Il Palazzin Hotel, Malta

...is my review of the Il Palazzin Hotel, Malta.

I have also added pictures so you can have a look for yourself!

'''** Malta **'''
My reasons for choosing Malta were pretty simple. As it was my first holiday abroad, I didn't want to do the usual introductory countries of Spain or France. I wanted to go a little further afield. Only a little though! Plus it was relatively cheap and as it was just my friend and I, ...
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'''** The Hotel IL Palazzin **'''
Il Palazzin is the name of the hotel we stayed in for 6 nights. On most travel or booking websites it is described as a 4 star hotel. This, in my mind is pretty good. I have stayed in many hotels in the UK and I knew what I expected and also what I wanted. However, I was apprehensive as to what a 4 star hotel in Malta was like compared to one in the UK. To be honest, I would disagree that Il Palazzin ... more

** Introduction **
A few months ago I had one of the best experiences of my life. I went on holiday to Malta! So what? A lot of people might say. Well the 'So what?' is that it was my first holiday abroad. (Gasp!) Yes, it was the first time on a plane and the first time in real sunshine! It took 23 years, but I got there! I don't know what took me so long now I think about it. The fact my parents have never been abroad is probably a big factor, but at the same time it gave me the inspiration to want to experience new things. Now I most definitely have the travel bug! I travelled in early August last year (2008) but I must say, considering we were novices, the hotel we picked wasn't bad at all. Here is my review of the Il Palazzin Hotel, Malta.

I have also added pictures so you can have a look for yourself!

** Malta **
My reasons for choosing Malta were pretty simple. As it was my first holiday abroad, I didn't want to do the usual introductory countries of Spain or France. I wanted to go a little further afield. Only a little though! Plus it was relatively cheap and as it was just my friend and I, we wanted a relaxing holiday with some sunshine. Situated in Southern Europe, and only around the corner from Sicily (Italy), Malta is sat in the Mediterranean Sea. Brilliant for some warm sunshine then. Being a novice, I also wanted to travel somewhere that spoke predominately English. Just to break me in gently of course. Malta's official language is Maltese and English so I had no problems on that front. As you can imagine, or if you think back to your first time abroad, I was excited but apprehensive. It was just me and my friend heading to the sunshine. Bring it on!

** The Hotel IL Palazzin **
Il Palazzin is the name of the hotel we stayed in for 6 nights. On most travel or booking websites it is described as a 4 star hotel. This, in my mind is pretty good. I have stayed in many hotels in the UK and I knew what I expected and also what I wanted. However, I was apprehensive as to what a 4 star hotel in Malta was like compared to one in the UK. To be honest, I would disagree that Il Palazzin is a 4 star and would drop it down to a 3 star purely based on what it offered. As you read further on you will understand why I feel it over states itself on most advertisements.

