State Rooms and Armoury

For the last three years the Malta Union of Tourist Guides has been striving to raise the awareness of relevant authorities to the appalling conditions that prevail at the State Rooms and Armoury in Valletta. Tour visits are a nightmare. The problems have now got worse.

I would like to invite anyone who cares about the tourist experience that is on offer to visit the Palace when a cruise liner visits Malta or better still when there are three in port.

On various occasions we have highlighted the fact that something needs to be done urgently with regard to accessibility to the State Rooms. Nothing has been done.

Someone however had the million dollar idea of introducing a souvenir shop in the corridor leading to the famous staircase. Which means that if people stop to shop, the passage is blocked. Hundreds of tourists pass through this corridor as they go in and out of the Palace.

Moreover, a big round of applause should go to the grandmaster who designed the restrooms at the Palace. One toilet for men, one for women and one for disabled people, with no toilet paper or bins provided. Can the designer kindly inform us how wheelchair-bound guests can get to the toilet if there are stairs from both ends?

By the way, the rest rooms are situated in the same corridor as the souvenir shop so if there is a queue the problem is aggravated. The corridor also accommodates the Grand Master's Carriage.

We tourist guides suggest that potential observers of this farce grab a suit of armour from the armoury before placing themselves in a strategic position.