Santana Hotel & SPA

Stayed for a week in August with family and friends. First impression was good; reception welcoming and air conditioned and check in pretty quick! Our room was ready and available by 10am which was amazing. Room itself was ok, standard size with two single beds (pretty rock solid mattress) pushed together and a small put me up bed for our son. The room was clean and a small balcony facing a car hire place onto the street, not very attractive but not really an issue. Tea and coffee available and a mini fridge to keep water cold. There were some noticeable issues with the hotel, a massive hole in the ceiling with leaking water for the first few days, lots of construction workers milling around and lots of snagging to be done. Pool area is ok, but slippy and the pools are small so get crowded quickly, more of a dip to get cool than a swim sort of pool, never struggled to get a sun bed but that may be due to the inflated bar prices. Far too expensive for a little pool bar. Really limited lunch menu , basically a chicken burger a beef burger , chicken wrap or chips. Can't comment on entertainment at night as we didn't stay at the hotel in the evenings. Breakfast was average at best. Just a bit bland, samey and underwhelming but there was enough to choose from and you don't go hungry, food was hot and plates etc were cleared quickly, staff were helpful. One of the main issues was the lifts - they never seemed to work and you'd be waiting ages. - then when one did come it would take you up and down and stop along the way before eventually getting to the 8th floor where the pool is! We had a lovely holiday all in all, would I return to this hotel, probably not, there were more negatives than positives BUT it does the job, the staff work hard and it's fine as a base to exposure Malta.

Amazing experience food was delicious the daily music serenaded my ears the hospitality was amazing especially from Binod who was always ready to help 10/10 service would definitely go again.

Beautiful pool and area.
Good customer service.
Bimod was really kind and friendly/helpful.
10/10 experience

Overall really enjoyed our week here. Loved the roof top pools, 2 good pool options to enjoy while getting sun. We loved the breakfast and dinner. Great variety of options each day, changing it up each night so not eating the same thing. All the staff in the restaurant were really friendly, especially Bimog from the first night (when we arrived late after delayed flight) welcoming us in and making sure we are feed etc.

Room was spacious and nice balcony. The big shame was the aircon which wasn't great at all. We had it on for a long time but would never get that cool. Malta is very hot and humid and so was tough that the aircon didn't go colder. So if Aircon was improved this would be a really good place.

A Special Thank You to the Team at Santana Hotel

My wife and I have been coming to the Santana Hotel in Qawra, Malta, for around nine years, and sometimes we visit twice a year. We have always enjoyed our stays and have always found the staff to be friendly, welcoming and helpful.

This year, following the recent renovations, we noticed lots of new faces among the staff. Once again, everyone has been absolutely lovely and the level of customer service has been fantastic.

However, we would particularly like to recognise one member of your team, Raman — although, amusingly, his name appears to have been spelt incorrectly on his name badge! 😂

Raman served us our Happy Hour cocktails each evening, and his service was genuinely exceptional. His English is excellent, but more importantly, he genuinely cares about the guests he is looking after. Over the few evenings we spent chatting with him, we found him to be incredibly friendly, attentive and professional.

Nothing was ever too much trouble for him, and he went out of his way to make sure his guests were happy. He has a wonderful personality and is a real credit to the Santana Hotel.

We sincerely hope that management takes the time to recognise just how fabulous Raman and the rest of the team have been during our stay. Good customer service can make such a difference to a holiday, and the staff here have certainly helped make our stay a very enjoyable one.

A very special thank you to Raman — keep up the fantastic work! You are a credit to the hotel, and we hope management knows just how much your hard work and genuine care for your guests are appreciated.

Location and food are good. Most of the staff are nice except that tall man, skinny desk manager who thinks he's better than the rest of the guests. Not very helpful and sarcastic when answering to the guests. Also in the booking, i asked for a double bed but gave me 2 single bed connected to each other.

a lovely hotel in a perfect location right by the sea and bus stop. the rooms were perfect size and clean every day with a lovely atmosphere throughout the hotel. all the staff have been very welcoming with valentina in the dining room being particularly friendly!! :)

I am very disappointed with my arrival at Hotel Santana.

After a very difficult journey due to my flight being cancelled and then rescheduled, I finally arrived at the hotel late at night, exhausted and having had very little to eat or drink all day. As a four-star hotel, I expected at least a bottle of drinking water to be available in the room, particularly for a late arrival.

