Marina Studios

There’s plenty to see in the nearby old town, from the architecture to the city gates and a fort, and it’s worth a walk through the back streets. The location also makes a good base for exploring Malta, and the price was good. From the room, you get sensational views of Valletta and the harbour, in a cool building with a spacious room and easy contactless entry. The kettle, toaster, washing machine, fridge, cooker, and plug adapters were useful, and we appreciated the free water after arriving late. There are some clear drawbacks: the lift is tiny, the shower isn’t good, and cleanliness could be better, especially the towels. Still, I’d recommend it.

We’d happily stay here again if we return to Malta, and fully recommend booking. Luke and the other staff were very nice and helpful. The clean, pleasant studio is in a convenient spot, within walking distance of the Valletta ferry, restaurants, and convenience stores. It has a basic kitchen and washing machine, with room service every three days. The street can get noisy at night, especially when the neighbor across the road watches movies at full volume around midnight, but the well-insulated windows and AC made it no real problem.

Getting the key from the door for self check-in was easy, and I could get help on WhatsApp when needed. The clean little studio has a washer-dryer and sits by a nice marina. The ferry is close, takes 10 minutes to Valletta, and in summer runs every 30 minutes. A return ticket costs 3.80 euro, and the Baraka lift ticket to Upper Valletta is included. The view from the ferry is gorgeous, and there’s also a nice bar with live music in the evenings.

The apartment was clean, nicely presented, and comfortable to sleep in. Getting in was simple, with a door code and keys left for me, and lifts make the apartments easy to reach. It’s ideally placed, about a 10-minute drive from the airport. Parking on the street was a bit of a nightmare: it’s parallel parking on a narrow street with high curbs, so I couldn’t make the turn in one go. My only other gripe was the bathroom tap. The hot water was scalding and cold water wasn’t coming through, so I burnt my finger. Not ideal, but not a deal breaker.