Hotel Phoenicia

, Valletta, Malta
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Hotel Phoenicia

, Valletta
5 star

Rooms: 136

The Mall Floriana - Valletta - FRN 1478 - Malta Hotel Website | | 00356 21225241
804 Traveller

Reviews - Hotel Phoenicia

9/10
Great stay!!! Best hotel for business & leisure
Submitted by: Jack in 18/05/08
  • Age Group: 31 - 40
  • From: United Kingdom
  • Traveller type: Business Traveller
I have just returned home following a few nights at the Phoenicia in Valletta. The trip was a combination of both business and pleasure. The hotel is a classic hotel, a grand old lady. The location is great too, just outside Valletta gates and a couple of metres from the bus station which was very convenient to go visiting the island. We booked a superior room with balcony, the room was very comfortable and spacious. We only booked for breakfast but had dinner in the hotels two restaurants, which was excellent, great food! Will certainly return to the Phoenicia, and can certainly recommend this hotel… I have travelled to Malta a number of times mainly on business and always stayed in Sliema/St.Julians area, but I now definitely prefer Valletta and the Phoenicia!!!
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10/10
Wonderful
Submitted by: Alex in 23/09/07
  • Age Group: 31 - 40
  • From: United Kingdom
  • Traveller type: Young & Single
My wife and myself have stayed at numerous 5* hotels throughout the world, and yet we chose to both get married at the Phoenicia and stay there for our honeymoon period of 3 weeks. It was a small wedding of 30 people. We booked the wedding and accomodation for our guests and us in 2005 direct with the hotel and I can honestly say that it was the easiest wedding I have ever known booked. The hotel arranged everything from the registrar to the sit down meal to the most minute detail we would never have thought of. The staff are the friendliest and most attentive I have ever known, the hotel over all is wonderful, there is nothing bad I can say about it at all. We had the most wonderfully perfect wedding and honeymoon, and it was all thanks to the staff of the Phoenicia. We were that happy we went back in October for a week, and every member of staff remembered us by name, the drinks we had, our same room; we were still made to feel special which is a rarity in this day and age. The hotel is not the cheapest but it is worth every penny, it is the most perfect hotel in the most perfect surroundings. If you do want to get married in Malta, do it at the Phoenicia; dont be put off by its size. It normally caters for hundreds in a wedding party but we proved it could be perfect with 30 and the hotel uses our pictures to show it caters for small wedding parties. Look at the Gazebo and the Rotunda in the gardens, they make great wedding photos. We have booked again for this year and next, yes, at the Phoenicia.
10/10
Rest & sunshine
Submitted by: Lesley in 04/04/06
  • Age Group: 51 - 60
  • From: United Kingdom
  • Traveller type: Mature Couple
The location of the Phoenicia was excellent for visiting the city and yet getting around the island. Don't be put off that the hotel is so close to the bus station, it can't be heard from the hotel and the views are something else.
10/10
Retro Luxury
Submitted by: David Banks in 03/11/05
  • Age Group: 51 - 60
  • From: United Kingdom
  • Traveller type: Retired
Le Meridien Phoenicia reflected much of the finest aspects of the opulent past whilst still providing modern and excellent amenities. The room was excellent and efficiently serviced, the restaurant excellent, and the cocktail bar with its highly professional staff was a delight! The pool and pool bar which are reached through a beautiful sub-tropical garden were a very pleasant place to relax. Finally the central lounge with its Palms and Art-deco atmosphere transported us back in time in the best possible way!
Overall standards were high- I can only give my highest recommendation for those who want a quiet relaxing time.
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Historical Traveller Reviews of Hotel Phoenicia

Disappointing

from JudyANewYork
This hotel definitely does not deserve a five-star rating. Aside from the dated facilities (two very tiny, slow elevators for a large hotel), there were a lot of irritating small economies: one key per room, even when two unrelated adults were sharing; one bar of soap per bathroom so that you have to slither out of the shower to retrieve it from the sink; very pricy internet access, etc. We found the service poor in the breakfast room and the brasserie. Had to request coffee several times each morning before it was delivered. Waited 45 minutes for food in the brasserie, and when it arrived, it was cold. Encountered several surly employees, unusual on an island where most people are warm, friendly, and helpful.

