I know, you shouldn’t get too excited in anticipation of a new experience, but this was the first time we have opted for a couple of nights in an apartment rather than a hotel. The advertisement shows a traditional, old Maltese stone apartment with large lounge area and mezzanine floor above as the bedroom. At first glance, it did indeed look like the photograph, but closer inspection proved to be a bit different.
We finally found the narrow street, down towards the Sliema-Valetta ferry, and front door of number 20 in a row of tall 5-6 storey town houses. The agent came to meet us with the key to this revelation! Picture steep, curved, stone steps in an ancient church bell-tower. We struggled to walk up these narrow winding steps with just hand-luggage cases so cannot see how anyone could get a suitcase up there. It would be a struggle if you were a bit on the chunky side, and impossible if you rely on a walking stick.
On first floor is the bathroom – shower head on wall above the bath, not adjustable and no shower curtain so basically, a floor-washing device. Up the next section of curved steps to kitchen and lounge. Good news, all plug sockets have now been changed to 3 straight-prongs like in UK, so no adaptor needed (we still take one just in case). Bad news, the kettle, toaster, hairdryer and two bedside lamps had old 2 round-prong plus so nowhere to plug them in!
The agent didn’t mention this and breezily said there was an adaptor if we needed one for our UK appliances – this was actually a 3-way socket not an adaptor. The sofa in the lounge was broken and unusable, floorboards around the bed gaped as you walked over them so pinched your feet, and we were only supplied with two towels (no hand towels) and not even a bar of soap although the booking details said toiletries provided.
Basically, very disappointed with poor accommodation, not what you expect from the description, and so unsafe it would not be allowed as a holiday let in UK. I always try to be positive in reviews, but cannot find anything good to say except that it is close to city centre (but in a very shabby back-street), and there are some good restaurants and bars within walking distance.