** Location & Getting There **
Just to begin with, Il Palazzin is actually situated in the small quiet town of Qawra and not actually St Pauls Bay. When you arrive you can see the difference between the two. St Pauls Bay is very picturesque and tourist like and is in the heart of the town, whereas Qawra is slightly on the outskirts and is more of an industrial part of Malta. This did make the location peaceful and quiet. However, it meant having to get a very packed bus in order to travel to anywhere of interest. But all was not lost!
It took around 25 minutes to drive to the hotel by taxi from Malta Airport. I must say, the taxi drivers don't mess around. They speed over the cliffs and overtake mini buses with no second thought. I thought it was just our driver but after taking a few trips around I realise it seemed to be the general understanding. If you were offering a service to others then you could drive like a maniac. At this point I wondered if I might ever see England again, but we made it to the hotel in one piece. The hotel is very well know by the locals and by the taxi services so there was no problems in asking to be driven there. It cost around 15 Euros, so split between my friend and I it was not too expensive. The Check-in time at Il Palazzin is 2 PM and the Check-out time is 12pm. Although they seemed rather flexible. We arrive at just before 12pm because we had an early flight and they were more then happy to let us enter our room early at no extra cost.
An important thing to mention about the location of this hotel is that it is on top of a moderately steep hill. It takes around a 10 minute walk to get from the hotel to the main street. Usually it isn't a problem for me to walk up a hill, but when it's that hot with no shade, it makes a difference. It would be quite difficult to access if you had a wheelchair or walking difficulties as the hill has numerous pavements which would make it harder to manoeuvre around. Also, this is not for people who want a casual walk up the road, it is easy walking down, but walking up s a different story.
The main benefit of the location of Il Palazzin was that it was a genuine 10 minute walk to the Qawra and Bugibba promenade. This is a long stretch of road with restaurants, bars, small tourist shops and the stunning Mediterranean Sea stretching out in front of you. Of an evening it was beautiful to sit and watch the sunset while we ate at one of the restaurants.
I would say that Malta is very low on 'beaches'. There is one man made beach around 15 minutes away but the majority of the bays are rock and salt. This still made it perfect for sunbathing or relaxing. There is also a nearby children's water centre which is part swimming and adventure playground and part restaurant. This is a great facility if you have children. Other then that the children's activities nearby seem to be somewhat vacant.
The main bus terminal was only a few streets away from the hotel which was perfect for when we travelled around other parts of the Island. Il Palazzin is also serviced by Mini-buses, for tours and excursions etc; however, because it is situated on a one way type of street you will always be the last drop off if you go on a tour. We went on 3 excursions and were the last to be dropped off. This means you get back slightly later then advertised and you also end up alone on the coach. This is just a word of warning if you decide to travel alone.
All in all, it really was in a great location for us. Not centrally located so it was busy and noisy, but it was close enough to get to the main nearby attractions and to experience some of the nightlife.
Overall Rating for the location 3/5

** From the Outside **
From the outside the hotel looks pretty big. It is a large building that has 6 floors. The sun shines off the yellow and white décor and the balconies are front facing. It does look slightly tired but it definitely has a charm about it. The entrance is slightly uphill and you have to climb a few steps. There is a ramp to make it easier for your luggage etc, however this is very slippery. It is so smooth and flat that sliding is inevitable. It did look appealing on the way up to the hotel. But it seemed slightly pushed back from the other hotels and seemed to be quite dressed up. There were lots of palm trees, benches and bushes on the outside. I think this is to give it a feeling of more privacy as it is overlooked by two other hotels.
Appearance from the outside 3/5

** The Room **
So down to the most important part of the hotel, in my opinion anyway. Il Palazzin has 79 rooms spread over 6 floors. We were on the 4 floor, which I was happy about as I prefer being higher up. The hotel directly faces another hotel, because of this we did not have a sea view and I can not imagine any room actually having a sea view. If you stick your head over the balcony then you can view the sea in the not so far distance.
I was pleasantly surprised by the room. It had two single beds, and although he bedding had seen better days, it was all clean and fresh. The room was fairly large and we had plenty of space to walk around and to store our suitcases, towels and gift shopping. The entire room was dirt-free and looked well looked after. This was a relief for me. I can not stand dirty rooms. Going into a hotel room and finding hairs, or stains from the previous occupant is one of my worst scenarios. I would have asked to change rooms! Luckily, I had no problems with that.
There was a large mirror which was great for two girls and a hairdryer. Unfortunately the hairdryer was useless! It was so weak that my friend could have dried my hair quicker by blowing on it. So if you do need one then take your own. The same goes for plugs. They have the European style plugs and do not provide any UK style plugs at the reception, so take your own one of these as well. Although I am guessing most people do. (I told you I was an amateur).
The balcony was lovely, although the majority of the sun got blocked out by a large bollard which goes down the middle of the balcony, so not perfect for sun-bathing. The balcony was spacious and table and chairs was provided. It was lovely in the morning, to open the doors and sit on the balcony.
The bathroom was small, but big enough to do your bits and pieces in, and it was clean and soap was provided. The shower was not very powerful and the water was
pretty cold. However, as it was so hot in Malta a cool shower was definitely preferred. The room was pretty quiet most of the time, we couldn't hear any of the other guests, just the odd door shut once in a while.
The air conditioning worked perfect in our room and was adjustable. Without this we would never have been able to stay in there as it got very warm. A TV with satellite was provided but after searching through every channel there was nothing in English. Nothing at all. There were plenty of Spanish and German channels if you can speak the language! One night my friend and I decided we would just relax, so we sat and watched a very odd German programme and we watched a movie that had been dubbed in Maltese. It was sad but very amusing!
There was no mini bar in the room which was a bit disappointing, although I can imagine the prices would have been extreme and if you wanted a safety deposit box you had to bay 1 euro a day. I am not sure how this is worked out in other hotels abroad, if it is usually free or not. But we were willing to pay the 1 euro just to be on the safe side.
I wouldn't say that this was a 4 star room as it was very basic. For cleanliness and hygiene I would give it a 4/5. But for the room overall it is a pretty standard 3/5.

