NSTS Campus Residence and Hostel

We booked well ahead for a sports competition in Malta and paid the full amount through Evan. Our group included couples, so we chose this student residence specifically for the double rooms with kitchens, which we needed for cooking. But when we arrived, reception couldn’t find our booking. Evan confirmed it by phone, then we were taken to rooms that didn’t match what we’d reserved. The room for five was as expected, but the two double rooms with kitchens were unavailable. Instead, they offered another room for five, with single beds and no kitchen, which didn’t suit our group at all. We asked for the rooms we’d booked and were told they’d gone to other people. We could only wait to see if those guests failed to show up, which isn’t an acceptable answer for a confirmed, prepaid reservation. The residence also refused a full refund, saying they might give us half. The option we were left with didn’t meet our needs for either comfort or practicality, and three weeks later we still haven’t had a reply. It was frustrating and deeply disappointing. I’d expect honesty, accountability, and respect for a confirmed booking, but that wasn’t our experience.

We still haven’t got our money back, even though the head of the place put in writing that they would reimburse us. It’s been two weeks. The rest of my group couldn’t be accommodated in any suitable way, so we had to book somewhere else. We’ve made formal complaints to the police and Malta’s consumption office, and next week we have an appointment with the European consumption office to make another complaint. We had booked and paid a month ahead for rooms with kitchens, which we needed to make our own lunches for this particular trip and group. When we arrived, those rooms had already been booked for others. They offered quintuple rooms without kitchens, with individual beds according to the website. Normally you’d offer something similar or better, or a refund, but the staff in charge wouldn’t agree to either. We had to deal with it at 15 hours after getting up at 3 to catch our flight, so you can imagine how exhausted we were. I was the “lucky” one who got the only available quintuple room. There was chewing gum stuck on the bunk bed, and a towel was drying on the terrace, which seemed to be shared with direct access from each room. The bathroom was dark and gloomy, the beds were poor quality, and it wasn’t very clean. The toilet flush was so hard to press I had to use my heel. The shared space looked old, with paint peeling from the walls, nothing like the bright, colourful photos. I managed to get a room, but the rest of the group had to find another place because the alternatives weren’t suitable. If you can, don’t book here unless you want surprises on your Malta trip.

The location and pool are the only good parts. The pool’s upkeep also made me doubtful. The gym shown or suggested in many listings and reviews is next door and costs extra, it isn’t included. Our room for two had just one chair, and there was only one plate and one bowl in the kitchenette, so we had to take turns eating. The drying rack was rusty and stained our clothes and towels. The sink leaked from day one, then the air conditioning began leaking on day two, so we propped it up with a bin to keep the room from flooding. No shower curtain meant water went all over the floor. Internet barely worked, it couldn’t even load text messages. My friend’s mattress was still in plastic, which crackled loudly with every movement at night. Over the eight days, housekeeping never came: no fresh towels, no emptied bins, and no toilet paper replenishment. Breakfast was the worst part. The bread was stale, the ham was the cheapest sort, and the “cheese” didn’t taste like real dairy. There were no vegetables. The tiny croissants were the only edible thing, but each person was limited to three. Otherwise it was cereal with milk left open in a warm room, with lots of flies landing on the food. For cold drinks there was only syrupy water, plus coffee or hot chocolate. I can’t recommend this hotel. Service, cleanliness, breakfast, and basic maintenance all fall below a minimum standard.

We paid in full a month before the stay, but after nearly an entire afternoon trying to sort things out, they refused our refund. We had to book different accommodation. I strongly don’t recommend this place, and from other reviews it seems this has happened before. We were a competition team and chose it for the location near the event venue and the private kitchens. We’d booked three double rooms with kitchens and one room for five people. On arrival, they didn’t honour the reservation and tried to fix it by offering five rooms for five people each, which wasn’t what we’d paid for. They eventually managed to give us some of the right rooms, but one couldn’t be arranged, leaving two team members without a place to stay.