Castille Hotel Malta

We stayed in this hotel for 8 nights and would return again. I booked this hotel in April after spending ages trying to find a hotel that was affordable in Valletta. I must admit after reading a few reviews I nearly cancelled the hotel. I am glad I didn't now after we had a lovely stay. I will admit it isn't the fanciest hotel and is not the most modern but it is perfectly acceptable. To start 2 days before I was due to arrive i emailed the hotel to let them know I would be arriving late and to confirm my booking, I got a response the following day confirming. We didn't arrive at the hotel until 11.45 pm due to our flight being delayed by 2 hours. Even though we were late arriving we were still greeted and checked in very quickly by a friendly and helpful man who explained everything. We then went to our room on the fourth floor, room 40. I was nervous opening the door as to what would greet us but there was no need. Room 40 was a good size way bigger than I was expecting. It was clean, which is a major thing. The bed was really big and unusually for a hotel as i have previously found across Europe it was a full mattress and not two singles pushed together. It was a firm mattress and we had a great sleep each night. The room also had a fridge which was so useful for our stay we had it continually filled with bottles of water that we bought becauseit was so hot. There was 2 bottles of water when we arrived and the housekeeper gave me 2 another hot day. There was a good sized TV, that had a movie channel in English that we watched a few times. There was other channels but I didn't go through them. You could also have connected a Firestick or other device to it. The bathroom was very small but we managed. The shower isn't modern but again we managed fine. There was a towel rail, 2 hooks on the door for towels and a small shelf for toiletries. One complaint i have is the shower curtain, no matter how careful we were it didnt keep in the water, after each shower the floor was all wet. So we had to use towels to mop it up. There was a small window in the bathroom that you could open for ventilation but it only had a view of a ventilation shaft or the frosted window of the other bathroom. Luckily the window in the bedroom opened wide and we had a view onto the side street. The room would not be suitable for small children as the window is more like a door so you have to be careful near it. The hotel has 2 lifts. The housekeeping staff were very nice. I didn't have the room cleaned as I told them each day there was no need but they gave fresh towels and toilet paper any time I asked. The air conditioning in the room is old but it does work. It was 41 and 43 degrees while we were in Malta so we needed it. Air conditioning unit probably could do with being cleaned. You need to close the window and it does work. Also have it on 3 during the day, it is a bit noisy but not too bad. Then put it on 2 at night and u can sleep as it is quieter. The Internet works good in the room, but a few times it dropped out but came back again and one day it was gone in the morning and still gone when we came back in the afternoon. The receptionist told me it was not just a hotel issue so they couldn't do anything . This isn't a big deal we are on holidays so don't need to be on phones all the time. Also one day the electricity was gone all day but again this was not the hotels fault, the electricity was going all over the island because of the high temperatures . The staff left lights around the hotel and near stairs so we could see where we were going. The location of the hotel is one of the highlights it is next to the Upper Barracka Gardens. It is a short walk to Merchant Street. Republik Street and the bus station. We used the buses alot so it was great being so near. Also the location was brilliant for getting the ferry to Gozo and the traditional boats to the Three Cities. It was also close to the fountain and Floriana where the Isle of Malta and other concerts were on. Also it was good to be able to come back to the room during the days we spent in Valletta to rest or bring back shopping. The room also had plenty of plugs and 2 doubles beside the bed to charge phones if needed. Another high light was the breakfast and the breakfast room. There was a great selection of food available, some mornings we came at a busy time and the dishes were nearly empty but the girls were in and out filling things up all the time. Girls in the breakfast area were very friendly each morning aswell. There is a fantastic view from the windows of the harbour which had cruise ships in every day and also the square and beyond. One morning we decided to sit outside on the terrace to eat. It is lovely out there but unfortunately the birds are very annoying. Absolutely nothing the hotel could do about them unless they employ someone to walk around and shoo them away. So even though it is lovely to sit and eat breakfast there just be aware the birds will want to join you. The breakfast itself was good. The area is small enough so when it gets busy you have to queue but luckily most times we were there it wasn't too bad. There was cereal, different breads and rolls. Croissants and other pastries. Sausages, rashers, mushrooms, pudding,tomatoes scrambled egg, chicken. There was also a salad bar and fruit. The hot food was better than the meat and cheese selection. This could be improved to be honest. There is also a machine with juices and coffee machine with different options. We had a great breakfast every morning. A second toaster would be a good idea. They also had teabags but i tried them one morning and it was only ok. It was grand if you were stuck but if coming from Ireland or the Uk and you like your tea bring your own lyons teabags (or your favourite) like i did. Bigger mugs would also be useful. The small mugs are fine for coffee but if you like a good mug of tea you will be up and down filling them. There is a cafe downstairs im not sure if it is part of the hotel or separate but we didn't actually go there so I cant review it. The rest of the hotel stairs hallways etc were all clean and tidy aswell. There was also a lovey area up the spiral staircase outside near the breakfast terrace, it had a lovely view of the city and it had some seats. It wasnt blocked off so im assuming it was open to guests but it was nice to sit and relax in the sun. The key isnt a keycard it is a normal key that you lock yourself and it has a wooden keyring. It is bulky but you can leave it in reception when you were leaving if you want. We just kept ours with us so didn't need to ask for it each time we came back. There is a laundrette a few doors down the street from the hotel which we used one day and is very handy if you need it.I would recommend the hotel but just be aware it isn't a 5 star modern hotel. But for €130 euro a night b& b for 2 adults in a Capital city in July it was definitely worth it. Maybe we got lucky with the room we got but I enjoyed my stay and would definitely stay again, the staff, the breakfast and location make it worth it.

Had a great stay in the heart of Valletta, great breakfast on the 5th floor terrace overlooking the grand harbour. Staff mostly female where fantastic including Claudia, friendly and helpful. People complain about this hotel but you get a great experience at a very reasonable price, if you must have everything perfect pay double.