The Westin Dragonara Resort, Malta — Hotel in Saint Julian's

We (family of four - 2 adults, a teen and a pre-teen) stayed at the Westin Dragonara for 7 nights after spending a few nights in Valletta. ||We took the buffet breakfast package and were always able to find a seat and we found that the food choices offered were plentiful and offered something for everyone and it was tasty. Yes, it does get busy at peak hours but that just meant you had to wait a tad longer in line to be seated. On the morning we left, the buffet wasn't open because it was too early. the day before, I asked the front desk if there was a sort of take away breakfast option since we would miss the buffet. There is a simple croissant, juice and fruit option (free if you have the buffet package and you have it delivered to front desk). We were happy about that. ||The pools were nice. Pool temps weren't hot but rather warm. On days when it was really hot out, it was refreshing. The beach areas were not what we are used to or expected. They have a small sandy beach area where the water is very shallow and calm - mostly for kids. They have a few small areas of beachfront with pool chairs however you must either climb down the stairs to get into the water or jump in. For people who are not good swimmers, it isn't ideal for them to go swimming there. We found that we were always able to get a chair by the pool. Sometimes it wasn't right in front of the pool but we were never left without a chair. We ate at the hotel buffet one evening when they were offering the dinner buffet (only on certain nights). The selection was very good. ||Location: The hotel is situated about a 7 minute walk to a main road where you will find the bus stops. You will also find some shops and restaurants along the way. We thought it was well located and easy to get around. ||The hotel (resort) is beautiful but there were a few things that we found "off" for a 5 star resort:||- The resort is big but the staff should have knowledge about certain things within the hotel. We saw an advertisement for the dinner buffet and wanted to know what the cost was. We inquired at the front desk since the buffet itself was closed at that time. They knew the price for adults but were unsure what the cost would be for our kids. It is a simple question, they should know that from this age to this age it is XX$ and that age to that age it is XYZ$. They were not sure. One staff member asked another and both couldn't confirm. This is an easy question. They can easily keep a price list at the front desk. ||- One of our family members takes diabetic medication via syringe. We did not want to just leave the syringe in the bathroom waste basket so we asked the front desk if the hotel had a sharps container. The front desk referred us to the concierge desk which told us they didn't know. He took our room # down and told us someone would get back to us. 1-2 days past and no one did so I went back to the front desk to ask. The staff member wasn't sure what to tell me. She said they had no sharpe container on site so she called housekeeping to ask about what the procedure was. She was advised to tell me to just put it in the waste basket and the person cleaning our room would be advised. We weren't too comfortable with doing that. We ended up using a hard plastic container to put the syringe in and then put it in the garbage can. A 5 star hotel of this size should have a procedure in place. They don't need to have a sharps container in every room, but one at the front desk or one in the public washrooms would suffice. I still can't believe they don't have one.||- Room cleaning: We had a room that faced the ocean. Therefore, we were at the end of the long hallway on our floor. That meant that our room was usually the last one to be cleaned everyday. However, we have never been in a hotel where you stay numerous nights and have our room cleaned between 3 - 5 PM everyday. We often would go out during the day and come back after lunch wanting to go to the pool only to find that our room is being cleaned so we cannot get in. One day were were told to wait 25 minutes before we could get in. Yes, we want our room cleaned but it should be done in the morning/early afternoon. On at least 3 occasions we couldn't get into our room because of late cleaning. Then they would finish and an hour or so later knock on the door for turn down service. They just left our room, what could we possibly need an hour later?? We spoke to housekeeping about the hours and they said that they clean rooms from 9 - 5 and that was normal for them. ||Room: There was something wrong with the ventilation in our room. It always smelled musty. We did not have a fan (or it didn't work at all if there is one) in our bathroom and as soon as you enter the room from the hallway a musty smell hits you. We left a bathing suit to dry in the bathroom and it took all of the musty smell. We are pretty sure this is a problem in numerous rooms because we heard our neighbour asking housekeeping for an air freshener because his room smelled. The room itself was spacious and the view from our balcony was beautiful. The railings maybe needed a bit of love but what bothered us were the ants. There were lots of ants on the balcony and on the 2 lounge chairs. We stopped sitting on the lounge chairs because every time we did, a few ants would crawl on us. A little ant spray would go a long way.||- There is a public washroom near the main pool area (in the pink tower). I went there one day when I was at the pool instead of going all the way up to our room. I wanted to wash my hands after i used the washroom but there was no soap. I decided to go into the hotel to use the washroom in the main lobby. When I got there there was a maintenance cart in front of the washroom so I couldn't get in because they were cleaning (or so I thought). I then went up to my room as I didn't know where I could find another public washroom. I get there and housekeeping is cleaning my room so I cannot get in. I went back downstairs to the lobby washroom but the cart was still there. I waited and after a while, I approached the washroom to see that there is no one cleaning at all. They had just left the cart there -- odd! Guess what? No soap there either. By now, I am quite fed up. I headed to the other pool all the way around the building and finally was able to wash my hands. Where is the maintenance staff? Again, this is a big hotel. Maintenance should be constantly replenishing washroom facilities because of the number of guests in the hotel at all times. The maintenance cart being left outside the lobby washroom at all times is just plain odd. That isn't something that should be left there. It should be brought there when it is time to clean and removed after the cleaning. After I noticed it the day that I could not find a washroom with soap to wash my hands, it was something I noticed every time I went to the elevator. Is was as if it was there 24H a day. We left the hotel to catch a flight at 3AM. The cart was still parked there. ||All this to say that the resort is beautiful but some things need to be tweaked. A health and safety procedure for sharps is the first on the list in my opinion. |Would I stay here again? Maybe. It just wasn't the 5 star service experience we...