Unfortunately, the fridge was completely empty. When I contacted reception to ask if I could have a bottle of water, I was told that I would have to go out to a shop and buy my own. I found this extremely disappointing. After travelling all day and arriving late at night, the last thing I wanted was to have to get dressed again and leave the hotel simply to find drinking water.

I appreciate that bottled water may not be complimentary, but I would have expected a four-star hotel to have some provision for guests arriving late, whether through reception, a vending machine, room service or the option to purchase a bottle directly from the hotel.

First impressions matter, and unfortunately my first impression of Hotel Santana has been very disappointing. I hope the rest of my stay gives me a better experience.

The hotel, location, staff. food and pool etc are great. However, currently staying and few teething issues that have slightly dampened the experience and hopefully not the norm.

Day one no hot water for a shower, happens, day 3 after foot slogging around Sliema and Valletta returned to hotel dripping with sweat as it’s a tad warm. Went for a shower no water at all. Reported it to reception to be told it has affected the whole hotel and maintenance investigating. Not great given we would like to get showered and dressed for dinner.

As said probably a one off and shouldn’t put you off.

Wonderful service by all of the staff. Valentina was very helpful and nice.

A great hotel.

Dmitri checked us in and was not at all welcoming. My husband and I, and in later years, my husband, family and I have been coming to the Santana for over 26 years. This was our 13th visit. Unfortunately, my husband died last year and so my family and I booked to return to our favourite hotel as a matter of comfort and familiarity in the hope that the first time we ventured on holiday without my husband it would not be too traumatic.
Well! First of all, there was the welcome. Annie, the lady that sells trips, was there and greeted us like family. She mentioned to Dimitri that we were special guests having been so many times. Alas, all Dimitri said was 'all our guests are special guests'. Of course, all guests are special but what would have been nice would have been a recognition of our long-standing commitment to the hotel. Pity hotel management didn't think this when the hotel was in such disrepair due to continuing maintenance following the renovation work.
We had requested a high floor but we were given the second floor. In hindsight this was a very good thing as the lifts were out of order so many times. Thankfully being returning guests we were familiar with an alternative lift (service lift) which we used frequently and which took me and my granddaughter down for breakfast one day. This lift was so very useful, especially on the day we were going home carrying 4 heavy large suitcases. There was an utter disregard for guests who also were going home that day and who had to manhandle their luggage down the stairs and I cannot understand how management expected guests to walk up and down stairs if they are on high floors and have mobility issues. On one occasion my family was stuck on the hotel roof (where the pools are situated) unable to come down in the lift. The stairs were blocked due to construction work. I shudder to think what would have happened if there had been a fire!!!! In addition, Cold showers were frequent. No hot water and more to the point NO EXPLANATION.
I had previously sent two emails (the first not even acknowledged) to Hotel Reservations requesting non-slip mats in both showers as both my daughter and I are disabled. I was allocated a room with a shower over the bath!!!!! I just about managed to negotiate myself over the side of the bath every time. My daughter was continually worried about this and kept checking that I was ok when getting ready each morning and evening.
No explanation was given re the television going off every day. Reception staff didn't know anything about it!! They didn't even know about the cold showers. Obviously, no communication!!
There were exposed wires everywhere awaiting fitting for lights. No sockets near the beds in order to charge a mobile overnight and no mirror over the dressing table to do one's make-up. Obviously, rooms were designed by a man.
I had cockroaches in my room. No-one seemed to be concerned. I told Dimitri this and told him this was the first time in 26 years I had ever seen cockroaches here and he said "in Malta?" and I replied "NO HERE, IN THE HOTEL".
In addition, the balcony was stifling due to being enclosed within two hotels. I felt penalised for being a single occupant in a twin room even though I had paid the required amount of money.
Another disappointment was the removal of the shop. My granddaughter always loved going in a looking around a buying a few things and it was very useful for purchasing bottles of water etc., when going out on trips.
On a positive note, the bar staff were brilliant and remembered us, even showing us pictures on their phones of us being at the hotel in previous years. Food was good and waiters were really friendly and looked after my granddaughter so well. It was never a problem if nothing on offer didn't suit her as chicken nuggets and chips would always be offered. My family and I can't thank the bar staff, the pool bar staff, restaurant waiters and chefs enough. You were all fantastic!!
In conclusion, the hotel should never have opened at all until all the work was completed. I did not appreciate cockroaches in my room, the horrible cold showers, lifts being out of order and the total lack of interest in me and my family as guests. The personal touch has obviously gone and it felt like my family and I were an inconvenience.
I AM NOT SORRY TO SAY WE WILL NOT BE BACK.......EVER.

