Howard Johnson Diplomat Hotel

Realistically, this hotel is good value for money, the food was plentiful and good quality, particularly good breakfasts - you'd have to be very fussy not to find something you liked! Rooms were clean and well serviced, plumbing all worked, balconies however are tiny. But that is the nature of the place - Sliema is an old town and the hotels on the front are old buildings, built before today's tourist market expectations. Roof top pool is a bit small, not for the keen swimmer but fine for cooling off. Staff were exceptionally helpful and pleasant. Night time Sliema and St Julians buzzed - great fun, even for us oldies! Particularly liked Time Square pub in Sliema, good food, nice people.

Very disappointed. This hotel does not deserve its 4 stars. The A/C was never turned on even though the temperatures were in the nineties. The receptionists kept promising to fix/start it but never did during 8 days of our stay. Aside from being too hot, the room was extremely loud, the beds uncomfortable, the bathroom old and ugly, the toilet couldn't flush properly.
The only kind personal are the chiefs, and the food was decent. Not enough. We would never go back or recommend to other people.

The Howard Johnson Diplomat was a good hotel. We have stopped in the howard johnson in Bugiba before and that was good.
I reccomend to bring your own pillows as they were stained.
The staff was very polite and welcoming, Malta is a beautiful place and im definately going to go again.
We didn't eat in the resteraunt. But we went to a brilliant resteraunt called Lu Lu's it was very posh and the best food i have EVER had. Its near the Hilton in St.Julians. Defintely go there again.

Sounds a nice hotel but we didn't feel it was up to Howard Johnson's name - rooms were very shabby although clean. Self catering facilities were atrocious (studio apartment) - sink and cooker in a cupboard - the fridge needed defrosting before we could close the door!! Nowhere to plug the kettle in unless you moved the furniture around. There was no table or chairs to eat at - only 2 low uncomfortable armchairs(?). We did ask that these be changed for a table and chairs which the staff did bring to the room but they left the 2 other chairs in there as well so room was very cramped with all the furniture in it.
We stayed for a fortnight and ate in the restaurant for one of the weeks - food not to bad - reasonable choice and plenty of it. We made a list of about 20 things we found wrong with the room and about half of them were rectified by the time we left!! Coffee bar at front of hotel was very good but we felt we could not sit there for long unless we had a drink or some food from the counter. Nowhere pleasant in the hotel to sit and relax if you did not want to stay in room or go out. Only seating was in the reception area (a couple of sofas), the coffee bar, or the lounge bar (which was always very dark and depressing). Won't be going back again!!

The Diplomat is a lovely hotel, the staff are very friendly and so were the guests, come to that. The food was superb with a wide variety to suit even the most fussy of eaters. The pool is on the roof, which we felt was an advantage as you were not overlooked, with plenty of sunbeds and parasols.
The piano bar is a little old fashioned particularly if your young at heart.
The room was spacious and not at all noisy as the hotel is on the main Sliema road. We went at the end of August when the Maltese have a festival, it was lovely walking along the promenade with the fireworks lighting up the night sky.
The beach is pebble and we recommend golden sands or Meleiha beaches both sandy. You do not need t hire a car as the bus service, although very old, are very good and very cheap, and we felt part of the history of the country.
You must go and visit Mosta Dome beautiful church with a fabulously gold dome roof. And Midina the old capital with the winding streets - no cars allowed. Valleta the new capital is a short bus ride from Sliema and is worth a visit for the shops and views.
We would thoroughly recommend this hotel for a couple and going to Malta at the end of August early September.
We are definitely going back
Happy holidays