Riviera Spa Resort - Adults Only

We have just returned from a week at this hotel and had the best time. The location, while quite remote, is perfect looking onto the sea and the island of Gozo. There is a bus stop with a very regular service just round the corner which allows you to travel all over the Malta for €2.50 and Bolt are very prevalent if you don’t fancy the bus with decent pricing. The hotel itself is lovely although could probably do with a lick of paint here and there, the pool lining does need replacing and we did have a rather unpleasant intermittent smell in our room which we did let reception know of on a few occasions and they did very quickly send facilities/housekeeping staff to check, although it was never really resolved. We kind of just learned to live with it! Despite this, I still gave a 5 star review because none of the above spoiled our holiday in any way. The staff are all incredible. Kind, friendly and couldn’t do enough for you. We arrived on my husband’s birthday and they left chocolates and a towel swan in our room. The public areas are all very pleasant. The pool area had plenty of sunbeds and none of the usual nonsense of folk putting their towels out at the crack of dawn. The rooms were nice and the bed incredibly comfortable. The breakfast was amazing and every evening meal we had whether the buffet or one of the other restaurants was delicious. It always felt like returning to our peaceful haven after a busy day sightseeing. This was our first visit to Malta and will definitely not be our last. When we return we will happily stay at the Riviera again.

Quick check-in by two delightful receptionists having arrived before 15.00 with a very refreshing drink then given our all inclusive bands to enjoy lunch and a few drinks before room allocation. Room was all that was required, very comfortable with a view of the sea. Pillows rather hard for our personal preference, pillow menu might have been nice. Only disappointed in room was my wife found the hairdryer rather old fashioned and very difficult to style her hair, something that didn’t bother me! The quality of the food was outstanding, breakfast was perfect although chicken sausages were not for our palates. Lunch was perfect. Dinner had some amazing dishes, hats off to the Chicken Madras and the exceptional Lebanese Stew what a dish! As a dessert expert what can be said I was in cake heaven. Wonderful staff from reception, restaurant and lobby bar especially those who knew whether it was coffee or more importantly wine or gin o’clock time. The entertainment was not to our taste, and due to our old bones the yoga, pilates and walking excursion were out of our remit. The only niggle was the reserving of tables for large parties in the restaurant not at breakfast or lunch, dinner was the worst on two occasions we were told to return in twenty-five minutes and also we could dine at 18.00 been in many similar resorts where this didn’t happen.

Security at entrance to Hotel is reassuring, they are there for a reason to stop non guests trying to enter Hotel. One thing we didn’t like while sitting at outside lobby bar were the toilets which non guests could use on many occasions groups sat down waiting for this facility or transfers from ferry port and we struggled to get a seat.

Thanks to Eunice on day we left who helped regarding our private transfer via Jet2. Terrible issues both ways but that’s something we need to address with Jet2 no reflection at all on Hotel.

Overall a wonderful holiday and thanks to all who made it so.