116Townhouse

I wasn't sure about breakfast being served in the room, but it was delicious and filling, even if I usually eat a bigger breakfast. The room had everything we needed, including a kettle and fridge, and the bathroom was new. The bed was comfortable too. We couldn't hear the busy street at night. The hotel is close to the old town, with everything just a few minutes away. There's a bus stop by the door. The two parking spots in front are usually occupied, though parking can be found on nearby streets or, if needed, in one of the large lots near Mdina.

We loved the genuine Maltese atmosphere, including the balcony in our room. The room was spacious and tidy, and we had fresh breakfast on the sunny rooftop terrace every day. It's a pretty house, renovated in an authentic style. Rabat's historic center and Mdina are a 15-minute walk away, and other hotspots are nearby too.

The host treated me in a way that left me shocked and confused. On the second day of our nine-day stay, he went into our room and moved our belongings without permission, then accused us of damaging his sofa, even though we'd barely used it. That day, Roberto called me five times in a row, shouted at me on the phone, and sent threatening messages. I asked him to raise any concerns through booking.com and leave us alone for the rest of the holiday. A few days before we left, while my husband was out with our child, he confronted me in the lobby. I asked him to wait until the end of our stay so my husband could be there too. He refused and pressured me to pay for damage I wasn't even sure we'd caused. When my husband arrived, Roberto's attitude changed completely and he spoke amicably with him. We agreed to pay EUR120 for sofa cleaning so we could be left alone. We've travelled abroad around 10 times a year for many years and never experienced this kind of treatment from a host. I also haven't seen such a contrast in how I was treated as an Asian woman compared with my German husband. The attractive photos and ratings don't reflect the guesthouse's ethical standards when problems come up. I hope booking.com finds a way to address this. The room looked nice but wasn't practical for a baby. There was no baby chair, and breakfast meant sitting on the floor at a small coffee table. Our little boy accidentally dropped a plate when it slipped off the table, which was too small for everything. The road and guesthouse were very difficult to manage with a pram. The road was extremely noisy, with buses and trucks passing day and night, and the room shook. The terrace was too hot for breakfast, and the umbrella hung over the balcony and tipped off the floor, which felt unsafe. The towel rail was moldy, the floor around the sofa wasn't clean, and a sharp screw stuck out of the bed. The yellow sofa was too uncomfortable to sit on without straining. (see photos)

The room was nicely done and otherwise just right, but unfortunately it smelled strongly of mould. Breakfast was ready in the mornings and was nice. It's a little away from the center, though still quite close, and the bus stops right beside the house. A nice family-run business.