Doonhamer32
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Coastline Hotel, Salina Bay, MaltaThe Coastline sits back from the coast road, just short of Qawra, overlooking Salina Bay, with views across the bay to Qawra (if you can, get a sea view room, it’s well worth it). Initial impressions of the hotel are very favourable, with an imposing frontage, and a double height atrium in the reception/lounge area. Check in was quick & efficient, as was renting a safe deposit box (in a separate room, behind reception) and the TV remote (standard practice in Malta, don’t ask me why).
The main dining room, and the main bar, are on the first floor, with views across the bay. Very nice. The a la carte restaurant (La Costa) is downstairs towards the pool access, and the pool bar.
The room was quite large, with plenty of room for 2 adults and a teenager, and lots of storage space, and the third bed was a “proper” bed, not the camp bed type you usually get in most hotels. Air conditioning is controlled from the room, and is available 24/7, or as long as your keycard is in the slot.
Meals: Breakfast is the usual mix of bacon, eggs, sausage, beans, etc., cold meat & cheese, fruit, cereals, bread & rolls, tea, coffee, & fruit juices. There is a chef on duty who will cook omelettes to order, and very nice they are too.
Lunch can be taken either in La Costa restaurant or the pool/snack bar (they share a daytime menu) and consists of chips, burgers, pizza, hot dogs, chicken nuggets and sandwiches/toasties. Lunch can also be taken in the main (Masterdeck) restaurant, which offers soup, salads, pasta, fish, 2 meat dishes, and vegetables, as well as ice cream and a choice of gateaux. Order your drinks from the waiter.
Dinner is taken in the Masterdeck restaurant, and is an expanded version of lunch. The menu is posted outside the restaurant from breakfast time, so you can see what’s on offer before you go in. The food quality generally is excellent, although we did find some of the sauces to be not quite to our taste – a lot of people seemed to like them though.
My wife is diabetic, and having been advised by reception to speak to the head waiter, we did so; he could not have been more helpful. Every night he (or his replacement) would seek us out and make sure my wife had all she needed, including getting the chef to prepare fresh fruit desserts for her, explaining the ingredients if the dishes to her, and so on.
The pool is a good size, and the sun bed area is adequate; we are not part of the “get down early” brigade, but we never had much of a problem getting sun beds when we wanted them (usually after 10). The pool deck doubles as the entertainment area, with waiter service from the pool bar. We watched a few of the shows, and passed on others; personally, we found it a bit “samey”, but most people were there every night, and patently enjoying themselves.
In common with most all-inclusives, certain items, like branded drinks, & the a la carte restaurant were not included in the AI package. However, AI guests paid just 50% of the menu price for any food or drink not included in the package, which we felt was very fair.
The staff were, without exception, the friendliest, most helpful staff I have ever encountered, and they are a credit to the hotel, and helped make our holiday an excellent one.
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Carol
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That is brilliant that they looked after your wifes diabetic needs.
Great that the staff were friendly as well
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Doonhamer32
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Carol, the restaurant manager said his dad is diabetic, so he was very understanding, including helping me out one night, after the restaurant was closed, when we realised my wife had nothing to eat for when she took her insulin at bedtime. "No problem," he says, "sandwich, bicuits & cheese, or something more substantial?" Now THAT'S service!
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GoldenChippie
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ooooooo ive seen this hotel before and nearly booked it last year
great to read your report Doonhammer
what did you think to Malta? - its been 30 years since ive been!!!!
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Doonhamer32
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Gail, it had been 10 years since we'd been, & everyone kept saying "you'll see lots of changes, then" and we did up to a point, although overall, things looked pretty much the same. The people are, if anything, friendlier, and some of the busses have been modernised; the villages are still running into one another, and there is still a fair bit of building work, but if you liked it before, you'll love it now.
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