Where to Stay in Malta: Valletta, Sliema, St Julian's or Gozo

Malta is 27 kilometres long, and you can drive it end to end in about an hour. That tempts people into thinking the base does not matter. It does, because the buses are slow, the sandy beaches are in the far north and Valletta is an hour's bus ride away from them.

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Charlie and Kristina, who founded MapTrotting, lived in Malta for more than two years. This guide leans on what they learned there: the Sunday bus to Marsaxlokk, the Sliema rock pools they send visitors to, the Gozo villages they escaped to when the main island got too loud. People who live somewhere do not sleep in its hotels, so nobody here has stayed in the places listed below. We chose each one for its location and its guest ratings, and checked both in October 2026.

The short version: without a car, stay in Sliema or Valletta and use the harbour ferries. For a beach holiday, stay in Mellieħa. With a week or more, give Gozo two or three nights of its own.

The Short Answer

A note on the picks: we have not stayed in these hotels. Ratings are Booking.com guest scores. Prices are the cheapest room for two adults for one midweek night, in November 2026 unless another month is given. Both were checked on 13 October 2026.

How Malta Is Laid Out

Valletta sits on a narrow peninsula between two harbours. Across Marsamxett Harbour to the north-west are Sliema and Gżira, which run on into St Julian's and Paceville: one continuous town of apartment blocks, hotels and seafront promenade. Across the Grand Harbour to the south-east are the Three Cities. Inland, Mdina and Rabat sit on a ridge in the middle of the island. The sandy beaches are in the north, around Mellieħa and Golden Bay, and the Gozo ferry leaves from Ċirkewwa at the northern tip.

The airport (MLA) is in the south, about eight kilometres from Valletta. Airport Direct buses run to Valletta (TD4), to Sliema and St Julian's (TD2 and TD3) and to Rabat, Buġibba, Mellieħa and Ċirkewwa (TD1) for €3 a ride. Allow about half an hour to Valletta and an hour or more to the north.

The constraint most people miss is the bus network. It is cheap (€2 a ride in winter, €2.50 in summer, or €25 for a seven-day Explore card) and it reaches almost everywhere, but most routes start at the Valletta terminus and stop constantly. Kristina's warning after two years on the island: winding roads and frequent stops can turn a journey of six miles into an hour. The ferries are the exception. Sliema to Valletta takes about five minutes, and another boat links Valletta with the Three Cities.

A hire car fixes the north, the south coast and Gozo, and makes Valletta and Sliema harder: parking is scarce, and Malta drives on the left. For a week, either take one base on the harbour and day-trip by bus and boat, or split the stay: four nights around Valletta, three in the north or on Gozo.

Valletta and Floriana — Everything on Foot, Calm After Dark

The capital is a grid of streets on a peninsula barely a kilometre long, built by the Knights of St John and listed by UNESCO. Stay inside the walls and St John's Co-Cathedral, the Upper Barrakka Gardens and Fort St Elmo are all a walk from your door: our free self-guided walking tour of Valletta strings 23 stops into three or four hours. The bus terminus at City Gate serves the whole island, and ferries leave from both sides of the peninsula.

What you give up: there is no beach, the streets are steep and stepped, and most hotels are small conversions of old town houses, so rooms cost more than across the water. Valletta fills with day visitors and cruise passengers until late afternoon and is calmer in the evening than Sliema or St Julian's. If that is what you want, it is the best address in Malta. If you come in October, Kristina's tip is Notte Bianca, the night Valletta's museums open for free.

Floriana, just outside City Gate, has the two large hotels with gardens and pools.

Best for: first-time visitors on a short stay, history, travellers without a car.

Pros

• The whole capital on foot
• The island's bus terminus and both harbour ferries
• Restaurants, bars and evening walks on the bastions

Cons

• No beach
• Steps, hills and very little parking
• Higher room rates than Sliema

Getting around: the TD4 airport bus ends here; Sliema is about five minutes away by ferry; the Three Cities ferry leaves from Lascaris, below the Upper Barrakka lift; Mdina is 30 to 45 minutes away by bus, Mellieħa about an hour.

