Coastline Hotel

My partner Fiona and I enjoyed a nice break here at the Coastline.The weather was superb with only a couple of breezy days to bother about.The hotel is of a good standard wih excellent food on offer.We chose the all inclusive option,which was very good value fo money.The local Cisk lager is fine,you can also have Hopleaf and Carlsberg lager as well. The hotel is a little bit isolated but the wee hopper bus service provided by the hotel was fine.The Maltese bus service is excellent so you can jaunt about the island at will.Valetta is a fine capital with an abundance of Historical sites,it is also a very good shopping venue. All things considered Malta is a good value for money holiday destination that I would thoroughly recommend.The only blot on the holiday was that the week that we had picked to stay at the Coastline coincided with a childrens' dancing competition.The children and their parents were in great need of a lesson in good manners and behaviour.All in all this is still a good holiday location on a nice friendly island.

Hotel and staff very good.rooms spacious, food fine Isolated,nowhere to walk round in the evenings had to bus everywhere but if you just want to sunbathe by the pool its fine. Unfortunately the Med disco dancing competition was on for three nights in the week we spent there so it was not very quiet. Timeshare people operate in the hotel, although they assure you it is not timeshare it is. Pestered in a very polite way by them, do not accept the free bottle of wine or the `if you don`t come I get fined story` either.

We have just returned from a very enjoyable 2 weeks at the Coastline hotel in Malta. The staff were very friendly and couldnt do enough for us. We stayed on the all inclusive tariff and we thought it was well worth the money. The only downside is that the drinks are local brands, so if you are very particular about what you drink it may not suit you. I did like the Maltese liquer called Madliene. The hotel facilities were mostly above average. The sauna looks a bit tired but usable. The outdoor pool is not heated but on a hot day this would be very welcome. The gym has lots of different types of equipment and was staffed the whole time while we were there. You do need to take trainers and a small towel though. The bedrooms are very clean and spacious. towels were changed every day even if not requested. A mini bar is in the room which is not included in the all inclusive rate. We kept our own small bottles of water in the fridge to take with us on days out. Dont waste money on hiring a car, the buses are very frequent and makes for an interesting day out. All the people we came across were very willing to help with directions etc. A local lady even stopped to offer us a lift up the hill whilst we were out walking! The food in the hotel was buffet style but good quality with a very varied choice. My husband and I are hoping to go back again and take the family next time!

First of all, the location is not the best possible in Malta. If the wind blows from the east, you can easily smell the huge dump which is 2km's east of the hotel. The courtesy bus to Bugibba is a fine option but Bugibba itself is a boring British colony without a beach. The good thing is that local buses 645,652 and 70 take you to Sliema Strand in 15-30 mins. 645 is a direct bus to Gozo ferry terminal and Mellieha Bay beach as well. Some Maltese hotels have much worse location without any bus service nearby. If you stay a week, buy a weekly bus ticket for 14,40€. A single trip costs 1,20€ to Sliema. Young people should stay in Paceville or Sliema, a 10min taxi ride could cost 20€ from Paceville to Coastline. When I arrived the hotel was overbooked, however the front office manager settled the situation in a professional way. He even admitted that the mistake was theirs, (not Medhotels' who arranged the booking). We were transported to another hotel (The New Dolmen) for one night then the next day we returned back to Coastline for seven nights. Sure, it was frustrating after early morning flights but the way the problem was solved satisfied me. They even offered us FB instead of HB for compensation. The hotel building is quite ugly but from inside it's OK. All public areas are clean and spacious. Swimming pool is very large, water is clean, view to Salina Bay is nice. Room size was very good, perhaps 25m2, balcony overlooking the sea was OK. If you visit there during the winter, consider a room with a backyard view (the view is terrible, but the balcony is facing south bringing some sunlight unlike the seaview room). The room needs some refurbishing, shower is British style without a tube. Breakfast was not as good as in the New Dolmen Hotel, but I enjoyed delicious omelettes by Charles, who was a very good customer orientated chef. Dinner buffet was decent, but lacked a grill which would have brought better tasting fish and meat dishes. I wasn't happy how they served "premium" red wine at a temperature of 24-25C - it tasted like warm juice. Most customers seemed to have chosen All Inclusive option, I was satisfied that I didn't take it. You have to consider your drinking habits before choosing All Inclusive, all drinks are local, house wine costs max 1.50€ per bottle at the supermarket. If the alcohol content is the main value then All Inclusive could pay off but you have to drink at least 7 rounds a day to cover the higher room rate. Why don't they offer 50% discount for brand drinks for AI customers? Always remember to mention if you are on HB option when ordering a drink! Otherwise you'll get local stuff and a smaller "dose". Overall I don't want to sound negative as the room rate was only 85€ for HB for two. The Coastline is very good value, the personnel is professional and helpful, housekeepers do a perfect job. One more thing : You'll get a phone call from the Island Hotels (company which operates the hotel) concerning "club membership" in a new Radisson Golden bay hotel. The new hotel is located in front of the good beach and it looks impressive, but it's a long way from Sliema or Valletta. The other word for this business is timeshare. Be careful! Good thing was that they called only once and left me alone. Timeshare is a good method for developers to share the risk but keep the profit. If I returned to Malta, I'd go to Gozo and St Julians or Valletta. Gozo is a perfect place for cycling and swimming (Xlendi). Valletta and Vittoriosa are very interesting unlike Bugibba.

