My wife and I booked a week through Spa Travel advertised in a Marks & Spencer catalogue; we met in Malta 40 years ago while I was serving with the RAF on the Island. The week's all inclusive stay in the Fortina Spa Resort (5* opened in 2006) and included Club Class return travel with either BA or Air Malta, with Malta transfers and a 2 hour harbour cruise, at a cost of £900 each. Air Malta (Heathrow Terminal 4) provided an outstanding service on both outbound and return sectors - far better than BA! We booked a superior harbour view room and were allocated one on the tower's 4th floor facing Pieta and Marsamxett harbours facing South West with fantastic views of North facing Valetta and sunsets over Rabat. The rooms are well appointed and clean with a queen size bed, lots of wardrobe space, big bathrooms with separate bath and shower, a well-stocked fridge (filled daily) and a large screen TV, which offers BBC World but you have to pay 3 Euros a day to watch movies and other channels. The balcony is large and has 2 sun loungers with cushions and a table. On arrival your picture is taken and imposed on an All Inclusive "credit card" sized pass, which you have to show at all times until the staff get to know you. This card can also be used in the Fortina hotel bars next door. All drinks are included except aged whiskies and XO Brandy and the like and the cocktail menu is very comprehensive and served by friendly bar staff. There is good live music in the bar area; sadly the piano and musicians are almost hidden from the Limes bar lounge, which has very little character and loads of bar stools, which make it difficult to get to the bar and order drinks. Evening meals have to be booked through the concierge who will provide you with hard copies of your reservations, up to 3 days in advance, for the Indian, Japanese, Med/Vietnamese (Taste), Pizza (for lunch and Friday & Saturday evenings only) and Thai/Chinese Restaurants. We did have lunch in the "4*" Fortina hotel next door, which is very basic and a bit like a Butlin's Holiday Camp - certainly not 4* - 2* at best. Breakfast is in the Taste Restaurant nearest the hotel Bar called Limes and has a good selection. We tried the Indian, Thai/Chinese and Med/Vietnamese restaurants and Pizza for lunch. House wine is offered and the white is medium and quite good but the red is very dry and rough. The Indian was first class in every respect but watch out for the very hot pre-starter, which comes with all meals; we ate there once. The Pizza restaurant is good for lunch; the soups and garlic breads were great but the dough in pizzas tasted awful. Taste (Med/Vietnamese - a strange combination) served quite excellent fillet steaks with a tasty sauce and roast/dauphine potatoes; we had 2 dinners there. By far the best was the Thai/Chinese Restaurant, where we had 3 dinners. This restaurant serves some of THE best Chinese/Thai food we have experienced in our worldwide travels and I commend it as our favourite. When you open the menu in the evening be sure to get the right page - most people try ordering from the lunch menu -the dinner menu is at the back of the book! The free boat trip with Captain Morgan's Harbour tours is highly recommended - even if you've already experienced this before as we had done a number of times. The boat leaves opposite Marks& Spencer's on the Sliema front, which is about 7 minutes stroll from the hotel and provides commentary in English and German. There are plenty of shops along the sea front and along Tower road, selling everything from McDonald's, Berger King, more up market cafes, boutiques, BHS and even a Monsoon. If you are looking for some fresh fruit and a few snacks/drinks for your room there is a very good 3 floor supermarket adjacent to a Next fashion shop immediately to the left at the top of Tower Road. Despite the hotel room guide giving 1200 as checkout time we received a flyer telling us to check out at 1100. A quick visit to reception armed with the hotel guide gave us a midday checkout after which we were asked to retain our all inclusive passes and offered lunch and drinks until we left the hotel. The only points to beware of are the invitations to be collected and taken away for a 2 hour timeshare brainwash, which we instantly declined. Also the lift doors don't take prisoners and my wife has the bruises to remind her and we met another hotel guest who had suffered the lift door "guillotine" effect. Also note there is NO room service or ice machines available (is this a 5* hotel?). Finally, if you like a 5 star holiday environment with the guests to match, then stay away from the Fortina Hotel next door; it is not a pleasant experience! Overall, a very relaxing holiday and hotel, which has everything you want in a good location.