Where to stay in Valletta and Floriana

• Guesthouse — Valletta Lucente Guest House — small guesthouse with a lift and a terrace on St Lucia's Street, rated 8.7 from more than 600 reviews. Doubles with breakfast from about €150 a night.
• Mid-range — Osborne Hotel — on South Street, five minutes' walk from St John's Co-Cathedral, with a rooftop pool. Rated 8.9 from more than 3,600 reviews, from about €165 a night in November and €250 in April.
• Boutique — La Falconeria Hotel — on Melita Street in the middle of the grid, rated 9.1 from more than 1,600 reviews, from about €185 with breakfast.
• Rooftop pool — The Embassy Valletta Hotel — on Strait Street, with a rooftop pool and a spa, rated 9.0 from more than 1,700 reviews, from about €205 in November and €270 in April.
• Splurge — The Phoenicia Malta — the grand hotel at City Gate, in Floriana, with seven acres of gardens and two pools. Rated 9.3, from about €405 in November and €650 in April.
• Families — Grand Hotel Excelsior — five-star resort below the bastions on the Marsamxett side, with indoor and outdoor pools and family rooms. Rated 8.5 from more than 4,600 reviews, from about €185.

Compare all hotels in Valletta on Booking.com

Sliema and Gżira — The Easiest Base Without a Car

Sliema is where most visitors end up, and for a first trip without a car it is the sensible choice. The Valletta ferry leaves from the Strand every half hour and takes about five minutes; harbour cruises and boat trips to Comino leave from the same quay; and the promenade follows the rocks all the way to St Julian's. There is no sand. People swim from the flat rocks and the pools along them: Kristina's tip is the stretch behind the Surfside restaurant.

It is also a real town, with supermarkets, the shopping centre at Tigné Point and restaurants on every block. The price is traffic, building sites and apartment blocks. Gżira, the next stretch of the Strand facing Manoel Island, is a little cheaper and just as well connected.

Best for: first-time visitors, travellers without a car, longer stays.

Pros

• Valletta in five minutes by ferry
• The widest choice of hotels, apartments and restaurants
• Boat trips and many bus routes from the Strand

Cons

• No sandy beach
• Busy, built-up and noisy in places
• Slow buses at rush hour

Getting around: Valletta is five minutes away by ferry or 20 to 30 by bus; St Julian's is 30 to 40 minutes on foot along the promenade; the TD3 airport bus stops in Gżira and Sliema; the Gozo ferry is over an hour away by bus 222.

Where to stay in Sliema and Gżira

• Budget — Two Pillows Boutique Hostel — 200 metres from the Valletta ferry, with dorm beds from about €19 and private rooms. Rated 8.8 from more than 2,200 reviews.
• Mid-range — Courtyard by Marriott Sliema — 100 metres from the seafront, with an indoor pool and a rooftop pool in summer. Rated 9.3 from more than 3,000 reviews, from about €100.
• On the promenade — Verdi Gżira Promenade — on the Strand facing Manoel Island, with two pools. Rated 9.0 from more than 3,500 reviews, from about €130 in November and €205 in August.
• Facing Valletta — Barceló Fortina Malta — five-star on the Tigné seafront, looking across the harbour at the capital. Rated 8.6, from about €115.

Compare all hotels in Sliema on Booking.com

St Julian's and Paceville — Restaurants, Resorts and Late Nights

St Julian's starts where Sliema's promenade ends, at Balluta Bay, and wraps around Spinola Bay, a small harbour of fishing boats ringed with restaurants. Kristina ate her way round both when she lived here: U Bistrot facing Balluta Bay and KuYa for Thai and Japanese were two of her favourites. Check they are still open before you plan an evening around them.

Beyond Spinola the headland belongs to the five-star resorts, and behind them is Paceville, a few blocks of clubs and bars that run until morning. St George's Bay has a small sandy beach. Choose St Julian's for restaurants, resort pools and nights out, and avoid a room near Paceville if you sleep lightly.

Best for: nightlife, eating out, resort hotels with pools.

Pros

• The island's densest choice of restaurants and bars
• Large resort hotels with pools and sea access
• A small sandy beach at St George's Bay

Cons

• Noisy at night around Paceville
• Traffic, and slow buses to Valletta
• Little that feels Maltese

Getting around: the Sliema ferry is 30 to 40 minutes away on foot or 10 to 15 by bus; Valletta is 30 to 45 minutes away by bus; the TD2 and TD3 airport buses stop here.

