The 10 best beach hotels in Malta for 2025
While there may not be copious amounts of silky sand in Malta, these stellar beach hotels don’t let this stop guests from enjoying the warm Mediterranean waters
Konoly
Surprisingly for a Mediterranean island nation that’s long been known as a sun-and-sea holiday destination, Malta has only a handful of feet-in-sand beach hotels. Most of the island’s coastline is rocky – still great for swimming, snorkelling, and diving in some of the clearest waters in the Mediterranean, less good for buckets and spades. On the nation’s smaller island of Gozo, the best beaches are beautiful precisely because they are not yet developed. So when a hotel in Malta says it has a beach, it simply means a shoreline with access to the water.
If you care about being located on sand or stone, it is worth checking the hotel’s location before you book. There are three substantial sandy beaches on the main island of Malta – Golden Bay, Mellieha (or Ghadira) Bay and party beach, and St George’s Bay. These all have hotels close by, which can get crowded in summer. The water is warm enough to swim in from June to the end of October, so why not take advantage and book one the best beach hotels in Malta.
Best beach hotels in Malta 2025
1. Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Malta Golden Sands hotel
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The clue is in the name. Sitting right on the side of Golden Bay, this is a true beach hotel. Large, modern and rated five-star, it has all the facilities adults and kids require for a beach holiday. The hotel’s small stretch of beach borders the wide public swathe of, yes, golden sand, lapped by azure waters. Cliffs stretch away on either side, with some good walking options. A dive centre offers watersports hire including jetskis, kayaks and parasailing. The hotel’s swimming pools overlook the bay, and a spa and indoor pool cater for cooler weather. An indoor-outdoor kids club keeps the children amused, while in season there are activities for all ages ranging from yoga to pizza making.
Address: Golden Bay, MLH5510
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2. db Seabank Resort & Spa hotel
Malta’s longest sandy beach stretches 800 metres along Mellieha Bay, and just across the road from its southern end sits db Seabank Resort & Spa. A large, mostly all-inclusive hotel, it has full facilities for a family holiday and the yellow-sand beach slopes gently into clear, blue water, making it perfect for little ones to swim. There is a main road behind the beach, but if you’re facing the sea, it’s easily forgotten. Jetskis and paddle boats can be hired and inflatables are available for an adrenaline kick. Back at the hotel you’ll find the largest hotel pool in Malta. Its surroundings are a bit concrete, but there’s plenty of space and sunbeds. There are smaller pools and kids' club areas, too. Inside heated pools, including one especially for kids, are great on cooler days, and there’s a spa and a basement bowling alley.
3. Malta Marriott Resort & Spa hotel
The small beach in Balluta Bay – the nicest part of St Julian’s, and topped up with imported sand each summer – is overlooked by the Malta Marriott Resort & Spa. With an entrance at bay level (just across a small but busy road) this is the closest hotel to the beach, and when you’ve had enough sand between your toes you are only metres from the hotel’s Cala Lido. Brand new for summer 2025, it boasts a good-sized pool, copious sunbeds and a bar-restaurant which hosts regular barbecues in season. For adults seeking calm, the separate rooftop pool is child- and sand-free during July and August. If the weather isn’t behaving, switch allegiance to the good-sized, well-heated indoor pool and spa, or sit out on the bay-view terrace or beneath the vast picture windows with a cocktail.
Address: 39 Main Street, Balluta Bay, St Julian’s, STJ1017
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4. The Westin Dragonara Resort hotel
Thatched umbrellas dot the Westin’s rocky ‘beach’ with swimming (and snorkelling) in clear Blue Flag sea – and the waters stay super clear as there is no sand to cloud them. Actually, there is a tiny patch – the Sandy Cove, which is perfect for young children. Known as the Reef Club, the hotel’s coast boasts a bar-café, sunbeds, and a five-star family-friendly atmosphere. There is a full-sized sandy beach just a few minutes’ walk away, but it’s a ‘party beach’ where you can barely see the sand for bodies in summer. No need to go there unless you like that sort of thing. The Westin has all you need – even in cooler weather. Between the hotel and the sea are the main outdoor pool, two whirlpool tubs and a kids’ paddling pool – all heated, year-round. And that’s in addition to the indoor pool and spa. The breakfast buffet is spectacular and will fully set you up for the day – be that in the water, on the water, under the water (with the hotel’s dive centre) or simply enjoying the sea views.
