Hilton Malta St Julian’s Review Read Time and Rating
Our Hilton Malta St Julian’s Review covers a five-night stay in Malta, including the King Junior Suite, Executive Lounge, pool areas, restaurants, staff and overall value. The Hilton Malta St Julian’s overlooks Portomaso Marina and places you close to bars, restaurants and the waterfront.
We stayed in September 2021 after booking a fully flexible rate through Hilton Honors. The average nightly cost came to €436 for two people. We originally booked a Relaxation Suite, but Hilton upgraded us to a King Junior Suite at no extra cost due to our Hilton Honors Gold status.
Overall, our Hilton Malta St Julian’s Review feels positive. We enjoyed the hotel, loved the location and found the staff fantastic. Although the hotel carries a 5-star rating, we felt it was better suited to a very good 4-star hotel.
In This Review
Location
The hotel is well located in St Julian’s, one of Malta’s liveliest areas. Portomaso Marina gives the hotel an attractive setting, and you can walk out for food, drinks or a stroll by the water.
The marina area has several restaurants and bars within about five minutes’ walk. We found that useful because restaurants and bars outside the hotel charged much less than the hotel.
For us, the location became one of the strongest points of our Hilton Malta St Julian’s Review. The hotel gave us a resort-style base, but we could still walk out and enjoy the local area with ease.
Arrival and Check-In
We flew from Liverpool to Malta with easyJet and arrived before midday. COVID-19 checks slowed immigration slightly, but we still reached the hotel before 2.00 pm.
The check-in team welcomed us warmly and handled everything smoothly. Our room was ready, and after a welcome drink, we went straight to the suite.
The hotel made a great first impression. We had no long wait, no confusion and no issue with the upgrade. The stay started in a relaxed and positive way.
The Room: King Junior Suite
The King Junior Suite measured about 50 sqm and offered plenty of space. It had a king-sized bed, a separate living area, a bathroom with a bathtub and a shower, and a good-sized balcony.
The bedroom felt comfortable, and the air conditioning worked well, which really helped in Malta. The room had plenty of wardrobe and cupboard space for two people, plus an iron, ironing board, safe, fridge, kettle, tea and coffee, and a separate coffee maker.
We also had two 40-inch televisions, one in the bedroom and one in the living area. The channels included English and European options.
The living area included a sofa, table and chairs. We mainly used the space to store suitcases, but families could make better use of it, as the sofa could also be converted into a bed.
For our Hilton Malta St Julian’s Review, the room stood out as one of the main highlights. It felt spacious, clean and comfortable, and the upgrade added real value to the stay.
Bathroom and Balcony
The bathroom offered ample space and included both a separate shower and a bathtub. The hotel supplied Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries, including body wash, body lotion and shampoo.
The balcony added another useful area to the suite. It had two sun loungers, plus a table and chairs. We also had a sea view, though not a full open-sea view.
The balcony’s lack of sun gave us the only real downside. Even so, we liked the extra outdoor space, which made the suite feel more relaxing.
Executive Lounge
The Executive Lounge was on Level 9 and was open from 7.30 am to 10.00 pm. Guests with access could enjoy breakfast, afternoon tea, soft drinks, snacks, and evening drinks with canapés.
Breakfast ran from 7.30 am to 10.30 am. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, guests did not serve themselves. Instead, we chose from a menu, and the staff prepared the plate. A chef also cooked eggs and omelettes on the balcony.
Breakfast worked well, and the staff happily topped up hot drinks. Guests could also help themselves to cold soft drinks and juices.
Afternoon tea ran from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm. The lounge offered sandwiches, cakes and pastries with cream and jam. We enjoyed it, but we only used it once because we preferred to spend the afternoon by the pool.
Evening drinks and canapés ran from 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm. The lounge had a decent amount of space, and the balcony offered excellent views across the bay. The drinks choice included local beer, red and white wine, and spirits, but we did not see anything premium.
The canapés tasted fine, but they did not replace dinner. We usually went out for a meal afterwards.
In our Hilton Malta St Julian’s Review, the Executive Lounge was good but not outstanding. Breakfast impressed us most, and the staff delivered excellent service. However, the evening food and drink offerings felt more limited than those at some Hilton lounges we have used in the past.
