Aqualuna — Restaurant in Gżira

This is the worst pool club/lido I've ever visited. (I am speaking of peak summer, August, but they've had the same complaints forever!)

Access was free as part of our hotel stay. Have a read back through all the reviews spanning years. Note the owner Michael, did a series of copy and paste responses in June 2025. However, none of the problems, continuously raised in previews years, have been addressed.

At least 3 hotels provide free access and others can pay for a half or full day.. overpriced, and overcrowded. Almost all beds poolside are reserved when it opens at 10am. There are too many sunbeds squashed in. Upstairs is quieter. Discarded towels are left on beds.

The pool water is cloudy 24 hours a day, probably sunscreen? and the water is heavily chlorinated; no-one uses the showers as the beds are pushed right up against them. The techno/club music downstairs is loud. There is no lifeguard. Kids and adults jump in, use inflatables, throw balls. Glass is served at the tables around the pool, guests drink in the pool, and glasses and beer bottles are scattered at the edges of the pool. There was broken glass incidents every day which staff have to clean up as best they can. Guests sit in wet swimwear on the padded sofas despite signs saying that's not allowed.

The staff work very hard and long hours from opening till closing (12 or 1am) in various areas of the complex. Just sit downstairs at Happy Hour from 6pm and watch how they "clean"..buckets of pool water thrown everywhere then swept into what seems to be the filtration system. Beds removed and replaced with tables and chairs for the night. Upstairs is barely cleaned at all. Special mention of lovely staff members Mary Grace, Ahmed and Agi. Many others are abrupt and stressed; look unhappy. They are overworked and understaffed.

The pizza, burgers, fries and tiramisu are lovely, the chicken Caesar wrap is awful. Prices for food and drink are expensive and staff will not allow outside water/food (the only rule they seem bothered to enforce)

The manager of Punto restaurant said it is not his responsibility (he is a rude, arrogant guy who stands around a lot). None of the staff at the Front Desk, pool area or upper terraces have any authority and are afraid to offend the troublemaking guests. The Waterfront Hotel, where we stayed, said they are aware of the issues but...

I’ve been to this restaurant 3 or 4 times in the past and always enjoyed both the food and the beautiful location. Unfortunately, my last visit was deeply disappointing due to the unprofessional and frankly rude service.

After being seated, we ordered water and took a bit of time to decide what to eat. When we called the waiter over to place our order, he greeted us with a sarcastic, “Ready? FINALLY!” — setting a negative tone right from the start.

I was dining with a friend who is pregnant. When the server came to take our order, we asked if the mozzarella on the bruschetta was pasteurized—something quite important for pregnant women. The waiter clearly had no idea what we were asking, and after checking with his manager to consult the kitchen, we never received a response. Yet the bruschetta was served anyway, with no confirmation.

Later, my friend ordered a seafood pasta without mussels and clams, again due to her pregnancy. The server mockingly commented that it was like ordering a meat dish without meat—completely out of line and unprofessional. Thankfully, the chef understood the situation and fulfilled the request without any issue.

Placing the order felt like a struggle, with the waiter more focused on making sarcastic comments than actually listening to us (in fact, we ordered two Cokes but only received one). By the end of the meal, I decided not to leave a tip because I genuinely felt we hadn’t received service that deserved one. The waiter had the nerve to ask, “No tip?” and after I said no, he walked away without even saying goodbye.

To top it all off, another server was openly mocking the guests at the table in front of us. Around 9:00/9:30 p.m., the dining room got quite dark, and the guests were struggling to read the menu. Instead of helping respectfully, the server turned on his phone flashlight, held it over the guest’s head like a spotlight, and started laughing—calling over his colleagues to join in. Absolutely ridiculous and inappropriate.

It’s a real shame because the food is good, and the setting is lovely. But until they seriously reconsider the behavior and professionalism of their floor staff, I won’t...

The good: the infrastructure is very nice, with clean swimming pool and nice comfortable sunbeds. Showers are good too and bathrooms are clean.

The bad: they play loud techno music the whole time and the staff can be quite rude and slow to take orders. The "no diving policy" is not enforced by staff or parents, so you may wanna get a sunbed farther away from the water if you want to have a peaceful day or just keep your personal items dry.

The ugly: When asked if we could have a tab and pay at the end, the waiter told us it was not possible because he doesn't know us and we could leave without paying (whaaat??). Another waiter told my husband he HAD TO EITHER hold the umbrella at all times or close it because of the wind - which is absurd because you actually pay for a sunbed with an umbrella for shade. Finally, the website advertises the view as stunning but that could not be more wrong. Haha

Considering there are not many places in Malta where you can relax by the water while having the option to be under some shade in the super hot Maltese summer, one can give this place a chance. Just don't expect quality or...