Mellieha Bay Hotel, Mellieha Bay, Malta
Hotel Information
Hotel Description:
A large hotel facing south over a sandy beach with magnificent views of the bay and the nearby village of Mellieha. Enjoy a walk in the hotel's seven acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, or try windsurfing, boating, snorkelling or scuba-diving at the watersports centre. All public areas are non-smoking except one designated area which is the Limelight Lounge extension.Nearby Hotels Viewed by Other Travellers
Mellieha Bay Hotel Reviews
" A Lovely Christmas & New Year Holiday At Mellieha Bay Hotel "
Submitted By: whitestar31`Last year we decided to go for three weeks over the Christmas period.
We had a great relaxing holiday and we enjoyed it so much, we are returning this year for 4 weeks!
Yes the hotel bedrooms need some refurbishment, the laundry room is amusing etc., but the views from the balcony more than make up for these minor things! And I suppose the hotel management will get round to sorting the rooms etc. eventually, as they did when they refurbished the limelight lounge & the cafe area.
I cannot understand why people are moaning about the food ...it has always been plentiful & varied ... and we are fussy eaters!
The entertainment is not as good as it once was, but there is always something on in the evenings, that most people seem to enjoy. The Maltese work hard to try to entertain their guests.
The entertainment over the Christmas period was great ... free drinks on Christmas morning, wonderful, charming and very enjoyable Christmas carols by local children, a lovely Christmas meal & cabaret to end the evening!!(Much better we thought than watching the Great Escape on TV back home!) And great company too! Malta and this hotel *is* The Great Escape, from all the over-hyped, frenzied Christmas nonsense back home in the UK!
Don't be put off by negative reviews. (You just can't please everyone!). As for the staff being surly as some people said, it just isn't true. Try talking to them! The Maltese people are among the nicest people on earth; always friendly and helpful. Occasionally they may *look* surly (especially the bus drivers!), (thats probably because they have a lot of surly Brits to deal with), but when you engage with them, they light up! :) The staff, from the Restaurant Manager (Joe), to the waiters/waitresses and barstaff, not forgetting George in the Hotel Shop are all friendly helpful and they enjoy a joke too!
So don't be hard on the MBH, its like an old pair of slippers, comfortable and welcoming; okay, a little tatty round the edges in places, but homely and relaxing.
There is plenty to do in Malta. But some people just don't like leaving the hotel and expect to be entertained 24/7!
We love the MBH ... and will certainly be returning as often as we can!
Les & Pauline Bate :o)
" mellieha bay "
Submitted By: vicki5011" After reading the reviews on this... "
Submitted By: Mr C Gosling" THIS HOTEL IS ONE OF THE BETTER ONES... "
Submitted By: Ms C BleiyPOOLS ARE CLEANED REGULARLY AND POOL AREA WASHED EVERY DAY. ENTERTAINMENT IS A BIT HIT AND MISS.
" This is the second time me and my... "
Submitted By: Mrs M HannantIve read some of the reviews for this hotel and to be honest, most of what they are saying is 'nit picking' (theres brown water cominging out of the tap when i run it)... find a hotel in Europe that don't have a funny taint to the tap water when its 1st run!
(theres mold on the sill of the bath)... Well ive stayed in two of the hotel rooms and i didnt notice any mold BUT then again i wasn't sad enough to spend my holiday looking for silly things to compalin about.
All in all, the hotel is very well run, the day and evening entertainment is very good. The gardens and views from this hotel could not be found at any other hotel in Malta.
Go see for yourselves!!!
" We've recently returned from our... "
Submitted By: Miss L DavesonThe beautiful views, the friendly staff, the entertainment and the wide variety of activities provided by the animation team (who rock!) complimented the hotels 4 star quality.
The rooms were a perfect size for a 2 week stay with air con. Ground floor rooms gave good access to the poolside.
The food and drink were tasty, especially the milkshakes made poolside by Mario!
We were sad to leave and will return!!!
" A beautifully situated hotel in a... "
Submitted By: Mrs J PORTERThe hotel was very quiet in January. The food was very good and the staff were attentive. Our room was very clean and comfortable although the bath/shower needed some attention. Evening entertainment was somewhat lacking.
Overall we had a wonderful week and felt we had excellent value for money.
