Grand Hotel Excelsior

This good quality hotel by Valletta has large comfortable rooms with all the facilities you would like. including large Indoor and outdoor swimming pools. the staff are very friendly, and the hotel provides a regular shuttle bus up the hill to Valletta town.

The hotel is in a great location within 5/10 minutes walking to Valetta and the bus station but there are a lot of steps so maybe not great if you have walking difficulties, there is a shuttle bus but we didn't use it. The entrance to the hotel looks very good and the superior room we had with a side sea view was spacious with a big balcony and bathroom and although comfortable and clean the hotel is showing signs of wear and tear. It certainly isn't 5*. The staff were helpful and polite. We were bed and breakfast and although there appeared to be lots of choice it was the same every day. The juice was watered down, the hot breakfast was luke warm, not hot. We only went to the outdoor pool area a couple of times, it is in a lovely location overlooking the harbour but again it is tired and needs a lot of money spent on it, the shower area around the pool wasn't nice at all. On one occasion a guest informed a member of staff that some boys were climbing over the fence, he shrugged his shoulders totally uninterested, it was only when another guest asked to speak to their manager that they did something, I don't know if it was a language barrier but it was worrying that they weren't concerned. We did enjoy our stay but I think that money needs to be spent to bring it up to a decent standard.

The staff are fantastic always trying hard to help. However let's face it, this hotel has had its day. The exterior is dirty and needs a good clean, Food was terrible and even the limited breakfast kept running out of basics like butter... Shuttle taxi is unreliable so don't book this if you really need it. I'd book a hotel further up in the city. Some construction work occurring near the pool makes it hard to relax and the restaurant was poor at best given the excellent food in the city. 5*... not a chance I'd struggle with 2* the only saving grace is the excellent staff.

Perfect location, just a 10min walk to the amazing Valletta, or the hotel provides a free shuttle. You are surrounded by shopping, places to eat, the water front and all the public and sight seeing buses. The hotel is beautiful, staff is friendly and very helpful. They will assist you with any need's you have, perfect customer service. Great choice of restaurants, the breakfast buffet had so many choices, except that it was the exact same food every day, no variety. The hotel was kept very clean, house keepers always smiled and said hi, it just needs some new paint, carpet, the room furniture was chipped and the closet doors are warped, but I heard they are getting a remodel, much needed. It's quiet, no road noise, and the view of the waterfront is stunning. I would absolutely recommend this hotel, I had a wonderful stay.

We have just returned from a 4 day trip booked with Tui. Unusually, we did not request a sea view so our room overlooked the front of the hotel which was absolutely fine. The room / balcony was really well appointed, really clean spacious and comfy. All of the staff were so helpful and friendly and could not do enough for you. Breakfast was great, a wide choice and great service. We only had one evening meal in the hotel (paid for we were B&B @ 40 euro ea), drinks overlooking the water down by the pool area was really enjoyable watching the boats go by, also really clean. The hotel is perfectly located for exploring Valetta, there are steps up to the road but then you are a really short walk to the bus station, Triton Fountain and the heart of all the action. The hotel also offers a shuttle service if you didn't want to walk into Valetta and the hotel is only a short distance from the airport, we had a taxi transfer, apprx 20 mins. All of the bars, restaurants and cafes that we visited in Valetta were exceptional quality and price. We enjoyed the canon firing which we watched from the upper Barakka gardens and we took the Barakka lift down to the waterfront. It also felt really safe even in the evenings. Would certainly return, there is so much more to see.