Where to Stay in Malta? Our Hotel Tips & Recommendations

The Best Regions to Stay in Malta

Along the northeast coast you’ll find the best places to stay in Malta. Here you have the sea right on your doorstep, you’re still surrounded by city life, and you also have the option to take day trips to other parts of the island.

Our Recommendations for Your Malta Vacation

• Sliema: For first-time visitors – perfect mix of sea, sightseeing, activities, and restaurants
• Valletta: For luxury lovers – historic capital city with 5-star hotels, boutiques, and cafés
• Mellieħa: For sandy beach fans – Malta’s most popular seaside resort with a village feel
• San Ġiljan: For young people – modern town with a lively party strip
• San Pawl il-Baħar: For sports enthusiasts & families with kids – bay area with a variety of leisure activities
• Gozo: For adventurers – small neighboring island with great excursion options

The Best Vacation Regions in Malta on the Map

Malta is a small island group in the Mediterranean between Sicily and the northern coast of Africa. The island nation consists of three islands: Malta, Comino, and Gozo.

We’ve marked the regions on the map below where you can best stay and vacation in Malta.

Let’s walk you through each of these areas in detail — including some seriously great hotel picks for every type of traveler:

Where to Stay in Sliema

Sliema sits on the east coast of Malta and is a classic, lovely resort town — and one of the most beautiful places in Malta.

You’ll find affordable, genuinely great hotels here, a long promenade, shopping options, a supermarket, and loads of fantastic restaurants and cafés — all just as good and affordable as the accommodation. Honestly, it’s hard to beat.

There’s no sandy beach. Instead, Sliema has a really beautiful rocky coastline — known as Tigné Beach — where you can swim and sunbathe. We actually found it surprisingly comfortable with a towel laid out on the rocks. Not what we expected at all.

If you want to explore beyond Sliema, boat tours depart right from here. There’s also a direct ferry connection to Valletta — the crossing takes under five minutes and costs just €1.50 per person.

Advantages of staying in Sliema

• Affordable, good hotels
• Promenade and rocky beach right on your doorstep
• Great restaurants, bars, and cafés
• Direct connection to Valletta and back
• Starting point for many excursions and boat tours

Disadvantages of staying in Sliema

• Very touristy, but it spreads out

Our Hotel Picks for Sliema

Where to Stay in Valletta

Valletta is the capital of Malta and sits on the east coast of the island — right next to Sliema, separated by a beautiful Mediterranean bay.

Unlike Sliema, Valletta is a pricier place to stay in Malta. It’s hard to find anything under €100 per night. But there are good reasons for that.

Valletta isn’t just the island’s capital — it’s steeped in history and genuinely stunning. To put it simply: the place to be in Malta.

Expect historic alleyways, grand buildings, staircases everywhere, sea views from almost every direction, great shopping streets, and lovely cafés perfect for escaping the midday heat that builds up in the city during summer.

Among the top highlights in Valletta are Fort St. Elmo, beautiful churches, and the Barrakka Gardens. And of course you can hop on the ferry from here for a quick trip over to Sliema.

Advantages of staying in Valletta

• You’re always right in the middle of the action
• A great mix of city and sea
• Varied leisure options and standout sights
• Great restaurants and cafés
• You can swim in St. Elmo Bay

Disadvantages of staying in Valletta

• Accommodation is more expensive here
• Valletta can get very crowded
• The city center gets really hot in summer — the sea breeze doesn’t reach this far

Our Hotel Picks for Valletta

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Where to Stay in Mellieħa

Mellieħa covers the northern coast of Malta and a small town in this region.

It’s more rural and quieter than the east coast — think rolling valley landscapes, more greenery, and a real sandy beach: Mellieħa Bay.

The beach even holds “Blue Flag” certification for its excellent water quality. Beach days here are so lovely that locals also love to vacation in Mellieħa.

You can also find beach hotels at really affordable prices here. In the off-season, you’ll sometimes pay as little as around €50 per night.

And if you want more than just sun and sand, the neighboring island of Gozo is easy to reach by ferry from Mellieħa. Boats run 24/7 every 30 to 45 minutes between Ċirkewwa and Gozo. The trip costs €5 per person.