I stayed at the Coastline Hotel in 2001 and, at that time, it was such a wonderful hotel that it was a "no brainer" of a decision to return to the Coastline in April 2005. In fact I've got such good memories of my stay in 2001 that it isn't easy to write what has to be a fairly negative review of my recent experience at the Coastline Hotel in April 2005. It also isn't easy partly because it is actually difficult for me to put my finger on what exactly has changed for the worse. The starting point has to be this: the Coastline Hotel is a 4 star hotel and not a cheap one either. Even if you can snag a late deal the chances are you could still stay for less in another 4 star hotel in Malta. Day 1 and the first change was brought home to me with a number of bangs: the Coastline now has a magnetic card system for opening bedroom doors. Instead of using a lock and key to open your bedroom door you use a magnetic card. The problem is that the automatic locking system on the door, triggered when the door is closed from the outside, causes a loud slam (and the automatic lock mechanism doesn't let you avoid it). On not one of the 14 nights I stayed there did I manage to sleep beyond 6:45 AM as a result of early morning risers going about their breakfast business. Ditto, albeit to a lesser extent, with late night returners. Whilst the noisy door locking system was certainly a problem for me it may not be for others but in any case the problem was caused by a poorly designed/inappropriately implemented locking system. The Coastline's secluded position - a brisk 35 to 40 minute or so walk away from Buggiba - was a plus point for me in 2001. The free and small "Courtesy Bus", running on a fairly frequent basis up until 10 PM from Bugibba and 9 PM to Buggiba, offered a good balance between seclusion and access to the entertainment offered in a busy resort. The service still exists and is now offered by a bigger bus with a capacity for carrying about 21 people. The trouble is that there is often no queue system and whatever queue system there sometimes is depends more on unwritten rules of basic courtesy. On a number of occasions, despite being in an advance queue position, we and quite a few others were barged out of the way by late arrivers who didn't seem to understand the concept of timely arrival and a queue. It was a frustrating and annoying experience and, for reasons that escape me and despite asking, the hotel wasn't willing/able to implement a basic system - for example a makeshift "queue here" sign in French, German and English would probably have done the trick. The Coastline's secluded position, away from main resorts, means that many of the guests rely on hotel entertainment during the evenings. There are at least 2 problems here. The sole cabaret entertainment space - the "Admirals Bar" - is very, very small for a medium size hotel. If you don't finish the evening meal by 8 PM or so the chances are you aren't going to get a seat. When it was suggested to the Duty Manager that he open an extra seating area, away from the cabaret so that guests could socialise rather than spend the evening in their rooms, he simply and curtly refused: he explained that existing seats were taken on a first come first served basis and then terminated the conversation by attending to another task. But then again the cabaret acts (or rather "the" act) leaves much to be desired. The Hotel seems to believe that it is okay to inflict the same cabaret act on guests 70 - 80% of the time: "The Mics" (obviously a play on words describing the ethnic Irish identity of some of the band members and the fact that they all sing i.e. use the "mic") were responsible for about 80% of the fortnight's entertainment playing what seemed like almost every night. The problem is that the band isn't very good - the same mundane middle of the road tracks played with little or no energy on every night in the same set order! Johnny Gee, with his bingo and Country Western guitar singing, is okay - at least on the first occasion but even he crops up too often with the same word for word jokes. This simply isn't acceptable for a 4 star package holiday centred hotel. There just isn't enough variety in terms of entertainment and, if you want good entertainment, you will have to budget for a night time taxi ride back to the Hotel from Buggiba. Food wise the hotel, which offers an evening meal non main course self service buffet, is usually pretty good. The "puddings" are generally great. No complaint there. Some of the soups are simply inspired: please, please ask for the "carrot and Orange" soup - it is bloody genius. The main course vegetables are a bit off in terms of quality. In one sense it's a matter of taste. In the UK we're used to having sprouts and carrots boiled or steamed to buggery. Slightly hard sprouts don't go down well. In another sense however the vegetables can be hit and miss: I don't expect to chew stringy beans in a 4 star hotel. This again is simply unacceptable - if it's too labour intensive to prepare beans for a medium size hotel then don't do it! The main course meat, fish and vegetarian dishes are good and the fish is excellent. The meat dishes tend to lack variety night to night. The curry dish - meet madras - is bloody awful and reminds me of school dinner. Do yourself a favour and don't be tempted