| Holiday-Truth Readers Reports |
Dawn from Leamington spa travelled to Santana Hotel with
malta direct
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2008 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness |  | | Location |  | | Staff | | | Food |  | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: 2nd stay at this hotel,1st time with kids.
Great location for catching buses as bus station couple of minutes walk away,
Can also walk easily to either st pauls bay side or Quawa side.
Hotel room was basis but fine, beds made every day, towels changed daily as well if you wished, if like us you liked the odd lie-in had sign to place on door handle so no unexpected visits from housecleaning! even rang to see if we wanted room cleaned at a later time.
requested 2 rooms next door to each other which were both ready on our arrival, with great aircon!
Only stayed on bed/breakfast basis but hotel had great deals on evening meals which we did for couple of nights, 4 course dinner and for the 4 of us was cheaper than eating out.
If you fancy some pampering and a great massage visit the hotels beauty parlour which is down stairs well worth a visit,also has great treatment for sunburn! which i can recomend!! hee hee.
Cafe style bar had entertainment 4/5 days aweek with really great barman who was excellent with kids.
Only real problem was the water truck which visited about 3 times a day, 1 call being at 3am every morning!! and delivered right under our bedroom window great way to tell the time!!!!! (our room was on the right hand side of the hotel).
Also couple of places had loud entertainment ok if you like carrioki which i hate!!
Have had 2 great stays at this hotel and would recommend it to friends and family.
Click here for more information on this hotel, resort and region
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paul from doncaster travelled to Santana Hotel with
chevron
on a family holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2008 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: 4 of us have just returned home (unfortunately) this is the 4th time in 12mnt for my wife & i and the 2nd for our friends, the hotel is excellent, great location (only 5mins to buggiba, 2mins to the buses which you can catch to almost anywhere on the island, only downfall was they were on strike for 4 days but we had already arranged to hire a car for 3 days from jozef over the road ) the hotel staff are brilliant and always willing to help, (if you have a problem just ask & they wiil endeavour to fix or find a solution) alfred in the 24 hr bar was great fun (Looks serious but good humour) & Phillip we sat chatting to him (after work) & local police till 5am one night (great company you cant go to many other countries & get that kind of hospitality), rooms very clean, food is very good good selection @ breakfast & evening meal. the hotel rooftop pool has great views. probably only let down is the canoa bar, entertainment is usually in here, but usually empty, we went to see lawrence gray twice & there we only around 6 - 10 people in, entertainment would be better located in the front bar where people are continuously passing the hotel.overall though the hotel, staff & holiday were magnificent
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Lesley from Manchester travelled to Santana Hotel with
Chevron
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2008 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: The area is very good, plenty of bars and right next to bus station.
We would never stay at this hotel again as we had 3 diffeent rooms, all of which the aircon. didn't work ( it was a constant 33 degrees in the room. The staff lied to us about coolers being broken, told us several times it had been mended then we found out that they has the aircon on a timer and it was very limited. We never found out the times it was on but could never actually feel the benifit of A/C. This made a very hot and sticky stay in the hotel.
The food was the worst for a 4* Malta hotel, very basic and not a lot of choice. Several dishes were dangerously warm!
We lodged several complaints with the hotel and Chevron but were either lied to or ignored!
Will not be uing Chevron again. Although we have usued them sevral times in the past, the test of a good Company is how they act when things go wong!
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Ronnie from nr oldham travelled to Santana Hotel with
malta direct
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2008 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: This was probably our fifteenth or so stay at the Santana over the years that we have been going to Malta, Hotel was the same as ever we had no problems booked a superior room which has fridge/cooker etc,i would recommend this hotel to one and all breakfast was great much improved over recent years we were there for three weeks and will be back again next year god willing
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Peter from Birmingham travelled to Santana Hotel with
Apollo Travel
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2007 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: I can't believe some of the reviews people have posted, I know everyone is entitled to their opinion but when you get people ( 4 couples ) come into the Santana from another hotel down the road which will remain nameless, then I don't see where they get their reasoning from.Don't go expecting too much of the area, we won't be returning to Malta but make up your own mind.The people can't be faulted for their friendliness and patience but their roads and driving styles both need some attention.Malta is a country steeped in a proud history but don't go there expecting the kind of holiday you might have in Spain or the Canaries, or to the same standard, and you won't be disappointed.
