We stayed here 8-11 May 2008. It is a good hotel with friendly and helpful staff and with a good bar and restaurant.

Two things to note which may or may not affect you: the first is that my room had a connecting door to the next room (114 to 112 should it matter). My first night when my neighbour came back from, obviously, a very good night out, I could hear everything that he did: from the sighs to the bumping into furniture.

He was not being loud at all he tuned the telly on quite low but I could still hear everything. I am sure he would have heard me too as I walked around.

The second thing which again may be just my room was the noisy air conditioning. I had turned it off because it was too distracting when trying to get to sleep but in the end it came to my rescue as it covered over the noise of the telly from next door.

So, it worked out I had a very enjoyable stay after that first night. But it could have easily gone the other way no sleep or air conditioning for three nights!

The only meal we had in the hotel was breakfast which is buffet style and self service. Selections of hot food (sausages, eggs, bacon, waffles, baked beans, grilled tomatoes etc) and cold (cereal, yoghurts, cold meats, dried fruits etc) and a toasting grill. The breakfast staff will come round and provide coffee or tea and juices. This was all very fine.

The bar is small but very well stocked with beers, wines and especially spirits including some local varieties which I would suggest you try! Staff here are friendly without being intrusive.

The hotel does host weddings and other big events (there was one while we were there) but besides the occasional roudy guest these do not get in the way. Only word of advice is if you want to try the brasserie then book ahead �¢���� but again, they were fully booked the night we tried, but offered to fit us in nonetheless if we could be very early (i.e. right at opening time at 6.30). As it happened that didnt suit us but it shows that the hotel does have its heart in the right place.

We where not dissapointed with our first visit to Malta, the hotel was warm and friendly. The food was a delight both at breakfast and evening meal times.

I read on this site that a family had been back a few times and made a comment about not getting there eggs cooked as they liked the last time (2003) well you can have them any which way that you like with a resident cook on hand.

The sites on Malta are very good and easy to get to using the local transport, yellow buses fully airconditioned (if the windows are open) and fully sprung seats (provided they had been repaired) but with all of that and buses which must be over 30 years old, who needs comfort when most of the destinations are less than 30 minutes away. What a delightful way to travel.

I would definately recommend the Pheonicia Hotel

We spent ten days in this hotel during April of 2003, a period of time which included both the Maltese general election and Easter, both of these events proved to be experiences not to be missed. We chose this hotel because we wanted to spend a reasonable amount of the holiday exploring the Valletta itself and the location was perfect. The hotel is situated literally just outside the gates of the city and right next to the main bus park which was very convenient for the island public bus service. The hotel, which was built just before the last war, can simply be described as grand, and it is difficult to fault both the facilities and the service. We had deliberately chosen a five-star hotel because we were looking for a really comfortable break and in this instance the hotel certainly lives up to its five-star rating. Our room was spacious and comfortable containing all mod cons including a safe, trouser press, cable TV, coffee making facilities and minibar. We had a room with a balcony and an excellent view of the part of the harbour. The room was kept impeccably clean.

We had chosen half board accommodation which enabled us to use either of two restaurants within the hotel. A bistro style restaurant offering excellent quality meals but in a lighter atmosphere and a formal restaurant with live entertainment most evenings. The food could not be faulted although after ten days we were going through the same items on the menu which could have been a little longer giving more choice.

The hotel's heated outdoor swimming pool was perfect for relaxation in April with the temperature of the water complementing the spring warmth. The pool was a short walk from the main hotel complex through the well tended hotel gardens.

Overall and excellent break which we would recommend to anyone looking to explore Valletta or using as a base to explore the island in general.

Once again we returned to Malta this February, staying at The Phoenicia for the third time. We were unable to get a package this time for the dates we wanted - decided to have 10 days this time - so booked our flights and hotel direct.

We got off to the worst possible start. Having booked our flights online with Travel Select, the tickets hadn't arrived 10 days before we travelled. Despite assurances by phone and email that we would be able to pick them up at Stansted, we had to pay for them again at the airport as Travel Select had failed to issue Air Malta with a bond of indemnity. However, we have now received a refund and £30 compensation - the battle over a refund for the three hours holding on their customer service line continues ...

Arrival at the hotel was wonderful as always. We love the harbour view rooms and the welcome was warm, although it was nearly midnight. Our first breakfast was a disappointment as you no longer appear to be able to have your eggs cooked as you watch, the rest was just as good as we remembered though.

The concierge organised a hire car from JS for us - it had only 8k miles on the clock and cost less for 10 days than we had paid for 7 from Hertz the previous year.

We were a bit more adventurous with eating out this time and discovered the wonderful Gianninis in Valetta. Amazing food and a view to die for - you do need to book in advance for a window table.

We also ate at the Xara Palace at Midina which was overpriced and pretentious, don't recommend this unless you have more money than sense. A bill of £80 for two, plus the £6 taxi each way made this a very expensive evening.

Despite the weather which was much windier, colder and wetter than we have had previous years, we had a wonderful restful break. The staff at the hotel once again recognised us and made sure we had a great stay. Roll on next February!

We have found a wonderful hotel with all the character and charm of days gone by. Situated just outside the City Gates, La Phoenicia became our oasis of peace and calm during our holiday. An elegant lounge area leads to a lovely dining room with terrace overlooking the hotel grounds and the harbour in the distance. The rooms were spacious and well furnished, and we had a wonderful, large bathroom too - complete with towelling robes. Our room also had tea and coffee making facilities which was a treat.

The food at La Phoenicia was truly excellent. Breakfast of fresh fruits and yogurt through to sausages, eggs done any way you can think of, the omlettes and fried eggs freshly cooked for you. Bacon, tomatoes, hash browns. And there was more and more with lovely breads, rolls, pastries too. Even Bucks Fizz should you need it! Dinner from the a la carte menu was such a treat. Wonderful setting, friendly staff, superb flavours, what more could we want?

The staff at La Phoenicia are courteous, efficient, and very very kind. They obviously enjoy their work because they made us feel at home, and very happy. Nothing was too much trouble for them.

The gardens were lovely - with a wonderful walkway to the swimming pool.

Our compliments to the management and to the staff of this hotel - they have achieved a great standard.