Gorgeous Place

from Molerai
What a gorgeous hotel - we loved it so much that we're going to go back and get married there!!

The staff at the reception were a little brusaue, however once checked in it was plain sailing. Staff were efficient and coutreous, the decor was colonial and understated.

Our only problem was with the lifts which seemed somewhat tempramental, otherwise a lovely hotel.

Choose a cruise

from A TripAdvisor Member
Friendly, welcoming, very proud ... and that's just the people. Malta may not be large geographically but it is full of gems to discover and places to see. It sits at the cross roads of East & West, Europe and Africa. I stayed just outside the capital Valletta's main gate at the Le Meridien Phoenicia - a splendid hotel, terrific staff, prime position, great pool, top food.
Valletta is a goldmine of sights and sounds. Do just spend a morning walking the streets within this fortified city and get a feeling for the community. There are churches everywhere (some not so obvious) -- some 365 on Malta and over 30 in Valletta alone! Do visit the Malta Experience near Fort St Elmo in Valletta, a 45 minute audio/visual summary of Malta's history and heritage -- it's seen some history, that's for sure. Walk along the ramparts and view the fantastic Grand Harbour, the largest natural harbour in Europe. Best view from the land is from the Upper Barracca Gardens. However the best view from the water is to take one of the Harbour Cruises operating from Sliema just across Marsamxett (pron. Marsam-schett) Harbour. These take you on a tour of the two harbours both sides of Valletta. The dominant cruise company is Captain Morgan Cruises but I would advise using Luzzu Cruises. The Captain Morgan boats are large whereas the Luzzu one are much smaller and get deeper into the 10 'creeks' of the harbours that you visit. Can get a little choppy between the two harbours if the wind's up but that's part of the fun of it all. Good value, good commentaries.
Do get around the island using the amazing bus services the main terminus of which sits outside Valletta's main gate. If you're British you'll recognise many of the old coaches used and it's a real experience! Most rides cost just 20 Maltese cents (about 30-35p in sterling) to go just about anywhere on the island. If you're staying in Valletta and you're flying into Malta, save yourself 7 or more Maltese Lira and use the No.8 bus from the airport to Valletta instead a taxi for the fun of it.
For a really relaxing day, though, I would suggest a day's cruise on one of the many available from Sliema. Top choice would have to be the one run by Captain Morgan called "Gozo, Comino & The Blue Lagoon" and my strong advice is to get on the "Fernandes II" operated by Jimmy, the ship's Master. The boat is a fabulous 40m Turkish gullet. You are fed with great food, there is a bar open all the time, you crash out all over the deck (including the main cabin roof), you soak up the sun, there's great music being played, you anchor off the island of Gozo and dive into the sea, you move over the wonderful Blue Lagoon off Comino and plunge into turquoise blue waters, and all for 20 Maltese Lira for adults. Absolute bargain. Great day.
Do also visit Mdina, Marsaxlokk and a stack of other places. Malta isn't just Valletta. I'm going to go back.

Happy and Relaxed

from Melabupa
Having read some of the reviews I can agree with some of the negative points...I would have expected free short-term internet access for guests which we found all over the US when we travelled there. £15.00ish for 30minutes is very excessive.

The Phoenicia is a lovely, grand hotel and I have stayed in several like it around the world...they are never as perfect as the modern 5* (air conditioning often rattles a little!) but they do have a lovely charm of their own, and at least the walls are thick so you don't end up listening to your neighbour's TV!

We booked directly with Meridien on their website and got a pretty good B&B deal - slightly better prices than all those people we met on package holidays there. Still, Malta is not particularly cheap compared to the UK, we averaged about £40.00 for a two course meal for two with (plenty of) wine and water in local restaurants...the brasserie at the hotel was only slightly more, but the food was good. We found that the Italian restaurants around were about the best for food/price balance. The seafood was especially nice...

