Pergola Hotel & Spa

You come here for a hotel that gives you choices rather than one fixed way of staying. Pergola combines guest rooms with self-catering apartments, so you can keep things simple with breakfast and a restaurant, or make use of a refrigerator and kettle when you prefer a quieter meal in your own space. Every room and apartment has a balcony, which gives you somewhere to sit with the day’s last bit of sea air rather than making the television do all the work.

The setting suits divers travelling alone, as a couple or with family. There is a spa, indoor and outdoor swimming, a games room and a children’s play area, while the village is close enough to provide a change of scene without turning dinner into an expedition. You also have air conditioning, free WiFi and room service when the sensible plan is to stay put.

Pergola sits on the sides of one of Mellieħa’s valleys, at Adenau Street in the north of Malta. The position brings views across the church, the village, the bay and the islands of Gozo and Comino. Mellieħa itself starts about 0.1 miles away, with shops, bars and restaurants close enough for an easy walk.

This is a hillside hotel rather than a property directly on the sand. Santa Maria Estate Beach is about 1 mile away on foot, Mellieħa Bay Beach about 1.1 miles, and Għadira Bay Beach about 1.4 miles. Ghadira Nature Reserve is around 1.7 miles away, while Malta National Aquarium is roughly 5 miles from the hotel.

For eating out, Da Ciccio Cucina is about 150 feet away, with Les Jardins Restaurant and Al Ponte Pizzeria and Restaurant around 500 feet away. The nearest airport is Malta International Airport, about 13 miles from the hotel by road.

The useful choice here is between a room and an apartment, not between twelve different names on a booking screen. Guest rooms and studios work for a straightforward stay, with twin beds in several options and a sofa bed in the studios. If you want more room to spread out, the one- and two-bedroom apartments are the practical step up for families or groups, with the largest option accommodating up to seven guests. Sea-view versions are available when the outlook matters as much as the bed.

Self-catering means you have a refrigerator and electric kettle to hand, which is handy for keeping water cold and making a proper cup of tea without negotiating the lounge. Balconies run across the room and apartment range. Air conditioning helps when Malta has made the day warm, while daily housekeeping, a wardrobe, towels, a shower and a hairdryer cover the less glamorous but entirely necessary parts of returning to base.

There are family rooms, lift access to upper floors and non-smoking rooms. Check the exact room plan carefully: the accommodation range includes compact twin rooms, studios and larger apartments, with the bathroom arrangement varying between options. That small piece of housekeeping can save you an unnecessary surprise when the only thing you want to do is shower and sit down.

You have two restaurants on site, both centred on Mediterranean dishes, plus a bar and a snack bar for the moments when a full meal feels like an overambitious project. Da Ciccio is the named restaurant associated with the hotel’s dining offer, and the surrounding village adds several more places within a few minutes’ walk if you want to eat elsewhere.

Breakfast comes as a buffet with Continental, Full English/Irish, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices. That gives you a useful spread before a morning out, whether you want something light or the full plate-and-coffee approach. Special diet menus are available on request, and children’s meals and a child-friendly buffet are also offered.

For the evening, the lounge bar brings live music and the hotel also has Cave Bar, a cliff-style bar beside the infinity pool. There is live entertainment, a coffee house, wine and champagne, and room service when you would rather keep the balcony and skip the hunt for a table.

The indoor and outdoor pools give you an easy way to spend a non-diving afternoon without leaving the hotel. The indoor pool is heated, while the infinity pool sits beside Cave Bar, so the route from water to drink is pleasingly short. Sun loungers, beach chairs, umbrellas, a sun terrace and outdoor furniture complete the arrangement.

The spa is Nataraya Day Spa & Wellness, with massage, spa facilities, a relaxation area, sauna, hot tub and a range of body and beauty treatments. Couples’ massages are available, along with back, neck, foot, head, hand and full-body massage. If your idea of recovery involves something more energetic, the hotel also has a fitness centre.

Away from the pools and spa, you can use the games room, indoor play area and shared lounge. Walking tours, cycling, hiking, horse riding and windsurfing are available around the area, while the hotel’s activity list also includes snorkelling and boat excursions. Evening entertainment, live performances and selected themed dinners give you something to do when the day is not ready to end at six o’clock.

Malta International Airport is about 13 miles away by road. An airport shuttle and a further shuttle service are available through the hotel, and car hire can be arranged. Private parking is available on site, with the parking garage requiring reservation. A 24-hour front desk, luggage storage, currency exchange and an ATM make the practical edges of arrival and departure less fiddly.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to midnight and check-out is by 11:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and the hotel asks you to provide your expected arrival time. The minimum check-in age is 18. Children of any age are welcome, with cots and extra beds available on request depending on the accommodation selected.

Free WiFi covers the hotel, and upper floors are accessible by lift. Room service, daily housekeeping, laundry, ironing and dry-cleaning services are available for the jobs that tend to become strangely urgent after several days in swimwear. Cash is accepted for payment.