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Suncrest Hotel

6 of 12 hotels in Qawra

4 out of 5 from 17 reviews
4 stars
Dawret Il - Qawra, St Paul's Bay, Malta

17 Reviews

Traveller Rating

  • Excellent
    3
  • Very Good
    8
  • Good
    4
  • Average
    2
  • Poor
    0

Review Overview

  • Cleanliness
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Service
  • Location
Great hotel, excellent staff
5 years 10 months ago
From check-in to check-out our stay at Seashells Resort was outstanding. We were given the option at check-in to upgrade to a sea view, but chose not to, and our view of the street was fine.

Let’s take it a bit at a time:
the room was spacious with large twin beds, 2 armchairs and a coffee table, flat screen TV, a cooler, a safe and air conditioning. The shower was a walk-in, and very nice, as were the complimentary toiletries, renewed as necessary. The electrics are cleverly tied to a motion sensor, so turn off automatically when the room is vacant.

The food in the Coral Cove restaurant was excellent, with plenty of choice at both lunch and dinner; breakfast was more or less the same every day, so just be aware. The live cooking offerings were usually the best (no surprise there) but there was always plenty of choice, with self-service drinks (coffee, wine, beer and fizzy soft drinks). The other restaurant, It-Tokk was dinner only, but somewhat strangely had the same menu, except for Friday nights, when it was Maltese specialties. It would have been nice to have some other options for the rest of the week, perhaps. Both the pool bar and the Ambassador Lounge were well stocked, with friendly staff and nice ambiance.

We’re not great ones for joining in the pool games etc., but we had to admire the sheer dedication of the animation team, particularly Diana, who is a bundle of sheer energy and excitement, spreading smiles wherever she goes. Other staff worthy of mention are Juan, on reception, for whom nothing was too much trouble, and waitress-cum-barmaid Tania, ever smiling and eager to please, regardless of the time of day.

We have been visiting Malta for just over 20 years, and this is probably the best hotel we have stayed in, and it is highly likely that we shall return one day.
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Travel operator: Mercury

Recommended
Seashells Resort at Suncrest - Happy to return here again.
7 years 1 month ago
We were originally booked to stay at the Dolmen Resort Hotel travelling with Jet2Holidays on 9 March but due to the ongoing building work, we received a call just 4 days before our flight departed UK to inform us we were being moved to the Seashells Resort instead.

There was no other choice given to us - except another hotel in Sliema which was not a feasible option for us.

Not being familiar to this hotel, we were a little put out but having read the reviews and then finding our rooms had "city views" I was happy in the knowledge that the balconies on these rooms had full sun in the afternoon / early evening so that was a bonus for us.

We were on the 6th floor so there was little road noise - there was some building construction taking place diagonally over the road (clearing and digging down of the land) but this did not disturb us and finished at a reasonable time of day.

The room had everything we needed and really, our only complaint about the room facilities would be the choice of TV programmes as we've stayed at other Maltese hotels nearby which gave us a better satellite system with more English speaking channels. Also, although it was a very nice flat screen TV we couldn't plug our laptop or HDMI cable into it so that was very disappointing due to the lack of programmes we could watch.

The weather was kind to us so we did get to sit and read on our balconies in the late afternoon.

We were on Breakfast board only and found the choice to be plentiful. Three of us travelled together in 2 rooms and we each had different breakfast needs with no difficulties in finding tables to sit at, cutlery, glasses or having to queue for hot drinks.

One problem with the hot breakfast apparently (my husband had a hot breakfast every day) was that the food wasn't quite hot enough. However, there is a microwave midway between the breakfast buffet layout and he used that each day, along with numerous other hotel residents.

We were pleased the room safe is provided free of charge and that there was a small fridge in the room to keep water and milk (for our cups of tea) cool. We also liked that the bathroom in the Standard Rooms was a large walk in shower rather than over a bath (some other rooms are over bath shower so check the room description before you book if you have a particular preference). Toiletries (bath/shower gel, shampoo & conditioner combined plus individual soap bars) and towels were replenished every day as you used them. The rooms were kept spotlessly clean.

Our main criticism would be the hotel "entertainment" - each time we looked there was one guy singing and playing keyboards in what looked like a coffee shop (cum bar) stuck far away in a dark corner of the hotel reception.

Luckily, we ate out of the hotel each evening and found plenty of places for good food including drinks at a lot less than it would have cost us to upgrade to Half Board for the three of us. There are bars nearby if you walk up the side street in the direction of the bus station, about 10 - 15 minutes walk will take you to a large choice some with entertainment thrown in and drink prices vary from place to place.

The Half Board upgrade however, does include soft drinks, hot drinks, beer and wine with the evening meal. Often referred to now in Malta as "Half Board Plus".

