A Quick Tour of Accessible Malta + A Reader Review

Malta is known for it’s beach holidays with 300 days of sun per year. So with winter coming on and following a reader’s review we’ve taken a closer look at it’s accessibility.

First off here’s the review from James, a follower of BBS, of the Radisson Blu, Golden Sands, Malta. He says,

“Very disabled friendly! Large hotel with a mixture of guests and timeshare customers. On several floors, it is wheelchair accessible inside and out, with 3 main lifts and a number of swimming pools outside. The bathroom in our suite, which included a very well appointed kitchen, was already fitted out for a disabled person and included grab rails. Everything was very high quality and well thought out. The spa had a wide range of treatments and the masseurs, that my wife and I used, were excellent by any standard. All the staff were very accommodating and helpful. Highly recommended. Cheap in comparison to London prices.”

We also asked the hotel if they had wet room bathrooms and they replied,

“our hotel is equipped with a few accessible rooms – with wet rooms in the bathrooms”.

The hotel overlooks the sandy beach of Golden Sands with it’s own private area. Not too accessible but there are landscaped gardens in and around the hotel.

We also researched Malta as a whole and due to the influx of luxury hotel brands and a concerted effort from the EU to make tourism accessible, there are a number of other hotels that need investigation (see below). There is also a growing club scene in Malta and the Gianpula Complex is a recommended place to be seen. As is the restaurant Barracuda an 18th century house on the waterfront in St. Julian’s. Not sure of the accessibility of either but will update when we know more.

The historic ancient capital city of Mdina is also worth a visit and the De Mondion restaurant in the Xara Palace Hotel is accessible and according to the Telegraph

“The food is intricate without being fussy, French with a local Mediterranean/Maltese angle. In summer, book one of the few tables on the narrow terrace with panoramic views across the island.”

A useful resource can be found on the Visit Malta website, it gives information on the airport and taxis amongst other things.

Here’s a quick round up of some more accessible hotels:

The db Seabank Hotel & Spa, Mellieha, has 9 accessible rooms and even has a video showing it’s accessibility – 2.5 BBS Ticks for them!!

Fortina Spa Resort, Sliema. Has 5 accessible rooms with wheel-in showers and grab rails. There is also a pool hoist. they get a provisional 2.5 BBS Ticks.

Soreda Hotel, Qawra a quieter part of Malta in St. Paul’s Bay. It boasts 2 accessible wet room bedrooms. A provisional 2 BBS Ticks.

Le Meridien, St Julian’s, have a wheel-in shower but there are no grab rails. Good access throughout the hotel and there’s also a pool with a hoist!. A provisional 2 BBS Ticks.

Westin Dragonara, St Julian’s. Has 14 Deluxe Rooms accessible for ‘physically challenged guests’. These rooms feature larger bathrooms with grab rails, and 4 of the rooms have wheel-in showers. They get a provisional 2.5 BBS Ticks.

The Xara Palace , Mdina, is set amongst the fortress walls of this historic city. It is accessible and has a room with a wet room but there are no grab rails. A Chateaux & Relais hotel that looks beautiful but with disappointing facilities. A provisional 2 BBS Ticks.

If anyone has been to any on the list do get in touch and tell us what you think.

In the meantime the Radisson Blu deserves a very good 2.5 BBS Ticks.