We have just returned from a lovely week here with our children. We absolutely loved our holiday, and can't wait to return.||The highlights are the food - every meal was delicious, we ate twice in Palio's which was decent, the service good, almost too attentive - I don't really want 4 different people asking me mid mouthful if everything is ok, but we appreciated the friendliness and helpful nature of the staff such as Wiktoria. My carbonara was a tad dry, but the portions are enormous so if you pick right you won't go hungry. The setting is stunning and it's a beautiful place to spend some time with a glass or three.||The terrace buffet was consistently brilliant, both at breakfast, and dinner, with even my fussy children always finding something to eat, thanks in the main to the consistent appearance of tomato pasta, and bolognese at the pasta bar! The staff are incredible, remembering our room number, engaging with us like old friends, and taking care of us constantly. ||The food in the Piano bar was also lovely, although the service in here can be painfully and frustratingly slow, having to chase for menu's, and often long waits for food, but the quality was always worth the wait. The same can be said in the evening for drinks, with seemingly tons of staff but no one actually showing much efficiency or pace.||The swimming pools are lovely, No shortage of available towels but I was sad to see that the usual game of hog a sunbed at 7am was being played and not remotely policed, so sadly we had no choice but to participate in said madness if we wanted to bag a bed in the shade. So we found ourselves forgoing a lay in, to ensure we were by the pool by 8am to ensure we got a bed. On the day we returned from a morning out, there was literally nothing available, but only a quarter of the beds had anyone physically on them. Stricter management of this would be appropriate - as on more than one occasion the beds around us appeared occupied by towels and belongings, but no people until mid afternoon! It is also an understandable but frustrating policy that to enter the hotel lobby, we mustn't be in swimwear. But to access our rooms, we have to pass through the lobby. So at the end of a hot day at the pool, instead of schlepping our damp selves and belongings back to our room, we had to ensure we were dry enough to cover up and look respectable. Some alternative access points to the rooms would have made this slightly easier to navigate.||The pool staff are nevertheless brilliant - Ramesh in particular friendly, helpful, and going over and above to help, as do the lifeguards, and Sandra.||George on concierge was an absolute delight, despite being a Spurs fan (joke) and was so helpful and engaging, and a real credit to the hotel.||The rooms were comfortable and largely sound proof which is always a relief, especially considering the hotels location on the edges of ''Paceville' which is a revolting area strewn with the remnants of the previous nights partying. One day when exiting the gates of the hotel, we had to jump over a huge pile of vomit, steaming in the sun. Not the experience any of us were wanting but testament to the unfortunate location of the hotel. That said, once inside the Westin, it was pure bliss from beginning to end, especially its location right on the coast. ||The access to the sea is challenging for the most part, but the little beach area was nice, albeit the beds grubby with the 'sand' (dirt) at the shore. But it was a special spot, with the kids enjoying being able to wade out into the wider bay and enjoy the sea.||We already miss the delights of the Westin Dragonara, and will consider it for future holidays, not least because of the incredible staff that make...

Family of four holiday. M41 F41 S11 D9. Two queen bed sea view room (650). August 2025.

We just returned from a great stay at the Westin Dragonara Resort. The hotel is very lovely, but it really is the staff that make it a fantastic place. George the Concierge was incredibly friendly and was generous with his wisdom, our holiday was made immeasurably better for his input and we are all very grateful to him, he truly is a hotel asset and whatever he's earning, he deserves a raise. Roshan and Jeremy in the restaurant were also fantastic at looking after us and making us feel very welcome, I honestly felt like I made two new friends that week.

Pros. The staff are amazing and make you feel valued. From domestics who will hide the children's cuddly toys in different places every day to others who remember your name. The Sous Chef was great fun and gave good advice on what was good to eat. The hotel and facilities are great. I would especially recommend the second pool which is a little further away as it is deeper and slightly less busy. The indoor pool was also lovely, but inexplicably the internet said it was going to close mid week and it didn't... The food is very good and reasonably priced compared to local restaurants. Even the mini bar prices were not crazy. Lots of good local restaurants offering a variety of cuisines from Traditional Maltese and Italian to further afield. Easy walkable access to some good local supermarkets too. The views from our room and all round the hotel were fantastic. Our room was super quiet, provided welcome relief from the very hot weather, and we slept very well throughout.

Cons. The location isn't fantastic. If you want to stay in the hotel and relax then you're fine, but if you want to see something new every day, the transport costs creep up on you. Cheapest way to get to Valletta is bus, but for a family of four that's E10 each way and takes a good 45 minutes depending on traffic and the bus is always rammed. Taxi is much quicker and more comfortable, but cost about E17 each way. The local area feels a bit sketchy, but I never felt anything but pure luxury and safety inside the hotel grounds. We did hire a car one day. It cost E135+E17(fuel) and we got a 1L Skoda Fabia which struggled with hills and felt a little unsafe. The rental company dropped it off and picked it up and it was super convenient but for that kind of money, I'd have expected something nicer and more reliable. For the same money, I could have rented a car for a week from the airport. Also, if you are renting a car, the one way system and traffic around the hotel is a nightmare. I missed a turn one time and it took me 25 minutes to correct my mistake. There wasn't a light switch by the bed to turn off all the lights in the room, so you had to turn off everything at the door and stumble back to bed in the dark. The welcome by reception was very cold. We got lost on the way to our room the first time. We didn't know anything about anything, they just gave us a QR code to a website which was out of date and only semi worked. I feared it would be the start of a problem, but actually, it was the only negative interaction we had.

I would definitely return and have no problem recommending the hotel to friends. If I went back, I would probably rent a car from the airport and not be put off by the parking charges.

I would probably book half/full board instead of just breakfast as the hotel restaurants are really very excellent.

We didn't use the kids club, as it was E6 an hour each and it didn't look like it catered for kids aged 9...