" Maybe not the best hotel to stay in... "
Submitted By: Ms M FarleyThe room we stayed in wasn't much, we had better in the past. But it was always kept clean, with everything functional and we didn't have any problems during our stay. The decor wasn't to our taste and looked like it needed some serious modernisation.
There isn't much to say about the food apart than it was good, with a wide selection for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Everything seemed to have been freshly prepared and available but nothing very fancy.
The weather was good during our stay so we managed to enjoy the hotel's various swimming facilities. The pool was big enough and clean and there is also a small beach belonging to the hotel where one may bathe in the sea if required. There is also a big selection of water sports to enjoy but this is not our style.
The hotel does have a games room for kids and other facilities and activities going on all day but these were not so good. The animation was not that bad. There were a lot of French during our stay and most of the animation was targeted for them from what appears to seem animators who came from Tunis and hardly knew any English. The English animation team was OK though.
Evening entertainment was not what we had experienced in other hotels elsewhere. Much more is desired. Most of the nights were filled in by singers, which became very boring or annoying after an hour or so. Then there was a dance show but the dancers didn't look or act professionally and their costumes looked like they came out of a museum and the lady leading, also sang on the night making that night similar to the others. Then there was a sword swallowing act on one night, which was very good and professional. The only show that one could say reached and surpassed our expectations was that of the magician. I don't generally like magic shows but this magic show made all the difference during our two week stay since the magician and his wife, Brian and Lola, were charming, very entertaining and professional. Michael the DJ was also very nice and provided a good selection of music for us.
The staff are very nice and helpful. Many of them have worked there for years and by the looks of it many retuning residents seem to look upon them as their second family. The reception staff was polite, the waiters and barmen were pleasant and ready to have a chat with if they were not so busy. The cleaners did a good job and Carmen the chief of activities was very cheerful and pleasant and made sure we had a good time.
There isn't much else to do at Mellieha Bay apart than to relax and drink so if you are looking for an exciting holiday this is not the place to stay. The hotel is set far from any lively place on the island of Malta and bus services stop early so the only way to get around is by taxi which is very expensive. However if you a looking for a relaxing holiday, away from it all, with friendly staff and a nice view, well then this may be just the place for you. We are going again.
" We are frequent “retired”... "
Submitted By: Mr D ThornThis is a tired old hotel and well past its “sell by date”. It needs total redevelopment and proper management. This is a great shame as the hotel is in an ideal location with lovely views.
The concept of non-smoking rooms seems beyond their understanding. We requested a non-smoking room at the time of booking and I also sent an e-mail to the hotel 24 hours before arriving (I put a read receipt on and it was read), but we still got a smelly, smoky room and we never saw any floors/rooms marked as non-smoking.
Our room had single beds pushed together with a gap and old, worn-out flat pillows. For an English speaking island we were amazed to have only one English channel (BBC Prime) on the TV. Balcony doors open outwards (not a sliding patio door) so using the balcony chairs and trying to get in/out of the room with a glass of wine in hand called for a bit of logistics.
We were not impressed with the food quality or choice. Boring breakfasts, same every day. No on the spot or show cooking. Dinners with choice of one soup, low-lights were reconstituted turkey roll and stuffed pork i.e. no proper meat joints. A small variety of desserts.
Don’t have the cheapo wine carafes. The wine actually wasn’t too bad, but you may notice that the carafes don’t get washed out after use and you may well find all sorts of gunk at the bottom.
Not enough staff in the restaurant, yet you will find some standing around idle. No proper management watching over the room to ensure efficiency. The waiter may dump the wine on your table (no pouring and tasting every time here); consider yourself lucky if you get the wine before you have finished your starter. Tables and chairs too close together, often difficult to get in and out if you have someone right behind you. Tables often remained un-cleared after each course. Replenishment of food in buffet areas haphazard, some times needed to visit the other food area to get items which had run out. Several times I spotted “chefs” “cleaning up” dropped items of food around the serving trays and putting scraps back with the other food. Overall, the restaurant service was totally disgraceful.
Hotel management seemed non-existent; none seen patrolling the hotel or grounds. No porterage and you may have to negotiate stairs before you can use the lift. No table service in the café lounge or the bar - get your drinks yourself or die of thirst.
The main pool was cleaned infrequently. The children’s pool was absolutely filthy; after we saw a family with toddlers complain it was given a good clean up. During our second week the pool by “Jamaica Inn” was roped off and out of service. The hotels private beach is very small and never appeared to be cleaned of washed up rubbish. Sun loungers worn out and uncomfortable that is if you can find one that isn’t broken.
