Hili Complex

There's lots of space and privacy upstairs, the host is welcoming, and the views are incredible. It's pet friendly and spotlessly clean, with all the facilities except air-conditioning, though there's always a breeze. It's a great place to stay in Gozo. It's popular, so getting a reservation can be hard, but it's worth the hassle.

I booked a penthouse in this complex in gozo for one night, but it was filthy, and there was no stair access while the lift barely worked. I wasn't comfortable staying, so we left. When I explained this, he told my husband he could arrange a room for us at his house. I'd booked through booking.com, but he didn't give me any money back. We had to book somewhere else and got no money from him. I truly believe the building is against mepa permits. I've never seen a property with no stairs when the only way to reach the lift is by a stairs.

The sea view is gorgeous, and that was the one good thing. The apartment was still dirty when we arrived, with the previous guests' towels and toothpaste all over the bathroom. There was black mould on the pillows, and the towels and bedding looked at least ten years old, worn and discoloured. The advertised sofa bed was broken and wouldn't open. Furniture was broken, appliances rusty, the fans broken and rusty, and there was no air conditioning. Water damage was everywhere, and the doors wouldn't shut properly. The place was bare minimum at best, and the listing was misleading. Getting in and out was another problem. The lift was the only access and it was out of order about half the time. There were no stairs or emergency exit, so when the lift got stuck, we were stuck upstairs until the owners answered and reset it. I'm pretty sure that can't be legal. What happens in a fire or power cut, are you just trapped there? The owners would only take cash and didn't give us a receipt after we paid. They treated us like idiots, as if they wanted to hide the cash income. This building should be reported to the Malta Tourism Authority and shut down. I wouldn't recommend it even to my least favourite neighbour.

We paid for two nights in advance, but left after the first because the place was so unpleasant. It was cold, with wind coming through the doors, and there was no working gas. The bed was old and uncomfortable, the pillows lumpy, and the walls dirty. There weren't any utensils, and the sockets were broken and dangerous. Not a good place to stay.