We will return to Malta again in the future and would have no hesitation in staying at the Seashells Resort at Suncrest.

One other thing I should mention is that within the first hour of our arrival we visited the Cheeky Monkey Pub (which belongs to the hotel) across the road. My mother (aged 76 yrs) walked into it just ahead of me and my husband and the next thing I knew she had fallen full length, landing on her back on the tiled floor and had banged her head against one of the bar stools. There is a step less than 2 paces of going through the door and is not really defined as it's the same tiles as the main pub floor. The very large monkey which sits on the bar top caught my mothers' eye as she came through the door and she missed the step completely. It shook her up very much and the colour completely drained out of her face - she was white.

Although the bar manager did come to see how she was and brought her a glass of water, we feel they weren't that concerned - possibly because my mother does not look 76 years old! They didn't even take her name or record the fall in an accident book but did say people had fallen before.....

We did mention it to our tour representative who said he would follow it up and take a look himself. However, I do feel the hotel should also be aware of this and perhaps take more precautions at the entrance doorway to the Cheeky Monkey Pub.
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Travel operator: Jet2Holidays

Hotel tip: High floor with city view for afternoon sun on your balcony and no road noise.

Recommended
Perfect for the quieter stay.
11 years 7 months ago
Spent a lovely week here all inclusive. Everything was perfect for my stay for the price we paid.
When going here go for the best you can afford all inclusive. The sea view room was excellent. A bit of road noise but not enough to bother us. We really loved going all inclusive, the quality of the food and drinks was great and the staff were friendly and helpful.

One down side to our visit was the hotel lift was not always working. Being wheelchair bound this was a problem. Restaurants (many) were all good. Try the Maltese one at least once.
We did and liked it but ate in the general restaurant for the rest of the week.

We WILL come here again. It’s a 4 star hotel but think of it more as a 3+ star.
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Recommended
Really Enjoyed Ourselves!
11 years 8 months ago
Me (28) my Brother (22) and my sister (26) visited this hotel for a 4 night break in September. Really couldn't fault it.

The All Inclusive package was great value for money and the food had a lot of options for all tastes. The bar serves drinks in large cups and is more then happy for you to go up as often as you like.

The Staff work very hard and always had a smile on their faces.

Regarding the pool area (although smallish) we always found 3 beds together no matter what time we arrived at the pool.

A real mixture of ages so seems to suit most.
The only thing I would say is the entertainment is a bit focused towards the younger and older generation but to be honest we weren't really that bothered.

Malta as a whole we found to be quiet expensive, around 3 euros for a beer in even the supermarkets and between 25-30 euros for breakfast for the three of us so this hotel really did save us a fortune!

I would recommend to all ages looking for a cheap break in the sun.
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Recommended
Spotless hotel
12 years ago
The towels were changed daily and the room cleaned daily, the hotel is spotless.

The food is not good, it caters mainly for Germans & eastern Europeans, the little English menus that were done were not good at all, we did complain to the restaurant manager, he was really nice & said the chef would cook for us what we wanted, but we declined.

The staff are wonderful, really friendly they really look after you. As it was early in the season there was little entertainment.

The location of the hotel is great with full front position of the sparkling blue med.
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Recommended
We will be returning
12 years 1 month ago
We stayed here for a week on an all-inclusive basis. The hotel was very clean and well presented. Our room was cleaned daily and we were provided with fresh towels, soap, loo roll, etc. without having to ask. The staff were helpful and courteous at all times from reception right through to the housekeeping staff, who always greeted us with a friendly good morning.

Location wise the hotel is great. Just across the road from the hotel is a bus stop. The number 12 bus will take you to St. Julians, Sliema, and Valletta. The resort of Buggiba is close by with lots of shops, bars, and restaurants.

We were on the top floor (7th), which meant we were well away from road noise, and any residual noise from the entertainment area. The lifts were a bit temperamental, but we were never waiting for one for very long.

The pool area was well laid out with plenty of sunbeds, but there were only a few which had cover - not a problem in April, but I would hope that parasols would be provided later on in the season for sun protection.

The pool was very clean but unheated, and very cold. We did venture in a few times though, just for a splash about. There was a children's slide which was good, and my daughter said it was quite fast and fun. The pool bar was open for snacks and drinks, with plenty of tables outside to sit and relax.

Food was good, not the best ever AI we ever had, but not bad at all considering it is mass catering. We never went hungry and, as well as the main buffet restaurant, there was the Maltese restaurant which we ate in once during our stay.

I was surprised that the restaurant was so busy for April, and we had to wait to be seated most nights, though only for a very short time. Wine, beer, and soft drinks were served once you were seated and were all perfectly acceptable. We liked the cocktails too and had one most nights before dinner.