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smith from walsall travelled to Santana Hotel with
freedom direct
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2007 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: we have just returned from our holiday at the santana . we were moved from our first hotel because of it being overbooked . the first room we had at this hotel was disgustiong , the smell of damp hit you as soon as you opened the door and is smelt of someones excretment .also , the room was only for 2 people , not 3 . having complaind , we had to stick it for 1 night , and the next day we were moved to a massie room with two balconies . the room was of a very nice standad , and the airconditioning was excellent the bathroom was very basic but nice and the whole apartment was very clean . the maids do an excellent service , which should be credited . the hotel itself is very clean and pretty and of a very high standard . the restaurant is very nice , serving all sorts of foods including bacon sausage , fried bred rolls and cereals and porridge etc ... the only thing we had to complain about was the entertainment , in july , the was only entertainment for 3 nights in a week and other nights , the bar would be enpty and shut up 3 hours before it normallly closes . Also , the roof top pool is very nice and large , perfect to do a few lengths in . but the indoor pool is freezing , also the indoor pool and sauna and jacuzzi and gym were of very high quality . all in all a lovely hotel with good service and smiles .
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paul from Doncaster travelled to Santana Hotel with
Chevron
on a family holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2007 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Just got back from 2 weeks spent at the Santana, the hotel is realy good,the location is excellent opposite the square & only 100mtrs from the buses which take you to almost anywhere on the island.
The friendly staff are always willing to help & will have chat with you, the rooms are kept clean to a high standard. The dinning room has been refurbished since our last visit in Oct 06 and it looks great, well decorated & the food service area is well designed, breakfast had plenty of choice. Usually 5 or 6 cereals + porridge, choice from boiled, poached or scrambbled eggs bacon sausages toms beans etc. Evening meal yet again great you can always choose something even if you are a fussy eater.
Can't wait to go back in September.
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hindle from blackburn travelled to Santana Hotel with
chevron
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2007 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The Hotel was clean, pleasant staff, well situated, but we were very disappointed with the food. Not enough salads, not enought choice of potatoes, not enough choice of fruit.
Everything else was good.
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Lee from Sheffield travelled to Santana Hotel with
Malta Bargains
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2006 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: My partner and I have just returned from a winter week away at the Santana Hotel, Qawra, Malta. Overall, not bad. We stayed half board and the food was fine although not very varied-same stuff for breakfast every day and mainly English style food for evening meal, even on Malta night there was a carvery but it was nice.
The hotel was clean but our room was a little shabby with encrusted grime on the taps and a couple of broken bits here and there.
Staff were friendly and would give help if required.
My only gripe is the noise. Our room was on the fourth floor faced the back of the hotel where the kitchens, boilers and aircon units were located. The aircon units outside made an awful noise every night, so much that on our first night we thought it was workmen with pneumatic drills until we discovered what it was the next day. The worst noise came from the entertainment which was foolishly located in the cocktail bar on the sixth floor instead of in a basement where moist hotels would have it. As we were on the fourth floor the entertainment (singers and caberet) travelled right through to our room and for four nights out of seven we had to wear ear plugs but the noise and vibration from the singer still got through!
Overall the hotel is recommendable but if you want a quiet break, call the hotel or travel agent and make sure you are not located at the back of the hotel or near the cocktail bar or you will have to sleep with ear plugs.
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Gordon & Mavis from Bury/Manchester travelled to Santana Hotel with
Direct Holidays
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2006 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We have not been to Malta before and were a little unsure about what people said about hotel ratings so we took a chance and booked the Santana we were not disappointed, very helpful staff.