Overall, we liked the hotel...service was good, especially in the Club Bar and food at the pool was also good, although it isn't cheap - expect to pay UK hotel prices for food and drinks there. Breakfast was pretty varied, nice and fresh each morning. We had no problems with the staff setting up for weddings, even though they had two while we were there.

I think the reason people will feel disappointed with the hotel is the same reason you often feel disappointed with 4/5* hotels in the UK - the standard rooms and the prices they cost just don't give you the feel of value for money, even though they match with the other hotels in that band. I worked for Meridien a few years ago and it's just one of those things - the rooms are nice, but not as nice as you would perhaps expect for £130.00 per room per night of your own money...it doesn't really go that far.

Overall it is a nice hotel...but if you really want a palace for your stay you'll have to pay through the nose for it (unless you're lucky enough to be upgraded for free) because the Phoenicia is similar to 4/5* hotels in cities around the UK (obviously with the bonus of the sunshine! :-)

nice time some hitches at point of booking

from TheMcs
We have just returned from a break here with our 2 young children and had a lovelly time. Due to a mistake in their booking we had a suite which was very nice. Surprisingly for a city hotel it catered well for children with a small pool, mini golf and a play area with little tikes equipment for smaller children. The hotel seemed to manage to cater both for families while managing to be suitable for couples too. Some grumpy old men around the pool about some of the children even though they were all very quiet and much better behaved than many adults. If there is a kids pool and play area people will expect children to be around the pool. The bar area was very romantic and the head barman prepared beautifully presented cocktails, this area was a very grown up area with an atmosphere of the the 1930's. The prices in the hotel were quite high but not obscenely so. We found the breakfast the best meal of the day with sparkling wine out on the buffet. The other meals in the restaurant were reasonable, there do not seem many good restaurants in Valletta anyway. It is quite a long walk to the pool so need to remember everything. The pool bar areas is very relaxing and nice but it would be nice if there was informal dining out there at night. The other restaurants were a bit stuffy and the airconditioning was freezing.

Great hotel, friendly staff.

from A TripAdvisor Member
Myself, my wife & 2 children have just returned from a week at the Phoenicia, and all we can say is what a great hotel.

All the staff were very friendly and helpful- that's from the 'front of house' through to the administration / management.

The rooms were very comfortable and clean. with lots of original period features. And we were also treated to the firework displays from our balcony.

We ate in the restaurant on several occasions and found the food to be of very good quality.

The children enjoyed the pool area and spend most of the afternoons in the pool (hopefully without disturbing to many people!).

All in all it was a very relaxing week in comfortable surroundings and I would definitely recommend this hotel to anybody planning a holiday in Malta.

Le Meridien Phoenicia

from A TripAdvisor Member
Old style 5* hotel in the Maltese capital Valleta.

Second floor balcony 'Harbor View' rooms offer spectacular view of Malta.----------

Wouldnt stay on any other floor, the balcony is a must.

Fireworks almost everynight as a feature of Maltese life with various Saints festival.

The main Restaurant dinner menu and food was very poor and we only ate there twice there because of it. It was only moderately better the second time.

My recommendation would be to try the Hotel Brassiere as the menu is just a revamped version of the main restaurants a la carte menu, with cheaper prices!!

The Champagne was a crazy price, with the same bottles varying in price, depending on where you buy it within the Hotel complex.

The a la Carte restaurant is basically a very poor. You have breakfast there as well. It seemed every morning during my 14 day stay there, a waiter/ress dropped somthing, sometimes whole trays. It made the exploding Maltese fireworks seem tame.

The room was clean, and the turn down service welcome, but the older chambermaids tended to be loud and if you didnt put the 'Do Not Distrub' sign on the door, they would enter your room at around 8pm: which was slightly unnerving if you sleep in the nude!