Where to stay in St Julian's

• Mid-range — Mercure St. Julian's Malta — rooftop pool, family rooms and free parking. Rated 8.9 from more than 2,800 reviews, from about €70 in November, €150 in April and €220 in August.
• Boutique — Hotel Juliani — a town house on the Spinola Bay seafront with a rooftop pool. Rated 9.3 from 1,200 reviews, from about €160 in November and €210 in August.
• By the beach — Hyatt Regency Malta — at St George's Bay, with a rooftop pool and an indoor one. Rated 9.1 from more than 3,100 reviews, from about €120 in November, €170 in April and €260 in August.
• Family resort — The Westin Dragonara Resort — on its own headland, with two private beach areas and several pools. Rated 9.1 from more than 2,500 reviews, from about €160.

Compare all hotels in St Julian's on Booking.com

The Three Cities — Harbour Views Without the Crowds

Birgu (also called Vittoriosa), Senglea and Cospicua face Valletta across the Grand Harbour. Birgu was the Knights' first capital, and Kristina, who went back many times, counts it among the best places on the island: narrow streets, the Inquisitor's Palace, a marina under the walls of Fort St Angelo. In October, Birgufest lights the streets with candles.

A ferry crosses from Cospicua to Valletta's Lascaris landing, where a lift goes up to the Upper Barrakka Gardens. Evenings here are quiet, restaurants are few, and the hotels are few and small.

Best for: couples, second visits, harbour views.

Pros

• Valletta's skyline from your side of the harbour
• Quiet streets and few tour groups
• The ferry to Valletta

Cons

• Few hotels and restaurants
• No beach
• Slow by bus to anywhere but Valletta

Getting around: Valletta is about 10 minutes away by ferry; the airport is about 20 minutes away by taxi.

Where to stay in the Three Cities

• Boutique — BOCO Boutique Hotel — in Cospicua, five minutes' walk from the waterfront, some rooms with a balcony. Rated 9.4 from 700 reviews, from about €145.
• With a pool — Casa Birmula Boutique Hotel — in Cospicua, three minutes' walk from the ferry, with a year-round outdoor pool. Rated 9.3 from nearly 600 reviews, from about €125 with breakfast.
• Splurge — Cugó Gran Macina Malta — suites on the Senglea waterfront, rated 9.1, from about €305 with breakfast. Its pool was listed as temporarily closed when we checked.

Compare all places to stay in Birgu on Booking.com

Mellieħa and the North — Sandy Beaches and the Gozo Ferry

Malta's sandy beaches are in the north. Mellieħa Bay, also called Għadira, is the largest and stays shallow a long way out, which makes it the family choice. Golden Bay and Għajn Tuffieħa sit side by side on the west coast; Kristina prefers Għajn Tuffieħa, down a long flight of steps, and the cliff path above it at sunset. Popeye Village is a few minutes from Mellieħa, and the ferries to Gozo and Comino leave from Ċirkewwa and Marfa at the tip of the island. So does the sailing trip to the Blue Lagoon that Charlie and Kristina reviewed.

Mellieħa itself is a village on a ridge about a kilometre above its bay, so check whether a hotel is up in the village or down by the sand. The cost of the north is distance: Valletta is about an hour away by bus. Golden Bay is also the nearest beach base to the western end of the Victoria Lines, the 12-kilometre walk across the island.

Between the north and the harbour towns, St Paul's Bay, Buġibba and Qawra form Malta's main package-holiday strip: plainer and cheaper, with a long promenade, a rocky shore and good bus links. Kristina rates Qawra Point for snorkelling.

Best for: beach holidays, families, walkers, day trips to Gozo and Comino.

Pros

• The island's sandy beaches
• Gozo and Comino ferries 10 to 15 minutes away
• Cheaper resort hotels, especially outside summer

Cons

• About an hour from Valletta by bus
• Mellieħa village is a steep walk from its beach
• Very quiet in winter

Getting around: Ċirkewwa is 10 to 15 minutes from Mellieħa; Golden Bay is about 15 minutes away by car; Valletta is about an hour away by bus 41 or 42; the TD1 airport bus serves Mellieħa and Ċirkewwa.

