Porto Azzurro Resort Club Timeshare Release

Simply dreadful, location is away from everything up a steep hill, restaurant!, well as chefs we don’t expect miracles for the price paid BUT do not expect sour milk, toasters that do not work and lazy inefficient staff. Reception staff very helpful though.

Accommodation is appalling, Do not believe that every unit has a balcony or terrace THEY DO NOT or even a view, unless you like looking at building sites Outdoor pool OK apart from people being trailed around by timeshare reps who incidentally pester you all the time to buy into luxury (What a Joke) Indoor pool filthy and smelly.

Price was really cheap but for that price I have (Many years ago) stayed in better Youth Hostels. Summary, stay somewhere like the Topaz or Qawra Palace, better location, accommodation and food and facilities and roughly the same price. Porto Azzurro is truly awful.

We arrived on 21st April 2012 for 7 days and found the room to be adequate. The view wasn’t great and the decor dated but acceptable. The breakfast in the dark dingy restuarant was being run by 1 waitress and 2 kitchen staff, hence the buffet was disorganised and unfortunately the food on offer was poor. After 2 nights we were awoken by roadworks at 07.30 and the hotel very kindly offered to relocate us to a self catering apartment on the 6th floor with sea/country view, for an extra 25 euros even though the works were beyond their control. Trouble was the apartment was smaller than our room only one and the bathroom was even more shabby and smell of waste coming up through the drains. The auto air freshener, obviously installed to mask the odour wasn’t upto the job, so we put the plugs in the sink/bath shut the loo seat and spent most of our time out of the room. After 2 days we had to complain about the smell though and refused to pay the extra, which the manager accepted reluctantly.

The whole hotel is in need of a refit, something which they may be in the process of doing room by room in association with the hotel extension at the moment. Problems we had were…

Poor gym/jacuzzi with broken equipment
Lifts that were in desperate need of replacement (broke down several times and inspection plates had no dates on)
Hotel and pool furniture needs replacing
Pool bar not open
Pool was shabby and dirty
Hotel bar not open during the day
Breakfast food not worth paying for
Too few staff (I realise it was out of season but still not enough)
Room and hotel redecoration/refit required *

* The puzzling thing was that we stayed in 2 rooms and both were poor, however speaking to other guests and looking at other reviews on here some rooms were obviously luxurious? My only explanation is that this is due to the timeshare aspect of this hotel and we even saw rooms with luxury doors so I guess it’s pot luck!

This could be a fantastic hotel in a quiet resort just a short cheap bus ride (2.60 euros) from lively Bugibba or any of Malta’s treasures. Food and drink is cheap and we found the restaurants Porto del Sol (next to Porto Azzurro) and Ta Pawla both excellent with Fat Harry’s Pub worthwhile too (both in Bugibba).

I must state at the onset that this was not the hotel we booked.

The booking was made through Club Malta and was originally for the Seabank further around the coast. This is the first compalint that Club Malta, who are a timeshare company apparently selling time at the Porto Azurro allow people to pay for a stay in the Seabank with the understanding that they will be present at a presentation by Club Malta.

On arrival at the Seabank participants are informed that the booking has been cancelled, no explanation is given and participants are sent via taxi to the porto Azurro which does not compare to the 4 nSDtar Seabank in any way.

Although it is rated as a 3 star compared to the Seabank thestars have apparently been multiplied by three.

The food was cold on at least one occasion and when informed the waitress said” I can see it steaming so it must be hot” although she must have mentioned it to the chef as he took some away and warmed it. The food was either over or under cooked and as we were offered half board as part of the compensation for having to move hotel we were basically stuck with it.

From speaking to other guests it was ascertained that the rooms were not all cleaned correctly or regualrly and personal observation revealed that the indoor and outdoor bar/restaurant area had tables, chairs and ash trays all cleaned with the same cloth from the same water (apparently smoking is banned in public areas) this hotel does not seem to abide by this rule. I only hope that this review will help others who have been contacted by Club Malta will not fall for their underhand methods and keep away from the porto Azurro.

We booked a very cheap offer so didn’t expect much. The hotel is tired and dated. Pool area is pleasant. Forget the indoor pool and gym – they are either broken or so dirty you might catch something. The resort has nothing much to offer. My advice would be hire a car and see the island, it is very pretty. Do not miss a visit to Valletta and Mdina, both medieval towns with lots of character.