AX Sunny Coast Resort & Spa

Qwara was quieter than Valletta and easy to walk around for food; taxis to other parts of the island came quickly. The resort's location was hard to beat, with several restaurants nearby and discounts for each. Two had great indoor playgrounds for kids. We even drove back after switching hotels to Sliema because we missed the restaurants, and wished we'd stayed here instead. The rooms were dated, but clean, spacious, and good value. In winter they felt warm, and we couldn't adjust the temperature, so we left the door open during the day and used a fan to cool the sleeping area. Thicker pillows would help. We were also told Malta had EU outlets, but there was only one; the rest were UK sockets, so more European outlets or converters would be useful.

We spent a week here in January and had no trouble finding a parking space for our rental car. The apartment was spacious and well equipped, and the staff were friendly and helpful. The indoor pool was a big bonus for the kids, even if it got busy sometimes. It's generally outdated but spotless, and traffic noise can be an issue. When we first entered, there was a strong smell of Indian cooking. If the price is right, we'd return.

The apartment was in poor shape: faded wall art, cupboard doors and kickboards coming loose, a dangerous light fitting, and a patio door that seemed not to have been maintained for years. We also woke to drilling from work behind the apartments. After another night, we asked Jet 2 to move us to another hotel and resort and were happy to pay the difference. We'd booked a week at the AX Sunny Coast and Spa apartments in Malta through Jet 2, relying on the website photos. The kitchen and dining area were dark, with no real windows except in one bedroom at the end of the corridor; the other bedroom and bathroom had only small openings onto a service shaft. Reception agreed it wasn't acceptable, and after two hours the manager moved us. That apartment had a dining-area window, but both bedrooms and the bathroom were still windowless. We accepted it as the best of a bad choice. The pool shown alongside the apartments was actually across the road. There was no bar, lounge, or restaurant, and some guests took supermarket food to the outdoor hotel tables. We got 10% vouchers for pizza places nearby.

The beds were clean and comfortable, and the staff were lovely and helpful. The hotel was clean too, but the equipment and supplies were disappointing. The kitchen had very few utensils, just one Pyrex oven dish and no cooking trays, with only one knife, fork, and spoon per person. There was no floor brush, the toilet paper was poor quality, and the towels were small and thin.