The hotels public toilets were smelliest and dirtiest we have encountered in any 4 star hotel. Don’t use the gents located below the swimming pool.
Malta is not the prettiest of islands, but it does have history and a lot of archaeological sites which we found interesting. The people are very friendly and welcoming.
We just wish we had chosen a better hotel up to the standards we have come to expect.
" The rooms are small and the balcony... "
Submitted By: Mrs C SouthallSo holiday makers beware ask for a room without a seaview you get no extra charge but you will still face the sea, there are NO rooms to the rear of the hotel.
Food at the hotel was excellent that is the one plus point.
I would rate this hotel a 2+ star.
" How anyone can rate this hotel highly... "
Submitted By: Mrs D RushforthAir conditioning in the bedrooms did not work and the coolers as they referred to them were warm.
The floor in the restaurant was filthy and hardly ever swept and the food was crawling in flies every mealtime. The restaurant staff were so laid back they were almost asleep. I own an eating establishment in this country and I would be closed down by the hygiene inspectors if this was the state of my business.
The beach was small and dirty and the sun loungers were torn and filthy. The parasols were broken and rusty and were definitely in need of replacing. The Jamaican Pool area was never cleaned the whole 2 weeks we were there apart from a man scooping insects periodically from the pool and checking the filters at around 11 am in the morning.
The pool bar was supposed to open at 9.00 a.m. and was never opened until after 10.00 a.m. and one morning it was 10.45 a.m. It closed again at 5.00 p.m. When it was supposed to close at 6.00.
Rubbish bins were only emptied when overflowing and the wasps on occasions were unbearable.
Music was played from 10.00 a.m. until 12 noon and 2.00 p.m. until 5.00 p.m. and the same CD was repeated numerous times a day everyday.
The food was edible but on most nights served outside which more often then not resulted in being cold. If guests had room service they were told to leave their dirty crockery outside their room. Pots were often left on corridors for 4 days which also resulted in flies.
I would definitely never recommend this hotel and would expect even a 2 star hotel to be cleaner than we found this one.
" The hotel is in a near perfect... "
Submitted By: Mr DA HortonThe daily maid service is good. The rooms are small but clean with air con.
The bad points Mellieha village is a long steep walk of some 45 min.
The hotel is a somewhat dated 1970s style inside and out. The entertainment is fine if you like tea dances and ballroom that is.
Don’t be tempted to do the Sicily trip takes approx 19 hours and free time is extremely limited, not worth the bother.
In all not a bad hotel, the staff are always attentive and pleasant.
" We wanted to treat ourselves to a... "
Submitted By: Mrs V ThomasThe rooms were very tired and dated, the bathroom not particularly clean, and the loos at the swimming pool were very smelly.
The hotel was in an isolated spot, and as the entertainment was aimed at the older person (60+), and there wasn’t much on the TV to watch -why don’t they have Sky channels?
The evenings were long. It was just as well we were on half board - it would have been a long way to go for dinner!
Fortunately we did enjoy the food, but don't think the hotel should be a 4 star, at least not until the rooms are upgraded. We would not go back.
" This is described as comfortable and... "
Submitted By: Mrs H KirklyThis hotel is on hillside surrounding with a lot of steps so if you not very mobile not really suitable great for tiring kids out though. We have eating here on occasion the food was very good non smoking restaurant with 2 buffets. A good holiday all round for the price and weather was great too,








We needn't have worried. It is obvious that continual work is in progress to spruce it up but once in your room with that amazing view from your window - wow.
This was a landmark birthday holiday which we took the end of November early December 2008. We had a wonderful holiday. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Whenever Carmen walked through the Lobby he whole atmosphere was alight. Our regular dining room waiter, Francis, remembered our room number and our favourite tipple and always had a joke with us.
The food choice and quality were excellent.
The Thomsons reps, Tina and Andy brought an extra brightness to the day anbd were so patient and always a smile on their faces and very helpful orgaising all our trips meticulously.
Although we did not participate in the vaious 'in house' activities it was fun 'people watching' and listening to all the friendly rivalry.
We took several tours and all were successful.
The only downside (nothing to do with this hotel) was the constant pressure put on one outside by the Holiday Club people.
Thank you Mellieha bay Hotel - we will be back.
Advice: Loved it
Activities: Harbour Cruise