I refer to the article ‘We need quality not numbers – hotel chief’ (The Sunday Times of Malta, December 14), which highlighted the need to attract a better quality of tourist to the island. My immediate reaction to the article was dream on – that’s going to take some doing.

While in Malta, I was informed that smoking still goes on in some clubs in Paceville. We actually noted restaurants in Sliema that had open fronts and tables close to the front that had smokers sitting at them, and smoke of course drifts. This is certainly not going to attract your upmarket tourist – or any tourist.

We recently returned from spending Christmas with my family in Malta, during which time we stayed at a hotel in Sliema which was supposed to be a three-star. In reality, it was a ‘no-star’ hotel. It had no gym, no restaurant, no bar and no tea or coffee in the room.

The decor and everything within the hotel was very tired and required urgent decorating and upgrading to bring it to present living standards.

The rooms were dark and the photos on the website were misleading. It still used blankets instead of duvets and the bath looked filthy. The toilet brush was also absolutely filthy. The water was literally brown and there was no heating in the bathroom.

Breakfast was served on the roof between 7.30am and 9.30am. We had the room below and were woken up each morning to the tune of scraping chairs and tables. The one time we had breakfast, we were told we had to pay each day before we went out of the hotel.

The sum total of hotel staff consisted of one receptionist on duty, who was helpful and friendly. This hotel is run on a very flimsy shoestring.

Multiply the above by God knows how many other establishments on the island and your chances of doing away with the ‘working class tourist’ fade away into the distance.