Hotel standards

Sadly I must agree with Frank Franklyn about hotel standards (The Sunday Times, March 30). I have been coming to Malta for over 20 years and have found some really awful places.

I would say that you should always remove one star from the stated star rating of most hotels in Malta.

For a number of years I have stayed at a nominally four-star hotel at the Strand, Sliema. The last time I stayed there, in 2007, I discovered that the owners had sub-let it and the new management had ruined the hotel. A long-serving member of staff had already left and others were demoralised.

I spoke to the new manager who did not care for my comments and liked only the sound of his own voice. The conversation ended with him asking me when I was to visit the hotel in 2008, so that he could take his holiday!

I showed my room to some Maltese friends and they were appalled. The hotel had, in one season, gone so far downhill to be, in my estimation, a two-star establishment. The rooms had been in need of refurbishment for some years but the rates and the views were good. The new management removed the offers and, it seemed, reduced the catering budget to what was once an excellent restaurant.

My friends took me to see another four-star hotel just off the seafront. The experience started when you walked in. The service was unlike anything I have ever experienced in Malta before. I was very impressed. It is said that you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. This year I stayed there and was delighted.

The staff are all exceptional and the food is superb. I am returning to Malta for my friend's daughter's wedding in September and have booked to stay at this hotel again. I also hope to return next February. The price? It was cheaper than the other hotel.