Hotel Fortina Reviews

Just returned from the fortina hotel and was disgusted on arrival to be given room 110 which had a tiny double bed when I had booked twin beds for myself and my daughter. Moreover the room was dirty and fungus in the shower and the hotel was smelly and unclean. In dire need of a makeover . The lifts tiny and not working properly, the lido pool dirty and cramped not even going to mention toilet facilities. Had to pay 400 euros to upgrade to a clean room in the spa and I understand this happens all the time. Even the spa was not 5 star barely 4. the garden pool had one toilet for men and women and always a queue. No beach towels until 10 a.m. tough if your up early. Would not return if you paid me. Go to the Hilton St.Julian a million times cleaner. This hotel is advertised weekly in national press, what a con.

We booked into the 4* part of Hotel Fortina, we did not realise until we arrived at the hotel that part of the hotel is 4* and the posh part is 5*. The 5* part you get a choice of restaurants, the garden pools and bars, posh entrance, better seating and cushions, you name it, it looks very nice. The 4* part is like the poor relation - plastic cups, no cushions on the plastic seats, poorer sunlounger pads, if you want to go to one of the other restaurants apart from the buffet restaurant you have to pay an extra 10 euros per person. The room we were allocated had a very nice view overlooking Valleta, however, the decor needed refreshing, the air conditioning did not work right, so they had supplied the room with a portable which had to have the pipe placed through an open window, and as the room was on the roadside we did not feel it was safe to leave this on through the night. Although there again, the windows did not lock either. The food in the buffet restaurant was only luke warm, so by the time you had got to your table to start eating your meal, it was just about cold. It must have been bad, as my husband who usually has to be dragged away from an all inclusive actually dragged me away this time. We ended up just having two lunches - the first day we arrived and the last day due to us having to leave for the airport after lunch, or else we would have had lunch there only the once. We did go to one of the other restaurants, but we were not allowed to mix with the 5* guests. I felt like a child looking into a sweet shop, or a lower class of person on the titanic. I love Malta, but would not go the hotel Fortina again, unless I went 5*

We went to the fortina hotel on 20th May-27th May, our 1st time in Malta. we loved it.the hotel was lovely.food was good.people very friendly. We had an excellent time very relaxing holiday. I would definately go back. 10 out of 10

We returned to the Fortina for the sixth or seventh time, knowing that from past experience we would thoroughly enjoy ourselves. We even extended our original 10 / 11 day holidays to 14 this time. Added to this, we arranged to meet up with another couple, friends we made at the hotel last year. All was set for a fault free holiday.

But... things have changed, only a little, but significantly. Firstly, we had to ask for clean bedspreads when shown our room. This was rectified immediately, in fairness to the hotel. The mini-bar to which we were entitled was empty. Filled (partly) upon request, but thereafter, we had to leave notes daily requesting it to be refilled with our wine and water requirements.

Room cleaning was adequate, but the maid would only leave inumerable bars of soap in the bathroom, never the shower gel, and shampoo - we were reduced to 'nicking' a supply from her service trolley in the corridor. A bonus there - there was a surplus by the end of the holiday for which a home was found.

To sum up, things are beginning to look a little tired - the 4 star section of the hotel is becoming the 5 star's poor relation.

There are many restaurants in the Fortina, but not all are available any more to the poor 4 star guests, unless a quite expensive supplement is paid. The ";La Vallette"; buffet restaurant was satisfactory, other than that we found many of the meat dishes almost inedible due to their toughness in the first week. For some reason, they were OK later.

Beware the gauntlet you will have to run upon your first visit to the ";La Vallette";, for under the guise of collecting your free Harbour Cruise tickets which are part of the all inclusive deal, you will be pressed to take the ";Hotel Tour";, which, be warned, is a Timeshare hard sell for the 5 star Spa resort which is part of the complex.

There are still some good points - the non-smoking bar adjacent to ";La Vallette";, with a second bar on the first floor for smokers are two. Unfortunately, the former, more than adequately served by Tony and his gang, loses its attraction three nights of the week when local Sliema residents move in for free dance practice, thus severely reducing the seating accomodation for we who have paid an arm and a leg to use the place ! Complaints at the Front desk produced nothing other the inscrutable expressions of ";So What?"; (But not the actual words).

The only solution was to play the famed German sunbed game - but you will need a 'minder' as well as the ";towels"; ! As a lone couple, an early departure from the restaurant will help. Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, be warned !

The view of Valletta by night from a 'Seaview' room is almost enough in itself to justify the holiday. Such history and magnificence on display. They are very popular rooms, and you will usually be offered upon arrival, a ";de Luxe"; upgrade to a garden view room to free the seaview rooms.

The garden and pool facilities are first rate, available to both 4, and 5 star guests from the spa hotel.

The resort itself is still tatty by modern standards, and can not compare yet with some of the Spanish Costas' resorts - but the island does hold an attractive charm, with Valletta being the main centre of interest. The people are friendly and great to get on with, except when they pinch our expensive hotel facilities!

So will we go back ? Not next year - we are going to Cyprus ! But Malta is irresistable - the year after, probably.

Well this will be our last trip to this hotel, not worth a quarter of what we paid and most certainly not 4 star maybe a good 2 star.
It started at Manchester Airport whilst chatting to some fellow travelers who knew the hotel well. They warned us that when we arrived we would be told that we had been upgraded to a de luxe room from the superior sea view we had paid for, dont accept this as there is no sea view and no sunshine both of which we were going there for.

Flight and transfer good but on arrival at hotel was told we have upgraded you to de luxe room and after much hastle from the arrogant reception staff we got the room we booked albeit on the 6th floor. Now the fun started getting two heavy cases to the room in very old lifts that accommdated one case and one person if you were lucky. These lifts when working which was not often were quite dirty and full of cigarette ends (4 star?) The room was a fairly good size and had great view. However the room clealiness left alot to be desired I dont think the room attendant knew what a hoover was and dust must have been 1 inch thick under bed the bathroom was scruffy and unclean both were in desperate need of refurbishment.
We were also warned do not go on the tower tour as it was a very hard sell on time share within the hotel, this advice was heeded.
All round the general areas of the hotel it was crying out for a refurbishment.
The food in the one restaurant was buffet style and generally was very good but was at times taken over by big parties of locals, thus leaving the paying guests waiting for some time to gain access.
There were two bars open one where you could fill your lungs with thick smoke or a lounge bar which was non smoking this one being the entertainment??? area. The entertainment all week was very poor the same ones for three nights and all very average singers. As you had paid all inclusive your were reluctant to go elsewhere. The main gripe about this bar was mainly friday, saturday and sunday when it was invaded by locals. They would arrive whilst guests were at dinner and occupy a large number of seats thus preventing the paying guests getting in to the bar to watch the entertainment. They either had to resort to other bar or go outside.
Many of the guests complained to the management about this but they just did not want to know or upset the locals.
This hotel is grossly overpriced and not worthy of four star status and needs to get its act together.

You will get good reports from the guests in the tower (Timeshare) as the facilities are brand new and 5 star but come on directors improve the hotel and bring it up to 4 star

Malta as an island has much to offer and plenty of places worth a visit