The Grand
Imposing hillside hotel with stunning views over the bay and light and bright modern art, statues of white horses and sleeping Roman girls and vast carpets.
What's it got?
1 Great views of the terrace overlooking the harbour.
2 Fabulous food - wonderful scrambled eggs at breakfast. A generous sized cheese platter if you arrive off the plane late in the evening and just want a bar snack. Delicious apple crumble top tart and almond cake on the evening buffet.
3 Great bedroom only prices for off-season breaks.
4 You can book a chauffeur driven car run by the hotel's own drivers to run you safely to restaurants or for a whole day trip around the island and charge it to your room - no worries about strange drivers.
5 Walking distance of the old town of Valletta.
6 Underground car park for your hire car and valet parking if you wish it.
7 Three or four onsite shops inn lobby, one selling chinaware, one selling jewellery and souvenirs, one newsagent.
8 Lovely indoor swimming pool and unisex spa pool beside it where you can sit with your spouse or partner. Gym.
9 Live music.
10 Empty fridge in bedroom, great for storing your pills or medicines, leftover wines or special diet foods.
11 Complimentary drinking water bottle in bedroom - plus advice not to drink the tap water. I know from Physics teacher at school you don't drink UK bathroom water because it's not straight from the main pipe but stored in an attic or roof top tank, which is not running water and could contain rusting metal, dead pigeons, squirrels, spiders, bees and wasps, you name it. However, we ordered bottled water for three days in all restaurants until we heard somebody in a restaurant ask for tap water. At the tourist office at the airport leaving Malta I asked if water was safe to drink and they said yes.
Grand Hotel Excelsior, Great Siege Road, Floriana FRN 1810, Malta.
Tel:+356 2125 0520
www.excelsior.com.mt
The Phoenicia
What's it got?
1 Great position, easy to find, facing the fountain on the square, next to the bus station, ideal for anybody who doesn't want to drive or pay for a car.
2 Live music.
3 Breakfast option reduced if you are staying three days or more.
What's it not got?
The Kempinsky
Delighted at lunch time although we were not staying in the hotel to give us a lidded hinged plastic container to take away our leftovers.
What's it got?
Cool and calm, elegant but friendly. Heritage atmosphere.
The Raddison Blu Resort and Spa
Two branches of this hotel. (One is in skyscraper seaside of St Julian's just round the bay from historic capital of Valletta.) The second, which I visited, where my neighbours have had a timeshare for several years, is in a tranquil, remote location near the ferry to Gozo.
What's it got?
All modern, with all sorts of different areas to eat. Well stocked shops with bags and necklaces. Great views over the sea at the tower's sunset only bar.
What's it not got?
(Tower sunset bar not open for elevenses when we arrived for coffee). No special view from modern ground floor Moka coffee shop. Huge selection of coffees and I had white chocolate but I was not impressed by the flavours. However, a busy bustling place. Just cakes on display, no fruits, yogurts nor healthy options. Although the complex is isolated, inside it is quite busy and bustling, but with plenty of staircases and light corridors and huge public rooms in all directions if you want space.
Imposing hillside hotel with stunning views over the bay and light and bright modern art, statues of white horses and sleeping Roman girls and vast carpets.
Looking down on the restaurant and view at night.
The view by daylight at breakfast time.
Out on the vast rear terrace. Notice the two horse statues lower left.
What's it got?
1 Great views of the terrace overlooking the harbour.
2 Fabulous food - wonderful scrambled eggs at breakfast. A generous sized cheese platter if you arrive off the plane late in the evening and just want a bar snack. Delicious apple crumble top tart and almond cake on the evening buffet.
3 Great bedroom only prices for off-season breaks.
4 You can book a chauffeur driven car run by the hotel's own drivers to run you safely to restaurants or for a whole day trip around the island and charge it to your room - no worries about strange drivers.
5 Walking distance of the old town of Valletta.
6 Underground car park for your hire car and valet parking if you wish it.
7 Three or four onsite shops inn lobby, one selling chinaware, one selling jewellery and souvenirs, one newsagent.
8 Lovely indoor swimming pool and unisex spa pool beside it where you can sit with your spouse or partner. Gym.
9 Live music.
10 Empty fridge in bedroom, great for storing your pills or medicines, leftover wines or special diet foods.
11 Complimentary drinking water bottle in bedroom - plus advice not to drink the tap water. I know from Physics teacher at school you don't drink UK bathroom water because it's not straight from the main pipe but stored in an attic or roof top tank, which is not running water and could contain rusting metal, dead pigeons, squirrels, spiders, bees and wasps, you name it. However, we ordered bottled water for three days in all restaurants until we heard somebody in a restaurant ask for tap water. At the tourist office at the airport leaving Malta I asked if water was safe to drink and they said yes.
Grand Hotel Excelsior, Great Siege Road, Floriana FRN 1810, Malta.
Tel:+356 2125 0520
www.excelsior.com.mt
The Phoenicia
What's it got?
1 Great position, easy to find, facing the fountain on the square, next to the bus station, ideal for anybody who doesn't want to drive or pay for a car.
2 Live music.
3 Breakfast option reduced if you are staying three days or more.
What's it not got?
The Kempinsky
Delighted at lunch time although we were not staying in the hotel to give us a lidded hinged plastic container to take away our leftovers.
What's it got?
Cool and calm, elegant but friendly. Heritage atmosphere.
The Raddison Blu Resort and Spa
Two branches of this hotel. (One is in skyscraper seaside of St Julian's just round the bay from historic capital of Valletta.) The second, which I visited, where my neighbours have had a timeshare for several years, is in a tranquil, remote location near the ferry to Gozo.
What's it got?
All modern, with all sorts of different areas to eat. Well stocked shops with bags and necklaces. Great views over the sea at the tower's sunset only bar.
What's it not got?
(Tower sunset bar not open for elevenses when we arrived for coffee). No special view from modern ground floor Moka coffee shop. Huge selection of coffees and I had white chocolate but I was not impressed by the flavours. However, a busy bustling place. Just cakes on display, no fruits, yogurts nor healthy options. Although the complex is isolated, inside it is quite busy and bustling, but with plenty of staircases and light corridors and huge public rooms in all directions if you want space.
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