Grand Hotel Excelsior

Yes hotel in need of refurbishment.Not 5 star as advertised probably 3.5 star. Many new staff, not trained,some language barriers,half board stay,would not give any allowance if dining at al a carte restaurent,noisy fireworks every day at noon and late evening,food mostly good,police station next door,sirens most days,on busy road. First day food cold and hard went into full Gordon Ramsey mode "it was inedible" dreadful, they upped their game after this with the food. Complaints about the room were ignored,e.g. noisy and stiff doors. No entertainment, except occasional ,horrible, jazz pianist and or piped jazz,repetitive,in pool and buffet, nothing for children except pool and a gymnasium. No shop for newspapers and or much else, only a jewellry shop etc,. Pool area not cleaned, very dirty/gritty pool is dangerous/slippery, food limited and expensive. Not recommended, very expensive for all drinks ;pool not cleaned,uncomfortable and broken sun loungers,many smokers around pool,who were selfish and thoughtless.Town excessively busy,cruise ships meant thousands more tourists,airport noisy,small and very busy, gave up trying to fight through the crowds. Hotel trips out expensive and misdescribed as the Gozo jeep trip which was a noisy,smelly two stroke dune buggy holding 4 people. Could not hear the drivers descriptions. Driver tried her best. Ripped off by the "romantic" horse carriages, wanted 50 euros, settled for 40 with promise of tour, tour not forthcoming,just 5 minutes and dropped some way from hotel,we had asked to be taken to. The hotel is faded, sad, was once splendid. Management have lost the plot. Described as with a beach which was a makeshift area of the very busy inlet to harbour and so many cruisers/yachts passing with the pollution they put out, not recommended for swimming. Several guests complained about the hotel. Our holiday cost us over 7,000 euros plus 2,000 extras.

A TRULY SHAMEFUL EXPERIENCE at The Excelsior Hotel in Floriana. My experience at The Excelsior Hotel was absolutely unacceptable. I was treated in an extremely disrespectful and humiliating manner by the front desk manager. First, I was prevented from entering through the main entrance. Then I was told to leave the outdoor seating area, and finally security was called and I was completely removed from the premises. The reason for all of this? I was accompanied by my service dog. I expected professionalism, courtesy, and respect, but instead I was made to feel completely unwelcome and humiliated. A hotel that presents itself as a high-level hospitality establishment should understand how to treat its guests with dignity and respect, especially when a guest is accompanied by a service dog. This was an extremely negative experience that I would not wish upon anyone. I will never return to this hotel, and I strongly recommend that anyone travelling with a service dog think very carefully before choosing this property.

Great location, great pool and facilities. Big hotel, 5 star great staff, great breakfast buffet with great views. Room n decor bit old school and could do with modernising

Excellent location for getting into Valetta and around Malta. Frequent free taxi service up the hill - only a short distance but hard in 40C! Room was large and spotless. Wonderful treatment by all staff even to the recommendation of an emergency dentist. Lovely pool with loads of loungers.

The service is exemplary and outstanding. You cannot fault the spot on customer service, whether at reception, dining or at the beach. Just note that this is a hotel with access to a stony -pebble beach and the steps could do with more regular maintenance as some folks were slipping on the last step. Also, some areas look tired.. could do with taking one floor or area at a time and start on repainting/refreshing the place. The exterior walls could do with a lift up to truly give this a 5+ star experience. Otherwise... great place to have stayed and first time in Malta.