The Windsor Hotel

The lifts were both out of order the next day, and the internet kept cutting out. The TV had no channels, so we could only watch something by logging into Netflix or HBO. There was a pigeon nest on the balcony, and its noise woke us several times. In the bathroom, the sink drained poorly and the toilet flush button was loose and came off when pressed. Getting to the room was awkward too. We were told it was on the second floor, but it was actually on the first, in a tucked-away section the elevator doesn’t reach. We had to ride up, go along corridors, then take stairs back down, and wait for a staff member to show us the way. The room smelled strongly of fresh paint, and the smell wouldn’t go even with the window open and air conditioning running. It looked like old wooden decorations and damaged bathroom door frames had been painted over. The hair dryer didn’t work either. We asked to switch rooms because of the smell, but were told the hotel was full. Later we found dirty towels and yellow stains on the sheets, duvet, and pillows. It was a very bad stay. We gave the hotel a chance despite the bad reviews, and that was a mistake. I’ll return in the future, just not to this hotel.

The location was a real plus. I could see the harbour from my balcony, convenience stores were within a five-minute walk, and Lidl was less than ten minutes away. There were bus stops a few minutes off in several directions. Sightseeing stops were nearby, or at most a 15-minute walk along the seafront. Silema town was about ten minutes away on foot, with St (something) bay a little farther in the other direction. There were lots of places to eat in either direction, including cafés and bars just minutes away. Don’t be put off by comments about the pavements, nearly every one I walked on was uneven. For a budget hotel, the room was tidy, large, and bright. The furniture wasn’t modern, but it did the job. The bathroom was clean and bright, with a toilet, basin, and shower over the bath. Staff were friendly and polite, and breakfast was adequate, with very good coffee. The breakfast room wasn’t in the hotel itself, you had to step outside and walk a few steps down the street. That was fine in the dry, warm weather during my stay. There was scrambled egg, baked beans, sausages, bacon, white and brown toast, meats, cheeses, salad, small pain-au-chocolat, fruit salad, two kinds of yogurt, muesli, cornflakes, chocolate ball cereal, and the usual tea, coffee, jam, honey, and marmalade. There wasn’t a huge choice, but it was enough to fill up on, and the staff serving it were friendly. A few things needed attention. The fridge didn’t work at first, but I mentioned it in the morning and it was fixed by the time I got back. The balcony sliding door was awkward, its handle nearly came off, it didn’t slide smoothly or straight, and it felt as if it could fall through. I was careful and could still go outside, and it didn’t spoil anything. There was dust in the door runner, but with a road outside, what can you expect? It didn’t bother me either. The room was cleaned daily. I asked for fresh towels, though I can’t say whether they would have been changed otherwise, and the same goes for the sheets. I was on the fifth floor, where water pressure wasn’t great, so don’t expect a strong shower. The bath was useful, but the water wasn’t hot enough to add cold water, and it took long enough to fill that I had time for a beer or two. Still, I wasn’t left dirty or unable to get clean. The hotel seemed to have suffered after Covid, and it looked like work had started without enough money to finish. There’s no restaurant as such. This is very much a low-cost stay, so don’t expect a modern 10/10 hotel. It’s better than the worst reviews suggest, and for the price it should do if you’re saving money to explore Malta. I’ve tried to be honest about what to expect.

The location is good, but I’ve travelled a lot in Europe and haven’t stayed anywhere that misrepresents itself as much as Windsor Sliema. It’s supposed to be a four-star hotel. Are there no checks on these ratings? The facilities weren’t as advertised. There’s no cocktail bar or restaurant, the TV and minibar didn’t work, and the curtains had holes. There was a punched hole in the bathroom door and a small leak from the toilet. The lifts felt unsafe: the displays were blank, and they didn’t always stop level with the ground. The sauna and jacuzzi were out of order, and the pool shower only had cold water. Breakfast offered toast as the only bread and cheap produce overall. My brother and I had just one towel in the room. It took three conversations with staff to get a second one, which arrived the next day. The staff weren’t unfriendly, but seemed disinterested, as if they knew nothing could be done. It felt like the hotel was staying open without spending anything until it had to close its doors.

We ended up here through a voucher deal, we didn’t choose it ourselves. We joked it felt like a prison, and the staff weren’t much help. If you expect decent cleanliness, service, or hospitality, forget it. The sheets had holes, the floor was dirty, and the WiFi, fridge, and TV didn’t work. The bathroom was very dated and rusty, and our door wouldn’t lock. To their credit, though, someone showed up at midnight to fix it. We expected very little after reading the reviews, so my wife and I still had a great time, lol.