Where to stay in Mellieħa and the north

• Budget — Solana Hotel & Spa — in Mellieħa village, rated 8.6 from more than 5,800 reviews, from about €60 in November, €95 in April and €190 in August.
• Mid-range — Maritim Antonine Hotel & Spa — in the village, about a kilometre above the bay, with three pools including one on the roof. Rated 9.0 from more than 4,500 reviews, from about €65 in November, €110 in April and €205 in August.
• On the sand — Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Malta Golden Sands — directly on Golden Bay, with a private stretch of beach and three pools. Rated 8.9 from more than 3,500 reviews, from about €110 with breakfast.
• St Paul's Bay — Gillieru Harbour Hotel — on the old fishing harbour of St Paul's Bay, with a seafront pool. Rated 7.9 from 1,300 reviews, from about €77.

Compare all hotels in Mellieħa · hotels near Golden Bay

Mdina, Rabat and the Centre — The Silent City After the Coaches Leave

Mdina, the old walled capital, receives coach parties all day and is almost empty by evening. Kristina's advice is to walk its dimly lit lanes after sunset, and sleeping nearby is the easy way to do it. Rabat, outside the gate, has St Paul's Catacombs, cafés and nearly all the beds.

The centre suits walkers and drivers. The Dingli Cliffs, where Charlie and Kristina took visiting friends and family at sunset, are ten minutes away; Mosta and its Rotunda are close to the middle of the Victoria Lines; Attard has the San Anton Gardens. There is no sea and little nightlife, and without a car you depend on buses to Valletta.

Best for: couples, walkers, a quiet second base.

Pros

• Mdina almost to yourself in the evening
• Central for Dingli, Mosta and the Victoria Lines
• Good-value guesthouses

Cons

• No sea
• Few evening buses
• Not many restaurants open late

Getting around: Valletta is 30 to 45 minutes away by bus; the airport is about 20 minutes away by car, and the TD1 airport bus stops in Rabat; Golden Bay is 20 minutes away by car, the Dingli Cliffs 10.

Where to stay in Mdina, Rabat and the centre

• Budget — Maleth Inn — guesthouse on Museum Road in Rabat, rooms with kitchenettes, five minutes' walk from Mdina. Rated 9.3 from more than 950 reviews, from about €58.
• By the gate — Point de Vue Guesthouse — on Saqqajja Square, 100 metres from Mdina's walls. Rated 8.4 from more than 1,300 reviews, from about €70 with breakfast.
• Adults only — 100 Boutique Living — guesthouse in Rabat with a pool and a hot tub. Rated 9.4 from 860 reviews, from about €93 with breakfast.
• Splurge — The Xara Palace Relais & Châteaux — a 17th-century palace on Mdina's bastions. Rated 9.6 from more than 400 reviews, from about €390. Its pool was listed as temporarily closed when we checked.
• Gardens and pools — Corinthia Palace Malta — five-star in Attard beside the San Anton Gardens, with two pools and a spa. Rated 9.0 from more than 1,000 reviews, from about €135 in November and €285 in April.

Compare all places to stay in Rabat and Mdina on Booking.com

Gozo — Farmhouses, Villages and Slow Days

Gozo is the smaller, greener island, about 25 minutes by ferry from Ċirkewwa. Charlie and Kristina went back again and again for the quiet, and their advice has not changed: give it at least three days, hire a car with some power for the hills, and consider a farmhouse instead of a hotel. Old stone houses with a pool and a barbecue are what Gozo does best, and the villages they suggest are Għarb and San Lawrenz, close to Dwejra Bay and the Ta' Pinu basilica.

Hotels are concentrated in Victoria, the capital under the Cittadella where the island's buses start, and in the two seaside villages: Marsalforn on the north coast and Xlendi in the south-west.

Best for: peace and quiet, walking and swimming, families who want a house with a pool.

Pros

• Quiet, even in summer
• Old farmhouses with pools and barbecues
• Small enough to see in three days

Cons

• A ferry away from everything on Malta
• You will want a car
• Few sandy beaches: Ramla is the main one

Getting around: the Ċirkewwa to Mġarr ferry takes about 25 minutes, and foot passengers pay €4.65, on the way back; a fast passenger ferry also runs from Valletta in about 45 minutes; from Victoria, Marsalforn and Xlendi are 10 minutes away by car.