Rooms cleaned every day, Towels changed every day Food was very nice something for everyone entertainment was a bit it and miss but plenty of bars just outside the hotel The Hotel itself was in a superb position for the bus station where you could get a bus anywhere on the island we will certainly be going back to the Santana.
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Chris from Truro travelled to Santana Hotel with
maltadirect.com
on a friends holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2006 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Originally intending to stay in Malta on a one week self catering holiday, we found that the difference in price did not warrant that, so we booked half-board, quite expecting, nevertheless, that we would find ourselves eating out.
The arrangements for us were perfect. Breakfasts were typical of buffet style hotel food, with choice and quality more than adequate. The benefit to us was that we did not have to rely on an evening meal, as on most days we would have taken the opportunity to sample the wonderful and varied delights of the Maltese and Gozitan culinary scenes. However, the evening meals were of good quality with a reasonable choice, and, being buffet style, suited our appetites of the occasion. The food here was obviously not haute cuisine but of a high standard, and good for its style. There was always a fish dish, and usually a roast to give an alternative to the more interesting choices. The variety was excellent throughout. Perhaps a strict vegetarian might have reason to complain, but I would quite imagine the staff to be accommodating in any way possible should that be the case.
Nothing seemed to be too much trouble to the helpful and friendly staff. One of the reasons for choosing the Santana was its Hospitality Accreditation - one which we found it to have deserved.
Housekeeping was excellent, with towels changed every day.
Entertainment was a little limited, but probably little different from other hotels and bars in the area, especially at this time of year, where the island was just waking up to the new season.
Whilst the position of the hotel is perhaps not the best in the resort from the seafront point of view, and the rear rooms receive no direct sunlight in the winter months, it's proximity to the bus station gave us the ability to explore the islands as we wished.
When reading other reports, the reference to how close the hotel was to this facility made me question whether it would be subject to a lot of traffic noise. I need not have been concerned. The bus routes do not pass by the hotel.
We would certainly visit this hotel again if returning to Qwara ( pronounced 'our-ah' - if that helps anyone such as me before I went )
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Jan from Wrexham travelled to Santana Hotel with
Chevron
on a friends holiday.
There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2006 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We shared a room and the third bed had been put in an awkward place, virtually blocking the bathroom door but our request to move out the mini bar to give us more room was swiftly seen to by the friendly hotel staff.
The hotels public areas and bedrooms were very clean, the towels were changed every day.
The food was good, not exceptional but plenty of variety, you would have to be really hard to please not to find something you liked.
The entertainment was the usual Karaoke, pub singers and bingo but just fitted the ticket for a good sing along and knees up!
The All Inclusive rules were easy to follow, and the local wines / beers etc were fine. One thing though they won’t provide a packed lunch if you are off out for the day. They say it is due to the hot weather and the risk of food going off. We were advised to have a very large breakfast instead!
The 24 hour cafe was a great asset to the hotel, being able to have a coffee served with a smile at 4am in the morning whilst we waited for our coach to take us to the airport.
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k.Clark from west Yorkshire travelled to Santana Hotel with
chevron
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 01 2006 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Hotel generally very clean, towels and sheets changed regularly. Room did smell very strong of stale tobacco. Hairdryer, mini bar, safe and TV all provided, be careful with TV remote control, very easy to select pay to view channels.
The restaurant was clean, food hot with several choices of main course. The Malta night was very good, breakfast had plenty of choice. The Italian restaurant definitely worth a visit. The 24hr cafe bar serves a very limited range of snacks and after finding mouldy lettuce in the salad was put off eating there again.
Staff are all friendly and very polite and helpful.
The outdoor pool area looked like it needed a lick of paint but in fairness it was Jan and pool was closed. The indoor pool area is lovely, a little small and the water not hot enough but the room was warm.
Did go to entertainment but could never get early enough to get a seat.
In all would stay here again. For a ex smoker found the tobacco smells in the rooms and corridors off putting. Also smokers note you can only smoke in your room, Malta is completely non smoking in all public areas.
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carol and emmanuel from newcastle travelled to Santana Hotel with
maltabargains .com
on a couples holiday.