** Lobby **
When you enter the hotel you are greeted by a large circular reception desk in a dark maple style wooden finish. The lobby looked quite cosy but not at all modern. This was the heart of the hotel whereby you access the restaurant and bar. The circular stairway leads from the lobby to all the floors and there are two small lifts. I say small because you can fit 2 plus their suitcase if you don't mind being intimate! Not for anyone with a fear of crowds or small spaces!

** Restaurant / Bar - La Palma Restaurant **
Our package was based on half board, so we got breakfast included. The dining area actually comes under 'La Palma Restaurant'. Which is pointless really as it is in no way separate from the hotel and the staff switch duties between dining and the reception. I think it is just to give the hotel some added value. Anyway, the buffet breakfast was ok on the first day but by the third day we were bored and far from excited about breakfast. It was the same food everyday and the choices were limited. There were coco-pops or muesli style cereal, toast or bread (they provided the toaster). White bread rolls, tomatoes, A bowl full of hard Boiled eggs, yogurt, ham, cheese slices and choice of oranges and apples for fruit, they also provided a small sweet section where they had plain biscuits and some small cakes slices. The drink provided was diluted orange or grapefruit squash and tea or coffee. Don't get me wrong, it was great for the first couple of days but their food tasted very sweet and after two mornings we decided to venture elsewhere. It was definitely a continental breakfast but it would have been better if they changed it up a little bit from day to day. There was always plenty of room in the dining area and it had large windows which made the room bright and sunny. A lovely place to eat in the morning.
Just next to the dining area they had a small bar with some table and chairs. We only went there once to buy some water (although my advice is to buy water from the shops nearby as it is cold and a lot cheaper). The bar seemed to be run by the reception staff so you could have a long wait if they are busy with another guest. They had a wide range of drinks available, but in my opinion you are better off venturing to one of the restaurants or bars on the promenade which were much cheaper and had a better atmosphere. The atmosphere in the dining area and the bar at the hotel was very mellow, somewhere you could sit and read a book rather then sit and play drinking games. Not that I ever play drinking games of course! (Cough cough!)
Another point to make is that the restaurant states very clearly that when dining guests should dress appropriately with knees and shoulders covered. In places, Malta is still a very religious country and Il Palazzin has put in a few rules to remind guests of this fact. However, while I and my friend came down in a t shirt and linen trousers, there were numerous people who completely rejected this notice and wore shorts and bikini tops. I think that you should respect what the hotel asks. It is only for breakfast and they have plenty of air conditioning in the dining area.
Overall, the dining areas were clean and comfortable and provided a basic service although I would have liked a bit of variety and a bit more atmosphere, especially of an evening. 3/5

