sean drew
The Solana Hotel & Spa presented a experience of contrasting quality, with excellent service and cuisine overshadowed by significant room maintenance issues.
👍 The Positives
• Exceptional Staff: The entire staff was consistently very friendly and welcoming, which significantly enhanced the service aspects of our stay.
• Outstanding Food: The dining experience was a definite highlight. The food was consistently amazing and of high quality.
👎 Room Condition & Maintenance Issues
Unfortunately, the condition of the room was a major source of disappointment:
• Unpleasant Odor: The bathroom suffered from a persistent, foul odor (like sulfur/rotten eggs) emanating from the drains. This necessitated keeping the bathroom door closed at all times.
• Severe Mold Issue: The most concerning issue was the discovery of visible mold along the sides and above the bed.
⚠️ Health Concern & Disappointing Resolution
It was genuinely upsetting to realize on the last day that I had been breathing in these mold spores for the entire duration of my stay.
• Management Interaction: I raised this serious health concern with the manager.
• Resolution Attempt: I was offered €35 in compensation, and the manager stated maintenance would immediately address the mold.
• Ineffective Follow-Up: Approximately an hour later, a maintenance staff member arrived, but only performed a cursory wipe-down with a cloth, which failed to remove the majority of the mold.
📝 Conclusion
While the personnel and food were exemplary, the serious issues concerning the room's sanitation—specifically the drain odor and, critically, the unresolved mold infestation—put a significant dampener on the entire experience.
I sincerely hope these maintenance and health concerns are addressed thoroughly and permanently before another guest occupies that room.
Alan Fairweather
Really happy with the room and location. We got more than we were expecting in terms of space, bed layout and what's available in our room. We had access to a s small fridge and some self catering options which we did avail of in the end. Cleaned every day perfectly. Thanks to all the hotel team. I would highly recommend this hotel as a good base to explore the Malta argiplugo. The pools on top are so nice and the sauna is great. Pity that's there's no steam room.
Chris E.
The Solana Hotel in Mellieħa has some lovely features. The rooftop terrace and pool are definitely the highlight — spacious, stylish, and offering beautiful views over the town and the sea. The indoor pool and gym are also a nice addition, and the staff we met were generally friendly and polite.
Unfortunately, the rest of the experience didn’t live up to expectations. We stayed five nights in a deluxe suite with a partial sea view, but the room layout was awkward and the furniture felt misplaced. The balcony was large and pleasant, yet when seated you only saw a wall — the sea view was visible only when standing, even though we paid extra for it.
Housekeeping was inconsistent: some days were fine, others less so. The bed linen was never changed during our stay, and the bathroom had no ventilation, which made it damp and unpleasant. The eco-friendly shower system was a nice idea, but water pressure was too low to be comfortable.
The free Wi-Fi connection was unreliable — slow and constantly disconnecting, not what one would expect from a modern four-star hotel.
We tried the buffet dinner once, but it was disappointing: bland food, little seasoning, and overall a canteen-like atmosphere. Breakfast felt repetitive, focusing on quantity rather than quality.
Overall, the hotel looks great on paper but falls short in practice. For the price paid, it didn’t meet our expectations, and we would not return.
steve hughes
At first glance inside this is a strangely laid out hotel. It seems split into 2 parts separated by a long corridor. However the staff are very good, very helpful and polite. The buffet food is a mixture of all cultures and caters for a wide range of tastes. You would be hard pressed not to find something that you like in this restaurant . Rooms were comfortable with fridge and kettle provided as well as a safe. All in all a good base to stay and explore Malta.
Kev En
The hotel has a few good sides, but overall the negatives outweigh them. The location is great, with plenty of good restaurants just around the corner. The gym is surprisingly well equipped and the rooftop pool has a nice view. Unfortunately, the atmosphere there feels more like a party than a place to relax, even if there is a separate adults-only area.
The rooms are very noisy. In the morning you hear chairs moving and your neighbors, and in the evening the music from the pool carries on until late. If you are looking for peace and quiet, this hotel is the wrong choice. Housekeeping is unreliable and often either skips the room completely or shows up very late in the afternoon when you are already back.
My experience with the staff was mixed. Some were friendly, others seemed annoyed. What really stood out in a bad way was the parking garage. The staff there was rude, and you are forced to hand over your car key without being given any explanation why.
In the end, the hotel does have a good gym, a nice rooftop area and a central location, but the noise, unreliable cleaning service and poor staff attitude ruin the stay. For the price charged it is not worth it. Not recommended
My Booking
