San Antonio Hotel & Spa

Good for families

We stayed here just the one night on arrival, but the staff were so helpful and encouraged us to stay for the morning and afternoon the next day to use the pool and other facilities. They were also good with advice for local restaurants. The area is very touristy and a bit overdeveloped, but seemed popular for families and younger people with good pool facilities and activities.

Definitely some merit but perhaps not four star

We had two nights here on a cheapish deal and found our stay quite relaxing but the scene was set for us a little when we asked the concierge if he was giving us nice rooms. He said (roughly) "they are what you paid for"; which seemed to us a bit of a strange thing to say given that we had received a deal at much less than the going rate. This hotel seems quite popular with families - the pool is quite nice so you can spend all your time there if you like. We had a ground floor room with a balcony area which we expected to be noisy but was actually very quiet and we slept well (although it was a twin not the double we asked for). The area around the hotel seems quite seedy to me. The nearby beach area does not seem appealing. Also, I think their idea of a private beach is quite laughable. Breakfast is a bit of a bun fight with so many guests and I found the hot food very oily. Having said all this, we enjoyed our stay and would probably go back if we were desperate for nothing but lying by the pool or using the facilities.

Still worth a visit

I stayed in this hotel a few years back when it used to be owned by Accor. It has lost some of the standards, such as the fluffy robes, high quality toiletries, and slippers since then. I cannot fault the cleanliness of the rooms - top notch every day. The room I stayed in this time was on the ground floor. It was spacious and has a full size bath room. Free safe in room and good sized fridge. No tea & coffee making facilities (although these can be hired for 5 euros a day!). The hotel is not too noisy. However, there is building work ongoing on the inland side of the hotel, so beware if you want a lie-in. I will say that the hotel gets busier over the weekends with domestic tourists - they do like to hang out in the seating areas at the end of some of the corridors, and so this can be quite rowdy. The breakfast is very good - a wide range for all tastes. We only stayed B&B as the evening meals are in the range of 16 euros and you can find cheaper in the local restaurants, of which there are plenty near the hotel (ranging from fast food to traditional Maltese). The hotel bar is ok, although the ’entertainment’ on offer certainly caters for the older market. Then again, if you want the full club scene then you would stay in Sliema! The hotel is 5 mins walk from the prom, right by all the tourist facilities you could need (bars, shops, cafes, casino etc), and a 2 min walk from the bus station. I will be back - still the best hotel in Bugibba/St Pauls!

The outdoor pool was not in action when we stayed, but the indoor pool is probably about 15 metres and is good enough if you fancy a quick dip. There is also a sauna and a hot tub. Just remember to take your towel card. The gym is a good size for a hotel with a wide range of cardio and weights - all in all a very good range of health and fitness facilities.