Why the Hilton Malta in St. Julian’s might be the best Hilton hotel in the world (Review)
Due to our passion for always trying new things, it is rather rare that we visit a hotel more than once in a short period of time. However, we occasionally make exceptions to this, whenever our experience is so special that we want to experience more of it. We are especially drawn to the team and the quality of service, and that is exactly the case with the Hilton Malta. After our first visit, it was already clear to us that this hotel would be at the top of our list of favorites, and so we have returned several times since then and have already booked several more visits. We will try to describe how this hotel stands out from the crowd in our eyes and why it should definitely end up on your travel bucket list.
LOCATION
The hotel is located directly on the waterside in the city of St. Julian’s. Since most of the rooms look out to the sea, there is not a lot of city and party life going on in the hotel itself, only the occasional beach party can be heard in the evenings. St. Julian’s itself is more a tourist city, there are many restaurants, bars and clubs. However, the capital Valetta is also only a short cab ride from the hotel. Thus, the hotel has an ideal urban location, but still offers sea views and pool relaxation within the confines of the hotel.
ARRIVAL, LOBBY & CHECK-IN
After experiencing the usually hot weather of the island already on the cab ride from the airport, entering the pleasantly air-conditioned majestic lobby of the modern Hilton Hotel feels very pleasant. On the left side, there are several well-staffed check-in counters with friendly staff, but before we could even reach them, our luggage was already very kindly taken from us and professionally stowed. The check-in process was efficient and already sparkled with eye-catching status recognition (hint: two minutes after the greeting, we held a glass of champagne in our hands), more about this in the corresponding section.
We also received a helpful hint at check-in, which we used often afterwards: in addition to the option of calling the front desk, there is also the option of using the chat function via the Hilton app. This is not only very practical, it also works on the road and allows a problem-free contact with the friendly staff.
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ROOMS
Only a few minutes after entering our room, our luggage was already delivered. This has been the case on all our visits, we never had to wait for long. The friendly bellhop also calmly explained the specifics of the room each time and allowed any questions about the rest of the hotel. Since we could already experience different rooms through the various stays, we list them individually here. Obviously, this is only a small selection of rooms available at the hotel, we hope to present you other examples in the future.
KING EXECUTIVE ROOM
The King Executive Room is equipped with a cozy King Bed, a sitting area with a small couch, a larger table with a chair that can be used both as a desk and a dining table, a sideboard with a TV and closet with a minibar in the entrance area. However, depending on the place in the house, the equipment may look a bit different, we have already seen different types. You can see the differences in the photos. The room has a spacious bathroom with bathtub and a balcony, which is also equipped with seats and a small table. This way you can enjoy the beautiful sea view without any hassles.
RELAXATION SUITE
The Relaxation Suite (45 sqm/484 sqft) is the perfect place to enjoy the hotel room to the fullest. It offers plenty of space, comfortable armchairs and a gigantic balcony that invites you to linger. The bathroom stands out with a large freestanding bathtub and a panoramic window, through which you can enjoy the sea view while bathing. Otherwise, the amenities are similar to the King Executive Room, however, there is a capsule coffee machine in the room that get’s refilled daily. This is available in every suite.
KING CORNER SUITE
The King Corner Suite (55 sqm/592 sqft) offers plenty of space, with a separate living area with its own TV in addition to the bedroom. The balcony extends over both rooms. The inner bathroom is spacious and also has a bathtub. This balcony also looks out over the distant sea.
PANORAMA SUITE
Those who require a lot of space and want to spend their vacation in privacy should take a closer look at the Panorama Suite (82 sqm/882 sqft). It consists of two large rooms. The living room is equipped with two sofas, coffee table, sideboard with TV and a small table for working and eating. In the bedroom you will find a big king bed and another sideboard with TV. On the way to the en-suite bathroom you will find closets and minibar. The large bathroom also has a bathtub. Additionally, there is a guest restroom next to the entrance. But the real highlight is the accompanying private terrace. We have never seen such a gigantic space in a hotel, even for the private area it's large. Here you can easily enjoy Malta's summer with several people on sun loungers. There is also a table with chairs on the terrace, so that an ideal use is possible according to your wishes.
HOUSEKEEPING
We must especially mention the housekeeping team. In most cases, at the beginning of our time, a staff member who was mainly responsible for our room introduced themselves. This was very pleasant, so we could discuss special requests. Every day we had a room that felt like new. Very often we were surprised with artistic towel sculptures on the bed. The staff often approached you in the corridors and fulfilled all special requests immediately, for example extra towels or yet another bottle of extra sparkling water. Occasionally we would get a visit or a call from the House Keeping Manager asking if everything was to our satisfaction. In addition, there was a turndown service in the evening: the bed was made properly again, used towels were exchanged and amenities refilled, including the coffee capsules in the suites. Sheer luxury.