One day I saw one of the older chambermaids flounced on a bed, cackling away to another even older chambermaid, who was splayed on a soft chair within one of the guestrooms. Not an edifying sight. The air conditioning could not be faulted though.

The Modem in the room made this hotel a must for business people like myself. Broadband speeds are way more secure than Wifi, although they did have a hotspot in the tired looking lounge area, (if you like playing with fire) and also a business center, if you didnt want to work from your room, or pay the $25 a day room broadband charge

The Club Bar was enjoyable, although only open in the evenings, very strange, it was the best area in the Hotel. The chief Bartender was first rate.

The pool area, was quita a way from the Hotel, which stands in about 7 acres of land. It was worth the walk throught the Hotel gardens, a delightful feature. The gardeners did a good job.

The pool area itself contain a main pool, a jacuzzi and paddling for for kids (they were some and they were noisy). There was not enough parasols, although their was a covered area, to shade people completely from the sun. The poolside service was average to good and the al fresco dining area, informal, functional and welcome. I just wish someone would walk the pool area every 15 minutes to serve customers.

Also they close the pool area in the evening and sometimes 'let' it out to parties, so the hotel guests can't use it! I guess the Hotel need the extra revenue.

There was a mini fun golf course, which had seen better days I had a quick round.

I certainly would NOT recommend anyone taking a 'Pirate' boat tour to Comino. Its a rocky outcrop the size of a postage stamp with a sandy beach the size of a bucket with 5000 people plus on it. DONT DO IT!

Le Meridian hope to open a new hotel in Malta called le Meridien St Julians.

---------------

It is just a shell at the moment, with little to no work going on. I suspect the work the Le Meridien Phoenicia needs, will go on the other project. You get the impression the chain is struggling a bit.

There was also no Spa which all five star hotels need, a major omission, people need their 'treatments' these days.

They had the tinyest of gyms and and an indifferent hair salon, whch did not seem bothered about doing my hair! So I went elsewhere.

By international standards, the Phoenicia really should be rated as a good 4 star Hotel in my view, although they tried hard, it missed the mark.

Poor quality for the price

from jessica8376
We stayed at the Le Meridien Phoenicia in June 2005. We had booked this hotel knowing that it was a five star hotel and therefore expected 5 star quality. When we arrived we were given a room with two twin beds strapped together with a plastic band. The bathroom was very basic, cheap toiletries, one large sink, and a basic shower with a normal shower head, overall not the type of bathroom you would expect in a five-star hotel.

We had asked to switch rooms and got some hassle off of the hotel staff. They gave us a room with a balcony and a double bed. The bed linen was filthy and the room was not clean as well. Every morning there was a disruption. The maid staff was very noisy banging doors and talking loudly in the corridor. One morning they decided to test the fire alarms at 8am. Another morning, we were woken up to phone calls, only to have the other party hang up when we answered.

When we tried to use the swimming pool on two occasions we had to vacate the pool area because the hotel had booked evening weddings. The hotel staff started setting up for the wedding hours before the pool was due to shut. We thought this was very unprofessional of the staff, the guests of the hotel should always have priority of the hotel's facilities because they are paying for a service, and at this hotel it was a very high price.

The hotel also charged guests for Internet use. We have stayed at other hotels throughout the world, some less than a 5 star hotel, and have been able to use the Internet for free. This hotel charged us 8 Maltese Lira for 30 minutes on the Internet. This hotel does not have the decor, service, or overall presence of a 5 star hotel. If you require a hotel in Malta, do not stay at the Le Meridien Phoenicia.

Heaven on earth!

from Cycluingforesters
This hotel deserves the title of 'Malta's Premier Hotel' - everything is just wonderful. The food, from breakfast to dinner was first class. The service was efficient, friendly, and every member of staff seemed to be there to make sure EVERYTHING was to your liking. The bedrooms are on the small side, but very comfortable, and include a 'turn down' service in the evenings, when bathrooms are tidied, beds turned down and coffee/tea making items replaced. Large fluffy towels, face cloths and bathrobes were provided. The lounge area is magnificient, full of 1930's charm. The swimming pool is a haven of peace, although the water was too chilly to swim in during our stay (9th - 23rd May).
This is one of those holidays where ' you get what you pay for' - and although not cheap, the quality of service and food was worth every penny. We cannot wait to go back!

well deserved praise

from A TripAdvisor Member
We have just returned from a week at the Phoenicia (early May 2005) having enjoyed a most pleasant stay.