by it (although do help yourself to popadom!) The hor dourve and salad selection is very good and there should be something to please everyone here. One major problem with the evening meal service is the lack of after meal tea/coffee. This is a major oversight. The options are: wait in the main bar to ask for a tea/coffee or retire to your room where, for LM1.50 a day, you can rent a kettle, 4 one cup servings of "Milac Maid" milk substitute, a couple of sachets of coffee and a few tea bags i.e. not good value for money. The evening meal waiter service is generally okay but sometimes hit and miss. On 1 occasion we weren't approached by a waiter for drinks which was frustrating. On other occasions the dining room was full and we had to wait to be seated or, unacceptably, even find our own unprepared table and wait for the attention of a waiter to set the table. The breakfast arrangement is okay - the breakfast is completely self service and a good if very unhealthy variety of food will allow you to store fat reserves until the evening meal. The breakfast consists of crazily high fat med bacon complete with gristle and generous soft rind along with small pork or, on some days, turkey sausages with poached eggs and baked beans. The trump card however centres on "Charles" or "Mario" who will cook, with different although equally expert flourishes, omelette, fried egg or scrambled egg (or all 3) to your individual requirements. Do ask for the scrambled egg – it is lovely. All in all I think there are problems with the Coastline Hotel but, as I say, it is difficult for me to put my finger on these problems. I simply didn't enjoy my stay anywhere near as much as in 2001 and this was largely due to: noisy door mechanisms and the lack of customer centred organisation (courtesy bus service, entertainment, evening bar seating capacity and the sometimes poor food quality). Noisy children can be a problem at the Coastline. The Hotel does allow child bookings of all ages and, consequently, the Hotel is best described as a family hotel rather than as a couples hotel. If you want a quiet couples hotel then look elsewhere (I will next time). Noisy children sprinting with heavy heels through the long corridors was a frequent pain in the proverbial. Oh, for cat lovers the Coastline has its own under fed cat population which relies on the generosity of guests for food – very few guests however actually bother to feed the clearly hungry cats. A word about Timeshare. Like many hotels/hotel groups Island Hotels (the parent company of The Coastline Hotel) is now focussing on time share. The time share reps at The Coastline are employed by the Hotel's parent company and they also, potentially problematically in my opinion, double as "guest relations". They will try to invite you to a time share presentation. This was a real shock for me having visited The Coastline in 2001. But enjoy the free bottle of (cheap) wine they will offer you via an Island Hotel voucher. Be clear with them *after* they give you the voucher that you aren't interested in time share and they won't bother you again - albeit having already phone you shortly after arrival in your room! They may still try to invite you to the presentation though on the basis that, aside from time share, they are promoting a new hotel which offers non time share residence options. I wasn't tempted but there were genuine freebies on offer including a Lm 15 airport shopping voucher for just sitting through the presentation. Seriously they are quite a professional and ultimately relatively non pushy bunch who may even have their uses in terms of their guest relation function. On arrival you will see their desk, complete with LCD TV, opposite and to the right of reception as you face away from reception. In contrast the time share sales people in Buggiba have become quite assertive and sometimes aggressive in the past year or so (according to local business people who were without exception *very* friendly). These time share sales people, who tend to consist of cocky and cockney Brits abroad (from “sarth Larndon”), are very pushy and will try every trick under the sun to persuade you to attend a "promotion". Avoid their advances at all costs - there are some real horror stories of people who have been conned. Some of these guys (and women) can be seductive and charming in a manipulative way and some can be aggressive - blocking your way on the pavement and even, on one occasion during my stay, necessitating a Police complaint (not from me) for foul and abusive behvaiour. It's a real shame that Malta tolerates these people. Would I stay at the Coastline again? In some ways the question is academic. My partner will not be persuaded. She's clear that the Coastline does not provide the standard of customer service and general quality (food and entertainment) that it did in 2001 and that better can almost certainly be had for less money elsewhere. Personally I would now like to try somewhere else - another 4 star hotel - in Malta. Something was lacking and for a relatively pricey 4 star hotel the Coastline didn't deliver the goods on this occasion. I may come back to the Coastline with my tail between my legs but I also suspect that I will enjoy my stay in Malta slightly more if away from the Coastline. Fond memories from 2001 but nothing special in 2005.

