Malta Marriott Resort and Spa

We stayed at the Malta Marriott for 10 nights at the end of July/beginning of August as a family of four two adults and children aged 10 and 13, booking one of the family rooms/suites.

One thing worth mentioning is that the room categories on the website were a little confusing, and it wasn’t entirely clear which room type we would actually receive. We had also considered booking an M Club room, so a little more clarity on the room descriptions would have been helpful.

Arrival & Check-in

Check-in was pleasant, with a warm welcome and our luggage taken straight to the room. Before arriving, we’d emailed requesting a higher floor if possible. The hotel acknowledged this request, but nothing was mentioned at check-in. We were allocated a room on the 7th floor I believe guest rooms start on the 5th floor with a partial sea view. While we weren’t expecting a guaranteed upgrade, it would have been nice if reception had simply acknowledged the request and explained that this was the best available room.

The Room

Our room had two double beds comfortable, although not especially large, a separate sofa/lounge area with its own TV at the balcony end, a separate WC, and a bathroom with both bath and shower.

One feature we absolutely loved was the purified drinking water tap. Being able to refill bottles each day and keep them chilled in the fridge was a fantastic touch and something more hotels should offer.

I’d read reviews mentioning limited storage, but after removing the bathrobes from the wardrobe we found there was plenty of space for our four suitcases.

The air conditioning couldn’t be set below 20°C and only had one fan speed, but it worked perfectly throughout our stay.

Our children are probably towards the upper age and size limit for this style of family room. It would be great if the hotel offered a larger family suite option without guests needing to book two interconnecting rooms.

Location – Outstanding

The location was the main reason we chose the Malta Marriott over the Westin and Hilton, which felt either a little isolated, close to construction or less well positioned.

The Marriott’s location is superb.

Balluta Bay is right outside the hotel with plenty of restaurants, a small beach and a SPAR supermarket just below. We ate somewhere different every evening, all within walking distance or a very short Bolt ride, and never felt like we’d run out of options.

The hotel’s own food and cocktails were very good, although the neighbouring Villa restaurant was exceptional and definitely worth visiting for both the food and atmosphere.

It’s an easy walk to Spinola Bay and even Paceville if that’s your thing, although the Marriott itself feels pleasantly removed from the busiest areas, which suited us perfectly.

There are buses directly outside the hotel, but Bolt was inexpensive and made exploring the island very easy. We also walked to the Valletta ferry in around 15–20 minutes. I’d also highly recommend taking one of the traditional harbour gondola rides around the Three Cities.

Pools & Facilities

We visited the adults-only rooftop pool once. It was quite small and pretty busy, so we didn’t feel we were missing much by spending most of our time at the main pool.

The main pool is attractive but fairly shallow maximum depth 1.2m. It was always easy to find sunbeds, although at weekends it became noticeably busier by early afternoon, partly because non-residents are allowed to purchase day access.

Thankfully towel reserving wasn’t really an issue, although staff could probably clear abandoned towels a little quicker once guests have left.

Overall, the pool area was pleasant rather than spectacular. Knowing it was built on what used to be a car park explains why access is via the gym underpass or by crossing the quiet road from reception. It’s perfectly functional but perhaps lacks the “wow” factor some guests might expect.

The indoor spa pool was lovely, although children aren’t permitted between 12pm and 6pm.

The gym was a good size with modern Technogym equipment. It’s also open to the public, so the free weights area occasionally became busy, but it was never overcrowded. There’s even a squash court, which was a nice surprise.

Service

Overall, service was very good. Staff were consistently friendly and helpful, although we did have two minor issues.

Firstly, despite being out all day, our room wasn’t cleaned until around 4:30pm on one occasion, meaning we couldn’t get ready before heading out for evening drinks. It seemed even stranger when turndown service arrived just 15 minutes later.

Secondly, one of the poolside waiters accidentally spilled drinks over our daughter’s clothes while clearing a nearby table and unfortunately didn’t apologise, which was disappointing.

Food & Drink

Breakfast was excellent throughout our stay.

The made-to-order omelettes were outstanding, particularly those cooked by one of the male chefs. There was an excellent selection of fruit, cereals, pastries, waffles and even a chocolate fountain with marshmallows for children. If I were being very picky, the only thing I missed was porridge.

We attended two themed buffet evenings. The BBQ night was excellent and offered far more choice than the advertised menu suggested. We also enjoyed the tapas evening, which was good and clearly scaled according to the number of bookings. Both evenings included live guitar music, creating a lovely atmosphere.

We also ate once in the main restaurant, which was very enjoyable, while the lounge bar had plenty of comfortable seating.

Cocktails were excellent throughout the stay. The only slight disappointment was that soft drinks like Coke were sometimes served from opened bottles rather than freshly opened bottles or draught, meaning they occasionally tasted flat. At €4.50 per Coke, this felt a little underwhelming.

Poolside food portions were generous and often large enough for our children to share at lunchtime.

Overall

We were really pleased with our choice of hotel, primarily because the location is difficult to beat. There were a few minor niggles—the occasional flat Coke, one issue with housekeeping timing and a pool area that doesn’t quite have the luxury “wow” factor—but none of these spoiled what was a thoroughly enjoyable holiday.

Overall, I’d happily recommend the Malta Marriott, particularly to families looking for an excellent base from which to explore Malta while still enjoying plenty of restaurants, bars and the waterfront right on the doorstep.

Just returned home after spending 11 night's at this wonderful hotel . The hotel staff from the Concierge to the Receptionists were very welcoming . We had seaview rooms overlooking Balluta beach ,rooms very spacious ,clean and well appointed . We visited during the Balluta Bay Festa ,the Maltese like a firework display and these rooms had a great vantage point for these displays Roof top pool on level 12 is for over 16’s only however there is another across the road on level 2 accessed through the Spa for children ,free use of towels readily available. We only booked B & B at the Hotel however I have to agree with other reviewers that the food options on offer for Breakfast was of very good standard with plenty of variety , special mention to the ‘Eggman’ at the Egg Station who never forgot your face and always remembered how you liked your eggs cooking. This is a wonderful Hotel with lots of facilities but it’s the people that work there that make it special . Everyone we encountered from the Breakfast staff ,Pool Bar Staff ,Housekeeping,and even the GM Alex were very pleasant and friendly . My family had a lovely time here

Such a beautiful hotel that is a constant reminder that you’re on vacation. We were in room 722 which had a great view of St. Julian’s Bay and so much bustling activity of the area. It was a great and lively location.

The room was very spacious and just felt brand new. Everything was so convenient, with plenty of outlets on both sides of the bed. The only negative was that there was no standard outlet in the bathroom. There was only an outlet for shavers. A space for toiletries and personal items under the countertop and in the water closet would’ve also been nice. We made it work.

The staff was so delightful and helpful. They truly made our first visit to Malta amazing.