There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2005 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We arrived at Santana hotel 4hrs late at 9pm we had missed our evening meal as dinner was not served after 8pm. However staff went out of their way to provide us with a feast fit for a king.
My 16 yr old son is 6ft 3 and had been provided with a folded z bed but staff were very quick to rectify this without any delay or grumbles.
Rooms were cleaned and towels changed daily sheets were changed twice in a week.
The quality of meals was top class and could not be faulted.
We experienced a very enjoyable week nothing was too much trouble. The staff were courteous and went out of their way to help.
I would recommend this hotel to anyone - well done !
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Kevin Storey from Northumberland travelled to Santana Hotel with
Med Hotels
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Just returned from a lovely week at the Santana Hotel. We had our daughter with us so upgraded to a superior room, this was well worth the 2ml a night as it was huge with a kitchen area and 2 sofas.
No problems with the hotel staff they were very helpful
The hotel was very clean and there was plenty of choice with food and it was always hot.
I would certainly stay at this hotel again.
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Lewis Halstead from Shanklin travelled to Santana Hotel with
Malta Bargains
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Just returned from a week at the hotel Santana.The location was great,close to the bus station,bars and only a short walk to the sea front. Not much view from our room looking over the air con units but the room was clean and maid service was very good.Food was good and plenty of it.I paid £297 each with Malta Bargains flying with Brtish Jet,excellant value and good service all round.
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ann from suffolk travelled to Santana Hotel with
chevron
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2005 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Hotel Santana very clean, staff helpful and pleasant can not fault this hotel and I have stayed in two in malta.
Food very good and choices were too everyones taste although you can not please everyone.
Rooms very clean and always smelt clean even the lifts.
The place cannot be faulted and no children running amock as in other hotels.
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Jim Richardson from Newcastle travelled to Santana Hotel with
Direct
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2005 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food |  | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The Hotel was filthy, especialy the pool area and terraces. A flue from the kitchen belched out black soot on to pool area ans sun terraces.
The toilet did not flush, the bath did not run away, the ceiling fan did not work, the tv did not work. The staff had no interest what so ever. Three of them stood and watched a man carrying his disabled child and wheelchair up the steps to the hotel.
A hotel to avoid.
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wen from Bournemouth travelled to Santana Hotel with
inde
on a family holiday.
There were 1 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2005 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Arrived very late, myself and two children checked in and was informed that we had been booked into 2 x 2 single bedded rooms. Informed staff that I was with my children aged 7 & 12 they insisted that there was nothing they could do until the following day. My children would have to sleep in a separate hotel room to me, however when we got to the room, I pushed 2 beds together and we all slept in one large bed for the duration of our stay.
Generally found half of the hotel staff helpful but appeared forced niceness, younger staff appeared much more helpful and pleased to help.
Hotel is generally very clean with the exception of the roof pool which is salt water and a black greasy film adorning the tiles around the surface area of the inside of the pool.
Food was generally good, even children enjoyed the Maltese night buffet and not a chip in site, however our drinks 'waitress'(pay for own drink in evening) appeared frosty every night.
Hotel room overlooked wasteland but was quiet.
To sum up... is usual holiday hotel more worthy of 3 star rating but generally not too bad and have stayed in worse. No-one seemed to have any real complaints apart from mine. Also able to pay to stay in room for longer (extra charge) and secure room for baggage available.
...watch out for pay to view TV and take your own towels..
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Richard from Dartford travelled to Santana Hotel with
Maltabargains
on a family holiday.
There were 4 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2005 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The foyer and reception area were very welcoming with lifts close by. Many of the rooms do not have a sea-view, as did our 2 rooms between our group, however the rooms were of a decent size. The general cleanliness was excellent, the rooms, corridors, pool in fact all areas of the hotel were spotless. The large dining area served a buffet style meal, which was never the same choice over our week stay. The food was superb, without question. We found the Santana staff to be friendly and very helpful and generally they seemed proud and happy to be working there, so this only added to pleasent nature of the hotel.
