Bookarest Hostel Malta

The self check-in didn’t go smoothly. I only received the instructions after calling when I arrived and nobody was there, and no staff showed up until my second morning, by which point I’d decided to leave. As a woman travelling alone, I didn’t feel comfortable here. The dorm rooms don’t lock, just the lockers inside them. I didn’t see any other women, only men who seemed to have been staying for months. I’ve used mixed dorms before, but a few of the guys made me uneasy. The dorm had only beds, lockers and mattresses, all very cheap and uncomfortable. It was also extremely dirty, even by my standards: the toilet was left unflushed, men used the women’s bathrooms, and someone had left meat on plates in the fridge. I paid almost €25 a night, which wasn’t worth it, even though it was the cheapest option and Malta can be expensive. When I told staff about the problems and asked for a refund, they said they’d check with the boss and get back to me, but never did. If saving about €2 a night and being closer to Paceville for tequila is all you care about, this might suit you. For basic cleanliness, comfort and feeling safe as a woman, I wouldn’t choose it.

This was my second stay at the hostel. The location is great and the staff were very helpful. They did forget to put toilet paper in the bathrooms one day, maybe they were just a bit forgetful, but the service was good. I had a lovely stay and a great holiday in Malta.

The only thing I liked was the location. The street is lined with bars and restaurants, though large cockroaches run around outside at night. If I came back, I’d stay farther from the centre somewhere cleaner and more properly equipped. I spent two nights in a six-bed shared dorm on the first floor and paid €50. The hygiene was awful: there was a small cockroach in my room, possibly because a roommate had left food out, black mould in the shower, a grey toilet base, and an old shampoo bottle and sponge left on the shower floor. Leftovers on the kitchen stove sat there for at least three days during my stay. I’m not even sure whether the sheets are changed for each new guest. The facilities were poor too. The hob didn’t work, there was no hairdryer, hand soap or shampoo, and the hot water didn’t work in one shower. The air conditioning controls were shared between rooms, and at night I couldn’t turn it on because there was no remote. Check-in was self-service, but the details weren’t sent in advance. I arrived to find no staff, emailed, then waited on the street for ten minutes before getting the instructions. I didn’t see a staff member at all during my stay, and nobody replied when I reported the cleanliness and equipment problems. Without house rules, whether you sleep depends on how considerate your roommates are and whether your schedules line up. Men talked loudly in the living room after 11 PM, and since the dorm is basically part of that room, we could hear everything. Men also used the women’s bathroom, and people stayed up making noise. I hardly slept. The stay was very disappointing.

Tommy was really friendly and helpful. We loved staying here and will definitely come back.