Gillieru Hotel

The Gillieru harbour hotel is very nice and I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again. All amenities very close. The ferry port is 5 minutes away for trips to Gozo etc. We had a great one week stay and was worth the price, value for money.

PRO’s -

• Lovely friendly atmosphere.
• Great location not far from the start of Buggiba strip.
• powerful air con in room.
• The staff are very welcoming.
• The hotel is spotlessly clean.
• The breakfast is serve yourself, a varied menu and lovely food.
• The rooms are very clean and cleaned daily & fresh towels as requested daily.
• Duvets in wardrobe if needed.

Pool towels provided. Hairdryer in bathroom.

• Stunning views over the harbour from room (508)
• Water station on each floor to refill water bottles.
• lovely pool area with stunning views, toilets & shower.

CON’s

• WiFi connection not great in rooms though it is fast if you sit in reception.
• Fridge in room warm on the inside. Butter melted, I did report to hotel reception.
• Shower not very powerful but did the job just took a little longer.

We stayed at this hotel for two weeks in the second half of May. The first week was perfect: a room with a sea view – we’d specifically booked it, excellent service in the restaurant, delicious food, and good, varied breakfasts. But the second week turned into a nightmare. Young English-speaking guests moved into the rooms to the right and left of ours. For three days, we simply couldn’t sleep, as they spent the whole night running up and down the corridors, shouting loudly and slamming doors. They paid no attention to our requests. We complained to reception, but the staff couldn’t do anything; the young guests ignored their comments and requests. They either couldn’t or wouldn’t give us another room, or they offered us a room overlooking the car park, which was far worse than the one we had. On the third day, there was a scandal: once again, there was shouting and door-slamming all night, and loud music during the day; what’s more, they didn’t close their doors, so the noise echoed down the entire corridor. At night we wanted to call the police, but the staff persuaded us to take pity on them. After three days, they gave us another room, also with a good view, but it was very small; on one side the lift was constantly rumbling, and on the other some machinery was running, very loudly and round the clock, we could only sleep with earplugs. What we’ve realised is that you can do whatever you like at this hotel – shout and run about at night, throw a party – and nothing will happen to you. Meanwhile, the affected people will be forced to sort out the problem themselves and end up with the worst condition. No, we won’t be going back to this hotel, and we won’t recommend it to others either. It’s a real shame, because the hotel is actually good and the staff are lovely.

A decent, clean hotel in a great location – with a few practical quirks We had a pleasant stay at the Gillieru Harbour Hotel. It was nice and remarkably quiet during our visit. The entire property is kept clean and tidy, and the staff are incredibly friendly, a special shout out must go to the housekeeping team, especially Uma who did a fantastic job.

The Pros Location: The hotel is situated in a lovely, peaceful area of Saint Paul’s Bay, away from the heavy noise. Convenience: There is a restaurant and bar located right next door part of the hotel complex. Sea Access: If you love open-water swimming, you can get direct access to the bay to swim straight from the hotel area. Public Transport: Getting around is mostly easy, with a bus stop heading toward Bugibba, Valletta, and other main spots only about 100 meters away.

The Cons The Hotel Bar: Don't expect late nights here. Last orders are around 10:00 PM, and the bar shuts completely at 11:00 PM. The Pool: It does the job, but it is definitely not the largest pool you will find. Room Storage: Wardrobe space is very limited. Our room only had 6 hangers, so you should expect to live out of your suitcase for most of the trip.

The Return Journey & Mobility: While the outbound bus stop is close, the return bus stop is about 300 meters away and requires walking down a very steep slope to get back to the hotel. Because of this, this specific area of Malta can be incredibly challenging if you have any mobility issues, and it is probably best avoided. Overall Verdict: A lovely, well-kept base for a relaxing holiday, provided you are comfortable handling a few steep hills and packing light on the hanging clothes.

The Reason for the 3 Stars

Over the first 6 nights at the Gillieru Harbour Hotel, we visited the hotel bar & the 2 of us spent £548.43 (€642.02) on tips, drinks & food, with no problem, the bar closed at 11pm, the staff we dealt with were very professional and friendly, however on the 7th night, there was obviously a crew change & sadly some of the staff were not as friendly as the previous staff we dealt with, we were approached at 10pm & told last orders, the bar we thought usually closes at 11pm?

Then everyone sat in the bar area were given there bar bills at 10.40pm & basically it felt like now you have spent you can sod off. So, after experiencing this totally unprofessional approach, the following day we decided to take our business over the road to an Italian Restaurant for the remaining 4 days of our holiday. If you want to spend time in Malta, look for another hotel who appreciates it's clientele spending money in its bar & restaurant. Sadly we will obviously not be staying there again next year, when we visit.