For more details, check out our video about the Hilton Malta on YouTube.
BREAKFAST
Breakfast in the main restaurant is very impressive by European standards. Let's start with the location: with 413 rooms, the breakfast restaurant is very spacious. There is a large indoor area and an outdoor terrace that is open year-round. If you sit outside in the summer months, a sunny spot is unbearable from about 8 am because it's so hot and intense. Fortunately, the roofing provides plenty of shady spots, too, so you can enjoy a breakfast in the fresh air even when the sun is shining. Especially in the context of the pandemic, this has become an important factor for us. Inside there is a separate area for Hilton Gold and Diamond members, but much more interesting is that at times of high rush there is a separate queue for Diamond guests, so that they could pass the "normal" queue and have breakfast immediately. At peak times, this was a pleasant benefit that saved 10-15 minutes of time, but we have to admit that on most days there was no relevant waiting time at the entrance.
The buffet at the Hilton Malta is gigantic. It is divided into different areas and offers everything your heart desires. In addition, there is an Egg Station with two outlets, where the desired egg dishes are prepared by friendly and extremely motivated staff. One of the chefs there shows such passion for his profession that he has become a bit of a celebrity among the hotel's former guests. Most people remember him first, so let's see if you do too. However, the entire experience is topped off with excellent on the spot service. All hot drinks are served, plus some dishes can be ordered exclusively from there, such as Eggs Benedict. However, don't hesitate to ask if there is your special request, because in this hotel we received this statement from a waiter: if you want something we don't have today, we will have it tomorrow. Meeting the customer's request and creating a unique experience is probably part of the Hilton Malta's DNA.
LOUNGE
The next section that clearly surpasses a normal hotel experience on this continent is the Hilton Malta's lounge. Located in the center of the hotel on the ninth floor, this definitely offers the best view of the entire property. The large terrace makes it possible to enjoy the warm weather and the spectacular view of the vast sea all year round. The even more spacious interior offers a wide variety of seating options to meet all requirements. A small conference room is also part of the lounge and can be used for larger meetings.
In addition to the pleasant ambience and all-day complimentary hot and cold soft drinks, there are two times when additional snacks are offered, which are included in the room rate for guests with lounge access. Unlike usual in Europe, the Hilton Malta's lounge already offers a small buffet of sweet and savory snacks between 3 and 4:30 pm as part of Afternoon Tea. From various cakes, cookies, sandwiches and the almost famous scones with whipped cream and jelly, everything is available.
From 5 to 7 pm, a buffet will be set up again, on an even slightly larger scale than in the afternoon. The focus is now more clearly on the hearty snacks, and there are also warm offerings. The whole thing is rounded off by a varied vegetable and cheese buffet with various matching dips. If you want, you can eat your fill here due to the variety, but of course a light pre-dinner snack is also possible. The offer is accompanied by a table service of various drinks, in addition to wines and beers there is a large selection of alcoholic long drinks and on some evenings even individual cocktails are offered, which are prepared next to the buffet. Those who like to enjoy a stiff drink or even a few more will not be disappointed with this selection, the staff takes care of all requests quickly and constantly, encouraging another drink rather than economizing or judging.
Overall, the lounge adds immense value to the hotel. All-day access to soft drinks plus two more buffets - this alone is, after all, almost comparable to an all-inclusive stay for the cost-conscious traveler, as long as you can work around the times. In addition, you get a quiet place to stay with phenomenal views and very accommodating and friendly staff, which is available to you almost all day. With Hilton Diamond status, you get complimentary access to the Executive Lounge. Alternatively, access is included in the nightly rate starting with the Executive King Room category.
For guests with lounge access, breakfast is also available in the lounge area. The buffet is noticeably smaller in terms of selection and there are no a la carte options, but the atmosphere and an even more personalized service offer delightful conditions for having breakfast in quieter environment .
Unfortunately, there was a recent change that we don't support, in fact it's our only criticism and also seems a bit inconsiderate: lately, for Diamond guests, the free breakfast is only offered in the lounge, not in the main restaurant. This is ok in principle, because the Diamond Benefit only offers a free Continental breakfast, which is definitely offered in the lounge. However, there is the same benefit for Gold members. Since they are not allowed to enter the lounge and therefore "have" to have breakfast in the main restaurant. In this regard, the Diamond guests are significantly disadvantaged, which we can not understand. We hope that the management of the Hilton Malta will correct this soon.
The lounge is open from 7 am to 10 pm.
