was clean and cleaned every day, but the maid kept forgetting to put loo paper in our bathroom and we had to keep going to reception for supplies.



The patio door to our balcony had no handle on it, just a screw sticking out the handle area, and the hot tap on our sink, which was labelled with a cold water sticker blue, spun completely round full circle each time it was turned on . Spilling red hot water all over the bathroom floor. The beds are rock hard, and the food was diabolical. Same stuff every day. The staff are polite which in my opinion was the best feature of this hotel. The rest should be demolished.



Would I go back to this place? NO not even if they offered me a week for nothing. The flight however with British jet was good and on time. I didn’t expect 5 star luxury for what I paid, but no way does the Palm Court deserve a 3 star rating, and believe me I’ve stayed in plenty 3 star hotels. So I give this place very little.