The entertainment was pretty low-key as it was just the beginning of the season, but most nights we went in to the bar for a bit after dinner to see what was going on.

The bar staff in the Ambassador bar (the main bar in the hotel) were brilliant. They worked hard and there were rarely queues, even in the evening. There were various activities available during the day, also low-key, and there was no pressure at all to join in or take part.

We really enjoyed our stay here, and we would definitely stay at this hotel again. The weather wasn't great while we were there, and we only managed a few hours chilling around the pool sunbathing, so when we return to Malta we will probably go a bit later in the year to get the good weather.

We did a bit of sightseeing including a boat trip and a visit to the Knight's hospital in Valetta as part of the Malta Experience, but we left feeling that there were lots more to see and do in Malta, and we will be returning in the not too distant future.
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Recommended
Wonderful hotel, let down badly by the food
13 years ago
Seashells is an absolutely wonderful place to stay. It is very clean, the staff are the best ever, but on an all-inclusive holiday we found the food really bad, it was so repetitive of the foods you don't like. Gateaux was great once or twice but not for 14 nights a lot of the ham pork & other meat was not cooked correctly, the ham was really undercooked. The pork pink, so we lived on soup or salad, a lot of the food was based on the German, Russian food taste.

We did complain, so on the last night we did get apple pie, we had to fight for it. Packed lunches are not any good either, cheese & ham, every day.

This is the 3rd year we have stayed here the first year the food was excellent. It is so so sad that a wonderful place like this is let down by the caterers, the staff are so nice.
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Recommended
Mark & Val
14 years 8 months ago
We arrived just before noon but couldn't check into the room until 15:00 (this is the usual check in time) but due to the previous occupants holding the room because of their late flight we couldn't get in until nealy 15:45, (so pack clothing and beach wear for easy access to pass the time.)
The reception staff were excellent, always willing to help.
There was no air conditioning in our room, just a ceiling fan to move the hot air around!
The hotel cleanliness was generally good. The room needed to be cleaned a little better, especially the floors and bathroom.
The lifts were a pain, as you can wait ages for one, we lost count on how many times we resorted to using the stairs.
Food - this is buffet style and we felt lacked some variety and amount of selection. The staff in the restaurnat were good. In the evening, you may need to wait to be seated so that you are allocated a table.
There is day time pool side entertainent by the animation crew, but we didn't see any evening entertainment by the hotel, especially for families with young children.
Be aware that the pool is salt water - a first for us.
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Travel operator: Thomas Cook

Pollock
15 years 9 months ago
No air-conditioning in reception area.
2 dining-rooms + another for all the french students that ran about. large pool with kids pool and slide.
Hotel closing in November to get upgraded as decor abit dated. Staff friendly.
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Travel operator: Thomas Cook

Recommended
Julie
17 years 6 months ago
I stayed at the Suncrest with my sister, from 10-17 Oct 2006. Having booked the flight direct, we got a great deal on a standard room thru Last Check.

The room was large enough for 2 women to get ready comfortably, and included aircon and a ceiling fan plus a fridge. The TV didn't work, but we didn't bother to mention this as we didn't require it. Full length mirror, a powerful hairdryer, a good-sized dressing table area and plenty of storage were appreciated (altho as always, not enough coathangers!).

As we hadn't paid for a Seaview room, the balcony faced the Qawra Palace Hotel next door, but was sufficiently far away so as not to feel uncomfortable, and to the right we had a view of the sea.

The only thing I would downgrade the room on was the bathroom - although fine, the ceiling and grouting were showing signs of wear. The shower curtain appeared clean.

The whole of the room and bathroom were tiled and kept clean. The maid service was excellent, providing clean towels every day, and changing the bed linen at least once during the week.

The lifts in the hotel were temperamental - allow 10 mins to get down to breakfast etc, as they seem to go up and down or not arrive at all - although this must partly be caused by guests pressing both Up and Down buttons in their impatience.

We were on a B&B basis, so I can't comment on the food other than the breakfast - we only once had to queue for a table, and there was a good selection of food - cooked breakfast, meats & cheeses etc, cereals, breads, fruit. Those people wanting toast had to queue, as there only appeared to be one toaster.

The staff we encountered were all very good - from the friendly cleaners to the helpful and efficient reception staff.

The entertainment rather lets the hotel down - although Maltese hotels as a whole don't seem to match UK star ratings, the entertainment was definitely not 4-star - and on the night we arrived the only bar open when we returned from eating out was the outside one.

Although I am unlikely to return to the Suncrest, preferring to visit different places, I would have no hesitation in recommending it.

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Travel operator: Thomsonfly/Late Check

Recommended

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