Arun K
Google
Mdina is quite special and this palazzo is undeniably historic, but as a hotel it feels underinvested and ill equipped. Room 14 should carry a health warning, excessively noisy, tired, dated and musty. The clincher is that the room above has a hot tub on its terrace directly over the bed area in Room 14. When the upstairs guests ran it until 11.30pm on our second night, the droning was like an idling car engine above our heads.
We called reception. The only feedback we received came after I dressed and went downstairs to report the noise was still going, at which point I was told, “We phoned them, they said they would keep quiet”. There was no follow up, no knock on the door, no solution.
The next day I spoke to the manager about leaving early, only after I said I would sue were we allowed to depart without penalty.
Beyond the racket, the room was stale and what I would call 'genteelly shabby', and corridor noise carried. The building deserves conservation, what it really needs is serious investment to make it function better as a hotel. It is also rated five star, which is astonishing on this showing, I have lopped off stars in this review accordingly.
And here is the jaw dropper, it flies the Relais & Châteaux flag. I have long trusted that badge, but this stay makes me question how rigorously the portfolio is policed. Beautiful town, beautiful shell, but as a hotel, a profound disappointment. We will not be back.