50th Boutique Hotel

The front desk girl was great, and the staff were really nice. We told them we weren’t happy and they promptly and courteously gave us a full refund, so we stayed elsewhere. The rooms were clean, but had broken fixtures, stained walls and rusty furniture. The Google photos are VERY DECEIVING. This feels like two stars at best. I hope they make improvements, since the location is quaint. I’d only stay here if it cost significantly less than other properties.

Breakfast was excellent, and housekeeping was generally good. The hotel is in a good spot in the old city, in a historic building that’s new or newly renovated. It looks like a lot was spent on the design: there’s a glass and chrome open-air spiral staircase serving seven levels, and the bathrooms are fully marbled. Getting help was a different story. After we’d booked and paid, an email told us check-in hours ended before our flight landed. Our first message asking how we could get in after 3pm was ignored, which caused a lot of stress. They eventually suggested we call on arrival. On day three, the lift was switched off. At 5pm there was nobody at reception, their phone went to voicemail, and emails and messages weren’t answered. I’m wearing a knee brace, so five levels of narrow spiral stairs looked difficult. After an hour and several more calls, we went out to eat early to avoid them. When we got back at 8pm, the lift was on again. The property has spent significant money on monogrammed towels and bedding and on the building features, but some things are still unfinished: the shower rail is fixed at only one end, an electrical socket has no cover, and the painting stops randomly. These problems seem to come from poorly thought-out customer management and could be fixed. Still, the stairs are slippery when wet, and anyone with luggage, a baby carriage or limited mobility may find this an unsuitable choice. With five rooms, it feels more like a hobby business run by indulged children when something goes wrong.

The waterfront views were nice, but I’d eat somewhere else along there. I spent 70 euro on food that wasn’t good and felt I could have cooked it better myself. The food tasted not fresh and wasn’t worth the price. My 25€ steak came rare when I’d asked for medium rare. When I mentioned it, the waiter said I should have asked for medium rare, which I had. They didn’t tell us the card machine was broken until it was time to pay. A staff member then escorted me to an ATM about a ten-minute walk there and back, which made me feel they weren’t trustworthy.

The 50th Boutique was a dream inside, with creamy stone walls and floors, clever lighting, a glass spiral staircase running from the roof terrace down to reception, and a very snazzy lift. There’s also a help-yourself beans-to-coffee machine on the ground floor. The contrast with many other places I’ve stayed in Malta was striking: apart from modern tourist hotels, their interiors can feel depressing, with furniture and accessories that remind me of my grandparents’ home in the 50s. The outside here looks just like the neighboring buildings, but once you step through the door, everything changes. I chose this hotel because I wanted to be in the very heart of Malta. It’s a typical Maltese townhouse on a street of mellow-stoned, multi-storied buildings, a few metres from the only traditional square in Vittoriosa. Mateo (Matthew), the owner, was charming and helpful throughout. I believe he’d opened only six weeks earlier, and no expense seemed spared on the design or its execution. My room was beautiful and exactly as shown on websites: an enormous bed with high-quality linen, classy furniture, a well-stocked bathroom and sockets with integrated charging points. I could go on. The roof terrace has amazing views and was great for sunbathing. The square beside the hotel has typical Maltese restaurants with interesting menus and friendly staff. Taxis stop a couple of metres from the hotel door, just off the square, so getting there is easy. I ordered breakfast the night before, as requested, and chose to have it at a designated cafe beside Dock 1. Sadly, the Great 2-Day Storm spoiled it a bit, though it would have been very picturesque otherwise. My stay was amazing, everything I could have wished for. It’s a wonderful base for the Three Cities. Maps make the distances look long, but they aren’t, and you can reach every historic site after a few minutes. Thank you, 50th Boutique hotel. Guests will be lucky to stay with you.