** Hotel Facilities **
The hotel boasts greatly about its swimming pools. It has an indoor pool and an outdoor pool. We had a little snoop around and the indoor swimming pool is on the top of the hotel, just before you go onto the rooftop. It is a bit pointless because it is so lovely outside it seemed like a waste to be inside. Next to the indoor pool they had a few pieces of gym equipment, a running machine and weights. Not sure how safe they would have been to use, but they were available none the less! The outdoor swimming pool was available between 9am and 9pm. It was always being used and was fairly big. It is at the front of the hotel, which means it is overlooked by other hotels and the sun beds were taken up very quickly. Only a few of the sun beds actually had sunshades. The pool was cleaned daily and the best time to use it was just before they served dinner. As my friend and I only paid for breakfast, the rest of the hotel seemed to have gone full board and between 4 and 6pm the pool was usually empty while people ate. Perfect for us!
One of the best features of this hotel is its rooftop terrace. It gives you a stunning view of the coast of Malta and you can see the Mediterranean Sea in its full glory. The view was spectacular and of an evening you can see the sky change into a watercolour scene. Blues, purples, pinks and oranges all melting into each other as the sun sets. If you do visit Malta, make sure you look at the view from any hotels rooftop terrace. It is something not to miss.
In Il Palazzin's brochures and website it states that it has a sauna and a games room. This however did not exist. It is supposed to be located in the basement but it seems to be work in progress. It is just a storage room full of brick and machinery. But there was plenty to do outside of the hotel so this was not a problem.
The reception was very friendly and provided a postal service so we gave them our postcards and they posted it all for us.
I must admit I was a little disappointed with the facilities. The pool was a bit too small and I think there could have been more of an outdoor area to relax, what was advertised was not available and because of this it gets a 2/5.

** Staff **
All the staff I encountered at IL Palazzin were very friendly. They always offered to look after our key for the day and gave us their full attention when we were being served. I must say though they all seemed a little ditsy. Although they were all fluent in English and they seemed to understand what we were saying but they always looked confused! As if they wasn't quite sure what we were saying. But they were all eager to please and seemed genuinely interested to hear about where we were from and why we chose Malta.
The reception desk was manned 24 hours a day which is reassuring to know, however the member of staff usually had to cover the bar, the outside of the building and the reception all at the same time. Multi tasking for sure! So trying to locate a staff member was a bit hazardous at times. So when checking out make sure you leave plenty of time to be seen. The staff all knew about the local area and the local attractions, they also were happy to call our room when our Taxi or Tour guide arrived and always had a smile on their face.
5/5 for customer service

** Prices **
I think we got a great deal on our holiday, just under £600 for both my friend and I. It included flights, half board at Il Palazzin for 6 nights and all taxes, charges and insurance. If however you want to look at Il Palazzin's prices separately they are very reasonable. The average price per night for a double room is £52. Definitely worth shopping around for online deals if you plan to stay here.

** Extra information **
The actual hotels website is somewhat plain and unhelpful. I definitely advise you to check out some other travel sites for more information about the hotel and for some great deals. Another option is to contact the hotel directly:
Address: R. Loria Street, Qawra - St. Pauls Bay SPB 08 Malta.
Telephone: 035621585244
Fax: (0356) 2158 5248
Email: info@palazzinhotel.com

** Conclusion **
For my first ever holiday, Il Palazzin did not let me down. It was a basic hotel that provided all I needed to get by for a week. It is far from prestige or luxurious but still a pleasant destination. The staff made up for slightly old fashioned looking décor, and it was an enjoyable hotel in terms of location and what it offered.
Would I go here again? Probably not. Now I am a bit more experienced in terms of going abroad (one down, plenty more holidays to go.) I am much more confident in what to look for in terms of location and facilities. This hotel was nothing special and it didn't offer anything to make me become a loyal guest if I ever returned to Malta.
Would I recommend it? Yes, for people who want a quiet, peaceful break but still within a very reasonable walk to all the main attractions then this is perfect. Nothing was really below par and if you are just looking for somewhere to lay your head while you experience the rest of the Island then this is perfect. Roll on the next holiday!

Thank you for reading! 

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