Grand Hotel Excelsior

This is a very nice hotel located in Floriana but walking distance to Valletta. Rooms are of a good size. There is twice daily housekeeping. The hotel has a nice pool and small beach area. There is wait service at the pool as well as 2 restaurants, one full-service and the other serving mostly snack type food. I had dinner at the restaurant by the pool and found the service to be extremely slow and the food mediocre. However, the view is very nice. My room included breakfast as well as executive club privileges. The breakfast buffet in the Spice Island restaurant was fairly extensive with the opportunity to get eggs cooked to order. The buffet opened at 6:30am. I also tried breakfast in the Executive Lounge. That did not open until 7am which was a bit of a problem on the days that I had early meetings. There is a much smaller buffet in the lounge but it was quite adequate although you could not get eggs cooked to order. The lounge was very well appointed and had great views of the harbor. It was not very busy during my stay which was nice. The lounge offers afternoon tea which I did not try as I was away working during the times it was offered. There is only a one hour period when you can obtain cocktails or wine (6p-7p) which seemed very short compared to other lounges. In addition, there were only a few canapes or nuts during this time – no other food was offered which was a disappointment. One of the staff, Marthese, was excellent. Her service was excellent and she was very personable and made sure everybody in the lounge had what they needed. Service in the hotel elsewhere was hit and miss. Sometimes it was fine, other times staff were abrupt and not overly willing to help. Decent Wifi was available throughout the hotel and at the pool and on the grounds. The gym opened at 6am which wasn’t early enough for me on some days. The cardio equipment in the gym needs to be updated and they need a few more pieces of equipment. People were waiting for treadmills (there are only 2) on the days I was there. The outdoor pool could benefit from the addition of more chaise lounges. In the afternoon, on several days, I could not find a chair. Many people put towels on the chairs to save them but are nowhere in sight. The hotel is walking distance to Valletta which was very convenient.

This was my sixth visit in 10 years to the Excelsior hotel in Valletta, Malta. I visited with my partner. We have been to other countries and other hotels, but still keep returning here! It is a brilliant relaxing holiday in a hotel with a magnificent setting, handy for the heart of the capital city of Valletta. The hotel has a beautiful view looking over the bay towards Sliema and the boat marinas in the local area. Our room was at the front of the hotel overlooking the entrance and well maintained gardens. The room was very comfortable and always clean, with tea and coffee making facilities. The pool, deck and garden areas of the hotel are extensive and the bar staff are always on hand to supply snacks, light lunches/ cocktails/mocktails like Pina Colada and Tequila Sunrise! The breakfast restaurant is on the fourth floor. The food is excellent and the range of choice fantastic - omelettes freshly made by the chef, hot breakfast foods, breads, cakes and pastries......including local produce such as pastizzi, fruits, cereals, vegetables and cheeses. The waiting and managerial staff are very efficient, particularly when the restaurant is busy. The door staff are pleasant and always smiling in spite of their very busy role. The staff here are the hotel's greatest asset. Notable of mention during our visit were the following staff, all of whom showed kindness and were friendly and welcoming (and in many cases remembered us from previous visits!) - Marita - managing breakfast restaurant, Gospa - head of hospitality/ cleaning for our floor, Zak - student trainee who worked at the Tiki and pool bar, and lastly Heathcliff and Rangel who work at the hotel main entrance door. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here, and as Valletta prepares to be European Capital City of Culture 2018, hope that we will return to visit again within the next couple of years!

This review is of my opinion and is only based on my experiance.stayed at The Grand Excelsior in mid September. The hotel is well situated in the capital of Valletta with good bus links with just a 10 minute walk to the bus station itself albeit uphill. On entry your greeted with great oppulence having a central staircase in the middle of the lobby area. The reception area is to the left has you walk in just before the lifts. We arrived at 13:00 but the room was not ready ( Check in is 15:00 ). We were free to use the lobby area and walk round the hotel and have access to drinks while we waited. On checking in normal rules apply with checking names and passports. Normally you will be escorted to your room by a member of staff ( Tip will be expected ). The room we had was a deluxe suit with partial sea view, it was of a nice size with good facilities ( Kettle, fridge TV Air Con) the rooms are operated by key card although on one of our days they refused to work so a quick trip back to reception for a reset and we was good to go. There are 10 floors in the hotel and we was on the 2nd which is 4 down from reception as this is located on floor 6. The restaurent is located on level 4 and is open from 06:30 to 10:30 for breakfast. It is a help yourself service and there is plenty of choice from English breakfast to Continental style, we was a little dissapointed on some days as the hot food was only warm, although you can have fresh crepes cooked for you on request, tea and coffee are bought to you by a waiter(ress) on request. We had bed and breakfast booked, you can buy drinks and food 24/7 and this will be charged to your room ( Deposit paid at reception of €50 per day ) to a total of €350 whatever is left over is returned to your bank account, although the deposit is a requisit we always paid cash for any extra's we had. Rooms are cleaned every other day and complimentary water, tea, coffee and milk are replenished daily, you even get a robe and slippers. In all we loved the hotel and its location and what it has to offer, would we come back!! I would say yes i have stayed in a lot of claimed 4 and 5 star hotels and turn out to be no more than 3 but not in this instance.

With majestic views of Marsamxett harbour and Manoel Island the Grand Hotel Excelsior commands the premier location on the capital's western seafront. This is a luxury 5 star hotel; I would describe the style as classic elegance with beautiful fixtures and fittings; impressive spa and leisure facilities; choice of bars and restaurants; private beach; and yacht parking, sorry berthing! We visited the hotel to watch singer Anthony Bartolo perform at the waterfront Tiki Bar; we had a fantastic evening; a lovely relaxed atmosphere, good music; a little dancing; and the most magnificant views; just perfect..... The tropically themed Tiki Bar is situated on the hotel's terrace, adjacant to the outdoor pool; positioned at the edge of the water, guests can revel in unimpeded views day and night. The pool area is modern and stylish whilst the bar area has been tastefully fashioned to create an exotic ambience in keeping with a 5 star hotel. Tiki Bar offers a lunch and dinner menu; barbecue; and full bar, including a selection of cocktails, smoothies and milkshakes. On arrival we received a warm welcome from the bar staff followed by excellent service; I am very happy to recommend. Grand Hotel Excelsior sits beneath the city of Valletta on Great Siege Road in an area known as Floriana. For those travelling by car, free parking is available to the left of the hotel entrance. Malta Airport is 7km, approximately a 20 minute journey; a taxi is currently 17.00 euros; alternatively the hotel offer an "Exclusive Chauffeur Driven Service" for upto 3 people for 20 euros. Being the capital, Valletta benefits from a comprehensive bus service to most of the island. The bus station is approximately 600m from the hotel; it is located outside of the city walls between Herbert Ganado Gardens and the Triton Fountain. For those wanting a relaxed journey, ferries operate to and from Valletta until just after midnight; these will take passengers to Sliema or to the 3 Cities; both trips take approximately 5 -10 minutes; a return ticket is 2,80. The Sliema Ferry can be boarded at Boat Street, approximately 1km from the hotel; the ferry to the 3 Cities leaves from just outside of the Grand Harbour on Valletta's easten side; approximately 1.2km from the hotel. Horse and traps or a road train are available for a laid back trip around Valletta. #TraceyEvans #PuttingYourBusinessontheMap #LuxuryHotel #Waterfront

One of the best hotels in Malta qualify breakfast Great staff 5 minutes from the city centre If you don't want to hire a car close to the bus terminus which will enable you to discover and explore the island