Address: Dragonara Road, St Julian’s, STJ3143
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5. Blu Waters Boutique hotel
Set on the waterfront in the little seaside village of Xlendi on Malta’s smaller sister island of Gozo, smart new boutique hotel Blu Waters Boutique is a few steps from the sea. There is a little bit of rough sand beach here – useful water access for kids or the less mobile – but otherwise it’s better to settle on the long rocky ‘beach’ that runs the length of the inlet that is Xlendi Bay. Also a popular place for diving (there are three dive centres within metres of the hotel), the water is deep and clear, and there’s plenty of space to swim and snorkel. The rich blues of the water permeate the hotel too, with fresh marine-inspired décor. Many rooms have balconies that overlook the bay.
Address: Xatt Ix Xlendi (Xlendi Waterfront), Xlendi XLN1010
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6. Ta’ Cenc Hotel & Spa
The hotel’s private waterside area is known as Kantra Beach and while ‘beach’ is admittedly pushing it, this pretty inlet offers swimming in deep, clear water. The hotel is set on Malta’s smaller, quieter island of Gozo. The sides of the inlet are steep so you need to climb out via a few steps. It is not suitable for young children but it’s a charming spot for confident swimmers and snorkellers, and there’s a seasonal bar and restaurant for when you emerge from the sea. The hotel itself – a walk or minibus transfer away across the top of the towering Ta’ Cenc cliffs – is a single-storey local stone structure tucked into the rocky landscape with wide open pool terraces, a delightful indoor-outdoor pool, and a spa. It can be understaffed and service sometimes falls short, but if the price is right…
Address: Triq Ta’ Cenc, Sannat, Gozo SNT9049
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7. The Waterfront hotel
The Sliema waterfront is almost a mile of rocky ‘beach’ – treated exactly like a sandy beach by locals (and visitors), just without buckets and spades or sand in the sandwiches. It is backed by a popular promenade where local families parade on summer evenings, flanked by bars, restaurants and a line of nondescript modern hotels. One of the best of these is The Waterfront. It has helpful, friendly staff and comfortable contemporary rooms, most with balconies overlooking the water. Beyond the hotel lies Manoel Island and its glowing limestone buildings, which date back to the 18th century. There are glimpses, too, of Malta’s Unesco World Heritage peninsula capital, Valletta, reached via a 10-minute ferry that you can catch just a few hundred metres from the hotel.
Address: The Strand, Sliema GZR1028
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8. 1926 Le Soleil Hotel & Spa
With its own Beach Club set on the long rocky Sliema Waterfront with a waterside infinity pool and direct access to the sparkling sea, this hotel is set 200 metres back from the shoreline. A typical Maltese mix of traditional and modern décor, it boasts a small heated rooftop pool and a spa with a sauna, steam room and treatments. The Beach Club has a bar and restaurant, and sunbeds are available (and free to use) for hotel guests.
Address: Thornton Street, Sliema, SLM3143
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9. AX ODYCY hotel
This vast new 600-room hotel sits on the shores of northern Malta on the edge of the tourist hotspot of Qawra. It offers direct access to the sea via a rocky ‘beach’, sea-view pools, a kids’ area with a water slide and bayside bar-restaurants – all reached via a tunnel from the hotel across the road. It’s close to the public Blue Flag Qawra Point (rocky) Beach too, a little peninsula that juts out into beautiful, clear waters where there is a chair lift into the sea for people with limited mobility. Inside the hotel, you’ll find a calmer adults-only area with a rooftop pool and spa, indoor pools and 11 restaurants and bars. The rooms are remarkably comfortable and all have balconies, some offering sea views.
Address: Dawret il-Qawra, SPB1902
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10. InterContinental Malta by IHG hotel
In exchange for maintaining the beach – and helping top it up with imported sand each season – this hotel lays claim to a private area on St George’s Bay beach. This can be a big plus in summer when the beach, which is set in the heart of Malta’s clubland, can get sardine-packed and a bit rowdy. The water is as clear, blue and inviting as anywhere else on the island, and the InterContinental reserves sunbeds solely for its guests. The hotel is a mere 200 metres up the road from the sand and offers large outdoor and indoor pools, a spa and several bars and restaurants.
Address: St. George’s Bay, STJ 3310
