The Coleridge Boutique Hotel in Valletta

This was our first visit to Malta and we chose to stay here due to the hotels specification, small number of rooms and location in Valetta. On arrival we were greeted by a friendly and helpful receptionist and shown to our room. Our room was GREAT, spacious, comfortable, clean and we had two terraces, one that we could sit at and another up a short, narrow flight of stone stairs, had a hot tub, that was wonderful. It is very hard to fault our accommodation but the lights in the room were challenging to read by, and the bathroom, while it is lovely to look at, was not practical to use as there is nowhere by the sink for your toiletries and the water from the shower, having no boundary, tends to make the floor slippery at the doorway. There are only 5 rooms, so it was more like staying at a relatives home, than in a hotel. There is not a 24/7 receptionist but then there is no need for one, but there is a contact number to call Maja should you have any issues. There was a good choice for breakfast and staff were always friendly and willing to assist. As the hotel is situated less than 5 minutes walk from Palace Square, many restaurants and attractions such as The Grand Masters Palace and St John's Co-Cathedral and the main streets with shops are close by. We walked around Valetta very easily and had no need for public transport or taxis, so are unable to comment but there seemed to be many. The Coleridge was excellent for us and we would definitely recommend it, and we would chose it again ourselves.

I'm a bit torn writing this review. The hotel itself is lovely and Maja was very welcoming and friendly. The reason I've given an average rating is not totally the fault of the hotel. On arrival, the reception was closed due to us arriving late, I knew this was the case so no issue as I had the code to get into the reception area and collect the room key. The written instructions stated that inside the envelope should be the key, and a card for the lights etc in the room. There was no card, so, not sure if I left reception, that I could get back in, I called the number on the letter. I was told the card should already be in the room. Ok, fine, I'd just like that clearer before the cost of an international mobile phone call had to be made. The room itself was lovely, a living area downstairs, with the toilet and the bedroom and bath/ shower upstairs. All good. The first nights stay however, was a bit of a nightmare. There's very large building works going on next door, that we weren't made aware of, these are going to be long term by the looks of the building. I'm not sure that the hotel were aware of them starting either? Overnight, there was a door left open and with the breeze, was banging very loudly ALL night, then the builders turned up very early the next morning and added to the noise. To be fair to Maja, I did hear her go out and have quite the discussion with the builders as she didn't seem happy about the noise either. On speaking with her in reception after, explaining that we really didn't get much (any) sleep, she apologised etc and mentioned that we wouldn't be charged full price for the nights stay. Now, this is where I have a bit of an issue. We totally understood that it wasn't her fault and she tried to sort it out the best she could, but, if your going to offer a refund, full or partial, then you should make sure you give it. I haven't had any refund back or any further contact from anyone at the hotel. The following few days were much better, the builders did seem to start later, but during the day there was still much noise. It just meant that we had to stay away from the hotel for the whole day, not a major issue as Valetta is so lovely. Overall, it could be a brilliant place to stay as the location is great. Maja and her small staff team do seem to be trying very hard to make the hotel the best it can be. But just check how the building work is progressing and how it may effect your stay before booking.

Lovely boutique hotel just a few minutes from the centre. Bedroom was spacious and comfy. The breakfast is in the rooms at the bottom of the building which are full if character. The breakfast itself was limited and a little disappointing but we loved Valetta itself which had endless bars and restaurants. We visited the old hospital and watched an information film about Malta's history which we'd recommend.

What a wonderful place to stay at. Just off the action, but easy to find, we had the upper room with a real treat of a hot tub on the roof. Stunning view of the Basilica. Really friendly staff, plentiful breakfast, clean and comfortable. We will come again and recommend to friends.