The staff could not have been more helpful - and were always available to answer any query or question.

The breakfast was pretty good - a selection of cereals with bowls of nuts, seeds and dried fruits that could be added to taste. Alongside this was a selection of fresh fruits, meats and cheeses with yoghurts and pro-biotic drinks. The cooked selection was on the style of a traditional english breakfast with the option to have an omlette or other egg variation cooked whilst you waited. There were also other options that could be ordered from your table - including pancakes with syrup. Toast and pastries with jams and preserves were available as was tea, coffee and juices.

We did not take lunch at the hotel - except for a chicken baguette (served with crisps and salad ) from the pool bar. Which was of good standard without too much of a wait for service.

We used the main restaurant on each of the nights we stayed - dining outside for the majority - high winds preventing this on a couple of evenings. The standard of food was excellent and although the main menu does not change - there is a daily 'creative' menu with two options in each catagory. Vegetarians are catered for (although not much choice) as are variations to the menu. (I overheard one guest ask for a double starter as a main course - and another request an omlette for main which was not on the menu - all were accomodated). The staff were attentive and professional but remained friendly and helpful throughout our meals. Music played each evening - supplied by either a trio of musicians, a guitarist or pianist. This lead onto a nightcap in the bar - where peanuts and olives are complimentary with drinks - and the staff remember your favourite tipple!

Dress code for the main restaurant is smart casual. We did not see anyone in jeans or shorts throughout the stay - the majority of residents choosing to wear collared shirts (some with jackets and ties) - ladies wearing dresses or smart tops and evening trousers.

The rooms were comfy - we had a deluxe room with small balcony overlooking the harbour and gardens. The mini bar was well stocked and refilled often. Nice touches included fluffy gowns and slippers that were replaced if wet or dirty. Tea and coffee was provided - although no bottled water (if you don't count that that was listed on the mini-bar tariff) biscuits nor hot chocolate. Signs in the rooms advise that the water from the tap is not to be consumed.

The pool was a quiet sanctuary from early morning until dusk - the residents not indulging in noisy chatter or pool games. The jacuzzi area was small but warm - whereas the pool definitely needed to be a few degrees warmer for our liking.

All in all, this was a very pleasant hotel and we would definitely recommend the Phoenicia to friends looking for an up-market stay in Valletta. However, a plus point for us - but not necessarily for all - the hotel had very few children staying and the facilities were not particularly aimed at the baby/toddler age ranges. Older children / teenagers may find the entertainment/ambience not particularly lively - so parents may want to think about possibilities of reaching other towns for nightlife as Valletta is quiet.

Top Local Tips for Valletta

Buses You can get around Malta on the frequent cheap buses. Single trips are typically 20c (about 30p). The main bus station is just outside Valletta city walls. The buses are hilarious - vintage British buses for the most part. Not the most comfy ride but a real experience. There is a regular bus from the airport to Valletta which is heartily recommended for an introduction to Maltese life.

Valletta Walks Loved walking the streets of Valletta, try to see Manoel theatre, St Johns Co-Cathedral, St James Cavalier Centre, eat at Matala- Palace Square.Take a bus to Mdina. See the Mosta Rotunda. Eat at Portopalo in Sliema

Don't do the coach trips Use public buses...a bit of a crush,but an experience. All the buses go out of and cme back to Valletta

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Other names for Hotel Phoenicia

  • phoenicia hotel valletta
  • phoenicia hotel malta
  • le meridien phoenicia
  • hotel phoenicia malta
  • Address: The Mall Floriana - Valletta - FRN 1478 - Malta
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