Ta Cenc Hotel and Spa

We stayed at Ta’ Cenc as a family with young children, and while there are certainly some lovely aspects to the resort, overall we felt that the experience did not live up to a 5-star standard.

The rooms are quite dated and would benefit from a significant upgrade. The furniture feels old-fashioned and is significantly scratched, and some details in the bathroom are particularly disappointing for a hotel of this category — including a plastic stool and plastic toilet seat, as well as no extractor fan. The air conditioning cooled the room very well, although ours kept dripping in the living room. The beds were also extremely hard, which made sleeping less comfortable than expected.

Breakfast offered a very large selection, including an omelette station, which was a nice touch. However, despite the variety, we did not feel that the quality was at a 5-star level.

As a family with a baby and toddler, accessibility was one of our biggest disappointments. The resort is not particularly pushchair-friendly. The spa and main restaurant are accessible by stairs only, and even the breakfast area is spread across several different levels, again requiring the use of stairs. What was especially surprising was that there is a huge room which was almost completely empty — it would seem much more practical to have the breakfast setup in a single, easily accessible space, particularly for families and guests with mobility difficulties.

The indoor pool was probably the highlight of our stay. The environment there was beautiful and relaxing, and the indoor/outdoor pool facilities were genuinely enjoyable. Unfortunately, the children’s pool was quite slippery and, surprisingly, did not even have a railing for children to hold onto.

The staff were generally very friendly and welcoming, which we appreciated. However, some staff seemed a little distracted, and the service was not as attentive or polished as we would expect from a 5-star property. However, we appreciated that they took action on some aspects that we were disappointed with and that we complained about.

Overall, Ta’ Cenc has a lot of potential, particularly thanks to its beautiful setting and excellent indoor/outdoor pool area. However, considering the price and the hotel’s 5-star positioning, we found the value for money quite low. The dated rooms, food quality and especially the lack of accessibility for families with pushchairs were significant drawbacks.

With investment in the rooms, improvements to the food offering and much better accessibility, this could be a truly excellent resort. At present, however, we would not consider it to be at a 5-star level.

The outside area is pretty spacious but certain areas need attention. The slope leading to the reception has a couple of obstacles with overgrown bushes. The room is anything but 5 star. One of the wall had blistered paint (due to water ingress) and the furniture was so dated that the table was chipped and cracked (at least keep it maintained!). AC kept dripping when on the sofa. Beds were not comfortable at all - some mattresses were super bouncy while others were hard and almost unbearable. The television set can easily pass for an antiquity (definitely not smart in any way!) with the barest minimum of channels. Once again the breakfast was a far cry from 5 star level. Quality of food even less than 3 star. I can go on and on... This was the first time I stayed at this hotel and it will definitely the last. Very sour and disappointing experience.