The location is adorable and the food is Very Nice and tasty.

There were good options of multiple pools and lots of shade. The service during meal times was brilliant, Binod was lovely and was always polite towards us. The room is great, good size with tea and coffee amenities. Only downside was the shower door was a bit small so the water got all over the bathroom floor after every use, the tap leaked a little bit and the hairdryer head kept falling off the tube. Other than that it was amazing! Great location for the sea too.

My wife and I and our mums stayed at the Santana Hotel for 7 nights, and we had such a wonderful and relaxing time. The staff were so friendly and easy to approach. The dining staff, especially, were welcoming and helpful. Last but not least, Niraj, who works at the Santana restaurant, was exceptionally helpful and super friendly — a great asset to the Santana Hotel

You're absolutely brilliant! The hotel, the staff, and especially the reception are fantastic. I don't remember the receptionist's name, unfortunately, but forgive me for assuming – he's originally from India, so a special thanks to him for his help and concern! Great place and location, everything was fantastic!

I'll start by saying that the hotel receptionists were extremely polite and found a solution to our problems. We stayed for 3 nights, and the first and third we didn't have hot water. We had to take cold showers. It wasn't that bad for the two of us, considering the 35°C temperature outside, but our son started coughing. They compensated us by letting us check out the room later because of this inconvenience. I realize that this happens with hot water often everywhere, just keep it in mind. The first night we lost a lot of time at the airport in Malta, waiting to go through passport control, and as a result, we missed dinner at the hotel. The hotel gave us a lunch voucher to replace the missed dinner, which was extremely kind of them. The food at the hotel is very delicious. I ate the most delicious lasagna in my life there. And I've eaten lasagna in many different places. The rooms were clean and well-maintained. And the rooftop pool was a pleasant surprise. Kind and smiling staff throughout the hotel. Thank you!

hotel food very good staff very helpful reception one man dimitri very aloof talks down to c;ients he is the supervisor arrived asked for small table for bathroom for medication and toiletries did not have one yet told jet 2 rep he gave one no place for toiletries in bathroom no hot water for 3 days we reported floor tiles on first floor to him rising and could cause some one serious accident 4days he did nothing he should not be in supervisory postion

I cannot begin to explain the experience we had at this hotel! The health and safety risks at this hotel were frightening. No hot water for a full week and that’s if you were lucky enough to have water at all. Air con was intermittent to say the least staff were well rehearsed in their excuses but complaints were never resolved. The pool area seemed acceptable at first sight until you slipped or fell on the supposed non slip badly laid tiles. You were either told off for putting an umbrella up in a slight breeze or your child was ordered out of the pool for playing with a ball. More worryingly the lifts just stopped working whilst on the roof! The stairs were locked and you were directed by unconcerned pool staff through a building site with wires hanging where there was a ceiling no windows, holes in the floor to a filthy service lift or a miniature staircase down the open side of the building from the 8th floor. I dread to think what would happen in the event of a fire as it was unsafe and there was no signage at all. The rooms were clean but unfinished with door frames missing, work debris lying around, sharp tiles, creaking toilets ready to fall off the wall. The rooms are cleaned daily to the expense of you holiday lie in with cleaners knocking or entering the room before 8am. Food options in the restaurant were limited but acceptable although I am convinced that the drinks machine permanently tasted of chemicals and one morning we had to water down our own juice due to the fact there was no water to the restaurant . I cannot believe that this hotel has passed any form of health and safety or fire inspection. I am utterly lost for words that the likes of Jet2 even sell this holiday!

Where do I start this hotel is still under construction in a massive way and is a huge fire risk why jet2 or other holiday companies are selling deals is beyond me 6and 7 floor has no fire escape so if you get a fire on the pool floor the 8th floor only the lifts to get you down what go down every day we have been stuck several times in them and it’s not nice then we get to the air con that’s non existent then the WiFi that’s non existent then the hot water that’s non existent then most nights no water at all then we get to the management team a joke if you have a complaint they are completely clue less the only good thing they are good at is chaseing children out the pool with balls then the manger has a way of provoking all the parents around the po the food well that’s ran ok the staff are good there but food is average I would avoid at all costs if you care for your holiday pictures will show you it’s a joke and be very careful on pool area they have fitted tiles that are so slippery when wet you will slip