White Dolphin Complex Hotel

The location was handy, with a bus stop just a few metres away and buses going across the whole island. The young guy on reception was very sweet. But the studio with kitchenette, on the ground floor by the pool, had a strong mold and ammonia smell that stayed throughout our six-day trip. It felt like the room hadn’t been aired in ages. It wasn’t very clean either, and I had to rewash everything from the kitchen before using it. On day two we found a huge dead cockroach on the doorstep, which was enough to make us sleep with one eye open. The hotel seems past its best. Breakfast was not worth €5 per person per day: just a couple of croissants and bread with marmalade and butter, or tomato, cucumber, cheese and ham with flies all over it. For around €95 a night, I don’t think it was worth it.

We stayed for three nights in December as a couple, and it was a pleasant visit. The room was simple, tidy and clean, with nice beds and extra blankets available. It was quiet, though there weren’t many other guests. The man at the desk was very friendly and patiently answered all our questions. The main issue was the refrigerator: it was so noisy it drove us crazy, so we switched it off on our last night. Its contents were frozen instead of chilled, too.

The apartment was large, everything worked, and shops were just a stone’s throw away. We stayed for 10 days and only needed the hotel as a base, so it suited us, though I can see why others might be disappointed. The shower was powerful and had plenty of hot water, but the bathroom grout and mastic were moldy and grubby. A bit of bleach would have sorted it. The maid came on day two, when we’d only just arrived and didn’t really need her, and we never saw her again. By day eight the towels were getting smelly, so we asked reception for fresh ones and got them.

The staff were very nice and changed our room twice, so they get 5/5 from us. The pool was fine, though the water was cold, and breakfast was very basic with the same food every day. Our stay wasn’t good overall because the room was messy, dirty and very old, and full of insects. We killed nearly 30 large ones in a single night but couldn’t find where they were coming from. We even found one in the shower. Malta is beautiful, but if you want a good holiday, pay for a good hotel.