Where to stay on Gozo

• Budget — Murella Living — bed and breakfast 100 metres from the sea in Marsalforn. Rated 9.1 from 1,100 reviews, from about €57.
• Victoria — The Duke Boutique Hotel — in the centre of the capital, next to Villa Rundle Gardens. Rated 9.4 from 770 reviews, from about €95 with breakfast in spring and €120 in August.
• With a pool — Cornucopia Hotel — in the village of Xagħra, with a garden pool. Rated 8.8 from nearly 800 reviews, from about €74 with breakfast.
• On the water — Hotel San Andrea — on the Xlendi promenade, a few metres from the sea. Rated 8.3 from 1,400 reviews, from about €71 with breakfast.
• Splurge — Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz — five-star resort in gardens on the edge of San Lawrenz, near Dwejra, with five pools and a kids' club. Rated 8.8 from 700 reviews, from about €150.

For a farmhouse, search the villages directly: places to stay in Għarb or in San Lawrenz.

Our guide to Gozo covers the Cittadella, the salt pans, Ta' Pinu and the beaches.

What It Costs, and When to Book

Malta's high season runs from June to September, with a peak in July and August. April, May and October are the shoulder months. November to March is cheap and quiet, and the best time for walking.

Resort hotels swing the most. The cheapest double at the Mercure in St Julian's was about €70 for a November night, €150 in April and €220 in August; at the Maritim Antonine in Mellieħa, €65, €110 and €205. Small hotels in Valletta move less and start higher: the Osborne was about €165 in November and €250 in April.

As a rough guide for two adults on a November weeknight, prices checked on 13 October 2026:

• Budget: €55–80 for guesthouses in Rabat and on Gozo, and for resort hotels in Mellieħa.
• Mid-range: €100–210 for four-star hotels in Sliema, St Julian's and Valletta.
• Splurge: €300–410 for The Phoenicia, The Xara Palace and the suites on the Senglea waterfront.

Since 1 July 2026 Malta also charges an environmental contribution of €1.50 per adult per night, capped at €22.50 a stay and added to the bill by your accommodation.

Book July, August and festa weekends well ahead, and Valletta early at any time of year, because its hotels are small. Families should check child policies: some small hotels, such as 100 Boutique Living in Rabat, are adults-only.

Where This Fits in the Trip

Kristina's one-week plan in our guide to Malta and Gozo gives two days to Valletta and the Three Cities, one to Mdina and Rabat, one to Marsaxlokk and the south coast, one to Gozo and two to beaches, cliffs and walking. From a harbour base, all of it works by bus and ferry.

For the days themselves: the free Valletta walking tour and its PDF map; Marsaxlokk's Sunday fish market; the Victoria Lines walk; and eleven things to do on Gozo.

Compare hotels in Malta on Trip.com

FAQ

What is the best area to stay in Malta for first-time visitors? Sliema. The Valletta ferry takes about five minutes, boat trips leave from the same quay and it has the widest choice of hotels. Choose Valletta itself for a short, history-first stay.

Is it better to stay in Valletta or Sliema? Valletta for atmosphere and museums on foot; Sliema for more hotels, lower prices, sea swimming and livelier evenings. They are five minutes apart by ferry, so the question is where you want to be at night.

Where should families stay in Malta? Mellieħa, for the island's largest sandy beach and resort hotels with pools. Check whether the hotel is up in the village or down by the bay.

Do I need a car in Malta? Not if you stay around the harbour: buses and ferries cover Valletta, Sliema, St Julian's and the Three Cities. A car helps for the north, the south coast and Gozo.

Where should I stay in Malta without a car? Sliema or Valletta. Both have ferries, and most bus routes on the island start at the Valletta terminus.

How many nights should I spend on Gozo? Charlie and Kristina, who lived in Malta, suggest at least three days: enough to see the island by car and still spend a day by the water.

Charlie and Kristina Stamp lived in Malta for more than two years; Pierrick Jean edits MapTrotting. Nobody at MapTrotting has stayed in the hotels listed. Ratings and prices were checked on Booking.com on 13 October 2026. More about how we write our guides.