St Paul's Bay, Gillieru Harbour Hotel Review

Overall Rating

The staff

I have to take this opportunity to speak up on behalf of the staff at The Gillieru Harbour Hotel in St. Pauls Bay, Malta. We have just visited Malta for the first time, and spent a delightful week at the Gillieru. We are 29 and 31 years of age.

::ROOM SERVICE
Now, if you're used to pampering yourself in UK 4* hotels you may be a little disappointed. However, the Gillieru matches any good UK 3* hotel, and is on a par with many Mediterranean 4* hotels. The room was complete with mini-bar, well-priced, and refilled daily. The room was tidied and cleaned daily, with clean towels provided, and extra ones available on request for the pool. The TV had a mix of channels - from the interesting TV Malta, through to the bizarre Italian channels, to BBC World and BBC Prime. Complimentary shower gels and shampoos were also very welcome.

::THE STAFF
All very friendly. We found that some of the early morning restaurant staff were perhaps a little over-efficient, with our coffee and tea being refilled as soon as the cup was emptied! We were made to feel very special by 2 particular members of staff, and now consider that we have two great friends in Malta! They even taught us Maltese - not the easiest language to grasp - but great fun. They'll give you a great 'Merhba!'. We passed some great nights in the bar, drinking Bajtra, Leila and Madlien, and having a laugh with the staff.

::THE FOOD
Breakfast was of the 'continental' variety. Dairylea slices, I'm afraid, but coupled with a selection of cold meats and fresh bread, cereals, toast and jam; tasty nonetheless. English breakfast is also available for a charge, but we found the continental more than enough.

Evening meals were superb. There was a selection of at least 3 - 4 starters and main courses each night, and no skimping on the portions! In fact, if we couldn't decide what to have, we were readily offered a mixture of them all! Great with the deserts, I have to say! The Gilleru specialises in fish dishes, with the public restaurant (attached) having international acclaim. They also do great stews, curries, and traditional Maltese fayre.

::OVERALL
The hotel is conveniently located around 5 - 7minutes walk from central Bugibba, but in a quiet end of the bay, so there's the best of both worlds. There's ample parking if you hire a car to sight-see the island.

We had a fantastic week. It was our first time in Malta, and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend this hotel to anybody. We'll certainly make it our choice whenever we return to Malta! A very friendly, professional and enjoyable place to be. Tajjeb!