Palais Le Brun

The breakfast staff were lovely, and the older lady at checkout was delightful. At check-in, the welcome could have been warmer. We had a beautifully decorated room in this very nice boutique hotel, though we could hear some noise from next door when a baby was crying. I'd return.

For the price, especially since this was the most expensive accommodation of our Italy and Malta trip, I expected a better stay. I knew Valletta costs more, but I regretted paying so much. Our terrace room turned out to have a narrow balcony, which wasn't what I understood by terrace. The main disappointment was breakfast. The dining room was a dark, windowless basement with too little space when the hotel was full for Christmas. The food felt ungenerous and low quality: the juice wasn't fresh, the fruit never changed and came in wafer-thin pieces spread across a tray, and the muesli was poor. The same bite-sized cakes appeared every day. You could take food from the buffet or order an item, and the choices were acceptable but nothing special. A woman at the next table was told she couldn't have both porridge and an egg dish. That mean spirit also showed in the lack of Christmas cheer: a glass of Prosecco cost 5.5 Euros. That was a big contrast with our previous hotel in Sliema, 1926 Le Soleil, where the food quality, generosity, and variety were excellent, and Prosecco flowed freely during Christmas week.

The rooftop pool was lovely, with a bar and snacks available, and there was always somewhere to sit and relax. Breakfast was a great spread, with plenty of hot options and unlimited tea and coffee, so it set us up well for the day. The staff were wonderful and helpful, and the small hotel felt peaceful away from the city centre bustle. Our room gets only four stars from me: it had one small window facing a service shift. It wasn't a problem, but I'd have liked a bit more to look at.

We had an early checkout, so the hotel packed us each a breakfast bag with delicious sandwiches, fruit, and juice. We loved the breakfast, and the staff were kind and helpful throughout. The room's decorations were beautiful and in good taste. Thanks for such a wonderful stay. We highly recommend this hotel.