Executive Lounge Seating
The Executive Lounge had one clear issue: seating. Guests who wanted a good balcony table in the evening needed to arrive early, ideally before 5.30 pm.
Children could use the lounge with adult supervision. We did not find this to be a major problem, but some children ran around while their parents appeared unconcerned. Guests looking for a very quiet lounge may find that frustrating.
The lounge also had a smart casual dress code, with no swimwear or flip-flops. Some guests ignored the rule during our stay.
Restaurants and Bars
The hotel had several restaurants and bars, including the Vista Lobby Lounge, Quarterdeck Bar, The Gazebo Restaurant, Aqua Bar, Merkanti Beach Club and The Blue Elephant Thai restaurant.
During the day, we often ate by the pool or at The Merkanti Beach Club because it kept things easy. The menu included light bites, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, and a few vegetarian and vegan options.
Food prices were reasonable for a hotel, but drinks were much more expensive. A 500ml Coke cost €6.25, a 500ml local Cisk beer cost €7.00, and a 250ml glass of Australian Chardonnay cost €11.50.
The Blue Elephant became the clear highlight of the restaurant. We ate there twice, and the food and service impressed us both times. We did not expect to find such a good Thai restaurant inside a hotel in Malta.
The Blue Elephant became one of the best parts of our Hilton Malta St Julian’s Review, and we would recommend booking it if you enjoy Asian food.
Pool Areas
The Hilton Malta has four outdoor pools, plus an indoor pool. We stayed outside the European school holidays, but some areas still felt busy.
Families mainly used the main pool closest to the hotel, so that area felt the busiest. As often happens in resort hotels, some guests reserved sunbeds and left them unused for hours, which felt frustrating.
We preferred the quieter pools on the lower ground level near the Merkanti Beach Club. That area felt more peaceful and worked better for relaxing. The beach club also accepts members so that the area can get busier at weekends.
For our Hilton Malta St Julian’s Review, the pool areas added a lot to the stay. The hotel gave us plenty of choice, but during school holidays, the pools would probably feel much busier.
Staff and Service
The staff delivered excellent service throughout the stay. From check-in to check-out, we could not fault anyone.
The Executive Lounge team worked hard during breakfast and evening drinks service. They kept drinks topped up and made the lounge feel welcoming.
The Beach Club staff and the Blue Elephant team also helped throughout the day. Good service can make a big difference to a hotel stay, and the staff became one of the main reasons we enjoyed our time here.
What We Liked
We liked the location, marina setting, spacious King Junior Suite and Executive Lounge breakfast.
The pool areas gave us plenty of choice, and the quieter lower pools suited a relaxing holiday. The Blue Elephant restaurant served excellent food, and the staff across the hotel made the stay feel easy and enjoyable.
Our Hilton Malta St Julian’s Review remains positive because the hotel provided a resort-style base while keeping us close to local restaurants and bars.
What Could Be Better
The hotel did not quite feel like a true 5-star resort. Some areas felt closer to a 4-star standard, especially the Executive Lounge evening food and drink offer.
Hotel drinks cost more than we expected, and busy times made it harder to find a good sunbed or a balcony table in the lounge.
The balcony in our suite had plenty of space, but the lack of sun felt disappointing.
Tips Before You Book
Book a room with Executive Lounge access if you want breakfast in a quieter setting.
Try The Blue Elephant if you like Thai or Asian food.
Visit outside school holidays for a quieter pool experience.
Expect restaurants and bars outside the hotel to offer better value.
Arrive early for the Executive Lounge evening service if you want a good balcony table.
Final Verdict
To conclude our Hilton Malta St Julian’s Review, we enjoyed our five-night stay and would return. The location worked well, the room gave us plenty of space, the pools added to the resort feel, and the staff delivered fantastic service.
However, although the Hilton Malta St Julian’s holds an official 5-star rating, we would personally rate it as a very good 4-star hotel.
The hotel met our expectations, and we would recommend it, especially if you want a resort-style hotel in a strong St Julian’s location.
Hilton Malta St Julian’s Review Final Rating
Overall Rating: ★★★★☆
Expectation Level: Exceeded Our Expectations
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