We did not the entertainment as such but used the childrens games rooms which we found to be average. There was a pool table, a couple of aged video machines and a shuffle air game, which needed an overhaul. The rooftop pool was filled with salt water, which we found unsual but the bar staff etc were prompt, friendly. There was also an indoor pool & jacuzzi with gym facilities and sauna, which we found very nice, thou the pool water was cold.
Our stay was made that bit better because of this hotel experience and I would defintely recommend the Santana.
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Kurt Robinson from Wakefield travelled to Santana Hotel with
Mercury Direct
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2005 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Found the hotel to be more like a 2 star than a 4 star. Room, reception area, indoor pool all very cold (there were portable gas heaters in reception!). The sauna was not working and the 'gym' consisted of 2 bikes and tread machines.
The hotel food was very poor - repetitive and poor quality (the Italian restaurant was closed!).
The evening entertainment was awful.
This was without doubt the worst all inclusive hotel I have ever stayed in.
I would not recommend this hotel - particularly the all inclusive option.
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Pamela from Bury travelled to Santana Hotel with
Chevron
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2004 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: I travelled to the Santana with my husband, the room we were allocated was very nice and clean our towels were changed daily, the hotel public areas where fairly clean and there was always lots of room on the sun terraces. There was plenty of choice of food for breakfast and dinner but the lunches on all inclusive tended to be all deep fried or a quite boring sandwich, I don't think we will go all inclusive to this hotel again as there was little choice in the drinks and icecreams, snacks in the bar had to be paid for. The hotel location was excellent for qwara sea front and for the bus station. The hotel entertainment was quite good but unfortunately when ever we visited the bar where the entertainment was staged there only seemed to be two or three people. I would definately visit the hotel again either on b and b or half board basis
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elaine from belfast travelled to Santana Hotel with
direct holidays
on a singles holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2004 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: paid for 4 star hotel and got 2 star standards-very disappointing-hotel towels not changed daily,rooms and pool not clean.hotel badly in need of upgrading.very old fashioned and food not great either. balcony overlooked what looked like building site requested to change rooms but got no better. bedrooms are very small and air conditioning inadequate.there were alot of unhappy guests during my 1 week stay who reported same.
this type of hotel is allocation on arrival and should not be awarded 4 stars.
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steve from huddersfield travelled to Santana Hotel with
chevron
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2004 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: My first time in Malta. Hotel superb.
Staff even better in particular Issam who runs the pool bar.
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ANNA from Belfast travelled to Santana Hotel with
Budget Travel
on a singles holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2003 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Last Year my boyfriend and I decided to visit Malta for the first time!!We had a wonderful time!The hotel Santana was extremely clean and the staff are both well mannered and friendly. The breakfast was also lovely in the morning and Malta itself is packed with things to do. The pool is medium size on the roof. While after half four the pool becomes quite quiet I found the chlorine quite strong so googles are advisable. Nonetheless the hotel had entertainment three times a week and also when we were there there was an extra BBQ nite for all the guests.The room itself was extremely clean and well air conditioned. And the location was ideal five minutes from the sea front, bus terminius, bars and restaraunts (The most tasty and well priced restraunt is the plum tree just a two mins left from santana opposite way- from bus terminius) so if you have booked this hotel You are gonna have a fab time and if you haven't then do because its Brill. ten out of ten!!!!:)
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Charles Hemingway from UK travelled to Santana Hotel with
Unknown
on a Unknown holiday.
There were Unknown adults and Unknown child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2003 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: malta is a very nice place and we may go back in a few years and we would go back to hotel Santana.
I give it 3 stars
Charles & Patricia Hemingway
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Deespin from UK travelled to Santana Hotel with
Airtours
on a Unknown holiday.
There were Unknown adults and Unknown child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2002 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: My husband and I have just returned from a splendid one week stay in Malta. We booked an 'allocation-on-arrival holiday' a week before we left and were therefore a little apprehensive, but curious as we had never tried this sort of holiday before. My husband had been to Malta once before, 33 yrs ago when I was in the Navy, but it was my first visit and we had been told by many 'Ah, Malta - you'll either love it or hate it!' Well, we loved it!
