Villa Sunset

Villa Sunset sits on the south side of the island, with easy routes to the major attractions across Malta and Gozo. It's also close to nearby beaches, and Saint Peter's Pool is a lovely walk away. Malta may not be the most exciting destination, but that walk works well in the morning before an afternoon swim at the villa. The pool isn't heated, though the building's layout gives it plenty of sun from 9am-3pm. We found the water warmest around 1pm-2pm, and refreshing at other times. With Malta's warm weather, we often went for a swim outside peak hours to cool off. A few things to know before booking: tap water isn't drinkable in Malta, unlike in the United Kingdom. It's likely because the water comes from the ocean and has a high salt level. Local shops sell water, and Ambika had the best option we found, several gallons for 2 Euros each. With 12 people, we used about one bottle a day, so budget around 2 Euros per day. Air conditioning and WiFi were listed among the facilities but cost extra. WiFi wasn't essential for us, but with the heat and all the mosquitoes, you'll definitely need the air conditioning. It came to 25 Euros extra per night. That was manageable for our short stay and large group, though it wasn't clear from the start that these were add-ons, so include them in your budget. My main concern was the damp basement. With the window open and door closed, much of the heavy air and smell went away, but it was clearly damp. I tried sleeping there the first night, and the pillows, bed and sheets all felt damp. Above the middle bed, part of the ceiling was flaking and coming down. The land lady thought it was due to poor ventilation; I suspect water from the AC or the pool outside may be seeping into the walls. Our group fit upstairs, so we didn't need those three beds. If you need every room and bed, you may want to ask whether this has been resolved before booking.

My stepmother's stepfather invited my family, along with his daughters and son and their families. It was a big house and a lot of fun to be there, especially with the private pool. The only small issue was that the DVD player's remote control was missing, but it wasn't worth worrying about.

The house was lovely. The only drawback is that air conditioning costs extra.