Plaza Suites Hotel

“ There are alot of mixed reviews on The Plaza/Plaza Regency Hotel and the reason for this is that the hotel is split into 2 sides: The Plaza and The Plaza Regency (both sides share the same rooftop pool/terrace)
The Plaza is of a very good standard but The Plaza Regency side is I believe yet to be updated and this is why there are such varying reviews which can be confusing regarding The Plaza/Plaza Regency Hotel.
If you book a standard room you may be allocated on either The Plaza or The Plaza Regency side so we booked one of the self-catering studios as the self-catering studios are only located on the renovated Plaza side and therefore we did not risk being allocated a room on The Plaza Regency side as I had read alot of very bad reviews for this side of the hotel and did not want to stay there but did want to stay on The Plaza side as it had really very good reviews.
The hotel is in a really great location - we had a self catering room with a side-sea view and had a pretty good view of the sea to our right although I do imagine that the full sea-view rooms from the higher floors must be really quite amazing.
It was good to have a fridge in our room to keep drinks but we didnt actually use the cooking facilities.
We took our breakfast at Cara's Cafe which is situated at the base of The Plaza and they had a very good menu selection, great cappuccino's! There are lots of restaurants close by and many located on the seafront with lovely views.
Housekeeping was of a good standard - we were there for 4 days and the room was fully serviced every day. Reception was efficient and helpful whenever I made enquiries.
I have to say I did find it a bit noisy at night but my friend who I was on holiday with said she heard nothing at all to keep her awake and slept really well so I guess it just depends on how you sleep generally.

“ Top Tip: * The X2 Arriva bus from the airport drops you right outside the hotel (€2.60 for a ticket that you can use on the buses all day - we brougt one of these tickets every day and the islands bus service was excellent - if you are staying a week then a weekly ticket would be a better/cost effective option)
* The Ferry from Sliema is a lovely way to travel to Valletta, think it cost about €1.50 and took just 10 minutes, just to warn there are some very steep streets to walk up when you arrive, in fact lots of steep streets! The views from the Saluting Battery are fantastic. If you want to look inside St Johns Co-Cathedral then be sure to check out the visiting times, we didnt and it was closed!
* We took the no.222 bus from outside the hotel to Cirkewwa to visit the Blue Lagoon on Comino, when you arrive at the Ferry Terminal bus stop there are various boat options to reach the Blue Lagoon but we chose to walk down to the small beach of Paradise Bay which is just on your right as you get off the bus and from this beach you can take a speedboat to the Blue Lagoon and it cost €10 return, it was so speedy and alot of fun, on the return journey they take you along the shoreline and through a cave, I really do recommend the speedboat but warn you it really does speed along!!
* There is a great ice-cream shop not far from the Plaza hotel, it is on the same side of the road as the hotel going towards St Julians just a 2 minute walk, really good ice-cream, check out the Azzurro Smurf ice-cream!
* If going to Mdina I think it's quite a good idea to go 1 or 2 hours before the sunsets as you can see it in the daylight then perhaps have something to eat in one of the restaurants and then when the sun goes down you also get to experience it all lit up at night which is very lovely.
* We visited Popeye Village and although I didnt expect too much I was still disappointed, there was really nothing much at all to do, the view of Popeye Village from the cliff top is pretty good though so its probably worth jumping off the no.222 bus for a few pictures of the Village and the very pretty bay and then you can jump on the next bus 30 minutes later!

“ We were apprehensive about the Plaza prior to arrival. We were still more nervous when we overheard the complaints of several people who had gathered to meet their travel rep while we were waiting in the lounge for our room to become available. However, when we arrived in our room it looked clean and fresh with all necessary facilities present and working. The room was small but reasonable in size and the beds were comfortable. The restaurant catered for a large number of people but we had no trouble finding a table for the buffet breakfast and found the meal excellent. Regarding a previous review where dirty carpets were mentioned; but the floor in our room was laminated. If we were to return to Malta at some time in the future we would definitely consider staying at this hotel again. We found it was good value for money.

“ Top Tip: excellent bus service to all parts of the island at a very reasonable cost when purchasing day or week tickets.

“ Room was clean and bright. Very good.

[This customer did not leave a comment]

“ Top Tip: Use the local buses they stop outside the Hotel and you can get every where on the Island it was 2 euros sixty for a allday ticket unlimited travel and even cheaper for a weekly. Drivers were very knowledgeable and all spoke english