Having visited this hotel a couple of times before I was most concerned that albeit the staff,facilities and food were just as good as before the hotel had lost its very special customer friendly touch. The ground floor rooms set aside for TV viewing, reading and indoor games have now been taken over by the companies time share division with their reps at times, pestering clients, even phoning them up whilst resting in there bedrooms. Malta as now gone non - smoking which would be o\k but given,as I understand it that their government gave six months grace for premises to provide a smoking room there was none provided albeit the hotel as extensive premises.This mean't that there was a lack a socialising amongst guests. Also there's seems to be more conferences now at this hotel since Malta joined the E.C. and the hotel is becoming more like a transit camp. I hope the hotel owners correct these matters,if not they will just become another standard Malta hotel!!!!!!

Beware of the 'time share' people when you arrive at the hotel at first you think it's the hotel staff, they are in the foyer and pounce on you and offer you a free bottle of wine and a free trip around the island, we almost fell for it untill we noticed all the computors an the room at back. once you have said no, they leave you alone. The phone calls from the rooms to England are quite expensive so beware. As for the island itself a lot of it reminded me of a building site., However there are beautiful parts and the town of Sliema is very good for shopping and a bit up market from the others you can have a really good meal here some of the restaurants here are fabulous. The prices everywhere we found to be higher than Englands even the markets were over priced. if you can you must go on the tours they are very informative and interesting as malta has a lot of history.

It's a great hotel, friendly staff! Good food, always entertained! would go back again whenever i have the chance.

Stayed for two weeks all inclusive with wife and three year old son. Excellent service, food and entertainment. Staff could not do enough. Thoroughly recommend this hotel. Becareful of the Timeshare people learking in the lobby. They are do not tell the truth.

If you can stay at a specific hotel eight times in sixteen months it has to be somewhere special.No matter who you are, the treatment received is the same.You feel as if you are the only guest at The Coastline.The moment you enter reception you feel very welcome.The management and all the staff bend over backwards to satisfy your every need.When you return(even on your first time back)you are welcomed by everyone as a friend.Keep up the good work especially El Capitano and BFG !!!