The Tourism Authority has moved to investigate claims made by a Scottish tourist in a damning newspaper article describing her St Julian’s hotel as a “rundown homeless hostel”.

The Blue Sea St George’s Park Hotel was inspected on Tuesday morning and a report is being compiled, the MTA told the Times of Malta when contacted.

“The main objective of all our visits is to ensure that all visitors to the Maltese islands are treated in a proper way and in line with the service offer agreed,” MTA CEO Paul Bugeja told this newspaper.

His comments follow the publication of an article earlier this month in the Daily Record , Scotland’s second highest-circulation newspaper. The article was also put up online.

Headlined ‘Wish you were here? No Chance’, it recounts the experience of Yvonne Maguire at the Blue Sea St George’s Park Hotel.

She stayed at the hotel in October but the article was published this month, just as bookings for peak season start to pick up.

The report says: “She paid almost £1,400 for a fortnight’s all-inclusive with her partner at a three-star resort in Malta. But they got the holiday from hell.”

The 50-year-old describes the place as “disgusting, uninhabitable, like a rundown homeless hostel, filthy and falling apart”.

She paid almost £1,400 for a fortnight’s all-inclusive with her partner at a three star resort in Malta. But they got the holiday from hell

The article was accompanied by photos of their room, including what appears to be debris covering the sink.

The newspaper report.

Ms Maguire told the Scottish tabloid that when they complained about the first room they were given keys to three alternative rooms, however, these were even worse.

The couple was flown back after three days but when Ms Maguire contacted the travel company Thomas Cook, they referred her to the tour operator Belleair.

The tour operator told the Daily Record that despite finding the pair a superior three-star hotel at no extra charge, the offer was refused, so the couple was repatriated and Belleair absorbed the cost of the flights back.

When contacted, MTA CEO Paul Bugeja said the authority conducted inspections on all types of accommodation throughout the year.

It also immediately investigated complaints related to tourism operations that would normally lead to an inspection of the premises. Following the submission of a report, the operator is notified of any minor deficiencies and they are given a deadline to amend the irregularities.

However, in cases where notable deficiencies are identified, legal action is taken.

This could include an administrative fine, legal proceedings or an enforcement notice to either rectify the irregularity or stop operations accordingly.

This newspaper called the hotel three times and was passed on to different people, none of whom was a manager or a media relations officer, with the last receiver saying a manager would call back.

Other calls were cut short when the person on the other end of the line hung up.

Questions were also sent to Belleair but replies were not received by the time this newspaper went to print.