The Hotel Santana is absolutely first class and is fully deserving of its 4 star rating. The rooms were spacious and spotlessly clean (as were the beds and towels)and there was no charge for air-conditioning; the facilities were excellent and included a roof-top pool and sun terraces (also spotless) from which there was a panoramic view over St. Paul's Bay and the surrounding area; there was varied in-house entertainment on four evenings in 'Lacey's Pub' on the lower ground floor; the bar/cafe (with internet access) was open 24hrs a day and served the most delicious pastries and hot chocolate; the food in the restaurant (we were half-board) was well-cooked, appetising, well-presented with a good variety of choices; the staff were polite and friendly even after a long stretch on the 24hr reception! We really cannot find any fault at all with this hotel. We have very simple tastes and expectations and all our fears subsided the minute we entered the very comfortable and tastefully furnished reception area. All our expectations were greatly exceeded! The hotel has its own website and I can assure you that what you see on this site is exactly what you get! I have posted comments in the guest book and got a reply the next day from the Manager thanking me for them!
The resort of Bugibba is geared to the 'typical tourist' i.e. plenty of bars, restaurants, souvenir shops and a few disco's and nightclubs - something for everyone really. We went snorkelling just off one of the rocky 'beaches' which line the shore - lovely clear water. If you want sandy beaches there are two main ones in the north, Mellieha Bay and Golden Bay, both only a short bus ride from Bugibba. The bus terminus was about 2oo metres from the hotel, and although the buses are very old and seem to lack anything even closely related to a suspension, they run very frequently and are cheap. A ride into Valetta (beautiful) cost 36cents each return (about 58p!) You can travel anywhere on the island as cheaply, although not in the lap of luxury! We decided to go on two organised trips, one which took us to Mdina the Silent City (not to be missed), Mosta Church, a glassworks, and then south to the fishing village of Marsaxlokk; the other trip was to an evening 'Festa' (also not to be missed) in the village of Garghour about twenty minutes drive away. The next time we go we will probably do all our visiting via the local bus service - you get to stay as long as you like in each location and also have the freedom to go where you want when you want.
Bugibba was a good base and was pleasant enough to stroll through in the evenings, although because it was high season it was a little crowded,; if you want nightclubs 'til 4 in the morning you'll need to go to St Julian's or Paceville.
I think the secret of a good holiday (apart from the hotel, food etc) is to try and involve yourself in the local culture, talk to the local people, explore independently, and don't expect a 'little england' everywhere you go!
My apologies for the length of this report, but I hope it will be of some help. We can't wait to go back to Malta in order to do and see all the things we didn't have time for this time, and would recommend the Santana Hotel to anyone who reads this report.
The website is as follows: sanatanahotel.com
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Morton from UK travelled to Santana Hotel with
Chevron
on a Unknown holiday.
There were Unknown adults and Unknown child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2002 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The hotel is in a good location with excellent facilities. However, they are very badly kept.
Roof top sun terrace - Floor dirty (wasn't swept or mopped in 2 weeks), sun beds dirty.
Bedrooms - no towels on arrival, generally dirty.
24 hour cafe / bar - tables dirty, floor dirty
Food - very poor quality and badly cooked limited choices.
In a good area, very close to the bus station and easy to travel around the island from here
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anndh from UK travelled to Santana Hotel with
Direct Holidays
on a Unknown holiday.
There were Unknown adults and Unknown child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2002 |
rated the Santana Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The hotel itself was as the brochure said however, it was full of UK pensioners on long stay holidays and it appeared that the food was to make them feel at home eg beef olives for Sunday dinner! Perhaps we were unfortunate choosing a Winter break in Malta and it would have been ok at another time of year. We were only a couple of minutes from the bus terminal and although the buses are rickety they are cheap and run often. The casino is also just minutes away and worth a visit.
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