For kids, Mellieħa is home to the super fun Popeye Village — a colorful movie set by the sea that’s been transformed into a kind of theme park. Definitely one of the coolest attractions in Malta.

Advantages of staying in Mellieħa

• Quieter, more relaxed area
• Real sandy beach with great water quality
• Affordable, good beach hotels
• Daily ferry connection to Gozo

Disadvantages of staying in Mellieħa

• A bit further from the main sights

Our Hotel Picks for Mellieħa

Where to Stay in San Ġiljan

San Ġiljan — also known as St. Julian’s — is a town on the northeast coast of Malta.

It’s especially great for younger travelers. You’ll find plenty of bars and clubs, the casino inside the massive Portomaso Tower, the famous Paceville party strip, and loads of cool activities in Malta.

For swimming, head to St. George’s Bay — a small sandy beach with clear water. Fair warning: in summer, this beach gets seriously packed.

San Ġiljan is a busy town in general. It has the largest selection of hotels in Malta, including half of all the island’s 5-star properties. It’s really only the right choice if you love a lively, energetic atmosphere.

Advantages of staying in San Ġiljan

• Huge selection of hotels
• Lots of great nightlife options
• Small sandy beach with beautiful water
• Perfect for party-goers and young travelers
• Great base for trips around the island

Disadvantages of staying in San Ġiljan

• Often very crowded
• Hotels near the party strip won’t give you much peace and quiet

Our Hotel Picks for San Ġiljan

Where to Stay in San Pawl il-Baħar

San Pawl il-Baħar — also known as St. Paul’s Bay — sits on the northern coast of Malta, between San Ġiljan and Mellieħa.

It encompasses the three lovely seaside resorts of Bugibba, Qawra, and Xemxija, and is a fantastic spot in Malta for families with kids and sports enthusiasts.

Alongside a variety of beaches and bays for swimming and sunbathing, there are diving schools and water sports clubs offering sailing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and parasailing.

You can also join boat tours along the coast departing right from San Pawl il-Baħar.

A real highlight for kids — and a great escape from the sun — is the Malta National Aquarium, home to a wide variety of marine creatures.

Most of the accommodation here consists of well-priced resort hotels and comfortable apartments for two or more people — all at very reasonable rates.

Advantages of staying in San Pawl il-Baħar

• Hotels at fair prices
• Some great family-friendly accommodation options
• Several beaches and bays to choose from
• Lots of leisure activities
• Good base for day trips

Disadvantages of staying in San Pawl il-Baħar

• Can get a bit busy if you’re after peace and quiet

Our Hotel Picks for San Pawl il-Baħar

Where to Stay on Gozo

Gozo is one of the two smaller islands north of Malta. At less than five miles wide, it’s often called Malta’s little sister — and it has a very different feel.

Gozo is picturesque and wonderfully unspoiled. Think secluded rocky coves, dramatic cliffs, stone landscapes, salt pans, and traditional Mediterranean farmhouses.

The capital, Victoria, is absolutely worth a visit. But the fishing village of Marsalforn and the town of Xlendi are also really lovely spots on the island.

Beyond the towns, Gozo offers plenty of opportunities for hiking and swimming, plus easy day trips to Comino or back to the main island of Malta.

Our insider tip: Hondoq ir-Rummien is a relatively under-the-radar sandy beach on Gozo. Not many tourists make it out here — which is exactly why we love it.
Getting to Gozo is straightforward. From the port of Ċirkewwa in northern Malta, a ferry will take you across with or without a car. The ferry runs 24/7, and the crossing takes about 45 minutes.

You can get there by rental car or take an Uber to the ferry and onward to your hotel on Gozo. Uber is seriously cheap in Malta, which makes it super convenient for getting around.

Advantages of staying on Gozo

• Very peaceful and quiet
• Unspoiled nature
• Plenty of beautiful day trip destinations
• Great hiking trails
• Accommodation is small-scale but very affordable

Disadvantages of staying on Gozo

• No luxury hotels
• You’re off the beaten path
• You’ll need Uber or a rental car to get around
• Gozo doesn’t have its own airport

Our Hotel Picks for Gozo