DINNER OPTIONS
The hotel offers various restaurants of its own. In addition to the main restaurant Oceana (Mediterranean cuisine), already known from breakfast, there is also the Vista Lobby Lounge (lighter options), the Quarterdeck Bar (bar and bar food) and the awardwinning Blue Elephant (Thai food), which is considered by many to be the best restaurant in Malta. In the summer months, there's also The Gazebo Restaurant, serving local specialties under olive trees outside. In addition, of course, there are various pool bars that also serve poolside food. We can definitely advise to make a reservation at the Blue Elephant as early as possible and try the food there. Surely this will not be your only visit there.
ROOM SERVICE
Room Service is available around the clock and usually delivers all requests promptly within 20 minutes. At dinner time, we sometimes had to wait a little longer, so it is recommended to order in time at this hour.
In addition to a wide selection of dishes specifically for room service, you can also order dishes from the legendary Blue Elephant Restaurant, for example. This is the menu for all room service options: Menu (external site)
Silverware, plates and glasses were always delivered free of charge, so if you want to use one of the many delivery services and want to dine on the room's own balcony, this is no problem.
A special feature of this hotel is that you can order an additional small refrigerator for the room free of charge: great for a cold drink in between.
POOLS
The hotel offers four outdoor pools and one indoor pool. At all outdoor pools you can order directly from the pool bar by pressing a button on the umbrella or directly via the app. One outdoor pool is adults-only, so you can also enjoy the sun in peace. Due to the many different pools, everything is possible: sportive swimming, sunbathing at or in the pool, enjoying a cocktail in the water in peace.
GYM
The hotel's gym is open to the public, which has the disadvantage that it is sometimes crowded, but in return it offers regular courses that are free of charge for hotel guests. The gym itself is very large and offers a lot of training equipment and weights to choose from in several rooms.
It is open Monday through Friday from 6 am and on weekends from 7 am and closes at 10 pm daily. More than 35 different courses are offered and can be attended by guests at different times. For some courses, pre-registration is necessary, so it's best to find out directly on site right after arrival or get information in advance via the studio's website and contact via email. You can reach the website at: www.livingwell.com/clubs/malta/ (external site)
It is worth mentioning that the hotel has its own tennis court, which guests can reserve.
SPA
Of course, there is also a spa area in this five-star hotel. There are many treatments on offer, and you can find out about the selection in advance on the website. Especially in the summer months, it is recommended to make an appointment before you arrive. You can find all the information on this website: www.myoka.com (external site)
There is also an in-house hairstylist in the spa area, which is easy to reach. In special cases, a haircut can also be ordered from there to the room. This is their website: www.toniandguy.com/salon/hilton-malta (external site)
OVERALL SERVICE
As already mentioned several times, besides the fact that everything at the Hilton is just as it should be, the people who work there are the most outstanding for us. You can experience joyful and good-humored employees who are eager to do their work. The majority is extremely anxious to ensure that the guest is satisfied. Nearly every employee you meet in the hallway will stop for a moment and greet you with a smile on their face. In hardly any hotel have we experienced that employees remember us when we stay another time. At the Hilton Malta, we were recognized and greeted in a warm manner in various areas even months after our last stay, this was not a one-time experience.
Basically, there is a lot of emphasis on maintaining close personal relationships, members of management regularly seek out interaction with guests and ask about their condition and feedback, for example in the lobby, at breakfast or pool, or in the evening in the lounge during happy hour. We have experienced few hotels that take feedback so intensively and produce timely solutions. Every request is addressed and they definitely try to turn the stay into a legendary experience. In addition, we very often encountered employees who have been working at the hotel for years or even decades, a rather rare occurrence in the hotel industry and ideally a clear sign that the employees also feel comfortable.
STAY DETAILS
We have spent both short stays and stays up to 14 days here. Depending on the season, the room only prices start at about 110€ and of course can easily double or triple during the the high season. Especially in the winter months you can get good bargains here, because the weather in Malta is still warm and the scope of services offered is almost unchanged, only some outdoor areas are closed, there are fewer outdoor pools.
STATUS RECOGNITION
Since we travel a lot, we have the highest loyalty status with Hilton, the Hilton Diamond. The recognition of it was very high. Already at check-in, a glass of champagne was handed to us immediately after our name was mentioned. Upgrades to higher rooms were always given, depending on availability also generously to suites, but even in the peak travel season we at least got ocean view, which is already three categories higher than the standard room. Breakfast and lounge access were activated free of charge. A small welcome gift was waiting in the room. As mentioned above, there are special areas at breakfast and sometimes special queues, ensuring a safe table and short waiting times due to the status - an advantage that is rarely found.
SUMMARY
Extremely well-run five-star hotel, strikingly attentive staff. Every guest is king here, yet also high status recognition. Executive Lounge is outstanding. Hilton Malta is considered one of the best Hilton hotels in Europe. Especially in the off-season months, the rates are almost a bargain, also a good opportunity for a short trip from the colder European mainland.
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